genre rock
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Linkin Park have been on such a roll over the past year that they recently did something they’ve rarely done in the past: write new music on the road. Fans will get to hear the fruits of that labor on May 16 with the release of a deluxe edition of last year’s surprise comeback album, From Zero.
Two of the three new bonus tracks on that special edition, “Up From the Bottom and “Let You Fade,” were finished after the initial sessions for the long-running rock band’s first effort with new singer Emily Armstrong; the former was written in between tour dates and the latter was started during the album sessions and finished after its release.
With “Up From the Bottom” just out, Billboard asked what it feels like to keep the chart momentum of the 2.0 lineup rolling after the group announced their revival in 2024, seven years after the 2017 death of original singer Chester Bennington. “A day in the life,” Armstrong laughed, as singer/guitarist Mike Shinoda teased that his newest bandmate is already “super jaded” at this point. “She’s just so used to it,” he said in the video you can watch in full above. “She was so down to earth in the beginning.”
Shinoda said LP wrote “Up From the Bottom” at the end of last year and though it was the last new song they laid down for the deluxe, it was the quickest one to wrap. “It’s kind of fun having that shorter momentum,” he said, noting that typically the band is “so meticulous” that it was a breath of fresh air to turn something so quickly.
He also said that “Let You Fade” started off as a not-as-loud song on a demo that just didn’t make the cut before the group pivoted to a piano-and-vocals only arrangement that was transformed into a song that starts off really loud and goes quiet on the bridge. “That piano and vocal thing was the second demo [we recorded during the initial sessions],” Shinoda said. “Of the three it’s probably my favorite.”
The expanded album will also feature the new song “Unshatter,” a track Shinoda said LP began working on when they were first just getting to know Armstrong.
In fact, she was so new that Shinoda said when he began playing back Armstrong’s wailing vocal on the song new drummer Colin Brittain heard the screaming on the bridge from the control room and said, “‘oh you know who she sounds like? The singer from Dead Sara,’” which, of course is exactly who she is. “He said, ‘dude, really? She’s soooo good!’”
And while Armstrong said they’re thinking about putting a small recording studio on their tour bus, Shinoda cautioned fans not to expect more new music this year since LP will be on the road for much of 2025. Speaking of which, with a 27-song, two-hour running time straining their ability to get all the fan favorites and deep tracks into the mix, Armstrong joked, “I think we should play four hours.”
Perhaps it’s that adrenalin, or maybe her take-no-prisoners performance style, but Shinoda said having Armstrong front the band has earned him some serious cool dad points at home. “I have daughters and having them see Emily and be like, ‘Whoa! She is so cool!’,” is a huge boost. “They say this all the time… they’re like, ‘Emily’s so cool,’” he said as Armstrong soaked up the kind words. “They think she’s the coolest human on Earth. They’re like, ‘dad, you’re not that cool. She’s very cool.’”
The band will be on stage on Tuesday night (May 6) at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C.
British rocker Yungblud announced on Tuesday (May 6) that his new album, Idols, will be released on June 20, and confirmed that it is the first part of an upcoming double LP; the second part of the collection is yet to be announced.
The release is the artist born Dominic Harrison’s fourth album under the Yungblud moniker, and is described by the Doncaster-born musician as “a love letter to self-reclamation … to rock music … [and] to life in all it’s f–king madness.”
In an accompanying statement, Yungblud said that the record explores the theme of hero-worship. “We turn to others for an identity before turning to ourselves. Self-belief, self-reclamation, self-evolution and change. As we grow up, we lose our belief in magic and mystery. We begin to rationalize everything; our cage walls build up.”
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The LP was recorded in Leeds, England, near his hometown of Doncaster in Yorkshire, and he said in the press release that he “wanted to make a project that didn’t focus on singles or anything else except feeling and world-building,” and described the project as having “no limitations.”
That much was obvious with its lead single and album opener “Hello Heaven, Hello,” a nine-minute mini-rock opera and latest single “Lovesick Lullaby.” The record was produced by close collaborator Matt Schwartz, Bob Bradley and touring guitarist Adam Warrington.
Yungblud’s past two records — Weird! (2020) and Yungblud (2022) — both hit No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart, with the latter giving him a career high of No. 45 on the Billboard 200. Idols is his first record on Island Records (U.K.) and Capitol Records (U.S.) following his previous home of Geffen/Interscope.
