The original unaired 60-minute pilot of The Gong Show from 1975 offers a fascinating look at what might have been. Unlike the version that eventually aired, the pilot featured a different host, an alternate set design, more celebrity panelists, and an abundance of gongs. It’s a quirky time capsule that highlights the experimental spirit behind one of television’s strangest game shows.
Rare 1973 Clip Shows Pat Sajak Delivering the News on WSM-TV
Long before becoming a household name as host of Wheel of Fortune, Pat Sajak worked as a local broadcaster. In this rare May 1, 1973 clip from WSM-TV in Kentucky, he interrupts game show programming to deliver the evening news. The footage offers a fascinating glimpse of Sajak in his early career, years before his rise to TV fame.
Pavement’s 1995 Video for “Rattled by the Rush” Infamously Banned From MTV
The original video for Pavement’s 1995 single “Rattled by the Rush” holds a strange place in music history. Shot with intentionally disorienting camera work, the clip was quickly banned from MTV for reportedly causing motion sickness among viewers. The controversy only added to Pavement’s cult legend, turning the video into a sought-after artifact of the band’s offbeat creativity.
Lost Mitch Hedberg MTV Pilot Resurfaces in 26-Minute Rough Cut Featuring Rare Stand-Up Sets
A restored 26-minute rough cut of Mitch Hedberg’s long-lost 2001 MTV pilot has been unearthed from Doug Stanhope’s crawlspace. The rare footage captures Hedberg’s unmistakable wit alongside performances from Lynn Shawcroft, Eddy “The Possum Man” Carnavale, and Stanhope himself. A true time capsule of early-2000s comedy, it offers fans a glimpse into a project once thought gone forever.
ZFM Announce Debut Album ‘anthology’ Out Now, Share Video for “New Leaf”
ZFM, comprised of lead vocalist Stephen Shareaux (Kik Tracee), guitarist Drew Fortier (The Lucid, ex Bang Tango), guitarist Brynn Arens (Flipp), bassist Chip Z’Nuff (Enuff Z’Nuff), drummer Mike Heller (Raven, The Lucid, ex Fear Factory) and pianist K.L. Doty- will release their debut album, ‘anthology’, out now via SpoilerHead Records.
The music video for the single, “New Leaf” was shot in January 2016 and is the first in a trio of videos filmed during that time to be released with “Aflame” and “Downtown” to soon follow. The “New Leaf” video was directed by and shot by Joe Placzkowski and Frank Ritter.
Joining together as an unlikely collaboration between the hard rock and metal elite, the upcoming album from ZFM, ‘anthology’, is alternative rock with a modern twist of otherworldly beauty and abrasive heaviness that has been long gestating to be heard.
Major League Reunite After Nearly a Decade for 15th Anniversary of ‘The Truth Is…’ and First-Ever Vinyl Release
Major League is back. The NJ-based rock band – formed in 2009 – has reunited for the first time since 2016 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their debut album The Truth Is… with the record’s first ever vinyl pressing.
“There was never a single defining moment where any one of us at any point thought ‘this is the time’. To be honest, I don’t know that we ever thought there would be a Major League again,” explains guitarist Brian Joyce. “We spent 12 years not speaking a word. But when you’ve spent your formative years as kids creating something together in the corner of a basement that brought you around the world, the second we entered a room together again that chemistry picked up right where we left off.”
Adds original vocalist Nick Trask: “Major League was always a huge part of our lives that I think we all thought we’d never revisit. It was an incredible moment lost in over a decade of silence, tucked away never to resurface again. I truly believe things happen for a reason and that a spark grew louder and louder in all of us. Something so magnetic it drew us back to fill a hole we never knew we had. Not everyone gets a second chance to relive their life’s monumental experiences and we are beyond grateful to have this opportunity once again.”
The Truth Is… will be available on vinyl for the first time ever in transparent cream orange and blue (limited to 200) and opaque pink and blue swirl (limited to 100). The record will feature bonus track “Hometown Heroes” – which was the first Major League ever recorded – as well as brand new artwork. On the record, Joyce shares:
“To have created something in your teenage and adult adolescence that continued to resonate with people fifteen years later, especially in the current revolving door of viral sensationalism just feels all the more special. I think we were always aware that the community around Major League was unique and passionate but to be nearly a decade out from our breakup and still meet people who share their stories about the band really felt like it was time to give something back that was long overdue. We’re so proud to partner with Paper and Wax and have their hands on something so special to us. Their meticulous planning and communication with us every step of the way has us ecstatic to have this be our re-introduction, so to speak.”
This is just the beginning for Major League, who return reinvigorated and ready to reconnect with the fans who have been patiently waiting. Stay tuned for more coming soon.
