David Bowie’s final chapter comes to light ten years after his passing through documentary ‘Bowie: The Final Act’ arriving on the BBC this month. The film examines how the legendary artist transformed life, death and creativity into his haunting masterpiece ‘Blackstar’ through rare archives, intimate interviews and Bowie’s own words. The documentary reveals a resurrection that continues inspiring audiences worldwide, showing how Bowie channeled his final experiences into an album that stands as one of music’s most powerful artistic statements about mortality and legacy, capturing creative vision that transcends circumstances and speaks to universal questions about existence.
Tomás Tomás Releases Dreamy “Brought It Down” With Jaeden Martell Co-Directed Music Video From EP ‘Sweet Sleep’
Brooklyn based singer-songwriter and producer Tomás Tomás shares dreamy, cinematic track “Brought It Down” from debut EP ‘Sweet Sleep’ accompanied by a serene New York City set music video co-directed with actor Jaeden Martell serving as part one of a three-part short film. The artful musical project from Tom Fattorusso, whose previous roles include assistant director and composer for campaigns like the Savage x Fenty Show, presents a soothing collection he calls “music you walk to” built as refuge from world overstimulation and an effort to get rest for the soul. The artist explains going through life feels confusing and fascinating, constantly searching for answers and meaning through reflection, but 2024 left little time to smell roses or flowers of any kind until eventually resorting to isolation proved liberating, making the project his therapy while speaking his mind through sound brought comfort.
‘Sweet Sleep’ spans seven tracks as a dreamscape allowing the artist to pose questions on coping with reality, eventually concluding answers may be unattainable though even that sentiment feels more comforting than existing without thought. The EP was produced across several friends’ living room floors using just his headphone microphone and a Scarlett solo interface before collaborating with Alex Black-Bessen and Tim Voet for finishing touches. Tomás Tomás describes the project as an extension of his search for meaning, reckoning the music works best heard while on an evening walk where questions about life can float freely without demanding immediate resolution.
Lions At The Gate Releases “Burn The Candle” Single With Vicente Cordero Directed Video
Lions At The Gate releases explosive new single “Burn The Candle” accompanied by a visually striking music video directed by Vicente Cordero, marking their first official unveiling since signing with Reigning Phoenix Music. The track delivers searing riffs, thunderous rhythm section work and impassioned vocal performance as a rallying cry for unity amid division, themes central to the band’s creative vision heading into 2026. Frontman Cristian Machado describes the song as addressing the divide being driven into societies where hatred gets normalized right in front of everyone’s eyes, explaining that divided people become like sheep waiting to be led to slaughter while proudly waving the triple-edged sword of greed, pride and lust driven into humanity’s side. The Los Angeles based metal powerhouse featuring vocalist Cristian Machado formerly of Ill Niño alongside guitarists Diego Verduzco and Ahrue Luster, whose past stints with Ill Niño and Machine Head have seasoned their artistry, plus drummer Josh Cuadra brings sharpened purpose and unrelenting creative fire to this new phase.
Reigning Phoenix Music co-founder Gerardo Martinez expresses excitement welcoming Lions At The Gate to the roster, noting their deep-rooted legacy, fearless sound and bold vision embody exactly the kind of creative force the label supports. The partnership marks a milestone moment as “Burn The Candle” serves as the first spark building toward an ambitious 2026 release cycle following their August 2023 debut album ‘The Excuses We Cannot Make’ which debuted on Billboard’s Top 100, Top New Artists and Heatseekers charts after singles “Not Even Human” rocketed to number three on Apple Metal charts and “Bed of Nails” celebrated widespread acclaim. Lions At The Gate currently tours with Death Angel bringing ferocious live energy to stages across the country, giving fans early taste of their revitalized sound while Machado’s vocals hit their peak masterfully blending grace and aggression over expert instrumentation adding dynamic layers that enhance emotional impact.
Red Vox Releases “Over a Life” Single Ahead Of Sixth Album ‘Retcon’ Arriving January 30th
Red Vox announces their sixth full-length studio album ‘Retcon’ arriving January 30th, 2026, accompanied by new single “Over a Life” with its music video available now. Vocalist Vin explains the track stands as one of their most recent recordings, played live before it even had a name and finished lyrics, with meaning drawn from experience, observation and reading Norm MacDonald’s autobiography. The album originally contained 16 songs before the band cut five and recorded two more to better fit the theme and overall vibe, creating an ironic situation where an album about not being able to change the past went through several retcons itself. Vin describes a fairly dystopian thread running throughout while the music ranges from grungy sounds on the opening track he wrote 20 years ago through electronic vibes, acoustic and mandolin infused moments, aggressive loud rock and hints of psychedelic rock across 13 total tracks.
