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Photo Gallery: Metallica, Pantera, and Suicidal Tendencies at Toronto’s Rogers Centre April 24, 2025
Yo-Yo Ma Releases ‘Shostakovich: The Cello Concertos’ With Boston Symphony Orchestra
In October 2023, cellist Yo-Yo Ma returned to Boston’s Symphony Hall to play Shostakovich’s two cello concertos with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and its Music Director Andris Nelsons. Recorded by a team headed by legendary Hollywood producer Shawn Murphy and BSO lead recording engineer Nick Squire, their performances of these two very different works are now set to be released by Deutsche Grammophon to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death in 1975.
Shostakovich: The Cello Concertos will be issued as a standalone digital, CD, and vinyl album out now. Yo-Yo Ma’s recordings are also included in the anthology bringing together the BSO’s decade-long, GRAMMY Award-winning Shostakovich project. This contains all fifteen symphonies, key incidental works, new recordings of the complete cello, piano, and violin concertos – the latter with soloists Yuja Wang and Baiba Skride respectively – and the first commercial audio release in more than 20 years of the composer’s only full-length opera, Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. It will be released digitally and as a 19-CD box set on 28 March.
Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in E flat major dates from 1959. Cast in four movements, it was dedicated to and premiered by the composer’s old friend Mstislav Rostropovich. Yo-Yo Ma has played the work many times, and here brings out the contrasting moods of its writing, from dark irony to poignant lyricism, with his signature virtuosic brilliance. In many places he creates an eloquent dialogue with BSO principal horn Richard Sebring.
Reviewing the First Concerto performance, the Boston Globe wrote, “in the second movement’s eerie duet between the cello and celesta, the high-pitched sound of Ma’s cello harmonics was so thin and crystalline that they sounded like a wind instrument. The extended cadenza was pensive, slowly ramping into the sardonic burlesque of the finale, which sent the orchestra hurtling to the finish line with Ma clinging to his cello as if for dear life.”
Rostropovich premiered the Second Cello Concerto in G major in Moscow on 25 September 1966, Shostakovich’s 60th birthday. He was also the soloist for the BSO’s first performance of the work, which, by sad coincidence, took place on 10 August 1975, the day after the composer’s death.
The Second begins in a melancholy vein, with a sighing phrase for the solo cello. After the extended Largo, the second and third movements are played without a break. Shostakovich mimics a street song from Odessa in the central Allegretto. That tune is dramatically restated in the finale, which begins with a horn fanfare and eventually ends with wood block, tom-tom, snare drum, and xylophone (part of the orchestra’s huge percussion section) punctuating a long-held drone note from the cellist.
This more reflective, inward-looking work is less frequently performed than its predecessor. As noted by the Boston Globe, however, “one could scarcely have asked for a better trail through [this less familiar territory] than the path Ma charted with Nelsons and the BSO … Here the cello brooded resolutely … there it raged in dark outbursts only to be answered by explosive thuds from the bass drum.”
Yo-Yo Ma will be reunited with the BSO and Nelsons at Symphony Hall on 11 April 2025 (sold out) and at New York’s Carnegie Hall on 24 April. Together they will perform the First Cello Concerto as part of an all-Shostakovich programme which will also feature the composer’s Symphony No. 11 “The Year 1905”.
“Having Yo-Yo Ma, one of the greatest cellists of our time, join us on our journey through Shostakovich’s music has been an immense privilege and a joy for all of us at the BSO,” says Andris Nelsons. “Yo-Yo has a totally unique imagination which infects everyone around him. His incredible range and depth and his humanity are ever present when performing Shostakovich’s demanding cello concertos. We are very proud to present this recording with Deutsche Grammophon, including as part of our complete Shostakovich box set, and I look forward to reprising the First Cello Concerto with Yo‑Yo in Boston and at Carnegie Hall later this spring.”
Brandee Younger Announces New Album ‘Gadabout Season’ And World Tour
It all started with a word-of-the-day email. Harpist Brandee Younger, bassist-producer Rashaan Carter and drummer Allan Mednard were on the road when they learned about the gadabout — a carefree pleasure-seeker who is always in motion, seeking out fun no matter the circumstances. The word of the day turned into the word of the tour, and seemed to describe their mission. These three simpatico travelers, whose shared history as trusted collaborators reaches back two decades, were always chasing and finding joy both onstage and off — through music, art, food and new experiences.
For Younger especially that joy was a healing force. Over the past year she’s faced personal challenges, so the gadabout concept acted as a helpful reminder that life happens to everyone — and that pursuing radiance in the midst of struggle is essential. “When it came time to write a piece to represent happiness, ‘Gadabout Season’ felt like the perfect title,” says the harpist, a Grammy nominee and NAACP Image Award winner who has garnered widespread acclaim for her soulful, spiritual meld of jazz, R&B and hip-hop’s essence.
Gadabout Season, Younger’s third for the legendary Impulse! label, releasing June 13, 2025, is her most personal and exploratory album to date – a reflective, imaginative body of work on which she has written or co-written nearly every composition. “The album reflects the journey — the search for meaning and beauty amid life’s most complex moments, ultimately emerging with a deeper sense of self,” says Younger. “Musically Gadabout Season is more creative and slightly more cerebral than my other works.”
Known for her revelatory interpretations of harp legends Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby, Younger now steps boldly into her own compositional voice, crafting music that carries her forebears’ language forward without paying direct tribute. “This writing process forced me to be completely honest,” she says. “I’m not hiding behind someone else’s work.” Self-taught as a composer, Younger draws instinctively from a hybrid of influences — jazz, classical, old-school R&B, and hip-hop.