Speaking to Billboard U.K. in August, he shared details on the label move. “It’s a new phase in my life and these labels are so classic, and this new album feels like it belongs on prestigious labels like that,” he said. “The last few months have been a lot more creatively fruitful and inspiring. I really had a choice about staying in the comfort zone or do I want to go to different places and experiment.”
Following its inaugural edition in 2024, his Bludfest event will return on June 21 in Milton Keynes, England, and features appearances from Yungblud, Chase Atlantic, Rachel Chinouriri and more.
See the Idols tracklist and his album announcement on Instagram below:
“Hello Heaven, Hello”
“Idols Pt I”
“Lovesick Lullaby”
“Zombie”
“The Greatest Parade”
“Change”
“Monday Murder”
“Ghosts”
“Fire”
“War”
“Idols Pt II”
“Supermoon”
He’s here to answer all your questions about how the Rock Hall works.
Chappell Roan is no piker when it comes to belting out a tune. But on the latest episode of Heart singer Ann Wilson‘s After Dinner Thinks podcast, the “Pink Pony Club” singer made a bold statement about the number one voice in rock. “You’re rockin’ mama! I’m rockin’ because you rockin’, really, truly,” Roan told the singer of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band.
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“I think you have the best voice in rock,” Roan said to Wilson, noting that “nothing” has ever made her feel as powerful as when she sang Heart’s iconic hit “Barracuda” onstage at the Austin City Limits festival in 2024, introducing it as her “favorite song.”
“I was like, ‘actually, this is the coolest song ever. And I feel like a rock star!,” Roan said. Fellow guest Lucy Dacus recalled the pair talking about the cover, with Roan telling her at the time, “I remember when you were like, ‘I’m gonna cover this because I want to feel what it feels like in my body to be a rocker like that.’”
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Wilson agreed that it’s a whole different thing to rock out on stage, with Roan saying that pop is fine, but rock, well, it’s a different beast. “A song like that… you can’t hold it in like that. It has to be an independence of the soul where you just let it go and you go, ‘what the f–k? This is a physical event,” Wilson said.
After watching a Heart show before the pod recording, Dacus opined on how most self-described rockers are wannabes who are just pretending, or trying to be a “rock character or avatar. Y’all are just ‘bees,’ you’re not wannabes… they’re trying to be you.”
That comment got Roan going, with the “Hot To Go” singer slamming “b–ches who will never come out on stage. They’re just like, ‘oh! I can’t. My arm hurts!’ Like you are… that is punk!”
Elsewhere in the chat, the three women talked about how style plays into their identity, Dacus asked Wilson is she’d ever considered retiring from music and Roan wondered how the singer handled the huge success and pressure to follow-up Heart’s smash 1975 debut album, Dreamboat Annie, when the group went in to record the follow-up. Dacus also talked about attending a Heart show with her birth mother, with Wilson sharing her moving journey adopting two children.
Definitely stick around until the end, because Wilson opened up about her record label once sending Paula Abdul to teach Heart some choreography, a move that did not go well.
Chappell Roan, Lucy Dacus and Ann Wilson
Courtesy Photo
Oasis’ reunion tour kicks off in just under two months, but there’s still plenty of questions around the shows, including: what will be played and who will be joining Noel and Liam Gallagher on stage when it all kicks off in Cardiff, Wales on July 4?
While a number of U.K. tabloids have been doing their best to get the scoop on the brothers’ reconciliation, frontman Liam has been using his X (formerly Twitter) profile to plant nuggets of information and strike down any inaccurate reports.
Over the weekend The Sun shared a pair of reports about the upcoming tour. One claimed that Noel and Liam were planning to have separate dressing rooms, and that friends of both brothers were restricted in where they could spend the after parties. It reported that “if you’re on Noel’s list but fancy going across to say hello to Liam, it’s going to be a case of trying to blag entry. It seems like they are totally separate events.” The report claimed: “It’s gutting for people who want to hang out with both of them but it seems they’re keeping it all at a distance.”
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Liam responded to the story and said that “After party’s are for w–––s,” throwing cold water on the idea that they were being kept separated. “I’m getting straight of after the gigs get my beauty sleep this level of sexiness doesn’t happen by staying up talking bollox to bellends.”