The New York based indie rock band enters 2026 with serious momentum behind them following their music video for “Garbage Land” landing at number 54 on Rate Your Music’s Best Music Videos of 2024 and the second half of their fifth album ‘Visions and Afterthoughts’ becoming a Bandcamp bestseller in 2023. Red Vox has earned millions of streams led by breakout single “In the Garden” and nearly 8,000 physical album sales, while their live presence continues expanding from 600 people at Too Many Games 2024 to nearly 1,500 fans filling Super MAGfest 2025 and packed shows at White Eagle Hall for career spanning sets. The band invites fans into The New Flesh, an ambient first-person exploration experience functioning as a playable music video spanning three songs from ‘Retcon’ where players explore strange worlds, meet inhabitants, collect Red Vox records and discover 15 plus additional songs from across their history plus one exclusive track, earning the game a nomination for Best Game Soundtrack at an upcoming awards show.
Stealth, Maxdmyz, Die Kur And Six Is Six Unite For Cold War Concept Album ‘Wilderness of Mirrors’
NMTCG releases the split concept album ‘Wilderness of Mirrors’ exploring Cold War political intrigue, psychological tension and cultural reverberations through four distinct band perspectives. Stealth, Maxdmyz, Die Kur and Six is Six each contribute their own interpretation of the overarching theme, bridging industrial, metal and experimental influences into a cohesive sonic journey that captures the era’s divided world. The album creates something genuinely compelling by letting four different voices tackle the same historical period from their own angles, building depth through varied approaches rather than unified sound.
5 Surprising Facts About Otis Redding’s ‘Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul’
When Otis Redding walked into Stax Records on July 9, 1965, he was a young soul singer with modest recognition and one Top 10 R&B hit to his name. By July 10, he had recorded 10 of the 11 songs that would make up ‘Otis Blue,’ arguably the greatest studio soul album of the 1960s, all captured in under 24 hours across two sessions. The only track not recorded during that whirlwind period was his number two hit “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” which had been cut in April and re-recorded in stereo for the album. Backed by Booker T. & the M.G.’s, Isaac Hayes on piano, and a horn section filled with Mar-Keys and Memphis Horns members, Redding delivered performances that ranged from pained to celebratory, tender to gritty, establishing himself as the heir to Sam Cooke’s throne. The album sold more than 250,000 copies, topped the US R&B LPs chart, hit number six in the UK, and proved that Redding could take on the Temptations, Rolling Stones and B.B. King on their own turf while creating original material powerful enough for Aretha Franklin to transform into a feminist anthem.
The Recording Sessions Had A Break So The House Band Could Play Their Saturday Night Gigs Around Town
The two sessions ran from 10 a.m. Saturday July 9 through 2 p.m. Sunday July 10, but Stax had to break from 8 p.m. Saturday until 2 a.m. Sunday so Booker T. & the M.G.’s could play their regular local gigs around Memphis. The house band was working musicians who couldn’t afford to skip paying shows just to record an album, even one as monumental as ‘Otis Blue.’ When they returned in the early morning hours, they picked up right where they left off and finished the remaining tracks with the same precision and fire.
Redding Recorded “Satisfaction” Without Ever Hearing The Rolling Stones Original Version
Otis Redding cut his transformative take on “Satisfaction” without hearing the Rolling Stones’ original recording, working only from the lyrics and embellishing where he saw fit. He underscored “fashion” when singing “satisfaction” and threw in new verses that turned Mick and Keith’s restlessness into sheer uncontrollability, including “I keep on runnin’ round in my sleep/I keep on messin’ up any beat.” The version sounded so authentic that a journalist accused the Stones of stealing the song from Redding and performing it after him, when the exact opposite was true.
The Album Cover Featured A Blue-Tinted Photo Of A Non-Descript White Woman Instead Of Redding’s Face
Redding wasn’t famous enough in September 1965 to avoid one of the era’s most unfortunate record company practices, so instead of his face on the cover, Stax used a blue-tinted photo of an anonymous white woman. The decision reflected the industry’s racist assumptions about crossover appeal and marketability, treating one of soul music’s greatest albums as a product that needed whitewashing to reach broader audiences. By 1966 and early 1967, Redding had built enough recognition with both Black R&B and white rock audiences that such indignities became impossible to justify.
