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Soul Asylum frontman Dave Pirner is a proud Minnesotan again after having spent 25 years living in New Orleans. So it’s not surprising he’s watching this year’s presidential campaign with even more interest since a home state horse, Gov. Tim Walz, is representing as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate on the Democratic ticket. (Pirner was born in Green Bay, Wisc., but grew up in Minnesota.)
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“I’m excited about it,” Pirner, who launched his music career in the North Star state drumming for the punk band Loud Fast Rules, tells Billboard from a stop during Soul Asylum’s recent Jubilee Tour with Stone Temple Pilots and Live. “There’s a certain amount of excitement in Minnesota going on. It’s funny to have a dude like that representing Minnesota ’cause he does remind you of a sports dad. There’s that, ‘Oh gosh’ kind of ‘aw shucks’ thing going on. I think it was a good choice because he seems like a nice complement to (Harris) in that good ol’ boy way or something. But he’s progressive and he’s well-liked.”
Pirner does not recall ever having met Walz, a music fan who signed a bill renaming a stretch of the state’s Highway 5 after the late Prince. But Pirner says he’s “ready to go out there and support the home team. Put my name in the hat.”
He’ll have to fit any support appearances into a busy schedule, however. Soul Asylum has concert dates booked into early November, including with the Juliana Hatfield Three, but most importantly the quartet’s 13th studio album, Slowly But Shirley, comes out Sept. 27. The 12-song set is the follow-up to 2020’s Hurry Up and Wait, its debut with Blue Elan Records, and reunites Pirner and company with Steve Jordan, the current Rolling Stones drummer who helmed Soul Asylum’s 1990 album And the Horse they Rode In On, a highly regarded set that was eclipsed two years later by the double-platinum Grave Dancers Union.
“When we first worked with Steve, we weren’t that great,” recalls Pirner, Soul Asylum’s only remaining founding member. “We were still learning how to play together. And since then I’ve sort of embraced most of the things that Steve had passed on to me from back then. So I kinda knew what he wanted and I wanted to give it to him, and I think it came together in a really organic sort of way that I think you can feel on the record — I hope you can, at least. It did mark a progression.”
Pirner adds that what Jordan and the band were looking for was “just excitement and not too much thinking about what you’re doing. It was more like capturing the band playing the songs off of each other and really listening to the other people in the band and trying to come across in a way that it felt new, fresh.” To that end Jordan had the group — Pirner, drummer Michael Bland, guitarist Ryan Smith and bassist Jeremy Tappero — tracking together in the studio to capture the energy and attitude of live music.
“We’ve tried just about every single way to record something over the years,” Pirner notes. “Working on the previous records the home studio became part of the picture, and you could also take things home and work on them. It depends on the song…but in this situation each song was approached with the same sort of method, which was ‘Get out there and play it!’ It was great ’cause watching Steve and Michael work together was one of those musical experiences I kinda live for. Steve is such a player’s player, and he’s such a vibe guy in a way that he understands the concept of trying to capture lightning in a bottle, and I think that’s what we were going for. We didn’t overplay anything and we tried to get things on the third take or so. It came together pretty quickly.”
Pirner says Slowly But Shirley‘s songs came together in a variety of fashions — some jammed out by the band in rehearsals, others that he “had been working in in ProTools and computers and messing around and cutting pieces of songs together.” One track, “High Road,” has been around “forever” before being finished off this time. The album is a mélange of Soul Asylum styles, from the jangle of “Freak Accident” to the punchy rock of “Freeloader,” “Trial By Fire,” “The Only Thing I’m Missing” and “Makin’ Plans,” to the cool groove of “Waiting on the Lord” and the mellow melodicism of “You Don’t Know Me.” There’s also a funky edge to “Tryin’ Man” and “Sucker Maker,” which Pirner credits to his time in the Big Easy and having Bland, who spent seven years playing with Prince, in the band.
“I think I was subconsciously trying to take things in a direction that was a little more funky or groovy or swingy or whatever — without forgetting that I’m dealing with a four-piece punk rock band,” Pirner explains. “That’s what’s always made punk rock so interesting is it does have this kind of ‘ignorance is bliss’ adventure to it, where it’s gonna come out sounding like your sh-tty band. But sometimes people try things they probably shouldn’t be trying, and something new comes out of that. It’s discovery, which is the beauty of music.”
