And now, for something completely different, and awesome. A Buddhist monk – and sometime rock musician – Kossan performs Judas Priest’s classic Breaking the Law.
Bon Jovi 2020 set to release October 2, new single “Do What You Can” out today
After being forced to cancel their world tour and delay a highly-anticipated album, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Bon Jovi announced today that their new album 2020 has officially been set for release on October 2, 2020 on Island Records.
Originally set for release on May 15, 2020 was a completed album with a breadth and depth of songwriting, titled for a challenging and pivotal election year. Along with all of America, Jon found himself unexpectedly experiencing a world-altering coronavirus pandemic, followed quickly by the staggering events of George Floyd’s death and the ensuing national movement for racial equality. He knew there was even more to say about 2020. Writing from a home studio, two new songs were born: “American Reckoning” and “Do What You Can” encompass these events and made the album a complete body of work.
“I am a witness to history,” said Jon Bon Jovi. “I believe the greatest gift of an artist is the ability to use their voice to speak to issues that move us.”
Well known for his extensive philanthropic work, Jon spent the initial quarantine days and weeks helping feed those in need at his JBJ Soul Kitchen Community Restaurant in Red Bank, NJ. Calling himself the “hall-of-fame dishwasher” at the restaurant, Jon was captured by his wife Dorothea in the photo below, which was later posted to social media with the caption “If You Can’t Do What You Do… Do What You Can.” The songwriter’s mind immediately went into action and a complete song was created the next day. In the spirit of togetherness that embodied the early days of quarantine, instead of releasing the complete song Jon asked fans to “write their verse” and tell their story. Jon sang the first verse and chorus and went on to receive thousands of fan-created verses, both heartbreaking and heartwarming, in a flood of responses across band socials with the #DoWhatYouCan hashtag.
“No band has stirred more empathy, articulated the feelings of uncertainty, and comforted fans with reassurance than the Jersey rockers in the first weeks of the outbreak,” USA Today said of the storied band’s impact during those historic weeks.
The final version of “Do What You Can,” written by Jon Bon Jovi, was performed acoustically for the first time on the star-studded Jersey4Jersey benefit special, raising $ 6 million for the state which was hard hit during the pandemic. In the weeks that followed, the full band was able to record the song in the studio and add it to the forthcoming album.
TRACKLISTING (with songwriter credits):
Limitless (Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Falcon, John Shanks)
Do What You Can (Jon Bon Jovi)
American Reckoning (Jon Bon Jovi)
Beautiful Drug (Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Falcon, John Shanks)
Story of Love (Jon Bon Jovi)
Let It Rain (Jon Bon Jovi)
Lower the Flag (Jon Bon Jovi)
Blood in the Water (Jon Bon Jovi)
Brothers in Arms (Jon Bon Jovi)
Unbroken (Jon Bon Jovi)
Grammy winner Tori Kelly’s new EP, Solitude, set for August 14 release
On August 14, Tori Kelly will release Solitude, a five-song EP that she recorded at home during quarantine. The two-time GRAMMY winner announced the track listing today and shared one of its five songs – her poignant version of Drake’s “Time Flies.”
“I’ve never been more thankful for my home studio than I have during this season of being quarantined,” says Tori Kelly. “In some ways, it felt like I was going back to my roots, when I would be in my room, making songs and posting covers on YouTube. A lot of change has happened since my last album, so it felt great to just freely write what was on my heart and be inspired by different stories. I had so much fun creating this EP and I’m excited to share this new chapter of my music.”
Tori penned three of the EP’s five tracks at home. After recording acoustic demos, she worked remotely with producers Monro, Spencer Stewart and Stint to complete “Value” and “Don’t Take Me Home.” On the funky, exuberant “Unbothered” – a much-needed dose of hope, looking to the good times ahead – she collaborated with writers Chloe George and Micah Premnath and producer Jorgen Odegard (Imagine Dragons, P!nk, Adam Lambert). The EP closes with the highly personal “Glad,” a soulful ballad that Tori wrote for her husband, producing and recording the song herself. See below for track listing.
Since making her debut with 2015’s Unbreakable Smile – a widely acclaimed album that entered the Billboard 200 at No. 2 – Tori Kelly has lit up the pop landscape with her breathtaking vocals and full-hearted songwriting, amassing nearly 2.5 billion combined global streams to date. With her 2018 passion project Hiding Place, the L.A.-based artist continued to captivate audiences and took home two prizes at the 2019 GRAMMY Awards: Best Gospel Album and Best Gospel Performance/Song for the hit single “Never Alone.” On her powerfully personal 2019 album, Inspired By True Events, Kelly offered up her bravest and most bracingly candid work to date. She supported the album with a 2019 U.S. tour and an early 2020 U.K. run.