After party’s are for wankers I’m getting straight of after the gigs get my beauty sleep this level of sexiness doesn’t happen by staying up talking bollox to bellends— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) May 3, 2025
A second article in the The Sun on Sunday said that Oasis were set to drop the song “Hello” from its setlist due to its connection to convicted pedophile Gary Glitter. The 1995 song, which opened their sophomore album (Whats The Story) Morning Glory?, features the lines “Hello, hello, it’s good to be back, it’s good to be back.” The lyrics and melody mirror Glitter’s 1973 song “Hello, Hello, I’m Back Again,” and Glitter was credited as a writer on the Oasis song alongside writing partner Mike Leadner.
The story added, “The lyrics of the song would obviously have been a good fit for the reunion tour but the band have decided to leave it in the past. It would be inappropriate to play it given its connotations to Glitter and his convictions.” Glam rock star Glitter was convicted of child sexual abuse in 2006 and has faced a number of court cases since; he is currently being held in a U.K. prison for breaching his release conditions.
The Sun’s reporting was once again slapped down by Liam on his X account on Monday (May 5), confirming that the song will appear on the setlist. “We’ll be playing HELLO trust me,” he responded to one fan. He also debunked a rumoured leaked setlist and confirmed that none of his solo songs would appear in the shows.
“Hello” featured prominently in the band’s setlist following its release and appeared at their 1996 appearances at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire. The song fell out of rotation around 2002, but was played a number of times during Liam’s solo tours from 2020 onwards.
The band are set to open their tour on July 4 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, before a further run of shows in the U.K. and Ireland, before heading to North America, Latin America, Asia and Australasia.
We’ll be playing HELLO trust me— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) May 5, 2025
Australian indie-rock duo Royel Otis have announced another run of U.S. tour dates, with the group detailing their latest round of shows while in the country.
Announced on Monday (May 5), news of the group’s Meet Me in the Car tour coincides with the first of two sold-out shows at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on Monday and Tuesday. The 12-date run of shows launches in Philadelphia at the Franklin Music Hall on Sept. 12 before wrapping up in New York City at The Rooftop at Pier 17 on Oct. 11.
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Following their current Los Angeles shows, the Sydney duo will perform at both New York City’s Governors Ball Music Festival and Tennessee’s Bonnaroo festival ahead of a run of festival dates throughout Europe, the U.K., and North America before launching their own headline shows in September.
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Royel Otis first formed in 2019, releasing a series of EPs between 2021 and 2023 before issuing their debut album, Pratts & Pain in 2024. Though their “Sofa King” track reached No. 12 on the Alternative Airplay chart in 2023, the band found widespread fame last year following their cover of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” for Australian radio station triple j’s Like a Version series.
The cover topped the Alternative Airplay charts and also peaked at No. 41 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. The group’s penchant for covers was again felt when their SiriusXM session rendition of The Cranberries‘ “Linger” was released, giving them their first appearance on the Hot 100 when it reached No. 94.
In late 2024, Royel Otis won four ARIA Awards from eight nominations, including best group and best rock album, while producer Chris Collins won best produced release and best engineered release for Pratts & Pain.
Currently, Royal Otis are ostensibly preparing the launch of their latest era, having recently overhauled their socials with a largely minimalist approach. Alongside noting that “there will be singing. and dancing. and new music” alongside their latest tour announcement, the group have been teasing a song which “may or may not be called ‘Moody’” for a May 9 release.
Royal Otis – 2025 Meet Me in the Car Tour Dates
Sept. 12 – Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PASept. 14 – The Anthem, Washington, DCSept. 16 – The Ritz, Raleigh, NCSept. 19 – The Bomb Factory, Dallas, TXSept. 20 – Stubb’s, Austin, TXSept. 28 – Marquee Theatre, Tempe, AZSept. 30 – Mission Ballroom, Denver, COOct. 2 – Palace Theatre, St. Paul, MNOct. 3 – Grinders KC, Kansas City, MOOct. 4 – The Factory, Chesterfield, MOOct. 10 – MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Boston, MAOct. 11 – The Rooftop at Pier 17, New York, NY
James Baker, the prolific Australian drummer best known for his work as a member of The Scientists, the Hoodoo Gurus, and the Beasts of Bourbon has passed away at the age of 71.
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Baker’s passing was confirmed by a statement issued to the press on Tuesday (May 6), noting that the rocker had passed away at his home the night prior. “It is with heavy heart that we say that James Baker, the King of the Perth Big Beat, the godfather of Perth Punk and Australia’s Garage Guru passed away around 7:30 last night at home in Perth,” it read.