Pirner is planning on a long cycle for Slowly But Shirley, including more headlining dates before the end of the year and into 2025. “We’ll play at the opening of a letter, as we used to say,” he notes. This year, meanwhile, also marks the 40th anniversary of Say What You Will…, Soul Asylum’s Bob Mould-produced debut album, and Pirner says that the passage of time has not been lost on him.
“It doesn’t get easier,” he acknowledges. “It feels exactly like 40 years. It’s kind of a grind. It’s different when you’re starting out because you’re just excited about everything and you have a much higher tolerance level because everything is new. You’re living a fairly miserable experience, but it’s an adventure. I’m grateful for all of it; it’s just what I do and what I’ve always done and what I love doing. Sometimes it’s not fun at all, but I’m like, ‘Well, this is what I wished for my whole life, so shut up.’ And I much prefer this to digging a hole, I’ll tell ya that.”
Stevie Nicks has returned with a rallying cry for women, dropping new single “The Lighthouse” Friday (Sept. 27) in hopes of reinvigorating the fight for reproductive healthcare. The track opens with a melodic pinging beat and anthemic sound effects as the Fleetwood Mac frontwoman sings softly, “I have my scars, you have yours/ Don’t let […]
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A Republican congressman posted a racist rant against Haitians and deleted it, but doubled down on his stance leading many social media users to denounce him.
On Wednesday (September 25), Republican Congressman Clay Higgins made a post on X, formerly Twitter, attacking Haitian migrants in Ohio using the same false claims initiated by Senator JD Vance and former President Donald Trump but expanding on them, saying they were “eating pets” and calling them “thugs” and “slapstick gangsters” who come from the “nastiest country in the western hemisphere.” He ended the since-deleted post with an ominous threat, writing: “All these thugs better get their mind right and their a– out of our country before January 20th.”
The representative from Louisiana’s 3rd district was confronted by the Democratic Representative from Nevada, Steven Horsford, who also serves as the Congressional Black Caucus chairman on Capitol Hill. In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Horsford shared how he introduced the motion to censure Higgins to the House of Representatives floor, which would ultimately be voted down by the Republican majority. “It is not about the next election. It is about everyday people in America feeling targeted. Today, it’s the Haitians. Who will it be tomorrow? Will it be you?”, Horsford said.
Higgins, an avowed supporter of Trump, has made similarly offensive statements before and was dismissive of the outrage. “It’s all true,” Higgins said to CNN that evening. “I can put up another controversial post tomorrow if you want me to. I mean, we do have freedom of speech. I’ll say what I want,” adding: “It’s not a big deal to me. It’s like something stuck to the bottom of my boot. Just scrape it off and move on with my life.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York blasted Higgins for his remarks in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Clay Higgins is an election-denying, conspiracy-peddling racial arsonist who is a disgrace to the People’s House,” he wrote in his statement.
The condemnation Higgins received online was swift, with many calling out his history of supporting the Ku Klux Klan. The former aide to Mike Pence, Olivia Troye, noted how dangerous he is as a member of the Homeland Security Committee. “This is a clear betrayal of his oath to protect Americans & a warning of what’s to come under a Trump presidency,” she wrote on X.
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Amid election season, Bad Bunny is making sure that the more than three million residents living in Puerto Rico know his political stance.
In a Sept. 24 tweet, the Puerto Rican artist shared a set of photos of billboards across San Juan that read: “To vote for PNP is to vote for corruption,” “Who votes for PNP doesn’t love Puerto Rico” and “Voting for PNP is voting for LUMA.” The latter of the three is a private energy company responsible for power distribution and transmission on the island.
“Announcements paid by Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio,” he captioned the post. “A Puerto Rican who does love Puerto Rico.”
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Billboard has reached out to Bad Bunny’s rep for comment.
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The billboards are in protest of the Partido Nuevo Progresista (New Progressive Party), one of the major political parties in Puerto Rico that traces back to 1967 and currently holds both the seat of the governor and of the resident commissioner.
The powerful PSAs also come on the heels of Bad Bunny’s latest song, “Una Velita,” in which he reflects on the devastating aftermath of the Category 5 Hurricane Maria that occurred in 2017. “There were five thousand that they let die, and we will never forget that,” he chants in the track.
“Obviously the light will go out, God knows if it’ll come back,” he continues over an intense folkloric beat. “The bridge they took so long to build, the growing river will break. A few songs on the phone for when the reception goes out. The sign was sent and they don’t want to see it, it’s up to the Boricua to want to wake up … Remember that we’re all from here, the people will have to save its pueblo.”
