Nicol Ostrc

Morrissey announces ‘Viva Moz Vegas’ residency

Morrissey has announced Viva Moz Vegas, a five-date residency taking place at Las Vegas’ Colosseum at Caesars Palace – get tickets here. READ MORE: Morrissey at Riot Fest review: pop’s problematic uncle wisely shuts up and plays the hits According to a press release, Viva Moz Vegas “will serve as an intimate, invigorating dive into Morrissey’s expansive career from his early days to the new album”. “As an artist who is always trying new things, and never wanting to repeat himself, this could be fans’ only chance to experience the provocative combination of Morrissey in Las Vegas. These shows are not to be missed,” it continued. Advertisement Elsewhere, a poster promises Morrissey will be singing “the songs that made you cry and the songs that saved your life.” ? VIVA MOZ VEGAS ? Morrissey (@officialmoz) announces five new dates for his not-to-be-missed, sure-to-be-life-changing residency @CaesarsPalace from July 1st thru 9th! ?️ On sale Fri, March 25th at 10am PT:https://t.co/Fh8q30DqVC pic.twitter.com/GkI7PScXqi — The Colosseum (@ColosseumatCP) March 21, 2022 The Las Vegas residency kicks off July 1 and runs until July 9. Tickets go on sale March 25 at 10am PT and can be purchased here. Morrissey will play: JULY 2022 01… Read More →

21MARNews

Nine Inch Nails announce details of three new 2022 UK shows

Nine Inch Nails have announced details of three new UK headline shows to take place this summer – get tickets here. The band, who are already set to play a pair of gigs at the Eden Project in Cornwall this June, will now stop in Glasgow, Manchester and London too. The new tour will begin on June 15 in Glasgow at the O2 Academy, with the Eden Project shows taking place on June 17 and 18. Advertisement June 20 will then see Trent Reznor and co. playing the O2 Apollo in Manchester, before the tour wraps up the following night (June 12) at London’s O2 Academy Brixton. The band have confirmed that these are their final UK and European shows for 2022. As recently announced, at the Eden Project on June 17, the band will be supported by Nitzer Ebb, while Yves Tumor will play the June 18 date. On the newly announced dates in Glasgow, Manchester and London, Nine Inch Nails will be supported by Tumor. General sale tickets for the new gigs go on sale on Friday (March 25) at 10am GMT here. Nine Inch Nails announce three additional UK headline shows completing the UK & European touring… Read More →

20MARNews

SXSW: four people shot in downtown Austin during festival

Four people have been injured during a shooting in downtown Austin outside a venue being used for this year’s South By Southwest (SXSW) festival. A gunman opened fire near the Alamo Ritz theatre around 2:50am this morning (March 20), according to local police (via The Independent). The incident at East 6th St and Neches St. left four people injured, who were taken to a nearby hospital by emergency responders. Their injuries are thought not to be life threatening. Austin Police secured the area and warned the public to avoid the scene while the suspect was initially on the run. About two hours after the incident, the shooter was arrested by police. The suspect’s identity has not yet been released. “Officers were on patrol in the 400 block of East 6th street near Toulouse Bar when they heard several gunshots coming from that area,” the Austin Police Department said in a statement to The Independent. “An individual related to the shooting is in custody. During our preliminary investigation we discovered the shooting started as a disturbance between two groups of people. Due to the ongoing investigation, we are not releasing the name of the person arrested. Officers believe this was not a random act and there’s… Read More →

20MARNews

Watch Dave Gahan & Soulsavers cover PJ Harvey on ‘Fallon’

Dave Gahan & Soulsavers stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this weekend to promote the release of their latest LP. READ MORE: Dave Gahan covers Cat Power and tells us about his “liberating” new album and the future of Depeche Mode The Depeche Mode frontman and longtime collaborator Rich Machin released their new covers album ‘Imposter’ back in November under the guise of Soulsavers. Together they deliver unique takes on songs by the likes of Neil Young, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and many more. Gahan recently told NME that the 12 selected tracks feel like they carry “a sense of wisdom and longevity that is just there in the song and very apparent in the voice”. Advertisement On Friday (March 18), Gahan and Machin dropped by Jimmy Fallon’s late night chat show to deliver a live rendition of their PJ Harvey cover, ‘The Desperate Kingdom Of Love’, originally featured on Harvey’s 2004 album ‘Uh Huh Her’. You can watch the cover below: ‘Imposter’ was recorded and produced by Gahan and Machin in November 2019 at Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La studios in Malibu, California. According to Gahan, the setting inspired a “magical” sense of freedom for the assembled band and also allowed… Read More →

20MARNews

Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox share cover of Kaiser Chiefs’ ‘I Predict A Riot’

King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his wife, singer Toyah Willcox, have shared a cover of Kaiser Chiefs‘ ‘I Predict A Riot’ – watch it below. READ MORE: Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp’s 10 best lockdown covers – ranked! The cover is a part of the pair’s ‘Sunday Lunch’ video series which was launched in 2020. The series has so far seen the couple share renditions of songs by Ramones, Nirvana, David Bowie, Metallica, Billy Idol, The Rolling Stones, Judas Priest, The Prodigy, Guns N’ Roses, Alice Cooper and many more through Willcox’s YouTube channel. In recent weeks, they’ve covered ‘Bullet With Butterfly Wings’ by the Smashing Pumpkins and Neil Young’s ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’; last week’s cover saw the pair deliver their take on Green Day’s ‘Basket Case’. Advertisement For their reworking of ‘I Predict A Riot’, taken from the Leeds band’s 2005 debut album ‘Employment’, the pair take to the kitchen once more, with a backdrop which includes a painting of a lighthouse alongside the word “Hope”. Fripp, donning a blue waistcoat, yellow tie, and a black stripe of eye makeup, with his hair styled in a small mohawk, plays guitar to the left of the screen, while Willcox, wearing a black body suit, sings… Read More →