“It was no secret that James had been suffering from terminal cancer for some time, but he did his best to hold it at bay which enabled a final go round from the Victims – the band he formed with fellow Hoodoo Guru Dave Faulkner in ’77 – and a couple of last tours as well as a new album from the Beasts, the band he co-founded in ’83.
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“He also joined the Gurus on stage in Perth in December,” it continued. “He released his first solo 12” record Born to Rock – his first solo release since 1985’s legendary “Born to Be Punched”/”I Can’t Control Myself” single – in May last year, and a newly recorded single with Dom Mariani as recently as January of this year.”
Baker was born in the Western Australian city of Perth in 1954, purchasing his first drum kit at the age of 16 following a love of The Beatles‘ Ringo Starr. The following year, Baker would launch his own musical career behind the kit of a Beatles cover band before performing with groups such as the hard rock outfit Black Sun and the glam-rock Slick City Boys.
In the mid-’70s, Baker would spend time in the U.S. and U.K., even going so far as to consider auditioning for The Clash after a chance meeting with Joe Strummer and Mick Jones following a show from the Damned. “I had a Ramones T-shirt on and they came up to me and talked to me about that,” he recalled in 2003. “They said they needed a drummer. But I hadn’t played for a year.”
It was in 1977 that Baker first let his presence be felt fully as the co-founder The Victims with bassist Rudolph V (aka Dave Cardwell). The band had its roots in an earlier group called The Geeks, which took influence from the Ramones and their blend of burgeoning punk music. Following the addition of Dave Flick (aka Dave Faulkner), the group would rename and issue their debut single, “Television Addict.” The track remains a pioneering cut from the Australian punk scene, with copies of the ferocious tune selling for small fortunes amidst collectors.
While still a member of The Victims, Baker would join The Scientists in 1978, replacing drummer John Rowlings. Emerging from the punk scene, The Scientists would later become one of the most notable independent groups to emerge from Australia, with their influence on grunge being felt by later groups in the genre such as Mudhoney and Nirvana.
Following the release of their 1981 self-titled album, the band would briefly split, and Baker would embark on new ventures. This included the formation of the Hoodoo Gurus with former Victims bandmate Faulkner, former Scientists bandmate Roddy Radalj, and Kimble Rendall, who would pass away in April 2025.
Baker would depart the band in 1984 following the release of their debut album, Stoneage Romeos, which would be the first of four consecutive records to top the US College Radio charts.
While still a member of the Hoodoo Gurus, Baker would also co-found the Beasts of Bourbon, a rock supergroup of sorts fronted by former vocalist of the Dum-Dums, Tex Perkins. The initial lineup would be complemented by Baker, guitarist Spencer P. Jones of The Johnnys, and former members of The Scientists Kim Salmon and Boris Sujdovic.
Baker would remain most active in the Beasts of Bourbon, performing with most versions of the band until 2024. Additionally, he was a prolific songwriter and performer, going on to serve as a member of myriad bands, including the James Baker Experience and The Dubrovniks.
In 2006, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the West Australian Music Industry Awards, while The Scientists would follow in 2019. The Hoodoo Gurus, meanwhile, were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2007.
In 2014, Baker was diagnosed with liver cancer, which he battled for the remainder of his life. Fundraising campaigns were launched to aid his medical journey, and Baker continued to perform live in spite of his health issues, even releasing his debut solo EP, Born to Rock, in 2024.
“James is survived by his wife Cathy, daughters Lorna and Faye and sister Barbara, and his unborn grandson who will be arriving on the scene in the next week or so,” the statement issued to media concluded.
The death of Baker is another loss experienced by the extended Hoodoo Gurus family over the past year. In April 2024, longtime manager Michael McMartin passed away, just one month after handing the reins over to Mick Mazzone. In April 2025, Mazzone himself would pass away, with founding member Kimble Rendall following just days later.
More than five years since his last show, David Lee Roth has not only made a triumphant return, but reversed his decision to retire from the touring circuit.
Roth announced his 2025 tour plans on Monday (May 6), with a series of 21 live appearances set to take place over the summer.
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Launching at the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles on July 22, Roth will traverse the country until wrapping up his series of shows on Sept. 14 back in California at Napa’s Blue Note Summer Sessions.