Always passionate and vocal about the social issues that affect the Puerto Rican community, in 2022, Benito also released a 23-minute-long documentary for “El Apagón” in which he addresses blackouts and gentrification, among other topics, taking aim at the local government for its inaction.
Facing a federal criminal indictment, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has lawyered up by hiring a prominent litigator with extensive music industry experience, including representing Jay-Z and Megan Thee Stallion.
According to Bloomberg Law, Adams will be defended by Alex Spiro of the firm Quinn Emanuel – an attorney who’s risen to fame in recent years repping Elon Musk and other celebrity clients. Most recently, he won a manslaughter trial against Alec Baldwin over a shooting on the Rust movie set.
The case against Adams, unsealed on Thursday morning, features five federal charges related to bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy and soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals who were “seeking to gain influence over him.” The mayor has denied the allegations.
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Spiro, one of Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers, is best known in the music industry for representing Jay-Z and his Roc Nation companies in a range of legal matters.
He handled the rapper’s years-long case over a cologne endorsement deal that went bad, eventually beating a demand for $67 million in damages and actually winning the superstar $7 million in unpaid royalties. Spiro also helped Jay-Z, Meek Mill and other stars pen an open letter in support of legislation that would ban prosecutors from using rap lyrics as evidence in criminal cases.
He’s currently working on complicated litigation over the looming auction of Damon Dash’s stake in Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records, filing a motion as recently as this week over the rights to the rapper’s iconic debut album Reasonable Doubt.
Another prominent music client for Spiro is Megan Thee Stallion. He repped her for years in contentious litigation against her former record label 1501 Certified Entertainment, in which she claimed she had been duped into signing an “unconscionable” record deal as a young artist.
Spiro is known as an uncompromising litigator who will aggressively defend his clients’ interests, including outside the courtroom. Amid the Megan Thee Stallion case, he told Billboard in a 2022 interview that her record deal amounted to “indentured servitude” for the superstar: “We’re going to very aggressively take depositions, seek accounting for all the money they sucked out of this, and end it once and for all,” Spiro said at the time.
He also represented Megan in her role as a victim and witness the trial of Tory Lanez, who was convicted in 2022 of shooting the star in the foot during a 2020 argument. When defense attorneys opened that trial by arguing that the case was really about “jealousy,” Spiro didn’t mince words in an interview with ABC News: “It’s obviously absurd and an attempt at distraction. [Tory Lanez] shot her and that’s what the case is about.”
In a widely circulated statement on the Adams indictment on Thursday, Spiro assumed that same aggressive posture for his new client: “Federal agents appeared this morning at Gracie Mansion in an effort to create a spectacle (again) and take Mayor Adams phone (again),” Spiro said, as reported by Bloomberg. “He has not been arrested and looks forward to his day in court.“
Other music industry clients for Spiro have included 21 Savage, who he repped following his 2019 detainment by U.S. immigration authorities; Bobby Shmurda, who he defended in his 2016 murder conspiracy case; and a memorabilia auction house called Gotta Have Rock and Roll, who he represented in a recent dispute with the Michael Jackson estate.
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The indictment of Mayor Eric Adams has been unsealed and the Southern District of New York has laid out massive corruption from the ex-cop. The defendant is being charged with bribery, fraud and solicitation, mostly tied to his dealings with Turkish nationals seeking his favor as the leader of the largest city in the United States.
The indictment was unsealed on Thursday (September 26) morning. Adams has been indicted on five federal corruption charges that include bribery, fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. According to the SDNY, his corruption dates back to 2014, when he was elected Brooklyn Borough President.
Allegedly, the Turkish nationals had their eyes on Adams, and he happily took the bait, accepting campaign funding and luxury trips in exchange for favorable decisions on their behalf. Among the SDNY’s allegations are that Adams accepted illegal campaign contributions, free luxury travel via Turkish nationals and even accepted bribes as part of a quid pro quo with his benefactors.
Some of the ways Adams allegedly tipped the scales was by pressuring New York Fire Department officials to open a new Turkish consulate despite issues with its fire inspection. Adams is also accused of changing his phone’s password, then saying he forgot it—after the Feds seized said phone. Cover up much?
Adams, a retired NYPD captain, became New York City mayor in 2021.
A defiant Adams, surrounded by Black supporters, said “I ask New Yorkers to wait to hear our defense” and that “my day to day will not change” in regards to his job as mayor of New York City during a press conference on the steps of Gracie Mansion shortly after the indictment was unsealed.