Younger wrote most of this new music at her cousin’s cabin in bucolic upstate New York — a place where she could focus and where “you get a lot of peace and quiet and birds chirping and you can see the stars at night,” she says. Eventually, Carter and, later, Mednard joined her to workshop the new tunes, and the game plan coalesced: Carter would produce and engineer the entire album himself at Younger’s Harlem apartment. The bassist turned Younger’s second bedroom into a makeshift studio, and Gadabout Season was tracked over several months in the second half of 2024. “I’m used to doing one and done in the studio,” Younger says. “This recording process was slow and intentional, allowing the sound of the album to reveal itself over time and mirroring a journey of discovery.” The trio dedicated time at the end of each session to sketching out ideas and improvising, which led to the tracks “Reckoning,” “Discernment,” and “End Means.”
Along the way, Younger found transcendence in an instrument she calls “life-changing”: the harp that belonged to Alice Coltrane. Younger became its custodian last year, after it’d been restored in honor of “The Year of Alice,” a series of high-profile releases, events, and exhibits co-sponsored by Impulse! Reflecting on how the harp’s energy guided her performances, Younger explains that it took time before her comfort matched the instrument’s majesty and power. “It had to become my own,” she says. “This was not my first time playing the harp, but as this new music was unique to me, I had to become one with it at home.”
Gadabout Season also showcases Younger’s evolving use of electronic textures and extended harp techniques, culminating in what producer Carter describes as an “Afrofuturist sonic palette.” Additional sonic brilliance arrives courtesy of some extraordinary guests. The alternately dreamlike and inquisitive title track — an expression of Younger’s fun, quirky “external personality” — features vibraphonist Joel Ross and Makaya McCraven on percussion, as well as Shabaka drawing clarinet lines atop the staccato groove. “Surrender” was written for and features pianist-composer and MacArthur Fellow Courtney Bryan, a frequent Younger collaborator who shares the harpist’s rich church background, as well as her willingness to bring a church spirit to any musical context. Inspired by Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, “Surrender” summons up that moment of “going to the altar and giving all,” says Younger. “To me, this is the most revealing piece on the album. It’s about seeking solace in quiet surrender.”
Another highlight, “BBL,” is both airy and laced with a smoldering tension. “I think of it as a musical confrontation,” Younger says. “If it had lyrics, it would have an advisory warning. I left no room for a civil conversation.” At the recommendation of Younger’s friend and collaborator Meshell Ndegeocello, saxophonist Josh Johnson contributed to “Discernment,” where his dubby harmonies imagine classic soul in a psychedelic haze.
Shabaka also lends his flute to the ether of “End Means,” and his presence here comes on the heels of his own recent Impulse! release, Perceive its Beauty, Acknowledge its Grace, on which Younger appears. “I think of us as being part of the Impulse! continuum,” the harpist says.
Gadabout Season is a welcome new development in the Impulse! story, bolstering the label’s reputation for fearless original music from generation-defining voices. “When you take a step back and look at what was and what is now,” Younger reflects, “it’s really kind of beautiful.”
Among the most celebrated jazz artists to emerge in the 21st century, Brandee Younger is a harpist, composer, and bandleader whose music connects spiritual jazz and classical training to the rhythmic soulfulness of R&B and hip-hop. She grew up on Long Island, where she sang gospel, studied the harp classically, and became enamored of both hip-hop and the vintage soul that rap producers sampled. When Younger was a teenager, her father introduced her to Alice Coltrane’s music — a transformative moment that all but defined her life’s journey.
In Coltrane and, later, Dorothy Ashby, Younger saw two strong, empowering Black women whose brilliance on the harp inspired Younger to stake her own claim on jazz history. Over the past two decades, Younger has honored these two artistic heroines while carving a singular path. On top of recording their music, she has collaborated with John and Alice Coltrane’s son Ravi, a spellbinding saxophonist, and with iconic figures in the Coltrane legacy, like the late Pharoah Sanders. Along the way, she’s also become a go-to player in popular music, contributing to projects and performances by Ms. Lauryn Hill, Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, the Roots, Common, John Legend, and many others. As the New Yorker wrote, “Her radiant playing is as cogent on hip-hop and R&B albums as it is set against classical and jazz backdrops.”
Her first LP for the storied Impulse! Records label — a.k.a. The House That Trane Built — was 2021’s Somewhere Different. A track from that album, “Beautiful Is Black,” earned Younger a Grammy nomination in the Best Instrumental Composition category, making her the first Black female solo artist to achieve this. Two years later, on Brand New Life, Younger revitalized newly discovered Ashby compositions, and that LP won the 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album. Gadabout Season, released in 2025, is a more reflective and personal work focusing on Younger’s inimitable original music. In addition to her non-stop performance schedule, Younger is a dedicated educator, teaching on the faculties of New York University and the New School.