Roth’s tour announcement comes just days after he made his first appearance on the live stage in five years on Saturday (May 3) at the M3 Rock Festival at Maryland’s Merriweather Post Pavilion. The 16-song set featured Roth leaning entirely on his tenure as frontman for Van Halen, save for a cover of The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me,” which was issued as Van Halen’s debut single in 1978.
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The show was his first since March 2020 when he appeared as the opening act for KISS in Lubbock, Texas as part of their End of the Road Tour.
In early 2021, Roth announced that he would be officially retiring following a residency at Las Vegas’ House of Blues at Mandalay Bay in 2022. “I am throwing in the shoes. I’m retiring,” Roth said. “This is the first, and only, official announcement. You’ve got the news. Share it with the world.”
“I’m not going to explain the statement,” he added. “The explanation is in a safe. These are my last five shows.” Ultimately, Roth’s Las Vegas residency would be cancelled, ostensibly leaving him with unfinished business until his return to the stage this month.
Roth first rose to fame as the vocalist for Van Halen from 1974 until 1985, appearing on their first six records before embarking on a solo career. Roth would be replaced by Sammy Hagar, though would return for a one-off appearance in 1996 before Gary Cherone took over vocal duties.
Following another brief stint from Hagar up the front from 2003 until 2005, Roth resumed his role in the band from 2007 until the band’s dissolution in 2020 following the death of Eddie Van Halen.
David Lee Roth – 2025 Tour Dates
July 22 – California Mid-State Fair, Paso Robles, CAJuly 31 – Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, FLAug. 3 – Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Event Center, Tampa, FLAug. 6 – Hard Rock Live Bristol, Bristol, VAAug. 8 – Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, Atlantic City, NJAug. 10 – The Paramount, Huntington, NYAug. 13 – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Hampton Beach, NHAug. 15 – Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, NYAug. 17 – The Wind Creek Event Center, Bethlehem, PAAug. 19 – Hard Rock Live Northern India, Gary, INAug. 21 – Hard Rock Outdoor Arena, Cincinnati, OHAug. 23 – Doquoin State Fairgrounds, Doquoin, ILAug. 25 – The Factory, Chesterfield, MOAug. 27 – Grinders KC, Kansas City, MOAug. 29 – Lucas Oil Live at Winstar, Thackerville, OKAug. 31 – Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa, Catoosa, OKSept. 4 – Gila River Resorts & Casinos, Chandler, AZSept. 8 – Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, San Diego, CASept. 10 – Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, CASept. 12 – Mountain Winery, Saratoga, CASept. 14 – Blue Note Summer Sessions, Napa, CA
When Ghost’s new studio album Skeletá debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart (dated May 10), it not only secured the band its first No. 1, but also marked the first hard rock set to reach No. 1 in over four years. The last hard rock title at No. 1 was AC/DC’s Power Up – which […]
Billie Eilish fans in Amsterdam are feeling so f–king special after witnessing the star cover Radiohead‘s “Creep” at Ziggo Dome on Sunday night (May 4).
In videos posted by concertgoers, Eilish departs from her regularly scheduled setlist to deliver a stunning rendition of the rock band’s signature hit, joined on stage by two backup vocalists and an electric guitar player. Taking the main melody, the nine-time Grammy winner’s piercing voice soars over lush harmonies provided by the other singers, with Eilish adding her own tasteful riffs throughout.
“But I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo,” she sings, closing her eyes to the music. “What the hell am I doin’ here?/ I don’t belong here.”
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At one point toward the end of the performance, the musician spots something in the distance that makes her crack up, and is unable to stop laughing. Even as she raises her microphone to start singing again, she bursts into another fit of chuckles, eventually composing herself enough to deliver the song’s final haunting bars.
Released in 1992 as Radiohead’s debut single, “Creep” eventually entered the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1993 before peaking at No. 34 the following September. It’s featured on the band’s first album, Pablo Honey, which reached No. 32 on the Billboard 200.
Eilish’s performance of the track comes midway through her Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour, which kicked off in September in support of her 2024 album of the same name. After touring North America through late December, the “Lunch” singer has spent the past couple of months traveling around Australia and Europe, with her trek set to conclude in Ireland in late July.
One venue at which she’ll set up shop for six nights on the road later is the O2 Arena in London, where she previously performed in 2019. While she was there, none other than Radiohead’s Thom Yorke caught her performance, after which he told British newspaper The Times, “I like Billie Eilish.”
“She’s doing her own thing,” he added at the time. “Nobody’s telling her what to do.”