Music News Thread

This is the thread for sharing and discussing all sorts of news about music: releases, gigs, festivals, obituaries and so forth.

It's a bit sad (and odd) to start this with the news of a death.

Pete Seeger dies aged 94. His obituary here.

I heard about that on NPR. At least he lived a long and productive life doing what he loved most. Not a lot of people can say that.

In less depressing news, Annie Clark of St. Vincent will feature on several tracks on the upcoming Swans album, yclept To Be Kind. The album in question will be, like The Seer, a massive two-CD/three-LP affair with a number of intriguing guest spots. (And let's not forget that Clark herself will be releasing a new LP on the 24th of next month.)

You can probably surmise how much I am anticipating this from my prior posts on this forum.

Yeah, I heard about that. It feels kind of weird since I only really started listening to him a couple weeks ago.

I'm tickled that Alice in Chains has announced a spring tour...I lost my chance to see them at Memphis in May last year, but they're coming to Tunica this tour May 1 and I'll be there if I have to drive over people to get there.

edited 29th Jan '14 3:30:33 PM by Willbyr

The one track I've heard from the upcoming St Vincent album sounds quite a bit like the material from Love This Giant, her collaboration with David Byrne. I'm intrigued.

The list below shows artists who will perform at the upcoming Academy Awards with their respective songs to perform.

• U2 - Ordinary Love
• Karen O - The Moon Song
• Pharrell Williams - Happy
• Idina Menzel - Let It Go

Good day, I'm tropeslave. Welcome to the segment "Extremely Late Music News". Here are the headlines:

• Bob Casale, an original member of Devo, died at the age of 61 due to "conditions that lead to heart failure".

• The 2014 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival will be held from June 12-25 in Manchester, Tennesee. Jack White, Elton John and Kanye West are the headliners of the event. See the full line-up here. Tickets go on sale Feb. 22 at noon via http://bonnaroo.com

• Pharrell Williams's new album "G I R L", which features hit single "Happy", is out on March 3.

• Arctic Monkeys won the most Brit Awards at this year's ceremony with 2 awards. Other winners include
  • Lorde
  • Bruno Mars
  • David Bowie
  • Daft Punk
  • One Direction
  • Flood & Alan Moulder
  • Ellie Goulding
  • Sam Smith
  • Rudimental ft Ella Eyre

edited 20th Feb '14 9:33:00 AM by tropeslave

The stuff that Clark has been premièring live has so far been pretty intriguing. And while sorely missing the bass guitar on the studio recording, the one performance I've seen of (the admittedly very Strange Mercy-ish) "Prince Johnny" actually outdoes the single version. I am definitely looking forward to this.

RIP Bob Casale. It's also sad because I probably won't be able to see Devo ever again.

One of the bands attending Bonnaroo is Meshuggah, which is kinda weird when you see them listed along the likes of Elton John, Skrillex, and Kanye West. Then again, seeing Mastodon up there is just as weird.

I know I'm a little late. On Kurt Cobain Day (20 December), a 'weeping' Kurt Cobain statue was unveiled in Kurt's hometown - Aberdeen, Washington - and is currently situated in Aberdeen Museum of History. Controversy ensues.

Kurt's band Nirvana is among this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.

• This year's Academy Award for Best Original Song goes to Idina Menzel's "Let It Go", from the animated film "Frozen".
• Coldplay's new album "Ghost Stories" will be out on May 19 this year.
• Oasis' Liam Gallagher writes a tweet to tell fans not to buy the 20th anniversary remastered reissue of Oasis' debut album "Definitely Maybe". The reissued album will be out on May 19 this year.
• Kendrick Lamar's new album will be out in September, according to the head of the label. The release of a full album by Black Hippy is confirmed. The group comprises Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and Jay Rock.

edited 3rd Mar '14 6:40:21 AM by tropeslave

Call me when the US tour dates for Hydra have been released

The Rapture break up.

GWAR frontman Oderus Urungus aka David Brockie has died.

I... just... no! That's legitimately depressing. Guess I know what I'm cranking up for the rest of the day...

That's a huge bummer. I didn't really listen to GWAR's music much, but Oderus was nothing but hilarious and cool in all interviews I've seen him in.

He also fronted two of the most asskicking covers in AV Undercover. If you watch that show, then you know how out of place they look compared to all the indie bands and how refreshing they where after all the slow acoustic covers.

World will be a little suckier without him.

edited 24th Mar '14 11:33:11 AM by DrStarky

I didn't listen to much GWAR either, but he was one of the most charismatic frontmen in the business. He really knew his way around an interview, and his entire energy when speaking was undeniable.

And here's the manager's official statement

edited 24th Mar '14 9:42:45 PM by Alucard

Woven Hand have a new album coming out soon. They've signed to the hardcore label Deathwish Inc. There's a preview track here and HOLY CRAP. It definitely sounds much more 80s than anything David Eugene Edwards has done before but (in spite of that article's headline) the folk influence isn't completely gone, just much more subtle.

edited 9th Apr '14 8:24:08 PM by MetaFour

Prince re-signs deal with Warner Bros. Records after 18 year split.

Money, Dear Boy makes him forget the word he once wrote.

Bobby Womack dies at 70.

RIP Mr. Womack.

Rest in peace, Tommy Ramone.

*Sigh*

That was an amazing legacy they left behind.

I think that what most people forget about The Ramones, as far as achievements go, is that they made bubblegum pop interesting again at a time when conventional pop music in the white Anglosphere had become painfully schlocky. "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", "I Wanna Be Sedated" and "Beat On The Brat" are absolutely infectious and the guitar tone is frequently pretty and rough at the same time. It's weird and it isn't. It's sublime pop music.

Well, them and Blondie.

http://www.americanbluesscene.com/2014/07/johnny-winter-dead/

Another legend passes.