Blues Rock
Mdou Moctar Releases New Song “Afrique Victime”: Stream
Tuareg psych-rock artist Mdou Moctar is one of the best guitarists of this current era, and he’s back with more new music up his sleeve. Moctar has released the title track from his upcoming album Afrique Victime, due out May 21st via Matador, along with a black-and-white music video that splices live performance scenes together. Stream it below. This is the second single Mdou Moctar has shared from Afrique Victime, following “Tala Tannam”. This new seven-minute rallying cry sees him knead a pulsing groove and mesmerizing guitar riff into a foundation that stabilizes his mournful chants. “The wind born in Tunisia spread all over Arabia/ Africa is a victim of so many crimes,” he sings. “If we stay silent it will be the end of us/ Why is this happening?” It’s dizzying and powerful ...
Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s Blues Music Award Nomination Rescinded Over Use of Confederate Flag
The Blues Foundation has rescinded Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s 2021 Blues Music Awards nomination for Best Blues Rock Artist over his use of the Confederate flag. “The decision to rescind the nomination was based upon continuing revelations of representations of the Confederate flag on Shepherd’s ‘General Lee’ car, guitars and elsewhere,” The Blues Foundation explained in a statement announcing the decision. The organization cited its Statement Against Racism recently released on March 15th, which reads, “The Blues Foundation unequivocally condemns all forms and expressions of racism, including all symbols associated with white supremacy and the degradation of people of color. We will hold ourselves as well as all blues musicians, fans, organizations, and members of the music industry acco...
Emily Wolfe Unveils Epiphone Sheraton Stealth Guitar and “No Man” Performance: Interview + Giveaway
Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Emily Wolfe has been rising up the music ranks over the past few years, and now she has her own signature Epiphone Sheraton Stealth guitar. She puts the instrument on display in a new performance of her song “No Man” at the Gibson Showroom in Austin, Texas, exclusively premiering at Consequence of Sound along with a giveaway contest for the new guitar. As an up-and-coming musician, Wolfe makes history with her own signature Epiphone guitar, which she helped develop. The Sheraton Stealth offers thinline, double-cutaway, semi-hollowbody design similar to the Gibson ES-335. Wolfe’s model comes in a Black Aged Gloss finish, boasting an Indian Laurel fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets and mother-of-pearl block inlays with abalone lightning bolts. The headst...
Brittany Howard Performs “Short and Sweet” on Kimmel While Michelle Obama Looks On: Watch
On Tuesday night, Brittany Howard stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! to perform “Short and Sweet” with her trademark show-stopping skills. However, unlike most musical guests on the show, she had the added pressure of singing in front of the former First Lady Michelle Obama, who was coincidentally a guest on the same episode. Unsurprisingly, Howard is a bonafide show-stopper and she delivered her rendition of the song flawlessly. Watch a replay her performance below. Howard’s late-night performance arrived on the heels of her whirlwind evening at the Grammy Awards this past weekend. She received a total of five nominations, including Best Alternative Music Album for her remarkable album Jaime, and ultimately took home a statue for Best Rock Song thanks to “Stay High”. She also sang the hell out...
Dirty Honey Announce Debut Album, Share “California Dreamin’”: Stream
Hard rockers Dirty Honey have announced that their self-titled debut album will arrive April 23rd. The L.A. band has also shared the music video for the opening track and lead single, “California Dreamin’”. Not to be confused with the ’60s pop hit of the same name by The Mamas and the Papas, Dirty Honey’s take on the Golden State is a darker portrayal. Vocalist and lyricist Marc LaBelle said the track and its video explain that the Cali dream is just that: a dream. It doesn’t always come true. “Lots of people come out to California, chasing a dream, and sometimes, people just don’t make it,” LaBelle said in a press release. “California isn’t always the ‘land of milk and honey,’ dreams don’t always come true here, and that’s the perspective this song and video take. The video is a dream thr...
Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) and Richie Kotzen Detail New Album, Share “Taking My Chances” Video: Watch
Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith and veteran rocker Richie Kotzen have detailed their new collaborative debut album, Smith/Kotzen, which arrives March 26th. The duo have also shared a music video for the previously released lead single, “Taking My Chances”. The collab between the two friends was born from a mutual appreciation for the blues guitar style, as evidenced on “Taking My Chances”. Smith and Kotzen are both highly gifted players, and their world-class fretwork is truly impressive in tandem. In addition to an extensive solo discography, Kotzen has been a member of Poison, Mr. Big, and The Winery Dogs. Fans of virtuoso guitar performances should look no further than the song’s accompanying video. Smith and Kotzen’s skills are front and center, as the camera primarily focuses ...