With her 2020 European tour cut short due to COVID-19, Tori began collaborating with other artists online via her “QuaranTEA with Tori” series (view highlights HERE) and working on new music.
Track Listing – Solitude
Value
Don’t Take Me Home
Time Flies (Drake Cover)
Unbothered
Glad
Rapper Logic Signs Streaming Partnership With Twitch
Multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated rapper and musician Logic has signed an exclusive streaming contract with Twitch, the live, interactive streaming service for gaming, music, entertainment, and more. As part of this partnership, Logic will be streaming weekly on his Twitch channel, which will include a mixture of in-studio sessions, special guests, AMA Style formats, and gaming. Twitch has seen rapid growth outside of gaming – especially in music – and signing Logic is a firm commitment of Twitch’s continued investment in non-gaming content and Creators.
Logic launched his Twitch channel at the end of last year following his appearance at TwitchCon in September 2019. A gaming and esports enthusiast and active member of the Twitch community, Logic is now expanding his engagement with the service, branching outside gaming and into music content, creating new ways to connect with fans in real-time.
“The Twitch community brings this amazing group energy that you don’t really get anywhere else. It’s something that we crave as artists but has been especially hard to come across the last few months,” said Logic. “I want my Twitch channel to be a place of creation but also collaboration, and I know the Twitch community is going to love what we’ve got planned. I’m stoked to be able to work with the team at Twitch and open up my world to fans in this way.”
In his first partner stream, scheduled for 12:00am ET on Friday, July 24, Logic will premiere his new album, No Pressure via Def Jam Recordings/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. No Pressure is Logic’s sixth studio album, and the sequel to his 2014 debut, Under Pressure.
“Logic embodies the evolution of Creators that we’ve seen over the last few years on Twitch. He came to Twitch as a gamer but understands the value of the Twitch community and how our passionate and engaged audience can also connect with and support his music,” said Mike Olson, Head of Music at Twitch. “This type of streaming partnership is new for Twitch but speaks to what is happening on the service with our growth across non-gaming content, and particularly the massive interest we’re seeing within music. We’re thrilled to have Logic join the Twitch team and look forward to seeing what he and his community will create next.”
Liam Gallagher’s Isolated Vocals For Oasis’ “Rock ‘N’ Roll Star”
They’re not concerned about the way we are
In my mind my dreams are real
Now we’re concerned about the way I feel
Tonight I’m a rock ‘n’ roll star
The opening track from their debut album, Definitely Maybe, and Good Lord, turn this one up.
https://youtu.be/GsFGh_e7YqI
…and here’s the original.
The Police’s Isolated Vocals For “Wrapped Around Your Finger”
“Wrapped Around Your Finger” is the second UK single (and fourth US single) from the Police’s 1983 album Synchronicity. Written by Sting, it was released worldwide by A&M Records and featured the non-album track “Someone to Talk To” as a B-side in the UK, while a live version of “Tea in the Sahara” was the US B-side, and still the only chart hit to mention both the Scylla and Charibdes.
https://youtu.be/HEEg6UJqRXA
…and here’s the original version:
Chris Cornell Covers Guns N’ Roses “Patience” In Previously Unheard Track
This week, on what would have been Chris Cornell’s 56th birthday, Vicky Cornell on behalf of The Chris Cornell Estate is releasing his never before heard cover of Guns N’ Roses’ “Patience.” The song is accompanied by a music video that was produced by Toni and Christopher Cornell, and features personal images, including special photos taken at home by friend and photographer Steven Lyon.
Chris recorded this song in March 2016 at Henson Studios in Los Angeles. While he was there working on his own album, he was teaching his daughter Toni how to play “Patience,” as she was a big fan of Guns N’ Roses. During his studio time, he actually recorded it on his own as a tribute to the band and their recent announcement at the time that they would be getting back together.
“One of Chris’s engineers recently reminded me of Chris’s recordings from sessions in 2016. “Patience” was one of them. Listening to it again after so many years it was hauntingly beautiful; it brought it all back in a rush of bittersweet memories.
His birthday seemed the perfect time to share this and celebrate Chris, his voice, music, stories and art. It is true a man is not dead while his name is still spoken…and, through his art, an artist’s soul still burns just as bright as ever upon all those that look up to him and his memory. Releasing music that was special to Chris keeps a part of him here with us- his heart and his soul. His love and his legacy.
A special thank you to Axl, Slash, and Duff for continuing to honor Chris in their live shows. And to all of Chris’s fans, thank you for holding him in your hearts and always sharing your love for Chris with us. I want to thank our children too; for you are a reflection of your father, both his strength and his kindness.