Track Listing:
1. Reckoning [2:05]
2. End Means Feat. Shabaka [4:12]
3. Gadabout Season [4:45]
4. Breaking Point [2:43]
5. Reflection Eternal [2:18]
6. New Pinnacle [4:49]
7. Surrender Feat. Courtney Bryan [5:26]
8. BBL [4:55]
9. Unswept Corners Feat. NIIA [4:34]
10. Discernment Feat. Josh Johnson [6:51]
Tour Dates:
May 3, 2025 – Flushing Town Hall – Queens, NY
May 16, 2025 – Carnegie Hall with Ravi Coltrane – New York, NY
May 23, 2025 – International Harp Competition – Bloomington, IN
June 19, 2025 – Groton Hill Music Center – Groton, MA
June 21, 2025 – Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club – Portsmouth, NH
July 3, 2025 – Ljubljana Jazz Festival – Krizanke, Ljubljana, Slovenia
July 4, 2025 – Ghent Jazz Festival – De Bijloke, Ghent, Belgium
July 8, 2025 – Montreux Jazz Festival – Montreux, Switzerland
August 10, 2025 – NoMad Jazz Festival – Sofia, Bulgaria
October 5, 2025 – Jazzfest Brno – Cabaret des Péchés, Brno, Czech Republic
October 7, 2025 – Enjoy Jazzfestival – Kulturhaus Karlstorbahnhof, Heidelberg, Germany
October 10, 2025 – Jassmine – Warsaw, Poland
October 18, 2025 – Hopkins Center for the Arts – Hanover, NH
November 3, 2025 – Jazzfest Budapest – Eiffel Art Studios, Budapest, Hungary
November 4, 2025 – Conservatori del Liceu Auditori – Barcelona Jazz Festival, Barcelona, Spain
November 6, 2025 – Teatro Isabel la Católica – Granada, Spain
November 8, 2025 – Rockit! Festival – De Oosterpoort, Groningen, Netherlands
November 13, 2025 – Bowker Auditorium – Amherst, MA
November 14-16, 2025 – SOUTH Jazz Kitchen – Philadelphia, PA
Muireann Bradley Releases Haunting Cover Of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”
Once-in-a-generation folk guitarist and singer Muireann Bradley is today releasing new single ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry’. Her original take on Hank Williams’ 1949 classic is a shining example of how music has the ability to transcend all barriers of time and place.
The track was recorded with multi-GRAMMY award-winning recording engineer Russell Elevado; widely recognised for the sound he created for D’Angelo’s ‘Voodoo’ album, he has also worked with the likes of Kamasi Washington, Michael Kiwanuka, Alicia Keys and The Roots. Russell is renowned for only using analogue equipment – this brings an unrivalled authenticity to the track, which was recorded directly to tape in just a couple of takes, letting Muireann’s virtuosic talent shine.
Muireann says, “I’m excited to have my take on ‘I’m so Lonesome I could Cry’ released. I’ve always really loved the original Hank Williams record; he was such an amazing writer. I once saw an old interview with Willie Nelson where he said he felt ‘I’m so Lonesome I could Cry’ was the greatest song ever written. I have to agree it’s a pretty perfect song. That didn’t stop me from changing the arrangement quite a bit from the original though, I wanted to slow the waltz down even more and add in more harmony from the guitar so I changed the chords up a bit and took some inspiration from the great Merle Travis’ 1952 recording of the 1924 jazz standard by Isham Jones and Gus Kahn ‘I’ll See You in My Dreams.’ It’s different but I think it really works and I’m looking forward to hearing what people think about it.”
18-year-old Muireann is rapidly garnering a devout fanbase – as well as the admiration of veteran artists – thanks to her unique style, which blends traditional guitar playing with personal and mature interpretations of classic blues songs, bringing the genre to a whole new generation.
Today’s release follows on the heels of her rendition of the Bob Dylan classic ‘Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright’ which she recorded for Mahogany Sessions, watch here. A standout favourite from her live show, Muireann brings a fresh energy to the track; her stripped-back delivery echoes the power of Dylan’s original, while infusing it with her own distinct style.
Muireann’s acclaimed debut album ‘I Kept These Old Blues’ is out now; the first pressing sold out everywhere and is already regarded as a collectible among in-the-know music fans – truly remarkable given Bradley was just 15 years old when she recorded it. Now remixed and remastered by Grammy-nominated mastering engineer Kevin Reeves, ‘I Kept These Old Blues’ demonstrates the kind of assuredness and skill to be expected of a musician five times her age, on blues standards such as Blind Blake’s ‘Police Dog Blues’ as well as Rev Gary Davis’s ‘Candyman’.
Her journey from playing in her bedroom to performing on Jools Holland’s Hootenanny (watch here) and wowing Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated actors Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott on The Late Late Show has captivated audiences, establishing Muireann as one of Ireland’s brightest emerging stars. Now, she is poised for a global breakout – watch a brilliant overview of her story to date here.
Currently on tour in the US, Muireann is playing in Washington, Brooklyn, Nashville and Chicago, before heading back to the UK to play at FOCUS Wales. After enchanting crowds at last summer’s Green Man Festival on the main stage, she will also play at The Great Escape, Bearded Theory festival and End Of The Road this summer.
Keyshia Cole Announces ‘The Way It Is’ 20th Anniversary Tour
Two decades after her breakthrough debut album changed the R&B game, Keyshia Cole is taking it back to where it all started. The Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and “Princess of Hip-Hop and R&B” has officially announced The Way It Is 20th Anniversary Tour, presented by AEG Presents and Free Lunch.
The North America arena tour kicks off July 1 at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore and hits key cities including Brooklyn, Atlanta, New Orleans, Detroit, and Houston, before wrapping August 8 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. After performing throughout the US & Canada, Keyshia will hit the road in Europe starting September 19 at Adidas Arena in Paris and continuing at arenas in Amsterdam, London, Manchester, and finishing September 26 in Birmingham, UK. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 25, at 10 AM local.
Joining Keyshia on tour are XXL Freshman 2015 alumnus Tink, award-winning artist Wale, Platinum artist Fridayy, and GRAMMY-nominated artist Jeremih (on select dates). Multi-Platinum, GRAMMY-winning hip-hop legend Lil’ Kim will join Keyshia in Lincoln, CA, as well as on all UK & Europe dates. Brooklyn, NY, and Greensboro, NC, will feature Billboard chart-topping rapper Jadakiss & 2x GRAMMY-winner T-Pain as special guests, respectively.
“I’m so grateful to be celebrating The Way It Is 20 years later with the fans who have been with me since day one,” says Cole. “This album changed my life, and being able to take it on the road — from city to city, country to country — is truly a full circle moment, and blessing.”
