Rock

12 Jan 2024

Black Crowes Prepping First New Album in 15 Years, ‘Happiness Bastards’

The Black Crowes are back at it. The once battling Robinson brothers go back to their dirty southern blooze roots on their upcoming 10th studio album, Happiness Bastards, due out on March 15. The first new studio record from singer Chris Robinson and guitarist Rich Robinson in 15 years comes after the siblings reunited in 2019 for a string of more than 150 shows in 20 countries in celebration of the 30th anniversary of their breakthrough 1990 album Shake Your Money Maker.

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“Call it brotherly love or music destiny that brought them back together, the highly anticipated record consecrating the reunion of this legendary band just may be the thing that saves rock & roll,” read a statement announcing the project. “In a time where the art form is buried beneath the corporate sheen of its successors, The Black Crowes are biting back with the angst of words left unsaid penned on paper and electrified by guitar strings, revealing stripped, bare-boned rock & roll. No gloss, no glitter, just rhythm and blues at it’s very best – gritty, loud, and in your face.”

The follow-up to 2009’s Before the Frost… Until the Freeze was recorded with producer Jay Joyce in early 2023 by the Robinson brothers along with longtime bassist Sven Pipien.

The group previewed the album slated for release on their own Silver Arrow Records on Friday morning (Jan. 12) with raucous first single “Wanting and Waiting.” The classic slice of hip-shimmy boogie blues finds Chris Robinson singing, “It’s been a month of Sundays since I could fake a smile/ Trying to lose my lonely in self-imposed exile/ Trying to stay friendly but feeling so hostile/ It’s like I’m cold to touch, mortuary style,” before busting into the stomping, hand-clapping, gospel-assisted chorus, “I’m nothing but lonely/ Waiting and wanting/ Wanting and waiting for you/ Ohh, it’s true.”

The 10-track album also features a duet with country singer Lainey Wilson on the fiery Southern gothic ballad “Wilted Rose.”

In a statement, Chris said, “Happiness Bastards is our love letter to rock ‘n’ roll. Rich and I are always writing and creating music; that has never stopped for us, and it is always where we find harmony together. This record represents that.” Brother Rich added, “This album is a continuation of our story as a band. Our years of experience writing and making music and touring the world are represented in this record, and we were brilliantly guided by one of the best producers in the business, Jay Joyce. I am incredibly proud of what we put together.”

The band will hit the road this spring for dates in North America, the U.K. and Europe, with dates to be announced soon.

Listen to “Wanting and Waiting” and see the Happiness Bastards track list below.

Happiness Bastards track list:

  1. “Bedside Manners”
  2. “Rats and Clowns”
  3. “Cross Your Fingers”
  4. “Wanting and Waiting”
  5. “Wilted Rose” (feat. Lainey Wilson)
  6. “Dirty Cold Sun”
  7. “Bleed It Dry”
  8. “Flesh Wound”
  9. “Follow the Moon”
  10. “Kindred Friend”

11 Jan 2024

Olivia Rodrigo & Kelly Clarkson Gush Over Their Shared ‘Hero’ Alanis Morissette

Olivia Rodrigo and Kelly Clarkson grew up in different decades, but they both have one musical icon that they love in common.

In a new clip from the “Vampire” singer’s interview on The Kelly Clarkson show, the duo discuss their mutual “hero,” Alanis Morissette. “She’s the reason why I’m a songwriter. I was like, ‘Oh man, I can funnel this,’” Clarkson told Rodrigo, who noted that she was introduced to the rocker by her mom.

“I do have the coolest mom ever,” the 20-year-old Grammy winner said. “I remember hearing ‘You Oughta Know’ on the radio when I was, like, 12 years old and being like, ‘Oh my God, what is this? She can say that line about the theater? What? That’s insane.’ I fell in love with her.”

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Flash forward to May 2022, and Rodrigo got to perform the 1995 hit with her idol onstage at her Sour Tour stop at L.A.’s Greek Theater. “Can you believe that?” Rodrigo gushed to Clarkson.

The “Get Him Back” singer went on to induct Morissette into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame that same year. “My life was completely changed [after hearing Jagged Little Pill],” she said during the ceremony. “Alanis’ songwriting was unlike anything I’d ever heard before and I haven’t heard anything quite like it since. And that voice — fierce and tender and sometimes funny and playful. I became hooked for life.”

