John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen have joined forces for the first time in their decorated careers on “Wasted Days.” The new video, directed and produced by Springsteen collaborator Thom Zimmy, was filmed in the Boss’ home state of New Jersey earlier in September. It is also the first single off Mellencamp’s upcoming record slated for release in 2022. [embedded content] The classic rock legends sing words of wisdom to a younger generation of the plight of time slipping away. With a country feel by the strength of both acoustic guitars, their aged voices beautifully render their grasp of what it means to live life to the fullest. Relaying the questions the (understatedly) experienced rockers are still asking themselves: “How much sorrow is there left to climb / How many promises are wor...
“Hello, Liza. This is John Mellencamp. What do you want to talk about?” It’s a cold, cloudy East Coast afternoon, and, for so many reasons, including John’s 69th birthday on Oct. 7, it’s been tough for us to connect. “I want to talk about you,” I say. “Boy, that’s a boring topic,” he states. I don’t believe him, but I like him already. He’s direct. He’s salty. He’s moody and sharp. He speaks with a gravely Southern lilt, even though born and raised above the Mason-Dixon line. Seymour, Indiana, as we all know from his 1985 hit “Small Town”, is a humble place, under 20,000 people, known, interestingly, for its downtown railroad which intersects the north/south, east/west lines. He currently calls hour-away Bloomington home, though he’s calling today from his house on South Carolina’s D...
SPIN launched in the peak MTV era, when an innovative — or even just salacious — music video could make or break an artist. Thirty five years later, YouTube is an obligatory part of any promotional push, but no one’s counting on a mind-blowing clip to sell a record. (The views do often matter — just not always the creativity.) A sizable chunk of the best videos came out during the ‘90s alternative bloom, when directors like Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry and Hype Williams experimented with the style and substance of this malleable medium. But the format hasn’t died with MTV: artists like Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar and Miley Cyrus all made this list for a reason — and it wasn’t to meet a decade quota. Here are the top 35 from the last 35. Ready or not, here we go again. – Ryan Reed 3...