The Way It Is will be released on vinyl for the first time since its original 2005 release as a 20th anniversary edition double LP on black vinyl and also on limited edition Rose Garden Pink Translucent color vinyl via A&M/UMe on June 20, the day before the album’s 20th anniversary. The limited edition color version will feature a gatefold sleeve with photos from the classic CD release and include the rarity “Love (Acapella)” as a bonus track. Fans who pre-order the vinyl will receive exclusive access to the first pre-sale to purchase tickets for the North America dates. Pre-order now here: https://www.keyshiacoleofficial.com.
Released in June 2005, The Way It Is marked a pivotal moment in R&B—introducing Keyshia Cole’s unfiltered storytelling, powerhouse vocals, and signature blend of vulnerability and strength. Twenty years later, she’s bringing that same energy back to the stage, giving fans a chance to reconnect with the songs that soundtracked so many real-life moments. Fresh off a standout performance at this year’s Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina, Keyshia is ready to take it nationwide. From “I Should Have Cheated” to “Love” and beyond, the tour will spotlight the records that helped define an era, delivered with the raw emotion and authenticity that made her one of the genre’s most impactful voices.
Keyshia Cole is a Grammy-nominated R&B singer, songwriter, and television personality known for her powerful vocals, emotional storytelling, and raw authenticity. Born and raised in Oakland, California, she rose to fame with her 2005 platinum-certified debut album, The Way It Is, which introduced her signature blend of vulnerability and strength. The album’s success led to her hit BET reality series, Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is, which further cemented her as a cultural icon.Her chart-topping follow-up albums—including Just Like You, A Different Me, and Woman to Woman—solidified her status as a defining voice in R&B, earning her four Grammy nominations and multiple industry accolades. Dubbed the “Princess of Hip-Hop Soul,” Cole’s career spans music, television, and talk show hosting, including her time as host of One on One with Keyshia Cole on Fox Soul. This year, Keyshia celebrates the 20th anniversary of The Way It Is with an international anniversary tour, giving fans around the world the chance to experience the music that shaped a generation. With over 15 million albums sold worldwide and an enduring connection to her fans, Keyshia Cole remains one of the most influential voices in modern R&B.
“The Way It Is 20th Anniversary” Tour Dates:
Tuesday, July 1 Baltimore, MD CFG Bank Arena⇎♦
Wednesday, July 2 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center★♦
Saturday, July 5 Chicago, IL United Center★♦
Sunday, July 6 Cleveland, OH Rocket Arena★♦
Wednesday, July 9 Toronto, ON Coca-Cola Coliseum ★♦
Thursday, July 10 Detroit, MI Little Caesars Arena★♦
Saturday, July 12 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center★♦
Sunday, July 13 Newark, NJ Prudential Center★♦
Wednesday, July 16 Greensboro, NC First Horizon Coliseum★♦
Thursday, July 17 Birmingham, AL Legacy Arena at the BJCC★♦
Saturday, July 19 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena★♦
Sunday, July 20 Hollywood, FL Hard Rock Live★♦
Tuesday, July 22 Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena★♦
Wednesday, July 23 New Orleans, LA Smoothie King Center★♦
Friday, July 25 Houston, TX Toyota Center★♦
Saturday, July 26 Fort Worth, TX Dickies Arena★♦
Thursday, July 31 Oakland, CA Oakland Arena♥$
Friday, August 1 Las Vegas, NV T-Mobile Arena♥$
Saturday, August 2 Lincoln, CA The Venue at Thunder Valley♥
Friday, August 8 Los Angeles, CA Crypto.com Arena♦
Friday, September 19 Paris, FR Adidas Arena
Sunday, September 21 Amsterdam, NL AFAS Live
Tuesday, September 23 London, UK The O2
Thursday, September 25 Manchester, UK AO Arena
Friday, September 26 Birmingham, UK Utilita Arena Birmingham
★ Tink
♦ Wale
Lil’ Kim
♥ Fridayy
$ Jeremih
⇎ SWV
Frank Zappa’s Long-Lost 1974 Concert ‘Cheaper Than Cheep’ Set For Release
In the early 1970s music performance shows like “The Midnight Special” “Soul Train,” “In Concert,” and concurrently “The Old Grey Whistle Test” in the UK, were all the rage in America, beaming rock, pop and R&B artists directly into people’s homes across the country, offering an unprecedented at-home concert experience. Inspired by these shows, or perhaps because of potentially not receiving offers to perform on them, or even more likely, wanting to control all aspects of the production, Frank Zappa took matters into his own hands, as he often did.
On the first day of summer, June 21, 1974, Zappa and his band, the Mothers of Invention, invited a small audience to the their humble rehearsal hall on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, Calif., for what would be an intoxicating, sweat-drenched two-hour-plus performance. A small film crew equipped with multiple cameras captured every riveting musical moment while the audio was recorded by a mobile recording truck. Unfortunately, when Zappa watched the footage he was devastated to learn, that similar to his Roxy project before it, the audio and video weren’t synchronized. Two months later, Zappa would team up with the Los Angeles-based PBS station KCET and get the sought-after TV special he wanted, later released commercially as The Dub Room Special. As a result, the June concert that he planned to shop to major TV networks was shelved, never to be revisited by Zappa in his lifetime. It languished in The Vault for more than five decades.
Now, more than 50 years after that magical, sweltering summer night in 1974, thanks to advancements in post-production editing tools, fans can experience the concert as if they were there in the front row. Dubbed Cheaper Than Cheep, this never-before-heard-or-seen two-hour concert program reveals the most intimate performance ever captured from the 1974 Mothers lineup, direct from the lovingly resurrected and restored original audio and videotape masters housed in The Vault.
