Jason Isbellās career has reached new heights recently, with his album Weathervanes winning a Grammy and his role in Killers of the Flower Moon earning acclaim. In a candid conversation with Justin Richmond, Isbell shares his unforgettable experience filming with Leonardo DiCaprio and discusses the challenges of writing rock songs. He also reflects on how he might approach writing about the end of his marriage, offering a glimpse into his personal life. This interview dives deep into both his acting debut and his evolving songwriting process. You can list to it here.
Kelelaās Tiny Desk Performance Reinvents Her Sound
Kelelaās Tiny Desk performance was a stunning reimagination of her work, swapping her signature hard drums and effects for harp and piano. Accompanied by a talented ensemble, including Briley Harris on keys and Ahya Simone on harp, she reworked tracks like āTake Me Apartā and āEnough,ā giving them a fresh, ethereal twist. Kelelaās creative exploration, including experimenting with a thunder tube, added a unique layer to this intimate set. A beautiful homecoming to Washington, D.C., this performance revealed her ever-evolving sound.
My Next Read: “Soundtrack of Silence: Love, Loss, and a Playlist for Life” By Matt Hay
An inspiring memoir of a young man who discovered he was going completely deaf just at the moment heād fallen in love for the first time.
As a child, Matt Hay didnāt know his hearing wasnāt the way everyone else processed soundābecause of the workarounds he did to ļ¬t in, even the school nurse didnāt catch his condition at the annual hearing and vision checks. But by the time he was a prospective college student and couldnāt pass the entrance requirements for West Point, Hayās condition, generated by a tumor, was unavoidable: his hearing was going, and fast.
A personal soundtrack was Hayās determined compensation for his condition. As a typical Midwestern kid growing up in the 1980s whose life events were pegged to pop music, Hay planned to commit his favorite songs to memory. He prepared a mental playlist of the bands he loved and created a way to tap into his most resonant memories. And the track he needed to cement most clearly? The one he and his new girlfriend, Noraāthe love of his lifeālistened to in the car on their ļ¬rst date.
Made vivid with references to instantly recognizable songsāfrom the Eagles to Elton John, Bob Marley to Bing Crosby, U2 to Peter FramptonāSoundtrack of Silence asks readers to run the soundtrack of their own lives through their minds. Itās an involving memoir of loss and disability, and, ultimately, a both unique and universal love story.
John Williams Shares How He Persuaded Steven Spielberg to Rethink the Iconic ‘Jaws’ Score
In a new interview, legendary composer John Williams opens up about the creative push behind the unforgettable “Jaws” score. Williams revealed that he had to convince director Steven Spielberg to move away from the typical “scary” music, instead suggesting a thrilling, adventure-driven approach that ultimately became one of the most iconic film scores of all time.
5 Surprising Facts About Alanis Morissette’s ‘Jagged Little Pill’
In 1995, the world was introduced to Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissetteās groundbreaking album that fused angst, authenticity, and alternative rock in a way that changed music forever. With tracks like āYou Oughta Knowā and āIronic,ā it hit deeply, earning critical acclaim and breaking sales records with of over 33 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. While its legendary status is well-documented, there are still some lesser-known details about the album and its creation.
1. “Hand in My Pocket” Was Written in Just 30 Minutes
When Alanis Morissette met producer Glen Ballard, their creative chemistry was instant. āHand in My Pocket,ā one of the albumās signature tracks, came together in a single 30-minute session. Its relatable lyrics about lifeās contradictions and simple-yet-powerful melody epitomize the raw, unfiltered process that defined the album’s recording.
2. “Ironic” Almost Didnāt Make the Album
Despite its massive success, āIronicā was a last-minute addition to the record. Written on a whim during an experimental session, the songās quirky lyrics and catchy chorus cemented its place as one of Morissetteās most iconic tracks. Interestingly, the debates over the proper use of irony in the songās lyrics only added to its cultural impact.