“Respect” Took A Day To Write, 20 Minutes To Arrange, And One Take To Record According To Redding
Otis Redding claimed “Respect” took a day to write, 20 minutes to arrange and one take to record, though the song’s origins remain disputed between drummer Al Jackson Jr.’s road tour quote and road manager Earl “Speedo” Sims’ claim that it came from a group he sang with. Sims stated that even though Redding rewrote it, much of the original lyric remained and that he sang backing vocals in the chorus but never received credit despite Redding’s promise. The song became one of Redding’s signature performances before Aretha Franklin covered it in 1967 and topped both the Billboard R&B and Pop charts, transforming his plea for respect into a feminist hymn that ironically countered the original’s perspective.
5 Surprising Facts About Jerry Lee Lewis’ ‘Live at the Star Club, Hamburg’
When Jerry Lee Lewis tore through two sets at Hamburg’s Star-Club on April 5, 1964, producer Siggi Loch captured what many consider the greatest live rock and roll album ever made. Lewis was in his wilderness years following the scandal around his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin, but relentless touring across Europe had sharpened his skills into something ferocious and untamed. The album showcases Lewis’ brutal piano attack and wild stage presence at its absolute peak, recorded with microphones placed as close to the instruments as possible and a stereo mic in the audience to capture the chaos. There’s a reason why he’s called “The Killer.” This album proves it.
The Producer Was A Jazz Executive Who Decided To Start Recording Rock Bands At The Star-Club
Siggi Loch ran the jazz department at Philips Records when he realized young British bands were obsessing over Chuck Berry and white American rock and rollers as their heroes. He approached the Star-Club owner with a proposal to start recording live performances at the venue, creating a setup that prioritized raw energy over technical perfection. The recording captured something brutally honest about Lewis that night, the primal center of rock and roll without any studio polish to soften the impact. You can hear Lewis feeling the energy of the crowd with his own whoops and hollers at the end of several tracks.
Two Songs From The Performance Were Lost And One Was Left Off The Original Album Due To A Sound Fault
Sixteen songs were recorded across two sets but “Down The Line” got left off the original LP because of a sound fault, only surfacing later on a French Mercury single before appearing on CD reissues. The tapes for “You Win Again” and Lewis’ current single “I’m On Fire” are believed to have been lost entirely, meaning we’ll never hear how those performances sounded. What survived is still enough to prove Lewis was operating at a level of intensity that few performers have ever matched on a live recording.
Detractors Complained The Piano Was Mixed Too Loud And Everything Sounded Too Noisy
Critics who didn’t get it complained the album was crashingly noisy, that Lewis lacked subtlety revisiting the songs, and that the piano dominated the mix too aggressively. That’s exactly what makes the recording work, capturing Lewis hammering his instrument without restraint while the Nashville Teens struggled to keep up with his ferocious energy. The lack of subtlety wasn’t a flaw, it was the entire point of documenting what Lewis sounded like when he was playing like his life depended on it.
Lewis Remained Proud Decades Later That He Kept Rock And Roll Alive When Others Abandoned It
Speaking in 2014, Jerry Lee Lewis told Rolling Stone he was proud that he “stuck with rock & roll when the rest of them didn’t, I kept the ball rollin’ with that” during years when his career had been destroyed by scandal. While Elvis went to Hollywood and Little Richard found religion, Lewis kept touring Europe and playing rock and roll with the same intensity he brought in the 1950s. The Star-Club recording proved that exile and controversy couldn’t diminish his power as a performer, and that rock and roll had at least one true believer who refused to let it die.
5 Surprising Facts About Sam Cooke’s Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963′
Five Unknown Facts About Sam Cooke’s ‘Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963’ That Took 22 Years To Release
When Sam Cooke walked onstage at Miami’s Harlem Square Club on January 12, 1963, RCA Victor engineers captured one of the greatest live performances in music history. The label immediately shelved it for 22 years because they thought it was too gritty, raw and raucous for Cooke’s carefully cultivated pop image. RCA wanted to break him as an international crossover star playing supper clubs, not document the down-home, gut-bucket show he delivered to predominantly Black audiences in the segregated South. The recording sat in the vaults until executive Gregg Geller discovered the tapes in 1985 and released them that June, where critics immediately recognized what they were hearing. The album ranked number 11 on The Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop poll and number seven on NME’s albums of the year in 1985, eventually earning placement on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. This wasn’t just a live album. This was proof that one of the most beguiling figures of 20th century music was even more powerful, seductive and commanding than his polished studio recordings suggested, capturing 39 minutes of pure soul fire that RCA thought would damage his mainstream appeal.