Directed by Ahmet Zappa and produced by Frank Zappa, Vaultmeister Joe Travers and Ahmet Zappa, Cheaper Than Cheep will be released May 8 exclusively on Zappa.com, uDiscover Music and Sound of Vinyl in a variety of formats, including a special, limited edition multi-format Super Deluxe box set featuring the concert film on Blu-ray with Dolby Atmos, 5.1 surround and stereo mixes, a companion stereo soundtrack presented on both 2CD and 180-gram 3LP picture disc vinyl, plus an extensive 14-page booklet with rare, unseen images and informative liner notes from Travers alongside a detailed and heartfelt remembrance from musician Ruth Komanoff Underwood who performed percussion that evening. The set will be housed in a telescoping slipcase and include four bonus lithographs. The Blu-ray includes four extras – two performances, a blooper reel, and a deep excerpt from the out-of-print Claymation film, “The Amazing Mr. Bickford.” Additional options include a Blu-ray video + 2CD set and a standalone soundtrack on 180-gram 3LP black vinyl.
Pre-order Cheaper Than Cheep now: https://Zappa.lnk.to/cheaperthancheepPR
Every aspect of the DIY taping, from the psychedelic light show and stage setup, to the camera crew and audio recording, was self-funded by Zappa, who jokes at the beginning of the concert that it’s “cheaper than cheap.” The use of the intentionally misspelled “Cheep” in the title is both a nod to his song “Cheepnis,” about his love for cheaply made monster movies of the ‘50s and ‘60s and their inherent charm, as well as a tongue-in-cheek mistake to underscore the shoestring budget it was made on. Inside the hall, the stage was implemented with the band’s current touring equipment, including a basic backdrop and lighting. The concert was captured on multi-camera direct to 2” Quad Videotape, the industry standard at the time, with the audio recorded by the Wally Heider Remote Truck outfitted with two 16-track tape machines, with Kerry McNabb in the engineer’s seat.
Cheaper Than Cheep was assembled by adhering to Zappa’s lead, incorporating all of the planned segments, while sequencing the live material based on performance order and typical 1974 live set lists. A team, led by Ahmet Zappa in the directorial role and Joe Travers as a producer, was assembled to bring the project to life. John Albarian, who worked on “Roxy: The Movie,” edited the performance footage and perfectly and painstakingly matched picture to audio for the first time. Jeremy Rhodes handled additional editing and sweetening while acclaimed audio engineer team Erich Gobel and Karma Auger mixed the concert in immersive Dolby Atmos as well as 5.1 and stereo.
As Zappa Vaultmeister, Travers often came across the audio and video masters, with “June 21st, 1974,” prominently written on the spines, in The Vault, but it was years before he ever discovered the treasure that awaited. As he writes in the liners, “I had no idea what they were or what they were for. They remained a mystery for years. The digital transfers of the elements happened over a long period of time, mostly due to budget and priority. Some were done for identification purposes while Gail Zappa was alive during the 2000s. Imagine how exciting it was for us to finally discover what this stuff actually looked like for the first time. It was a gold mine waiting to be unearthed. Most of the masters were transferred during the ‘Save The Vault’ Kickstarter campaign by Alex Winter circa 2017 or so.”
Zappa’s lineups were ever evolving as members came and went based on The Maestros needs and ever-changing musical direction, and this incarnation of The Mothers of Invention was no exception. Personnel had expanded for a 10 Year Anniversary Tour in March and by June the band had downsized. The lineup, which consisted of Zappa (guitar, vocals), Chester Thompson (drums), George Duke (keyboards, vocals), Jeff Simmons (guitar, vocals), Napoleon Murphy Brock (tenor sax, flute, vocals), Ruth Underwood (percussion) and Tom Fowler (bass), were still finding their groove together and Underwood, who left for several months due to personal reasons, which she beautifully writes about in her essay in the booklet, was re-familiarizing herself with the complex material. On top of that, there were other issues with the shoot, including intense heat from the lighting which at one point made Duke’s keyboards too hot to play. As Underwood remembers, “We had a long rehearsal and a detailed soundcheck that morning. With the lights set, and the photographers and audience crammed into our modest space, the heat in the room became extremely problematic,” adding, “Frank insisted on doing several takes of specific pieces, which added to our general exhaustion.”
However, none of this is apparent in the thrilling performance which features Zappa and the Mothers performing a rousing set of songs from across his already deep catalog, as well as staples that made up his live shows at the time. Songs range from “Cosmik Debris” and the title track from his Apostrophe (‘) album released a few months prior in March, to early versions of the then-unreleased “Village of the Sun” and “RDNZL,” the latter which especially allowed Underwood to shine on marimba, to “Montana” and “Camarillo Brillo” from 1973’s Over-Nite Sensation to Uncle Meat (1969) cuts “The Dog Breath Variations” and “Uncle Meat.” Zappa’s debut album, 1966’s Freak Out!, is represented with three tracks – “How Could I Be Such A Fool,” “I’m Not Satisfied” and “Wowie Zowie – while several songs that would end up on Roxy & Elsewhere a few months later in September were played that night, including “Son of Orange Country” and “More Trouble Every Day.” Other highlights include “Let’s Make The Water Turn Black” from 1968’s We’re Only In It For The Money, live favorites “Dupree’s Paradise” and “Penguin In Bondage” and “Inca Roads,” which would be released the following year on the studio album One Size Fits All. The concert bursts with stunning musical improvisation from all musicians, capped off by Zappa’s legendary guitar workouts.
Interspersed throughout the concert are segments with artist Cal Schenkel, who created many of Zappa’s album covers and Claymation animator and director Bruce Bickford who would collaborate with Zappa for many years on a number of projects, most notably “A Token Of His Extreme” (1976) and “Baby Snakes – The Movie” (1979). This footage is the earliest known of Bickford who had only just recently signed on to Zappa’s production company, Intercontinental Absurdities.