As the details of the indictment make their way out into the world, social media continues to pile on. See some of the more boisterous reactions in the gallery.
You knew things weren’t going to go well when Adams’ press conference began with him getting heckled and read the riot act.
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Alejandro Fernández is setting the record straight over a “false” Latinos for Donald Trump ad that features a photo of his father, the late legendary Vicente Fernández, stamped on it. On Thursday (Sept. 26), the Mexican star slammed the advertisement on social media, while also reminding his millions of followers the values his father stood for.
“My father was not only the best representative of Mexican music and culture, but he was also a fervent defender of the dignity and rights of our countrymen around the world,” he wrote in Spanish.
“Vicente Fernandez would never have supported a politician who denigrates Mexicans and mistreats migrants. During all the tours I did with my father, and the ones I continue to do now in the United States, we were able to confirm that our fellow countrymen are the lifeblood of this country,” he continued. “Mexicans who are characterized by being honest, hardworking and dignified human beings who are looking for better opportunities to help their families. People who do not deserve to be mistreated or discriminated against. We should not allow anyone to underestimate us by saying that we are criminals, murderers, rapists and thieves.”
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During the 2016 presidential election, Trump kicked off his presidential bid by insulting Mexican immigrants, saying, “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
Following his then and now infamous remarks about the Mexican community, a number of artists, including Vicente Fernández — who died in 2021 — expressed their support for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, endorsing her through a corrido. Meanwhile, during the 2020 presidential election, Alejandro Fernández’s “Decepciones” soundtracked a Joe Biden ad that aired in Arizona.
This time around, the “Nube Viajera” singer isn’t directly endorsing a candidate, but asks that those eligible to vote in the upcoming Nov. 5 election do what’s right for them and their families. “It is not my intention to recommend or endorse any candidate or party, but on behalf of myself, my children and the memory of my father, we ask you to reason your vote and think about what is best for you, your families and the rest of the Mexicans and Latinos who, like you, have migrated in search of a better life.”
Read his post below:
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted. The divisive politician is the first mayor of the Big Apple to face criminal charges while on the job.
Collins: The NYT is now reporting that New York City Mayor Eric Adams has just been indicted by federal prosecutors.. We saw Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calling for him to resign.. He responded he hasn’t faced any charges yet. Of course now.. we see he has been indicted pic.twitter.com/R09rV3RXU4
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 26, 2024
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The indictment is sealed, for now. Adams, a retired NYPD captain, has been under investigation by the Department of Justice for months over the fundraising for his mayoral campaign, which has been allegedly tied to foreign nations including Turkey. Adams’ phones were seized last year, yet, he was still on the job.
Of course, Adams put out a statement denying everything, claiming he is the actual victim. Reportedly, even after he’s inevitably arrested, he can still return to office until his case is taken to trial. New York State’s governor Kathleen Hochul does have the ability to suspend Adams, if she desires. But at this point that is all conjecture.
Over the last couple of weeks and days alone numerous top officials on his staff and NYC’s City Hall have stepped down.
Earlier in the day (Sept. 25), Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Casio called for Adams to resign, citing all the investigations surrounding his administration and referencing the departures. “I do not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City,” wrote AOC on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening gov function. Nonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration.”
To say Adams has been a divisive figure since the moment he was elected mayor would be an understatement. Socia media media user, particularly from NYC, are letting everyone know how they really feel—see in the gallery below. More calls for his resignation are coming through, too.
4. Never forget.
Chappell Roan is making her position as clear as possible, once and for all. In a new TikTok video posted Wednesday (Sept. 25), the “Good Luck, Babe” singer offered one final explanation for her stance on the upcoming presidential election.
In the clip, Roan says while she will be voting for Kamala Harris to become the next president of the United States, she will not endorse the vice president since she does not support some of her policies. “I’m voting for f–king Kamala,” she said in her video. “But I’m not settling for what has been offered, because that’s questionable.”
The new clip comes after a quote Roan gave to The Guardian went viral, in which she said that she didn’t “feel pressured” to endorse a candidate in the 2024 election because “there’s problems on both sides.” Many of the singer’s fans criticized her take, saying that former president Donald Trump and the Republican Party posed a much greater threat to the country than Harris or the Democrats.
While Roan addressed the lack of context in the quote in a TikTok posted on Tuesday evening (Sept. 24), she started her new video saying that she “woke up … to people skewing it even more” and made it abundantly clear why she would not endorse any candidate.