The Harlem Square Club Bartender Worked Behind A Cage And Carried A Shotgun While Selling Drinks
The Harlem Square Club sat in Miami’s historically Black Overtown neighborhood, and the bartender sold liquor from a caged enclosure while armed with a shotgun according to reports from the era. The 2,000 capacity venue packed tight with devoted fans from Cooke’s gospel days, creating an atmosphere of smoke, booze and sweaty energy that comes through every second of the recording. RCA engineers set up eight microphones and a three-track mixer, adjusting levels throughout the evening before capturing the late 1 a.m. show that became the legendary performance.
Three Different Mixes Exist And The Current Streaming Version Has A Skip In “Twistin’ The Night Away”
The 1985 mix kept the audience loud and claustrophobic, while the 2000 box set version cleaned everything up and turned the crowd down, essentially removing what made the recording special. The 2005 remaster restored the audience presence and brought back the original “One Night Stand” title with new artwork showing King Curtis, but every pressing contains a mysterious skip around the 0:56 mark of “Twistin’ the Night Away” that nobody has ever explained or fixed.
King Curtis Was A Revered Session Player Who Could Make More Money At Home But Joined Because Cooke Asked
Saxophonist King Curtis could have earned bigger paychecks staying in New York doing session work, but Sam Cooke personally convinced him to join the Southern tour after they shared an Apollo Theater bill in November 1962. Curtis opens the Harlem Square Club recording with his instrumental hit “Soul Twist” before his fiery sax elevates the entire performance, delivering standout solos that outshine the studio versions. Cooke even name-checks “Soul Twist” in the closing number “Having a Party,” bookending the album with Curtis’ contribution.
Cooke Had To Dismiss A Leukemia Rumor Mid-Performance During “Somebody Have Mercy”
During “Somebody Have Mercy,” Sam Cooke deadpans to the audience “It ain’t that leukemia, that ain’t it” before chuckling, addressing a false rumor that he was dying from the disease. The urban legend forced the 31-year-old singer to shoot it down two weeks before his birthday while performing live. The moment shows the intense pressure Cooke faced as a Black crossover star navigating mainstream success while staying true to his gospel roots and devoted fans.
5 Surprising Facts About James Brown’s ‘Live at the Apollo’
When James Brown personally funded the recording of his October 24, 1962 Apollo Theater performance, King Records founder Syd Nathan didn’t just oppose the project. He thought it was a waste of money that would never sell without a single to promote it. Nathan had already dismissed Brown’s “Please, Please, Please” demo as “the worst piece of crap I’ve heard in my life” years earlier, so his judgment wasn’t exactly bulletproof. The resulting album spent 66 weeks on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, peaked at number two, and became so popular that R&B DJs would play entire sides without interruption except for commercials. This wasn’t just Brown capturing his stage show for the first time on record. This was the moment soul music announced itself as a cultural force that would define the entire decade, proving Nathan spectacularly wrong while cementing Brown’s status as Mr. Dynamite, The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, and eventually The Godfather of Soul.
The Original Master Tapes Were Lost For Decades In A Vault Containing 100,000 Reels
The master recordings for ‘Live at the Apollo’ vanished for years inside King Records’ massive vault holding 100,000 reels, making a proper CD reissue impossible until 1990. Jazz historian Phil Schaap accidentally found the tape while searching for a Max Roach master, pulling an anonymous box labeled “Second Show James Brown” off the shelf. He handed it over saying “I think you need to hear this,” and the tapes were finally recovered in late 1989, decades after the performance that changed soul music forever.
King Records Added Canned Applause And Screams Because They Didn’t Trust The Real Audience Response
King Records originally issued the album with canned applause and screams added in post-production, which ranks as one of the most unnecessary decisions in music history. The actual Apollo crowd that night delivered some of the most perfectly timed audience reactions ever captured on record, especially during the ten minute “Lost Someone” where female fan screams punctuate every emotional peak. The real thing was always more powerful than anything manufactured afterward, proving the label had no idea what they actually had on tape.