While Zappa might have thought that the band, who hadn’t had many rehearsals together, wasn’t ready for prime time, Cheaper Than Cheep stands as an incredible document of a moment where a band was finding its footing and letting loose having a great time performing together, evident by the ear to ear smiles on their faces. This lineup has become a fan favorite over the years and it’s easy to see why.
“You’ll see a man wearing every possible hat, as he attempts to control all aspects of this filmed event from uncontrollable variable conditions and locations,” Underwood writes of Zappa, adding, “he does this while presiding over and participating in the musical performance. That, in and of itself, isn’t new for FZ, but what is new is that we see it unfold in real time.”
CHEAPER THAN CHEEP SUPER DELUXE BOX SET TRACKLISTING
CD1:
1. “Cheaper Than Cheep”
2. Cosmik Debris
3. Band Introductions
4. RDNZL
5. Village Of The Sun
6. Montana
7. Duke Goes Out
8. Inca Roads
9. “Get Down Simmons”
10. Penguin In Bondage
11. T’Mershi Duween
12. The Dog Breath Variations
13. Uncle Meat
CD2:
1. How Could I Be Such A Fool
2. I’m Not Satisfied
3. Wowie Zowie
4. I Don’t Even Care
5. Let’s Make The Water Turn Black
6. Dupree’s Paradise Introduction
7. Dupree’s Paradise
8. Oh No
9. Son Of Orange County
10. More Trouble Every Day
11. Apostrophe’
12. Camarillo Brillo 5:53
Disc 3: Blu-ray
Audio: Dolby Atmos (48k24b) / Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (96k24b) / PCM Stereo (96k24b)
1. Intro / Cheepnis – Percussion / “Cheaper Than Cheep”
2. Cosmik Debris
3. Band Introductions
4. RDNZL
5. Village Of The Sun
6. Montana
7. Duke Goes Out
8. A Visit To The Art Studio
9. Inca Roads
10. “Get Down Simmons”
11. Penguin In Bondage
12. T’Mershi Duween
13. The Dog Breath Variations
14. Uncle Meat
15. How Could I Be Such A Fool
16. I’m Not Satisfied
17. Wowie Zowie
18. I Don’t Even Care
19. Let’s Make The Water Turn Black
20. Dupree’s Paradise Introduction
21. Dupree’s Paradise
22. Oh No
23. Son Of Orange County
24. More Trouble Every Day
25. Apostrophe’
26. Camarillo Brillo
Bonus
1. Time Is Money (excerpt)
2. Echidna’s Arf (Of You) – Incomplete
3. Art Studio Outtakes
4. The Amazing Mr. Bickford (excerpt)
LP1
Side 1:
1. “Cheaper Than Cheep”
2. Cosmik Debris
3. Inca Roads
Side 2:
1. RDNZL
2. Village Of The Sun
3. Montana
4. Duke Goes Out
LP2
Side 3:
1. “Get Down Simmons”
2. Penguin In Bondage
3. T’Mershi Duween
4. The Dog Breath Variations
5. Uncle Meat
Side 4:
1. How Could I Be Such A Fool
2. I’m Not Satisfied
3. Wowie Zowie
4. I Don’t Even Care
5. Let’s Make The Water Turn Black
LP3
Side 5:
1. Oh No
2. Son Of Orange County
3. More Trouble Every Day
Side 6:
1. Dupree’s Paradise
2. Apostrophe’
3. Camarillo Brillo
Yungblud Releases Brazen Brit-Pop Anthem ‘Lovesick Lullaby’ With Bold New Video
Yungblud has released his latest single, the brazen Brit-pop anthem ‘Lovesick Lullaby,’ which comes with an equally bold and brilliant music video and tribute to British culture directed by Charlie Sarsfield.
In the new music video, Yungblud, clad in quintessential British designers Burberry, Fred Perry and Sir Tom Baker, is seen in the back of a black London taxi-cab before arriving to a packed-out pub. The video is peppered with pop culture references, including a nod to the iconic British 1982 Maxell “Break the Sound Barrier” commercial, with Yungblud posing in an armchair, blasted by the force of the speaker. The track itself is an unapologetic, in-your-face anthem that celebrates the best of British pop and rock.
‘Lovesick Lullaby’ follows the release of his nine minute and six second epic, ‘Hello Heaven, Hello,’ and showcases a completely different side to the British rockstar with this in-your-face anthem with a wholly British sound.
Speaking about the new single, Yungblud said, ‘Making this song was a f*cking party and you can hear that on the recording.” He added, “[I tried to] let my subconscious do a lot of the talking and then make sense of my words the following afternoon in a kitchen, hungover, eating fish and chips with a cup of tea. I’ve been on a journey trying to find meaning in different places all over the world, for which I am forever grateful, but it felt as though my feet left the ground a little too much and I had to bring myself back… to British music, to British art and culture.”
Last month, Yungblud made an appearance on the British late night talk show The Jonathan Ross Show, where he also joined guests on the sofa to discuss the forthcoming album as well as the return of his own-curated festival Bludfest, set for its second year on June 21 in the UK. Speaking about his motivation behind the festival and its affordable price point, Yungblud explained, “It needed to represent a new idea and a new generation. Gigs at the minute are extortionately expensive.”
Yungblud is fast becoming one of the key musical voices of his generation, blending influences from Rock, Punk and Pop to monumental effect. His arena-filling performances around the world have cemented his place as one Britain’s most electrifying musical exports. He has received several accolades, including the MTV EMA for Best Alternative (2021) and the O2 Silver Clef Award for Best Live Act (2022). Known for his electrifying stage presence and boundary-pushing lyrics, Yungblud continues to challenge conventions while inspiring fans worldwide with messages of authenticity and acceptance. This year, Yungblud debuted own curated festival Bludfest and released his first book, the instant No1 Sunday Times Best Seller, ‘You Need to Exist: A Book to Love and Destroy’ on Penguin Books.