3. “You Oughta Know” Featured Rock Royalty
Did you know that Flea and Dave Navarro of the Red Hot Chili Peppers played bass and guitar on āYou Oughta Knowā? Their collaboration added a gritty, aggressive edge to the song, helping it stand out as a fierce breakup anthem. Their involvement was spontaneous, but it perfectly complemented Alanisās emotionally raw vocals.
4. The Title Jagged Little Pill Has a Personal Backstory
The albumās title comes from a lyric in āYou Learn,ā where Alanis advises listeners to embrace lifeās tough lessons: āSwallow it down, it feels so good swimming in your stomach.ā For Morissette, the title symbolized the bittersweet nature of personal growthāa recurring theme throughout the album.
5. Alanis Recorded Vocals in Just One Take
Morissetteās raw emotional delivery on Jagged Little Pill was no accident. To preserve authenticity, she insisted on recording her vocals in just one or two takes. This method captured her unfiltered emotions and contributed to the albumās unique intensity and vulnerability.
Nearly three decades after its release, Jagged Little Pill continues to become a life-long favourite with new generations of listeners. Its blend of introspection, raw emotion, and bold experimentation set a benchmark for authenticity in music and also on Broadway, when it became a Tony Award-winning stage show. Whether youāre rediscovering the album or hearing it for the first time, you oughta know it’s still a classic.
Watch A One-Hour Interview With Kris Kristofferson From 1984
Step back in time with a captivating 1984 interview featuring Kris Kristofferson! In this one-hour, three-part series with Rock Influence, the legendary songwriter reflects on his music, career, and influence.
Rock And Read: “Now You’re One of Us: The Incredible Story of Redd Kross” By Jeffrey and Steven McDonald And Dan Epstein
Now Youāre One of UsĀ is the definitive statement about Redd Kross, an in-depth and riveting tale told in the voices of the talented and tempestuous brothers at the core of this iconic outfit.
Emerging from humble beginnings in suburban Los Angeles, the McDonalds took their rock ānā roll fantasy and ran with it ā and wound up becoming one of the most influential American bands of their time. The bandās flamboyant, genre-defying, joyously tuneful blend of musical, sartorial and pop cultural elements profoundly influenced the punk rock, glam metal and grunge movements and won them a worldwide cult of fervent admirers that includes bands like Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, L7 and The Bangles.
Redd Kross continue rocking to this day, much to the intense delight of fans old and new. And now the McDonalds team up with award-winning music journalist Dan Epstein to tell their wild, hilarious and gloriously star-spangled tale.
Kick Out The Jams With “MC5: An Oral Biography of Rockās Most Revolutionary Band” By Brad Tolinski, Jaan Uhelszki & Ben Edmonds
Few bands have dared to ignite a revolution through their fusion of activism and art like MC5. Managed by the charismatic radical and hippie spokesman, John Sinclair, MC5 wasnāt just a band; they were a thunderous proclamation of dissent, amplifying the voices of the marginalized long before it was fashionable. From championing racial equality to rallying for cannabis legalization, they fearlessly thrust their beliefs onto the world stage. For their efforts, the rabble-rousing musical arm of the White Panther Party, the scourge of J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI and other defenders of public decency, were often beaten with clubs, threatened at gunpoint, tossed into jail, and even unceremoniously dumped by their record company, right as their album was storming up the chartsāand all while the Sex Pistols were still on training wheels.
What has been lost amidst this notoriety is MC5 itself, a band worth remembering not because they were bad boys, but because they wereĀ so damn good.Ā InĀ MC5: An Oral Biography of Rockās Most Revolutionary Bandā,Ā music journalists Brad Tolinski and Jaan Uhelszki invite readers to reconsider this legendary group. Centered around a series of interviews with MC5, their manager, and their inner circleāmany of whom are no longer with usāthat Tolinski and Uhelszki inherited fromĀ CREEM MagazineĀ founding staffer andĀ Mojo‘s US editorĀ Ben Edmonds prior to his death, this book presents a genuinely candid, funny, and moving portrait of rockās most uncompromising and articulate band.Ā MC5Ā also features a virtual āwhoās whoā of 1960s rockers, including Iggy and the Stooges, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, promoter Bill Graham, John Lennon, the Jefferson Airplane, and political firebrands like Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden, and Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver.