Watch the full Kelly Clarkson Show interview clip below.

11 Jan 2024

Taylor Swift Guitar, Christine McVie Piano, Items From Harry Styles, Paul McCartney & More Up For 2024 MusiCares Auction

The annual MusiCares Charity Relief Auction will take place live for the first time ever from the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles (and online) on Feb. 4. The event that will unfold on the same day as this year’s Grammy Awards will feature a stellar selection of one-of-a-kind items from many of this year’s nominees, as well as some other past Grammy-winning stars.

Among the more than 75 unique collectibles on the list are late Fleetwood Mac singer Christine McVie’s Yamaha C3 “Songbird” baby grand piano (estimate: $20,000-30,000), which she played on stage for two decades during the band’s concert encores. Bidding will also take place on a Baby Taylor Swift model acoustic guitar (estimate: $5,000-$7,000), a signed hardcover edition of Paul McCartney’s two-volume The Lyrics: 1965 to Present (estimate: $1,000-$2,000) and Metallica singer/guitarist James Hetfield’s signed black ESP LTD Vulture electric flying V guitar (estimate: $4,000-$6,000).

Other items on the auction list include:

— Harry Styles’ 1999 Gretsch White Falcon hollow-body electric guitar, signed and dated 2023 with a heart and swirl drawing

— Cure singer Robert Smith’s black RS-1000 Stage Artist Edition signature Schecter acoustic guitar — played on stage at the band’s May 2023 Hollywood Bowl show

— A pair of Dr. Dre’s all-white Nike Air Force 1 Low ’07 signed sneakers

— Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh’s signed 2015 Fender Hot Noiseless Stratocaster guitar from his personal collection

— Bad Bunny signed 2011 Schecter Diamond Series model T S/H-1 semi-hollow body guitar

— Lionel Richie’s gold sequined performance bomber jacket featured “All Night Long” in white Swarovski crystals across the back

— Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash’s signed 2023 Gibson Les Paul Anaconda Burst guitar with green flame maple top with Slash’s “Scully” doodle

— Coldplay singer Chris Martin’s colorful handwritten setlist from the band’s show at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in Oct. 2023

The auction will also feature signed “Cleopatra” lyrics from the Lumineers, Eagles guitarist/singer Don Felder’s 2010 Gibson guitar, DJ Khaled’s signed Les Paul studio guitar, Willie Nelson and Friends signed 2023 Martin D-10 acoustic guitar (featuring the signatures of Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, Bob Weir, Snoop Dogg, Beck, Tom Jones and more), Jon Batiste’s signed Hohner Instructor 32 melodica and James Brown’s custom-tailored navy jacket with blue and black floral brocade lining and an embroidered label featuring the late soul singer’s name, plus more items to be revealed in the coming weeks.

There are four ways to bid for the items, including online and live in real time here, over the phone, in person at the auction site and an advance absentee bid available here. In addition to the Julien’s and MusiCares sites, the livestream will fun on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram Live.

All auction proceeds will benefit the MusiCares program, which provides the music community with services in physical and mental health, addiction recovery, unforeseen personal emergencies and disaster relief.

The 2024 Grammy Awards are set for Feb. 4 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

10 Jan 2024

Coldplay Scores 5th Entry in YouTube’s Billion Views Club With ‘Yellow’

Forget looking at the stars, look at that view count! Coldplay‘s “Yellow” has become the band’s latest music video to join the Billion Views Club.

Their beloved 2000 breakthrough hit — which they opened their 2016 Super Bowl Halftime Show performance with — is the band’s fifth music video to collect over 1 billion views on YouTube. Their other Billion Views Club clips include “Paradise,” “Adventure of a Lifetime,” “The Scientist” and the Beyoncé-assisted “Hymn for the Weekend.”

While some of the band’s other music videos are quite grandiose, “Yellow” stands out with its minimalistic bent. The video consists of one continuous shot with no cuts, a stark difference from the CGI and multiple sets of the band’s later music videos.