Robert Randolph Announces U.S. Tour and New Album ‘Preacher Kids’ Out Now
Six-time GRAMMY-nominated pedal steel guitar powerhouse Robert Randolph has announced a run of U.S. tour dates in support of his upcoming album Preacher Kids, out now via Sun Records.
Known for his high-octane live shows and genre-defying musicianship, Randolph is bringing the fire and soul of Preacher Kids to stages across the country this summer and fall.
Preacher Kids marks Randolph’s Sun Records debut and his first studio album in five years. Produced by Shooter Jennings, the record fuses his gospel-fueled Sacred Steel roots with raw Southern rock, swampy blues, and a jam-heavy spirit that comes alive on stage. Backed by a brand-new band-including guitarist Tash Neal, bassist and vocalist Jay White, and drummer Willie Barthel-Randolph has crafted a sound that’s both reverent and rebellious.
“We made this album the way we’re about to play it-live, loud, and full of soul,” says Randolph. “This tour is about connection. It’s about getting back to the magic that happens when music, energy, and people come together in a room.”
The upcoming tour promises dynamic performances of new songs like the gritty lead single “Sinner,” the blues-funk anthem “King Karma” featuring Margo Price, the soul-stirring ballad “When Will The Love Rain Down” featuring Judith Hill, and the blistering “7 Generations,” alongside Randolph’s classic fan favorites. Early singles from Preacher Kids have already set the tone for a record built to shake the room – urgent, unfiltered, and wide open.
Randolph’s resume reads like a masterclass in genre cross-pollination-collaborations with everyone from Eric Clapton and Santana to Dave Matthews Band, Norah Jones, Elton John, and Beyonce, plus performances on the Elvis movie soundtrack and as the music centerpiece of Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football for two years running. But it’s onstage where Randolph’s ecstatic style and Sacred Steel roots shine brightest.
Robert Randolph’s 2025 U.S. Tour Dates:
Mon October 27 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up
Wed October 29 – Venice, CA @ Venice West
Fri October 31 – Lincoln, CA @ Thunder Valley Amphitheatre (w/ Steve Miller Band)
March 25-29, 2026 – Miami, FL @ Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea (Cruise Festival)
Austin Meade Drops Swagger-Filled New Single “ALMOST FAMOUS”
Texan rocker Austin Meade taps into his working-class roots and tongue-in-cheek swagger with his brand-new single, “ALMOST FAMOUS,” available now alongside a new music video.
Fueled by gritty guitars, southern charm, and Meade’s signature lyrical wit, “ALMOST FAMOUS” is an anthem for every underdog making noise just outside the spotlight. The track delivers a raw and raucous blend of dive-bar honesty and rock ‘n’ roll resilience – a perfect snapshot of Meade’s world.
“ALMOST FAMOUS” showcases Meade’s continued evolution, blending sharp songwriting with the unfiltered energy that’s made him one of Texas’s most exciting names in rock today.
The single lands as Meade hits the road once again, continuing his relentless tour schedule across the U.S., bringing his electric live show to packed clubs and festival stages alike.
Meade comments on the new single:”Some days you feel like you’re on top and some days you feel like nothing is going to work out. I loved writing this and calling myself out. What’s the point in making records if you can’t have fun with it?”
Dinosaur Pile-Up Unleash New Single “Sick Of Being Down” Ahead of First Album in Six Years ‘I’ve Felt Better’
Dinosaur Pile-Up today drop their new single, the raucous heart-on-sleeve track “Sick Of Being Down.” The single is taken from their first new album in six years, I’ve Felt Better, which will be released on August 22 via Mascot Records.
The band has also announced a special one-off show at the Leadmill, Sheffield, on June 24 as part of the venue’s farewell party, as well as an enormous tour of the U.S. with A Day To Remember and Yellowcard from October 22 to November 22.
The harrowing experience Matt Bigland went through when hospitalized with ulcerative colitis in critical care is one part of his story. Adjusting to life back home came with several challenges, which he channels on their new single. “Sick Of Being Down” is a grungy, mesmerizing treatise on the exhaustion of balancing mental health, taking us back to his lowest point, and finding empowerment in how he made it out.
“‘Sick Of Being Down’ is essentially a post-traumatic existential breakdown articulated as a 3-minute garage punk rock song,” he says. “Trying to readjust myself to life after hospital was a really confusing journey. I felt conflicted about myself. What I liked and what I didn’t. What I was, what I wasn’t. All my priorities had changed; my ‘place’ in the world felt different, and that was a jarring feeling to navigate. I was experimenting with weed again to see if I could balance my mental state a little better, and one day, I was wondering if I was in a cycle of kind of self-fulfilling cause and effect; I’m sick of being down when I’m high, cos I’m high when I’m sick of being down.”