As innovative, insightful, and inspiring as the band itself,Ā MC5Ā is a fitting testament to the legacy of these iconic rock pioneersātold in their very own words.
Now Back In Print: “This Ain’t No Disco: The Story of CBGB” By Roman Kozak
Originally published in 1988 and out of print for decades,Ā This Ain’t No DiscoĀ tells the real story of CBGB, the birthplace and incubator of American punk and new wave music.Ā The Ramones, Blondie, Television, Talking HeadsĀ and many other rock greats all got their starts there.
Written by a club regular well before the legend overtook the reality (while CBGB was still open and most of its principals alive), this is an honest, opinionated, outrageous, hilarious document of 15 years of late, loud nights at CBGB, with memories, stories and gossip from dozens of people who played, worked or just hung out in the long, dark club on the Bowery in New York City.
This new edition adds a new foreword byĀ Chris FrantzĀ ofĀ Talking Heads, a new selection of photographs by the acclaimedĀ Ebet RobertsĀ and archival reporting byĀ Ira RobbinsĀ about the club’s closing in 2006.
Roman KozakĀ (1948-1988) was born in a camp for displaced persons in Germany. He served as night news editor forĀ The Daily AmericanĀ newspaper in Rome and then moved to New York, where he became an editor atĀ BillboardĀ magazine (1973-1983). He later wrote forĀ The Music PaperĀ and was an associate editor ofĀ Old Manhattan NewsĀ and publisher ofĀ Rock PhotoĀ magazine. In 1987, he co-wrote a screenplay entitledĀ The Bomb. This is his only book.
Ebet RobertsĀ moved from her native Memphis to New York City to paint but switched to photography in 1977 when she began began documenting the evolving CBGB scene. Since then, she has consistently documented musicians, capturing the essence of the artists she photographs while accumulating a vast archive and respect from her peers.
Her photographs are reproduced in innumerable publications includingĀ Rolling Stone, MOJO, Spin, GQ, Playboy, The New York Times, Newsweek, Time, People, USA TodayĀ and theĀ Village Voice. They are also featured prominently inĀ Blank Generation Revisited, This Ain’t No Disco: The Story of CBGB, Frozen Fire: The Story of the Cars, CBGB’S: 30 Years of Photographs andĀ The Rolling Stone Book of Women in Rock.
Her photographs have been widely exhibited and are in the permanent collection of the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, Seattle’s Experience Music Project, the Grammy Museum and the Hard Rock Cafe.
Chris FrantzĀ is a drummer, composer, record producer, author and broadcaster. As a founding member of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, he performed many times at CBGB. He is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His memoir,Ā Remain in Love: Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Tina, was published in 2020.
You Oughta Read “We Oughta Know: How CĆ©line, Shania, Alanis, and Sarah Ruled the ā90s and Changed Music” By Andrea Warner
In this of-the-moment essay collection, We Oughta Know: How CĆ©line, Shania, Alanis, and Sarah Ruled the ā90s and Changed Music, celebrated music journalist Andrea Warner explores the ways in which CĆ©line Dion, Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette, and Sarah McLachlan became bonafide global superstars while revolutionizing ā90s music. In an era when male-fronted musical acts dominated radio and were given serious critical consideration, these four women were reduced, mocked, and disparaged by the media and became pop culture jokes, even as their albums were topping the charts and demolishing sales records.
With empathy, humor, and reflections on her own teenaged perceptions of CĆ©line, Shania, Alanis, and Sarah, Andrea offers us a revised and expanded edition of her 2015 book, providing a new perspective on the legacies of the four Canadian women who dominated the ā90s airwaves and influenced an entire generation of current day popstars with their voices, fashion, and advocacy. As the world is now reconsidering the treatment and reputations of key women in ā90s entertainment,Ā We Oughta KnowĀ is definitively entering the chat.