Brown Had Nine Consecutive Flops After His First Hit Before “Try Me” Saved His Career
After “Please, Please, Please” hit regionally in 1956, James Brown’s next nine consecutive singles flopped badly and almost got him dropped from Federal Records before his eleventh single “Try Me” became a national hit. Those lean years nearly made Syd Nathan’s harsh assessment of Brown prophetic, but “Try Me” saved his career and gave him four more years to build The James Brown Revue into the best live act in the business. By October 1962, Brown had gone from one flop away from obscurity to demanding the precision and intensity that made ‘Live at the Apollo’ legendary.
MC5 Guitarist Wayne Kramer Said ‘Live at the Apollo’ Inspired ‘Kick Out The Jams’ And Their Entire Performance Style
Wayne Kramer credited ‘Live at the Apollo’ as the direct inspiration for MC5’s ‘Kick Out the Jams,’ revealing the Detroit band listened to it endlessly on acid and played it on 8-tracks in the van before gigs to get pumped up. Every Detroit band before MC5 covered “Please, Please, Please” and “I Go Crazy” as standards, and MC5 modeled their entire approach on Brown’s records with everything done on a gut level about sweat, energy and anti-refinement. That single Wednesday night set at the Apollo in 1962 rippled through decades of American music, connecting soul to garage rock to punk through shared intensity and raw power.
5 Surprising Facts About Booker T. & The M.G.’s ‘Green Onions’
When Booker T. & the M.G.’s unleashed ‘Green Onions’ in October 1962, they didn’t just create Stax Records’ first charting album. They crafted a blueprint for instrumental soul that would influence generations of musicians across every genre imaginable. The title track hit number one on R&B charts and number three on pop charts, becoming one of the most recognizable instrumental grooves in music history. Dozens of artists from the Blues Brothers to Deep Purple have covered it, but nobody captures that original strutting cool quite like the Memphis masters who accidentally created it while cutting what they thought would be a B-side. This album matters because it proved instrumental music could dominate charts, because it established the sound that would define southern soul, and because it showcased four musicians operating at such a high level of cohesion that their work became the foundation for countless Stax classics by Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Sam & Dave.
The Album Cover Photographer Went On To Shoot For Mad Magazine For 52 Years
Irving Schild captured the iconic ‘Green Onions’ cover photo before embarking on a legendary career as Mad magazine’s primary photographer for over five decades. The straightforward, professional shot of the M.G.’s perfectly matched the no-nonsense musical approach inside the grooves. Schild’s work would go on to define Mad’s visual identity for generations of readers, but this Stax debut remains one of his earliest professional triumphs in a career that spanned comedy, culture and everything in between.
Booker T. Jones Was Still In High School When He Started Playing For Stax
The organ wizard behind “Green Onions” hadn’t even graduated high school when he began his professional career with Stax Records. Jones brought youthful energy and raw talent to sessions with seasoned Memphis veterans, quickly proving that age meant nothing when the groove hit right. His keyboard work on this debut demonstrated maturity and sophistication far beyond his years, establishing him as one of soul music’s most important instrumentalists before he could legally buy a drink.
They Made “Green Onions” Twice On The Same Album
The M.G.’s loved their title track formula so much they recorded “Mo’ Onions,” which works over a similar pattern and captures that same streamlined groove. Both tracks showcase Booker’s organ leading the charge while Steve Cropper’s guitar emits rays of brilliance over the rhythm section’s foundation. The decision to include both versions on the debut shows the band’s confidence in their signature sound and their ability to milk maximum impact from a winning formula without losing the magic.
Steve Cropper May Have Forgotten To Play Guitar On “Behave Yourself” Because He Was Too Busy Watching Booker
During the slower blues number “Behave Yourself,” Cropper waits an unusually long time before chiming in with his guitar, possibly because he was mesmerized watching Booker heap up huge piles of organ notes with one hand while holding long chords with the other. The opening section features some of Booker’s most impressive keyboard work on the entire album, and Cropper’s delayed entrance suggests even one of the ultimate rhythm guitar players couldn’t help but stop and appreciate the mastery unfolding beside him before remembering he had his own part to play.
The Bass Player Changed Before Otis Redding Recorded His Version Of “A Woman, A Lover, A Friend”
The M.G.’s covered “A Woman, A Lover, A Friend” on ‘Green Onions’ with Lewis Steinberg on bass, but when Otis Redding sang his version on 1965’s ‘The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads,’ the recently deceased Donald “Duck” Dunn had replaced Steinberg in the rhythm section. This lineup change marked a significant shift in the band’s sound, though both bassists contributed to the M.G.’s legendary status as Stax’s unshakeable house band throughout the 1960s.