Music News
Girl Friday Announce Debut Album Androgynous Mary, Share “Amber’s Knees”: Stream
Girl Friday have announced their debut album Androgynous Mary. In anticipation of the August 21st release, the genre-fluid rockers have shared the music video for their lead single “Amber’s Knees: A Matter of Concern”. The LA quartet first gained national attention when they were named finalists in the 2018 Vans Share the Stage competition. Girl Friday followed that accomplishment with the 2019 Fashion Conman EP, a marvelous project that sounded like Robert Smith went surfing with Iggy Pop. “Amber’s Knees: A Matter of Concern” continues the exploration of sunny, guitard-driven post-punk. It’s melodically simple but structurally dense, with an intro, a couple of verses, a big shout-a-long chorus, a bridge, and an outro, all crammed into a tight three minutes. In a statement, Girl Frida...
Roger Waters Chides David Gilmour Over Pink Floyd Ownership Claims: “Just Change the Name of the Band to Spinal Tap”
Prior to the pandemic and global lockdown, the surviving members of Pink Floyd held a peace summit to discuss a re-release of their 1977 album, Animals, and other issues that have long caused inner-band tensions. Things didn’t go as planned, however: Roger Waters seemed to insinuate that drummer Nick Mason sided with David Gilmour. “I actually suggested going democratic. I said, ‘Why don’t we just have a vote? There’s only three of us…’ No, no, they wouldn’t have that. God knows why,” Waters recounted in a recent interview with Rolling Stone. Waters said the experience reminded him of why he left Pink Floyd in the first place and quickly dismissed the idea of a post-COVID reunion as something that “would be fucking awful.” He added, “Would I trade my liberty for those chains? No fucki...
Virtual Joey Ramone Birthday Bash Features Members of Ramones, Green Day, Sex Pistols, More
The legendary Joey Ramone would have turned 69 today (May 19th), and the occasion is being marked with the annual “Birthday Bash” tribute in his honor. Only this time, due to the pandemic, it will be a virtual celebration, with members of Ramones, Green Day, Sex Pistols, and more performing. The “Joey Ramone Virtual Birthday Bash” kicks off tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET on the official Facebook page of the late punk icon. Among the performers are onetime Ramones members CJ Ramone and Richie Ramone, Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock, Dictators guitarist Andy Shernoff, David Bowie guitarist Earl Slick, and more. A late addition just announced this morning is a debut performance from Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, who has reworked the Ramones’ “Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue” into “Now I Wanna Drink...
Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams Sing “Volcano Man” from Netflix’s Eurovision: Watch
The real Eurovision may be cancelled, but this summer Netflix is releasing Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. The new comedy is out June 26th, and instead of a traditional trailer, the streaming giant has shared “Volcano Man”, a bonkers music video performed by Rachel McAdams and Will Ferrell. In the grand Eurovision tradition, “Volcano Man” is both catchy and utterly nonsensical. It’s nothing more or less than a soaring synth pop ode to a man who lives on a volcano. “Volcano man!” Ferrell roars, as McAdams replies, “He’s got my melting heart!” The video is set on an idyllic Scandinavian fjord, and features viking attire, over-the-top makeup, and lots of Ferrell’s heavy breathing. Check out “Volcano Man” below. Via Rolling Stone, Ferrell and McAdams star as as...
Bono Names Kanye West’s “Black Skinhead” as a Song That “Saved My Life”
For his 60th birthday, U2 frontman Bono curated a list of “60 Songs That Saved My Life”. As part of the project, he penned individual letters to each of the artists behind his songs of choice. Among those receiving the a handwritten note from Bono was Kanye West, whose Yeezus cut “Black Skinhead” sounded like nothing [Bono had] ever heard before.” Bono was actually in the SNL house the night “Black Skinhead” debuted in 2013. “I was a hundred feet away from your feet,” the letter begins. “Your eyes were shut so as not to be distracted from the words you had just written around the corner.” The letter quotes some favorite lyrics, and suggests that with this performance, “It felt like hip hop wanted the black leather jacket back from rock ‘n roll…. and the rock ‘n roll sil...
Dropkick Murphys to Play Audience-Less Concert From Fenway Park With Bruce Springsteen
In the early days of COVID-19, Dropkick Murphys were one of the first bands to stage a digital concert, as they streamed their annual St. Patrick’s Day concert live online. The webcast drew an audience of more than 13 million viewers and raised over $60,000 for the Boston Resiliency Fund, a nonprofit that provides essential services to Boston residents—including first responders and critical care providers — amid the pandemic. Now, the Boston punks have announced a second livestream performance that should prove even more massive. That’s because not only will they be playing live from Fenway Park, they’ll be joined via video by Bruce Springsteen. The digital concert, aptly called Streaming Outta Fenway, will go down Friday, May 29th at 6:00 p.m. EDT. Dropkick Murphys themselves w...