Sam Fender Releases New Track ‘Tyrants’ From Record Store Day EP
Sam Fender releases Tyrants, a track lifted from his recently released vinyl-only Record Store Day EP, “Me and the Dog”.
2025 has already been another stratospheric year for Sam Fender, with his third record, the broadly acclaimed People Watching debuting at #1 in the UK as the fastest selling of the year thus far with over 100,000 sales in its first week of sale, and the second biggest selling record of 2025 to date. It’s Sam’s third consecutive #1 album, and helped to reap him another BRIT Award, his third to date, for best “Rock/Alternative Act’.
Within days of the album’s release, Sam hit Europe for a sold-out tour, soon followed by a very successful North American run that wrapped last night in Denver. Next month, Sam returns to UK stages for the first time this year to headline BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2025 in Liverpool’s Sefton Park ahead of four sold-out stadium shows, including his biggest headline show to date at the 78,000 capacity London Stadium on 6th June. Three hometown shows at Newcastle’s St. James’ Park are also all sold out. For a full list of upcoming live dates, including huge outdoor shows in Manchester, Edinburgh and Belfast, see below.
Today’s release of Tyrants follows recent live performances of the track on both the US and European tours, followed by much fan demand for the track to be added to streaming platforms.
Sam Fender Live – People Watching Tour
24th May – Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2025, Sefton Park, Liverpool
6th June – London Stadium (w/ Olivia Dean + CMAT) SOLD OUT
12th June – St. James’ Park, Newcastle (w/ Olivia Dean + CMAT) SOLD OUT
14th June – St. James’ Park, Newcastle (w/ Olivia Dean + CMAT) SOLD OUT
15th June – St. James’ Park, Newcastle (w/ Olivia Dean + CMAT) SOLD OUT
21st June – Hurricane, Germany
22nd June – Southside, Germany
3rd July – British Grand Prix, Silverstone
5th July – Rock Werchter, Belgium
6th July – Down The Rabbit Hole, Ewijk
11th July – NOS Alive, Lisbon
15th July – Montreux Jazz Festival
8th August – Syd for Solen, Copenhagen
16th August – Wythenshawe Park, Manchester (w/ Olivia Dean) SOLD OUT
22nd August – Edinburgh Summer Sessions @ Royal Highland Showgrounds (w/ Olivia Dean) SOLD OUT
28th August – VITAL @ Boucher Road Playing Fields, Belfast (w/ CMAT)
30th August – Electric Picnic Festival, Stradbally
27th September – Evolution Festival, St. Louis, MO
28th September – Pilgrimage Festival, Franklin, TN
Jordan Davis Announces New Album ‘Learn The Hard Way’ Out August 15
Award-winning, multi-platinum-selling singer-songwriter Jordan Davis announces his next album, Learn The Hard Way, to be released on August 15 via MCA Nashville. Pre-save/order album here. Alongside the album announcement, Jordan releases the title track “Learn The Hard Way.” Learn The Hard Way comes on the heels of Jordan’s recent tour announcement for the Ain’t Enough Road Tour set to kick off fall of 2025 in Greater Palm Springs, CA at Acrisure Arena, with additional stops in Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, St. Louis, Rosemont, Savannah, and more before wrapping up on Saturday, October 25 in Estero, FL at Hertz Arena. Purchase tickets here.
Jordan announced his upcoming tour in a video featuring special surprise cameos by sports legends Peyton Manning and Jim Nantz, and his fellow tour mates.
The ACM and CMA award-winning artist’s single “I Ain’t Sayin’” reached No. 1 on US Country Radio after being the most added on add week and also secured eight weeks at No. 1 on the UK Country Radio Airplay Chart, making the single the most weeks at No. 1 on UK Radio Charts in 2024. “This man never disappoints” (MusicRow). “I Ain’t Sayin’” is one of the five released songs from Learn The Hard Way.
Learn The Hard Way joins Davis’ Platinum-selling debut album, Home State, and is the follow up to his Platinum-selling album Bluebird Days, which produced four consecutive No. 1 singles (“What My World Spins Around,” “Tucson Too Late,” “Buy Dirt” and “Next Thing You Know”) and two Song of the Year award-winning hits “Next Thing You Know” (ACM) and “Buy Dirt” (CMA and NSAI) off of one album – the first artist in history to ever do that.
Award-winning, multi-platinum singer/songwriter Jordan Davis’ highly anticipated second full-length album, Bluebird Days, produced four consecutive No. 1’s and three Song of the Year award-winning titles including the 5x Platinum-selling hit “Buy Dirt,” (CMA Awards 2022, NSAI Awards 2023) and 3x Platinum-selling “Next Thing You Know” (ACM Awards 2024). All penned by Davis, the Louisiana-born and raised star also released the chart-topping hit singles “What My World Spins Around” and “Tucson Too Late,” in addition to “Next Thing You Know” and “Buy Dirt,” earning numerous award nominations, including CMA, ACM, CMT, American Music Award, Billboard Music Award and iHeart Award nods as well as his second Platinum-Certified album, Bluebird Days. Davis previously notched three consecutive No. 1 hits-totaling eight No. 1s on country radio – off of his Platinum-Certified debut album Home State including the 4x Platinum “Singles You Up,” and 2x Platinum-selling songs “Take It From Me” and “Slow Dance In A Parking Lot” along with his most recent No.1 single “I Ain’t Sayin’.” In 2019, Davis was awarded Best New Country Artist at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, in addition to being a 2x nominee for ACM New Male Artist of the Year, he was named Billboard’s Top New Country Artist of 2018. He has appeared on Good Morning America, TODAY, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Kelly Clarkson Show, College GameDay, and more. Starting 2025 off internationally, Davis served as direct support for Luke Combs’ stadium tour in New Zealand and Australia. Additionally, Davis was direct support for Luke on his 2024 Growin’ Up and Getting Old Tour and followed with his string of U.S. and international shows headlining his DAMN GOOD TIME TOUR in the fall of 2024. Davis’ highly anticipated new album Learn The Hard Way is set to be released August 15 and includes new title track “Learn The Hard Way,” “I Ain’t Sayin’,” “Know You Like That,” and “In Case You Missed It,” and “Bar None.