The memory of your smile still makes my heart, broken as it is, beat as fast as the first time we met. We love you, Chris, Happy Birthday.” – Shared by Vicky Cornell
In addition, to honor their dad, Toni and Christopher Cornell are launching two national initiatives to address addiction. In partnership with the Addiction Policy Forum and the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation, they are introducing“STOP THE STIGMA,” an educational pilot program that will be brought to high schools around the country. This innovative peer-to-peer initiative empowers young people to tackle the stigma around addiction and teaches teens the science of substance use disorders, prevention and that addiction is a disease and a mental health issue and not a moral flaw.
Toni and Christopher are also launching a podcast, which will explore how stigma is hampering efforts to combat addiction and what actionable steps can be taken to address this. Toni and Christopher will be joined by expert guests, including scientists, policy makers, celebrities and other key individuals who can speak from personal experience and delve deeply into this critical effort to reverse the trend of this devastating epidemic. The first guest on this forum will be world-renowned scientist and Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institute of Health, Dr. Nora Volkow. Dr. Volkow’s revolutionary work has had a profound impact on the field of addiction. Among other significant accomplishments, she has pioneered the use of brain imaging to explore how drugs affect the brain and has demonstrated to the world that addiction is in fact a disease.
The podcast will be available beginning in August at https://www.stop-stigma.org/
“Losing our dad was like losing our universe. We miss him every day. With our father’s memory, and his constant presence in our lives, we are so proud to be working on a project like this that can make a real difference. His music saved lives and his legacy will continue to do so. No family should have to go through what we did. With this national campaign, we will be able to give people and kids what they need to better understand addiction, the stigma that surrounds it, and how we can work together to end it.” – Toni and Christopher Cornell
The 2020 Polaris Short List Is Here: Caribou, Kaytranada, Jessie Reyez, U.S. Girls, Lido Pimienta and more
The Polaris Music Prize, presented by CBC Music, has unveiled the 10 albums on the 2020 Short List.
The 2020 Polaris Music Prize Short List is:
Backxwash – God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It
Caribou – Suddenly
Junia-T – Studio Monk
Kaytranada – Bubba
nêhiyawak – nipiy
Pantayo – Pantayo
Lido Pimienta – Miss Colombia
Jessie Reyez – Before Love Came To Kill Us
U.S. Girls – Heavy Light
Witch Prophet – DNA Activation
“Canadian music has a vast and vibrant spectrum. This year’s Short List features a blend of exciting emerging voices and celebrated Polaris Prize winners. Now and forever, thank you to our jury for devoting their time and energy to crafting this list and continuing to champion the music of Canadian artists. I’d like to invite everyone to carve out some time to settle in with each of these very deserving albums. You’ll be glad you did,” said Polaris jury foreperson Melissa Vincent.
The new nominees were revealed during a Polaris Prize Short List radio special which aired earlier today across Canada via CBC Music and the CBC Listen app. Hosted by CBC Music’s Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe, the special featured music from the Short List nominees as well as in-depth interviews with CBC personalities and Polaris jurors.
Polaris will be celebrating the Short List with a special cinematic tribute happening October 19 to be broadcast in Canada on the CBC Gem streaming service, CBC Music’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages and around the globe at CBCMusic.ca/Polaris. The 2020 Polaris-winning album will be revealed live at the end of this event.
The Polaris Music Prize awards $50,000 to the artist who creates the Canadian Album of the Year, judged solely on artistic merit, without consideration for genre or record sales. Additionally, the nine other nominated acts whose albums make the 2020 Short List will receive $3,000 each courtesy of Slaight Music.
Albums eligible for 2020 Polaris Music Prize consideration must be released between May 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020. An independent jury of music journalists, broadcasters and bloggers from across Canada determines the Long List and Short List. Eleven people from the larger jury pool are then chosen to serve on the Grand Jury. This Grand Jury will select the Polaris Music Prize winner.
The past winners are Haviah Mighty (2019), Jeremy Dutcher (2018), Lido Pimienta (2017), Kaytranada (2016), Buffy Sainte-Marie (2015), Tanya Tagaq (2014), Godspeed You! Black Emperor (2013), Feist (2012), Arcade Fire (2011), Karkwa (2010), Fucked Up (2009), Caribou (2008), Patrick Watson (2007) and Final Fantasy / Owen Pallett (2006).
Matt Berninger Of The National Debuts ‘Distant Axis’
In anticipation of Serpentine Prison, the upcoming debut solo record from Matt Berninger — frontman of critically acclaimed group The National — Berninger is premiering the new track, Distant Axis, alongside a video which he directed with his brother, Tom Berninger, and Chris Sgroi.