Janis Joplin’s Pearl Remains a Stunning Gem 50 Years Later: Classic Review
Consequence Podcast Network and Sony’s The Opus is back for Season 12, which examines the enduring legacy of Janis Joplin’s posthumous final album, Pearl. Also, after you read this article, scroll below to enter our exclusive Janis Joplin giveaway or score some original Opus swag. — Pearl never stood a chance at being just an album. That was assured when Janis Joplin was found dead in her hotel room of an accidental heroin overdose during the sessions that would lead to her second and final solo record. At that point, Pearl, which came out a little over three months later, could never simply be the latest measure of the brilliant blues singer as a recording artist. It became part of the myth of Janis Joplin — an idea that’s only grown bolder and more complex over the decades. To many fans,...
Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) and Richie Kotzen Form New Outfit, Unveil “Taking My Chances”: Stream
Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith and veteran rocker Richie Kotzen have joined forces for the new blues-rock project Smith/Kotzen. In announcing the new outfit, the pair have unveiled their debut single, “Taking My Chances”. Longtime friends and colleagues, Smith and Kotzen are a formidable guitar pairing and prove as much on the new song. This ain’t Maiden, but rather a love letter to the electric blues. Smith and Kotzen share a mutual love of the genre that can be traced back through the years, like the time Smith played and sang a cover of Cream’s iconic “Crossroads” at one of Kotzen’s birthday parties. A natural chemistry can be heard on “Taking My Chances”. “I think Richie and I complement each other really well,” Smith said in a press release. “He’s a virtuoso guitarist, but he...
Santana’s Abraxas Still Casts a Mystical Spell Half a Century Later: Review
Consequence Podcast Network and Sony’s The Opus is back for Season 11 with a new host and a new classic album to explore. Click here to listen as host Jill Hopkins (The Moth Chicago, Making Beyoncé podcast) conjures the enduring legacy of Santana’s landmark Abraxas. Also, after you read this article, scroll below to enter our exclusive Santana giveaway or score some original Opus swag. — The story of Carlos Santana and the band that bears his name has been one of near-constant evolution. Critics and fans have attempted to tame Santana’s catalog over the years by sorting the group’s 25 studio albums by era, style, or lineup. That’s not a totally fruitless exercise. Nobody, for instance, will mistake the frenetic jam session that is Santana’s seminal 1969 debut for, say, the earthy jazz-fusi...
Brittany Howard Covers Nina Simone’s “Revolution” on Colbert: Watch
Brittany Howard received five Grammy Award nominations across four genre categories (Rock, Alternative Music, R&B, and American Roots) on Tuesday. Hours later, she appeared on Colbert, but instead of performing any of her recognized work, she chose to dig into yet another genre and perform someone else’s song. Howard delivered an impassioned blues rock rendition of Nina Simone’s “Revolution”. Matching her band’s red attire, Howard strutted about the stage like she was playing for a real live audience. It’s got to be hard to muster that sort of energy these days, but the Alabama Shakes singer barely looked like she had to dig very deep at all as she busted out the powerful performance. Of course, she’s been covering the song (itself a response to The Beatles’ “Revolution”) live for awhi...
Ranking Every AC/DC Album from Worst to Best
Welcome to Dissected, where we disassemble a band’s catalog, a director’s filmography, or some other critical pop-culture collection. It’s exact science by way of a few beers. This time, we follow the legendary AC/DC’s career, from their 1975 debut, High Voltage, to their most recent effort, 2020’s Power Up. The legacy of AC/DC is one of perseverance. Across their five-decade career, the Australian hard rockers have seen both sides of tragedy and glory, from their rugged ascent playing beer bars to becoming a global stadium rock institution. When charismatic frontman and lyricist Bon Scott passed away in 1980, many wondered if it was the end of AC/DC. Scott’s vivid personality was as much the face of the band as forever-a-schoolboy guitarist Angus Young. After releasing multiple soon-...
Royal Blood Perform “Trouble’s Coming” on Corden: Watch
Royal Blood brought their new single “Trouble’s Coming” to James Corden on Thursday night for a grooving late-night performance. The Brighton duo’s remote appearance was — by usual standards — rather simple: A ring of lights flashed above them while strobes delivered burst of color from either side of the circular stage. A… Please click the link below to read the full article. Royal Blood Perform “Trouble’s Coming” on Corden: Watch Ben Kaye You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back th...