“Obviously, f–k the policies of the right — but also, f–k some of the policies on the left! That’s why I can’t endorse,” she said. “There is no way I can stand behind some of the left’s completely transphobic and completely genocidal views … F–k Trump, for f–king real, but f–k some of the s–t that has gone down in the Democratic Party that has failed people like me and you, and more so Palestine, and more so every marginalized community in the world.”
Roan also went on to explain that “endorsing and voting are not the same thing,” which is why she said that she would be casting her vote for Harris. “Actions speak louder than words,” she said. “Voting is all we have right now in this system, so I encourage it, yet again. Vote for who, in your mind, is the best option for what we have right now, because it’s all we can do. Yes, one’s obviously better than the other. But Jesus f–king Christ, I hope you don’t have to settle for what we have and put your name behind someone that you don’t fully, fully trust because of their blatant actions.”
Over the last few months, Roan has explained on multiple occasions that she does not support the Biden administration’s support and funding of Israel’s continued attacks on Gaza and the Palestinian people. During her set at Governors Ball in June, the singer said that she turned down an invite to perform at the White House for Pride Month because “we want liberty, freedom and justice for all.” In her cover story for Rolling Stone, she went on to explain that she originally planned to accept the invitation and read Palestinian poetry instead of performing as an act of protest.
Elsewhere in that interview, Roan also explained that she would be using her vote in 2024 to “protect people’s civil rights, especially the LGBTQ+ community,” while adding that she felt “lucky to be alive during an incredibly historical time period when a woman of color is a presidential nominee.”
For those hoping that the singer would even further explain her thinking on this issue, Roan made it clear in the caption of her TikTok video that this will be her last statement on the matter. “Im done talking about it. If you dont get what im saying from this, its a lost cause,” she wrote. “And im not forcing you to agree with me. This is my statement. Have a good day.”
Watch Chappell Roan’s TikTok video below:
While many people are firmly focused on the tight presidential contest between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump, Willie Nelson and Margo Price got together to remind fans that there are other races people should keep their eyes on as well.
Sitting on Nelson’s legendary tour bus, the country singers and Farm Aid board members highlighted a pair of congressional races they said are equally important in an Instagram video. “I know we’re all talking about the presidential race, and that’s important, but Margo and I want to talk about our Texas and Tennessee voters,” said Nelson, 91.
“There are 33 U.S. Senate seats up for grabs this November. We have a chance to vote out Marsha Blackburn,” added Nashville native Price in the short clip she said was filmed during a break from a “very important” game of Nelson’s second-favorite past time: dominoes.
In 2018, Taylor Swift made her first-ever political endorsement when she spoke out against Republican Blackburn, whom the singer described as “Trump in a wig” in her 2020 Miss Americana documentary. Swift’s pick, Democrat Phil Bredesen, ended up losing that 2018 midterm election to Blackburn, whose voting record Swift said at the time “appalls and terrifies me.”
Price told voters that they have an opportunity to vote in “Tennessee Three” member Gloria Johnson, who in 2023 became a hero to Volunteer State Democrats when she and her colleagues reclaimed their legislative seats after being expelled for a gun control protest on the State House floor following a mass shooting at the Covenant school in Nashville that took the lives of three children and three adults.
Texas-native Nelson promoted Colin Allred over Republican Ted Cruz, who has been a junior senator from the Lone Star State since 2013 and who was repeatedly insulted by Trump during his unsuccessful 2016 White House bid. “I know firsthand that Colin will represent all Texans, no matter their race, who they worship or who they love,” said Nelson, reading from a sheet of notes.
“And I know Gloria will do something about the gun problem this country faces,” Price added. “Our children don’t have to live like this.”
Nelson made sure to note that the voter registration deadline for both Texas and Tennessee is Oct. 7, while Price encouraged viewers to vote early to make sure they don’t miss a chance to have their voices heard, pointing out that her home state has the lowest voter turnout in the nation.
“So make a voting plan and bring three friends to the polls and vote for Colin Allred,” Nelson said of the former Tennessee Titans linebacker and House member who is running against climate change denier Cruz, whose platform includes a vow to shut down the IRS and who called the abolition of the abortion protections in Roe v. Wade a “massive victory” for life.
“So what I tell my friends is, ‘Friends don’t sleep with people that don’t vote,’” Price added with a smile. “So we can do better.”
Watch the video below.