Ayra Starr Reunites With WizKid On New Single “Gimme Dat”
Maintaining incredible momentum this year, GRAMMY-nominated global Afrobeats popstar Ayra Starr serves up a slick and sexy new single entitled “Gimme Dat” featuring WizKid out now. Marking a creative reunion, the boundary-breaking songstress previously joined forces with the Nigerian megastar when she featured on his fan favorite international anthem “2 Sugar” back in 2022.
Drawing inspiration from Mary J. Blige and Wyclef Jean’s 2000 global hit “911”, the VybeO and Mikabeatz co-produced anthem is set to put you on a nostalgic path that leads you back to the new wave of modern pop and Afrobeats.
Once again, they harness the same sizzling chemistry on “Gimme Dat.” The track’s thick bassline locks down a head-nodding tempo accented by tropical drums. Bringing island flavor to Afrobeats, Ayra Starr and WizKid engage in a vibrant call-and-response, culminating on a chantable chorus. From the simmering dancefloor-ready verses to the scorching stadium-size hook, it has all the ingredients of a worldwide banger.
Earlier this month, she unveiled the music video for “All The Love.” Right out of the gate, it eclipsed over a million views in less than a week.
With an action-packed year ahead, for her acting debut, she was recently unveiled as one of the cast of the highly anticipated film Children of Blood and Bone, a book adaptation by Tomi Adeyemi. Additionally, taking the stage, Ayra Starr is scheduled to take over Summer Jam 2025 as a headliner on June 20th at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. She will share the stage with the biggest names in hip-hop including A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Gunna, GloRilla, Muni Long, Asake, and many more.
In other big news, Ayra Starr made history as “the first Nigerian female artist to receive a RIAA Latin Diamond certification” in recognition of her 2024 smash “Santa” with Rvssian and Rauw Alejandro.
Her impact only continues to magnify. Last year, she supported Coldplay on the “Music of the Spheres” World Tour. Plus, she joined forces with Coldplay and The Weirdos for an unforgettable performance of “GOOD FEELiNGS” on TODAY. Ayra Starr has now amassed over 3 billion global streams. Following her sold-out first world tour last year, she made her Glastonbury Festival debut on the Pyramid Stage, building on the incredible momentum around the album release.
In 2024, Ayra Starr released her critically-lauded sophomore album The Year I Turned 21 via Mavin Records / Republic Records. Listen HERE. The album earned the top 5 biggest opening day streams for a Nigerian album and biggest opening day for a Nigerian female on Spotify.
The singer bagged three BET Award nominations for Best New Artist, Best International Act and BET Her for “Commas.” It capped off a breakout year, which saw Ayra Starr earn her first GRAMMY nomination for Best African Music Performance for “Rush” as well as making BBC’s Sound of 2024 listand being nominated for MOBO Awards’ Best African Music Act for the second time. Her defining debut album 19 & Dangerous, now sits at a staggering 500 million streams.
Ayra Starr’s position as one of Africa’s hottest stars has seen her collaborate with some of music’s biggest names including Wizkid, Stormzy, David Guetta, Kelly Rowland, Tiwa Savage, Aya Nakamura and Leigh-Anne. She also marked her first Latin music crossover hit “Santa” with Rvssian and Rauw Alejandro as well as collaborated with India’s most prominent and influential Punjabi singer, rapper and producer AP Dhillon on “Bora Bora.”
PC: Mikey Oshai
Since debuting in 2021, Ayra Starr has quickly become one of this generation’s most undeniable new voices in music. Renowned for her anthemic Afrobeats tracks and unapologetic style; the Beninese-Nigerian artist has amassed critical acclaim from tastemaker press, a huge international following and over 3 billion global streams. Following the release of her defining debut album 19 & Dangerous; her position as Africa’s hottest rising star has seen Ayra Starr tapped for collaborations with some of music’s biggest names including Wizkid, Stormzy, Tiwa Savage and Leigh-Anne, to name just a few. Ayra Starr has gained major traction over the last few years, but vaulted to the forefront of Afrobeats with 2022’s “Rush,” which garnered over 800 million global streams and attracted R&B icon Kelly Rowland on a high-powered remix. Recognized as a phenomenon in 2023, she notably garnered a nomination for “Best International Act” at the BET Awards as well as two MTV VMA nominations in the category of “Best Afrobeats Song” for both “Rush” and WizKid’s “2 Sugar” [feat. Ayra Starr]. Additionally, she received a GRAMMY nomination for Best African Music Performance for “Rush,” which marked her as the first and youngest Nigerian female artist to be nominated in that category. She also garnered a Soul Train Award nomination in the Best New Artist category and a Billboard Music Award for Top Afrobeats Song. In 2024, Ayra Starr was nominated for three BET Awards including Best New Artist, Best International Act and BET Her for “Commas.” She also starred in her Dare to Dream Amazon documentary, and became the first Afrobeats artist to be named Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Artist. Beyond praise from UPROXX, Variety, Conde Nast Traveler and more, she has also graced the covers of Teen Vogue and FAULT Magazine. Stay tuned for more from Ayra Starr who will continue to bring Afrobeats to the forefront here in the U.S. and around the world.