Clutch to Headline Virtual Show with Support from Crowbar and More
Clutch have announced that they’ll headline a full bill of rock and metal, albeit a streaming-only concert due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The veteran hard rockers will play a virtual show that will feature support from Crowbar, Blacktop Mojo, and Saul. For a ticket price of $9, fans will be able to enjoy four bands from the confines of their own homes. The May 27th concert begins at 4:00 p.m. ET with Saul, followed by Blacktop Mojo at 4:35 p.m., then Crowbar at 5:10 p.m., and finally Clutch at 5:55 p.m. A portion of the ticket proceeds will benefit the nonprofit organization Angel Flight West. The streaming show, dubbed “Live From the Doom Saloon Volume 1”, follows a series of informal mini-concerts that Clutch have been performing from their studio in Maryland. Those shows streamed live fo...
Grimes’ Mom Calls Out Elon Musk Over “Red Pill” Comment
Families usually grow closer when a new baby arrives. However, Grimes, Elon Musk, and their newborn son aren’t what you would call your typical family. Just two weeks after the birth of X Æ A-12, Grimes’ mother is feuding with the Space X founder over Twitter. As The Cut points out, the familial tensions began with Musk’s controversial political comments over the weekend. On Twitter, he encouraged his followers to “Take the red pill,” using the memorable Matrix scene as a euphemism for a right-wing political awakening. (The Matrix director Lilly Wachowski promptly took him to task with an f-bomb.) The phrase “red-pilling” also happens to have been infamously adopted by men’s rights activists (more unsavory people, do we sense a pattern here?), and this is where Grimes’ mother, Sandy G...
Matt Cameron and Taylor Momsen Cover Soundgarden’s “Halfway There” in Honor of Chris Cornell: Watch
Three years ago today the world lost Chris Cornell. In honor of the late and great frontman, fellow Soundgarden bandmate and Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron and The Pretty Reckless leader Taylor Momsen teamed up to cover “Halfway There”. The two musicians performed their collaborative rendition on video, broadcasting from their own respective quarantine spaces. Cameron primarily handled the guitar, while Momsen delivered a solemn yet strong vocal performance of Soundgarden’s 2012 King Animal track. Watch below. The Pretty and Reckless played an opening set for what would eventually be considered Cornell’s final live performance in 2017. In a recent interview with Kerrang!, Momsen said was she deeply affected by the deaths of Cornell, whom she considered a musical hero, and The Pretty R...
Remo Drive Belt Their Hearts Out on New Song “Ode to Joy 2”: Stream
It looks like A Portrait of an Ugly Man will be quite a musical leveling up for Remo Drive. The Midwest indie rockers have shared another new song from the album, a tongue-in-cheek number called “Ode to Joy 2”, as well as a music video to go with it. From the sound of it, they’re ready to start wooing new fans over the radio with the track. “Ode to Joy 2” is the second single we’ve heard from Remo Drive’s upcoming full-length, following “Star Worship”. Whereas that track was an uptempo primer for a return to the sound of their breakout debut, 2017’s Greatest Hits, this new song leans back cooly, taking its time with a slow-burning funk bass line and suave vocals. Come to think of it, “Ode to Joy 2” almost sounds like an Arctic Monkeys ballad. In a statement, vocalist Erik Paulson explained...
Khruangbin Channel Sade on New Single “So We Won’t Forget”: Stream
Lockdown has afforded people more time to reflect on what matters most in their lives. For Khruangbin, warm memories of family and friends chart high on their lists, as evidenced by their latest single “So We Won’t Forget”. Here, bassist and vocalist Laura Lee Ochoa pens post-it reminders to herself lest she fails to recall a meaningful moment. “One to remember/ Writing it down now/ So we won’t forget,” she sings over a smooth, soothing arrangement. Her voice is reminiscent of Sade, an artist Ochoa has long admired. “Memory is a powerful thing,” Khruangbin note in a statement. “Now more than ever it’s important to tell the people you love that you love them, so that they don’t forget.” Editors’ Picks Check out today’s new song via a video directed by Scott Dungate and co-produced by ...
Volbeat Officially Cancel US Tour After Previously Hoping to Reschedule the Outing
Like most bands, Volbeat were recently forced to postpone their spring US tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Danish rockers originally hoped to reschedule the dates for the fall, but have now decided to outright cancel the outing, which was set to feature support from Clutch and The Picturebooks. The tour was slated to run from April 4th in Tempe, Arizona, to May 13th in New York City. Upon announcing its postponement back in March, Volbeat informed fans that they were looking to reschedule the tour for September and October. Now, with a growing consensus that concerts won’t return to the States in earnest until 2021, the band revealed today (May 18th) that the tour is officially canceled. Volbeat issued the following statement explaining the decision: “We hate to be another band start...