“Yellow” served as the Stateside lead single for Parachutes, the band’s landmark Grammy-winning debut studio album (it won best alternative music album at the 2002 awards show). On the Billboard Hot 100, “Yellow” climbed to No. 48, while Parachutes reached No. 51. Obviously, the rockers have grown tremendously from those humble beginnings. The band currently boasts a pair of Hot 100 chart-toppers — 2008’s “Viva La Vida” and 2021’s “My Universe” (with BTS) — from 24 career entires. On the Billboard 200, the band has notched four No. 1 albums from 14 career entries, including the multi-week chart-toppers Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008, two weeks), X&Y (2005, three weeks) and Ghost Stories (2014, two weeks).

In addition to its new Billion Views Club entry, the band also saw two of their catalog tracks enter YouTube’s U.S. Top Songs on Shorts chart. A pair of trends vaulted “Viva La Vida” (No. 3) and “Clocks” (No. 37) to the ranking’s top 40.

Last year, Coldplay continued on their globe-trotting Music of the Spheres World Tour, which earned them top rock touring artist honors at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards. According to Billboard Boxscore, the Music of the Spheres World Tour was the biggest rock tour of 2023, and the second-biggest tour across all genres. Since its kick-off back in 2022, the tour has earned $664.5 million and sold 6.7 million tickets. The band’s latest trek is in support of Music of the Spheres, their 2021 LP, which climbed to No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and earned a Grammy nod for album of the year.

Revisit the “Yellow” music video below.

10 Jan 2024

Paramore Teases a Talking Heads Cover in Collaboration With A24: Watch

Paramore is kicking off the new year with a special project with A24. The band announced Wednesday (Jan. 10) that it will be one of 16 artists to contribute a song to upcoming tribute album Stop Making Sense put together by the production company, sharing a sneak peek of its corresponding music video on Instagram. 

In the clip, frontwoman Hayley Williams opens a big cardboard box sent to her door and pulls out a large gray suit jacket — one that looks remarkably like the oversized staple worn by Talking Heads’ David Byrne. After exchanging confused looks with bandmates Taylor York and Zac Farro, she pulls a Talking Heads cassette tape off a shelf and the camera cuts to black. 

Then, a snippet of Paramore performing Talking Heads’ 1983 hit “Burning Down the House” plays. “Stop Making Sense. Track 1. Paramore x @A24 Music,” reads the band’s announcement on Instagram. 

“We’ve got a tape we’d like to play you,” adds A24 in a separate post. “16 tracks from 16 artists. Track 1: @paramore. Coming soon.” 

The upcoming project is a relief to fans who worried something was wrong with the pop-rock trio after Paramore’s social media accounts were wiped clean last week. The group also dropped out of this year’s iHeartRadio ALTer EGO show “due to unforeseen circumstances” without giving any explanation, only adding in a statement at the time, “The band apologizes for any inconvenience.” 

The “Still Into You” musicians also recently made headlines for being released from their 20-year contract with Atlantic Records, making Paramore a free agent. Their sixth album, This Is Why, arrived last February and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.  

See Paramore and A24’s announcements below: 

10 Jan 2024

Olivia Rodrigo Open to Acting Return: ‘I Love Movies, I Love Telling Stories’

Olivia Rodrigo is open to going back to the start. The “Vampire” singer who got her start as a kid and teen actor on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and Bizaardvark told Variety magazine at the Academy’s Governors Awards on Tuesday night (Jan. 9) that she’d totally be up for a return to acting if the right part came along.

“I love movies, I love telling stories,” said the singer. “I really want to do a coming-of-age thing maybe before I’m actually of age. Maybe I am of age already,” added the star who turns 21 on Feb. 20. “I just love telling stories, whether that be in a song or movie, that’s really something that really excites me.”

Rodrigo was at the Awards show to hype her The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes soundtrack song “Can’t Catch Me Now,” which has been shortlisted for this year’s Oscars; nominations slated to be announced later this month. The singer — who won the best new artist Grammy in 2022 for her debut album, Sour — has six Grammy noms this year for her sophomore album, GUTS and also said she’d totally be down for recording a duet with one of this year’s best new artist nominees, Noah Kahan.

“I think he’s so great and he’s very inspiring,” she said of the “Dial Drunk” star, crossing her fingers and adding, “One of these days.”

While she waits for that dream to manifest, Rodrigo is gearing up to kick off her GUTS world tour on Feb. 23 in Palm Springs, CA, with The Breeders, Chapel Roan, PinkPantheress and Remi Wolf slated to open on select dates.