The video features clips from vintage movies, including a few famous faces, for a wild ride. “I wanted the lyric video to be something surreal,” Bigland explains. “The narrative of the song and the footage aren’t linked, but somehow create something new when forced together. It took a minute to find a piece of footage that worked, but in the end, I think we ended up with something really cool and kinda weird! It suits the song for me now.”
A recurring shining light of DPU in 2025 is the word “empowerment” – for all the difficulties Bigland has faced, he and the band have taken back control of their destiny. Channelling the worst of times into gold nugget after gold nugget, with I’ve Felt Better providing some of the most powerful songs they have ever written. If you’ve been at rock bottom and found the strength to pull yourself up into the daylight, you can see hope, and since the release of their comeback single “‘Bout to Lose It,” fans have rejoiced at their return.
This has propelled them through the singles that have followed. A barnstorming highlight, “My Way,” with a hip hop-inflected ode to staying true to oneself and staying angry at a twisted modern music industry that criminally underpays its creatives to the most recent banger, “Big Dogs,” a gleeful takedown of ass-backwards celebrity freebie culture where the richest and most successful always ‘eat for free’ while needy nobodies scrabble for scraps.
Dinosaur Pile-Up have absolutely roared back to life with formidable power – the best album they’ve made to date, alongside their hotly-selling headline tour of the UK in September and an outrageously exciting tour of the U.S. with A Day To Remember.
U.S. TOUR DATES:
10/22 – Ontario, CA – Toyota Arena*
10/23 – San Diego, CA – Gallagher Square at Petco Park*
10/25 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre*
10/26 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheatre*
10/28 – Colorado Springs, CO – Broadmoor World Arena*
10/29 – Independence, MO – Cable Dahmer Arena*
10/31 – Lincoln, NE – Pinnacle Bank Arena*
11/1 – Bloomington, IL – Grossinger Motors Arena*
11/2 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory*
11/4 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena*
11/5 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena*
11/6 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center*
11/8 – Manchester, NH – SNHU Arena*
11/9 – Bridgeport, CT – Total Mortgage Arena*
11/11 – North Charleston, SC – North Charleston Coliseum*
11/13 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum*
11/14 – Tallahassee, FL – Donald L. Tucker Civic Center*
11/18 – Huntsville, AL – Von Braun Center*
11/20 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center*
11/21 – Austin, TX – Moody Center*
11/22 – Corpus Christi, TX – American Bank Center*
1/25-1/31 -Miami, FL – Shiprocked Cruise^
*With A Day To Remember + Yellowcard
^ Festival
Steve Hackett Announces ‘The Lamb Stands Up Live At The Royal Albert Hall’ With Steve Rothery Guest Appearance
Steve Hackett proudly presents ‘The Lamb Stands Up Live At The Royal Albert Hall’, a stunning audio/visual document of his show at the iconic London venue in October 2024, out now. Today he is pleased to reveal a video of the band performing ‘Fly On A Windshield’, featuring a guest appearance from Marillion’s Steve Rothery, who trades guitar solos with Hackett in the second part of the track.
Steve Hackett comments: “I’m excited about the upcoming Steve Hackett: Lamb Stands Up Live At The Royal Albert Hall release, and pleased to launch this live clip of Fly on a Windshield, one of my favourite moments on the album. I very much enjoyed creating my guitar contribution for this track, and on this release is also Steve Rothery’s fabulous contribution, as we exchange licks.”
Steve and his live band celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary Genesis concept album ‘The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway’, with a selection of his favourite tracks from that album including ‘Fly On A Windshield’ & ‘Lilywhite Lilith’. The live set also includes other Genesis & solo classics, including music from his most recent acclaimed album ‘The Circus And The Nightwhale’. This special evening saw the band joined by guests including Ray Wilson, Steve Rothery, Amanda Lehmann & John Hackett.
Steve comments: “I was so happy to revisit the Lamb on tour. The Royal Albert Hall evening was particularly memorable. It is my favourite London venue and the atmosphere there that night was absolutely electric… I was really pleased that everyone in the band and the performing guests pulled it off with flying colours!”
Expertly mixed by Grammy-award winning engineer Chris Lord-Alge, and mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, the night was filmed by longtime collaborator Paul M Green, and is presented as Special Edition 2CD+Blu-ray Digipak which includes 5.1 Surround Sound & bonus interview content. The vinyl arrives as a deluxe 4LP 180g boxset, including 12-page LP-size booklet featuring photos from the evening.