Berninger explains about the track, which he wrote with The Walkmen’s Walter Martin, “I met Walter Martin fifteen years ago when The National opened for The Walkmen on a tour of shitty clubs in the American Southeast. On that tour I learned a lot about how to be in a band without ruining your life. I also learned a lot about Florida, Tennessee and Georgia. Walt and I have stayed friends and about three years ago we started passing ideas back and forth. Distant Axis started from a sketch Walt sent me named Savannah. I think it’s about falling out of touch with someone or something you once thought would be there forever.”
Serpentine Prison is due October 2. The album, produced by famed Memphis multi-instrumentalist, Booker T. Jones, will be released via Book Records, a new imprint formed by Berninger and Jones in conjunction with Concord Records. The album features contributions from a wide array of notable artists, including Matt Barrick (The Walkmen, Jonathan Fire*Eater), Andrew Bird, Mike Brewer, Hayden Desser, Scott Devendorf (The National), Gail Ann Dorsey (David Bowie, Lenny Kravitz), Booker T. Jones, Teddy Jones, Brent Knopf (EL VY, Menomena), Ben Lanz (The National, Beirut), Walter Martin (The Walkmen, Jonathan Fire*Eater), Sean O’Brien, Mickey Raphael (Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan), Kyle Resnick (The National, Beirut), Matt Sheehy (EL VY, Lost Lander) and Harrison Whitford (Phoebe Bridgers). Additional production on the album was provided by Sean O’Brien.
In addition to his duties as frontman of acclaimed rock group, The National, with whom he won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album for 2017’s Sleep Well Beast, Berninger also collaborated with Brent Knopf (Ramona Falls, Menomena) under the moniker El Vy for the 2015 release Return to the Moon. In 2019 Berninger appeared in Between Two Ferns: The Movie and teamed up with Phoebe Bridgers to contribute the song, Walking on a String, to the film’s soundtrack.
Dawes Announce New Album ‘Good Luck With Whatever’ Out October 2
– Veteran American rockers, Dawes, have announced the release of their extraordinary new album. The Los Angeles-based band’s seventh studio LP, GOOD LUCK WITH WHATEVER, arrives via Rounder Records on Friday, October 2; pre-orders are available now. Produced by 6x GRAMMY® Award-winner, Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit), at Nashville’s famed RCA Studio A, GOOD LUCK WITH WHATEVER is heralded by today’s premiere of Who Do You Think You’re Talking To?, available now at all DSPs and streaming services. The high-spirited track is joined by an official companion video, streaming now at the official Dawes YouTube channel.
GOOD LUCK WITH WHATEVER – which marks Dawes’ first release on their new label, Rounder Records – follows a series of acclaimed self-released albums including 2013’s STORIES DON’T END, 2015’s ALL YOUR FAVORITE BANDS, 2016’s WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE, and 2018’s PASSWORDS, all of which reached the top 10 or higher on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums and Americana/Folk Albums charts.
From its first downbeat, the new LP sees Dawes frontman, Taylor Goldsmith, grappling with the expectations of adulthood on a remarkable cycle of new songs fueled by many of the same elements that first earned the band worldwide attention and applause – graceful melodies with kinetic riffs and intricate musical interplay. Throughout the album, Dawes once again prove incredibly adept at pushing the emotional limits of the classically structured rock song, a testament to their tightly honed yet imaginative musicianship and the gripping specificity of Goldsmith’s songwriting. A culmination of their entire catalogue and decade-long career all wrapped up in nine glorious tracks, GOOD LUCK WITH WHATEVER reclaims the rugged urgency and easy confidence of Dawes’ early work while tapping into the veteran band’s intense musical connection more effectively than ever before.
“In the past, I’ve definitely been more precious about the way I wanted the songs to sound, but that’s never as fun,” Goldsmith says. “The music we make is everyone’s mode of expression, and the other guys all have chops that I don’t have and never will. The fact that we’re able to lean on each other and celebrate each other as individuals just makes us so much more excited about getting to play together in this band.”
Dawes also recently unveiled LIVE FROM RICHMOND, VA, a spectacular 11-track concert recording available exclusively as a digital download via Bandcamp; all proceeds will be divided between Reform LA Jails and Black Lives Matter Los Angeles.
TRACKLISTING:
Still Feel Like A Kid
Good Luck With Whatever
Between The Zero and The One
None Of My Business
St. Augustine At Night
Who Do You Think You’re Talking To?
Didn’t Fix Me
Free As We Want To Be
Me Especially