Ex-Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha finally released new music, dropping the terrific song “Digging For Windows” via BitTorrent. It was produced by El-P who he worked with on the last Run the Jewels album. Best of all, it’s a free download, too.
Dave Grohl’s Mom Just Wrote A Book
While the Grohl family had always been musical—the family sang together on long car trips, harmonizing to Motown and David Bowie— Virginia never expected her son to become a musician, let alone a rock star. But when she saw him perform in front of thousands of screaming fans for the first time, she knew that rock stardom was meant to be for her son. And as Virginia watched her son’s star rise, she often wondered about the other mothers who raised sons and daughters who became rock stars. Were they as surprised as she was about their children’s fame? Did they worry about their children’s livelihood and wellbeing in an industry fraught with drugs and other dangers? Did they encourage their children’s passions despite the odds against success, or attempt to dissuade them from their grandiose dreams? Do they remind their kids to pack a warm coat when they go on tour?
Virginia decided to seek out other rock star mothers to ask these questions, and so began a two-year odyssey to write From Cradle to Stage: Stories from the Mothers Who Rocked and Raised Rock Stars in which she interviewed such women as Verna Griffin, Dr. Dre’s mother; Marianne Stipe, Michael Stipe of REM’s mother; Janis Winehouse, Amy Winehouse’s mother; Patsy Noah, Adam Levine’s mother; Donna Haim, mother of the Haim sisters; Hester Diamond, Mike D of The Beastie Boys’ mother.
With exclusive family photographs and a foreword by Dave Grohl, From Cradle to Stage will appeal to mothers and rock fans everywhere.
Damon Albarn gave XL Recordings founder Richard Russell some very wise advice
A merry room stuffed with independent music leaders fell silent last night as XL Recordings founder Richard Russell collected the Pioneer Award at the AIM Awards in London. It was an apt trophy for a man whose label has consistently proven itself as a trailblazer for the independent sector – both creatively and in the mainstream arena.
From Dizzee Rascal to Adele, The White Stripes, Basement Jaxx, The Prodigy, Jack White, Badly Drawn Boy, Vampire Weekend, Radiohead, MIA, The xx and many more besides, XL has changed the cultural landscape of the music world time and time again. As a sideline to his A&R work at the label, Richard has become a renowned producer and musician, recently working with some of his heroes – including Gil Scott-Heron and Bobby Womack – on acclaimed XL albums. Richard collaborated on Bobby Womack’s The Bravest Man In The Universe (2012) with Damon Albarn, who introduced his friend on stage at London’s The Brewery yesterday evening.
Richard then took to the stage, using the opportunity to pay tribute to many of those who have inspired him throughout his career.
But the best bit when Richard spoke about some very wise advice from Albarn.
I loved every minute of it, it was amazing – playing with Damon and Bobby, we had a great time. Then we went to play Later… with Jools. We got there and looked around and there were lots of heads of major record companies, who were there to watch their artists performing. Damon could tell something was a bit off. He said “Are you alright?” And I said: “I’m feeling a bit self-conscious about the performance.” And Damon said: “You’re thinking about what other people think of you – I can solve that for you. Those people you’re worrying about, they all think you’re a c*nt. After this performance, they’ll either think you’re a bit less of a c*nt, or a bit more of a c*nt. But I can guarantee you, not nearly as many people think you’re a c*nt as think I’m a c*nt.”
Kenny G and Michael Bolton Duet Recreated by James Corden and Danny McBride
In what has been described by host James Corden as “honestly my favourite thing we’ve ever done on The Late Late Show,” Corden and Vice Principals star Danny McBride recreated the unforgettable 1990 Grammy Awards duet between Kenny G and Michael Bolton. Complete with Kenny’s trademark curls and fist bump, Bolton’s mullet and the biggest lapels money can buy, the pair jammed oh so softly on Bolton’s “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You.” The rendition even included vintage audience reactions of Willie Nelson, Liza Minnelli, Brooke Shields, Boyz II Men, LL Cool J, Cyndi Lauper, Smokey Robinson and Michael Jackson, as well as the specific language used to announce the musicians back in 1990.
The Smiths’ Andy Rourke and The Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan do a podcast
On this week’s episode of the Talkhouse Music Podcast, Andy Rourke of the Smiths and Dolores O’Riordan of the Cranberries sit down to discuss their new supergroup, D.A.R.K, and we give their song, “High Fashion,” its world premiere.
The new bandmates and old friends talk Dolores’ teenage Smiths fandom, Stephen Street (who helmed production duties on iconic records for both groups), initial reaction from their legendary bands’ diehard fans to the new project, and getting pelted onstage at festivals back in the day by a half-eaten apple and a packet of sausages adorned with the note “Meat is Murder.”
Yoko Ono to reissue solo catalog
Yoko Ono has announced plans to reissue her studio albums, originally recorded from 1968 through 1985. The 11 studio albums will be reissued in replicas of their original packaging, and they will be released digitally for the first time. The first three reissues hit stores on Nov. 11, with the rest to follow in 2017.
James Veitch’s Ted Talk: The agony of trying to unsubscribe
It happens to all of us: you unsubscribe from an unwanted marketing email, and a few days later another message from the same company pops up in your inbox. Comedian James Veitch turned this frustration into whimsy when a local supermarket refused to take no for an answer. Hijinks ensued.
Infographic: How ‘Microbloggers’ Leverage Their Influence Through Social Media
Ever since the line between celebrity and social media celebrity was erased, bloggers have become legitimate influencers across almost all industries, affecting consumer decisions beyond purchasing by acting as both tastemaker and trusted friend. And a large fan base is no longer a requirement for influencers. More recently, brands have been turning to micro-influencers, bloggers with less than 100,000 followers, to better target consumers. Bloglovin’, a media platform that connects these microbloggers with brands through proprietary marketing platform Activate, looked at its users’ followers and influence across social platforms to see how they use these channels to drive engagement.
A music video starring the one and only Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken initially trained as a dancer in music theatre at the Washington Dance Studio before moving on to dramatic roles in theatre and then film – actually, he’s been in more than 100 films and television shows. He first surprised many critics and filmgoers with his intricate tap-dancing striptease in Herbert Ross’s musical Pennies from Heaven back in 1981, and since then, he’s been grooving his way into some of the most entertaining scenes in history.
Christopher Walken Dance Now from Smash TV on Vimeo.