09 Jan 2024

Post Malone, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pretty Lights, Fred Again.. to Headline 2024 Bonnaroo

This summer’s Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival will feature headlining sets from Post Malone, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fred Again.. and Pretty Lights. The annual blowout event camping fest on the ‘Roo Farm in Manchester, TN will take place on June 13-16 will also host Megan Thee Stallion, Cage the Elephant, Maggie Rogers, Melanie Martinez, Carly Rae Jepsen, Diplo, T-Pain, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Diplo and Jon Batiste, among many others.

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The acts will take to 10 stages for the four-day event featuring sets running into the early morning, as well as sunrise performances. Other artists on this year’s poster include: Mean Girls star Reneé Rapp, Cigarettes After Sex, Fisher, Dominic Fike, Parcels, Idles, Joey Bada$$, Lizzy McAlpine, Interpol, Taking Back Sunday, Gary Clark Jr., Sean Paul, Gwar, BigXthaPlug, Michigander, The Mars Volta, Key Glock, Grouplove, Teezo Touchdown, Thundercat and Brittany Howard.

In an announcement on Tuesday morning (Jan. 9), organizers revealed that for the first time in the event’s history the main What Stage will be fired up for a special headlining set on Thursday night by Pretty Lights, who will also return for a second sunrise set on The Other Stage on the final night; Sunday’s lineup will also mark the only 2024 U.S. festival appearance by Fred again..

This year’s SuperJam (June 15) in the That Tent, “One More With Feeling(s) — The Dashboard Confessional Emo Superjam,” will feature a performance from the Chris Carrabba-fronted band with to-be-announced (as well as unannounced) guests.

Pre-sale tickets will be available starting Thursday (Jan. 11) at 11 a.m ET, with fans encouraged to sign up now for a pre-sale code here; a public on-sale will follow if any tickets remain. Ticket package options include a 4-day general admission, 4-day GA+, 4-day VIP, 4-day platinum and a variety of other camping and parking options starting at $25 down with a payment plan.

Bonnaroo 2024 will feature more than 150 performances across the campground, 150 food vendors (including vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options) and free water stations.

Check out the 2024 poster below.

09 Jan 2024

All-Star Sinead O’Connor, Shane MacGowan Tribute Concert Set for St. Patrick’s Day in New York

An all-star tribute concert to Sinéad O’Connor and Pogues singer Shane MacGowan will take place at Carnegie Hall in New York on St. Patrick’s Day. The March 20 show will feature sets from Cat Power, Glen Hansard, Dropkick Murphys, The Mountain Goats, Amanda Palmer and David Gray.

The special event, title “Sinéad & Shane at Carnegie Hall,” will tribute the two iconic singers who died last year; O’Connor passed at 56 in July and MacGowan at 65 in November. Among the other acts slated to perform in honor of the “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer and the raucous Pogues frontman are: Bettye Lavette, Gogol Bordello singer Eugene Hutz, Sunflower Bean singer Julia Cumming, Kat Edmonson, the Resistance Revival Chorus and other acts to be named later.

Tickets for the show, which go on sale later this month, are available here, with several tiers of VIP packages, including the “Lucky Charm” (which includes a private box seat in the first or second tier and a spot on the guest list for the after-party), the “Transmetropolitan” (including after party access and a spot at a 5-course exclusive dinner with participating artists and other VIPs on rehearsal night — March 19) and the “Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah” ticket (with access to the dinner, rehearsal show, full access to the soundcheck and top-shelf seating).

The most exclusive upgrades include the “A Pair of Brown Eyes” (with all of the above, limited to two packages for two people, including a chance to join all the participating artists on the Carnegie Hall stage for the grand finale) and “Nothing Compares 2 U,” in which the guest will get a chance to work with City Winery founder/CEO Michael Dorf to help arrange the order of the songs for the show; the VIP packages range from $300 to $20,000 for the top tier.

All net proceeds from the show will go to PEN American, which is dedicated to protecting the freedom to write in the United States and around the world.

See the poster below.

08 Jan 2024

Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ Is Being Adapted Into a Stage Play

Baby, he’s still a star! Nearly 40 years after Prince unleashed the original Purple Rain film and soundtrack album, the era-defining story is headed to the stage — and possibly The Great White Way.

A stage adaptation of Purple Rain is under development, with a world premiere in the works, as per The Hollywood Reporter on Monday (Jan. 8). The adaptation is set to feature a score by the late Prince, with a book by Pulitzer Prize-finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, who is currently enjoying the Broadway run of his acclaimed drama Appropriate. Jacobs-Jenkins’ book will be based on the original Purple Rain screenplay, which was written by Albert Magnoli (who also directed the original film) and William Blinn. Lileana Blain-Cruz — who picked up a Tony nomination in 2022 for best direction of a play (The Skin of Our Teeth) — is set to direct, with Tony winner Orin Wolf on production duties.

The film version of Purple Rain arrived in 1984, starring Prince as The Kid, a burgeoning Minneapolis rock musician who trudges his way through rival bands, fleeting romances, and a gritty home life. To date, the film has grossed nearly $70 million worldwide, and, in 1984, it won the Academy Award for best original song score.

The accompanying soundtrack of the same name was a blockbuster success, spending 24 weeks atop the Billboard 200. The set spawned several Billboard Hot 100 hits, including “When Doves Cry” (No. 1, five weeks), “Let’s Go Crazy” (No. 1, two weeks), “Take Me With U” (No. 25), “I Would Die 4 U” (No. 8) and “Purple Rain” (No. 2). Purple Rain currently boasts a 13x platinum certification from the RIAA in recognition of over 13 million copies shipped in the U.S. alone. In addition, the soundtrack won a Grammy for bet rock performance by a duo or group with vocal and best score soundtrack for visual media.

“We can’t think of a more fitting tribute than to honor Prince and the Purple Rain legacy with this stage adaptation of the beloved story,” said L. Londell McMillan, chairman of The NorthStar Group, and Larry Mestel, founder and CEO of Primary Wave Music. “We are thrilled with our Broadway partners and creative team, who are bringing a theatricality to the film’s original fictional story. We can’t wait for a new generation to discover Purple Rain and for lovers of the original film and album to experience its power once again, this time live.”

Prince has earned 20 top 10 entries on the Billboard 200, including the chart-toppers Around the World In A Day (1985, three weeks), Batman (1989, six weeks), The Very Best of Prince (2001, one week), 3121 (2006, one week), and, of course, Purple Rain. On the Hot 100, the legendary musician has collected five No. 1 singles from 19 top 10 entries, including “Cream” (two weeks), “Kiss” (two weeks) and “Batdance” (one week).

08 Jan 2024

Roger Daltrey to End 24-Year Teenage Cancer Trust Show Curation With All-Star, Six-Gig Blow-Out

The Who‘s Roger Daltrey will close out the nearly quarter-century run of his Teenage Cancer Trust fundraising gigs in March with a week of all-star shows benefitting the British charity dedicating to helping young people needing nursing care and support after diagnosis.

The organization announced the line-up for the shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London, with the Who slated to take the stage on March 18 and 20 with an orchestra, with support from Squeeze and Noel Gallagher tapped to headline on March 21 with support from Blossoms. There will also be an as-yet-unannounced lineup of stand-up comedians on March 19, a march 22 gig from Young Fathers and a March 23 lineup featuring the Chemical Brothers and DJ Paul Holroyd.

The final show — dubbed “Ovation” — on March 24 will be a blow-out celebrating the 24 years of TCT shows featuring Daltrey, the Stereophonics’ Kelly Jones, Robert Plant with Saving Grace, Pete Townshend, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and Paul Weller.

Daltrey has been hosting and curating the fundraising shows since 2000, raising more than $40 million to date, which the organization said has paid for more than a million hours of specialist care from TCT nurses, or 13 TCT hospital care units. “The £32 million raised from these concerts has been the foundation for the 28 specialised units within the NHS, as well as specialist nurses and youth workers to be there for a young person when cancer has turned their world upside down,”Daltrey said in a statement.

Tickets for the show will go on sale at 9 a.m. GMT on Jan. 12.

Beginning in 2025 the concert series will continue with a series of guest curators. Last year’s show featured Daltrey along with the Verve’s Richard Ashcroft, Joan Armatrading, Underworld, Kasabian and comedian Alan Carr, among many others.

Check out the full 2024 lineup below.