19MARNews

Listen to the title track of Phife Dawg’s new posthumous album ‘Forever’

The title track from the imminent posthumous album by A Tribe Called Quest‘s Phife Dawg has been shared – listen to ‘Forever’ below. READ MORE: RIP Phife Dawg: a look back at A Tribe Called Quest’s ‘The Low End Theory’ The record, also called ‘Forever’, arrives on Tuesday (March 22) – six years to the day that Phife passed away aged 45. The founder member of the pioneering hip-hop group, real name Malik Taylor, died in 2016 from diabetes complications, following his involvement in A Tribe Called Quest’s sixth and final album, ‘We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service’. He had battled ill health for decades, having been diagnosed with diabetes in 1990. Advertisement New song ‘Forever’ samples famous uses of the word in songs by the likes of Outkast and Wu-Tang Clan. Listen to it below. The new album will also see performances from a range of artists including Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, De La Soul’s Maseo and Pos, among others. The forthcoming collection has been completed using notes that Phife left behind, which include details of how he envisaged the album sounding. Throughout the past year, a string of posthumous Phife Dawg singles have been released by his estate. The first was ‘Nutshell… Read More →

19MARNews

Kanye West Grammys performance pulled over “concerning online behaviour”

Kanye West has reportedly had a planned performance at the 2022 Grammys cancelled over “concerning online behaviour”. Earlier this week, the rapper was temporarily barred from accessing Instagram, with a Meta representative claiming the rapper’s recent posts violated policies on hate speech, bullying and harassment. The ban came after Kanye posted an image of the Google search page for Trevor Noah – who commented on West’s treatment of ex-wife Kim Kardashian on Tuesday’s (March 15) episode of The Daily Show – alongside a caption containing racial slurs. Advertisement According to Variety, West’s team were then contacted by the Grammys to reveal that “unfortunately” a planned performance – which wasn’t announced as part of the first slew of artist reveals earlier this week – will no longer take place due to Kanye’s “concerning online behaviours,” citing a report in the Blast. The 2022 Grammys are set to be hosted by Noah, though it’s not been confirmed whether that is part of the decision to remove Kanye’s performance from the running order. Rapper and recent Kanye collaborator The Game discussed the reported cancellation in an Instagram post, writing: “Time & time again they show us that they only want to STEAL the culture, not allow… Read More →

19MARNews

Princess Nokia shares ‘No Effort’, her first new music of 2022

Princess Nokia has shared her first new music of 2022 – watch the video for new single ‘No Effort’ below. READ MORE: Princess Nokia: “I have a very resourceful spirit – a survivor’s spirit” The rapper ended 2021 by teaming up with Yung Baby Tate for a new track called ‘Boys Are From Mars’, which followed ‘It’s Not My Fault’ from March of last year. The new track comes complete with a video directed by Travis Libin that sees Princess Nokia and her crew hanging out at a skatepark. Advertisement Check out the new track and video below. In 2020, Princess Nokia released two albums simultaneously in ‘Everything Is Beautiful’ and ‘Everything Sucks’. In a three-star review of the pair, NME said: “Thematically, ‘Everything Sucks’ and ‘Everything is Beautiful’ fail to deliver anything new. They have all the hallmarks of a Princess Nokia record – female empowerment, introspective monologues about her childhood and Bruja spirituality (a type of witchcraft practiced by some Latin American populations). “Musically, she is yet to develop a cohesive sound […] ‘Everything Sucks’ often feels something like a musical patchwork quilt; all the sounds are stitched together but remain distinctly separate. Perhaps, given Princess Nokia’s notoriously protean nature, this is… Read More →

19MARNews

Dave Grohl recalls seeing David Bowie live for the first time

Dave Grohl has recounted his first experience of seeing David Bowie perform live, as well as details of their subsequent conversations. READ MORE: Foo Fighters live in Geelong, Australia: A life-affirming celebration of rock ’n’ roll Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s 7.30 programme earlier this month (March 8, per Billboard), the Foo Fighters frontman reminisced on the time both men appeared on the same festival bill, and Grohl witnessed the Thin White Duke live for the first time. “I stood in the photo pit and looked at him and it was like seeing an alien,” he recounts. “You know, it was like seeing a UFO for the first time, like, ‘Oh, my God, it’s real’. That’s something I’ve never seen before.” Advertisement “And then getting to meet him,” he told 7.30 host Leigh Sales, “all of that feeling coming down to Earth, realizing, ‘Oh, my God, what a gentleman! What a brilliant, sweet, kind, outrageously funny person.’ “And then I recorded a song with him. This [was] years ago, and watching him step in front of a microphone and begin to sing and you realize, ‘Wow, that voice – that’s real, that just comes out of his mouth, that iconic… Read More →

18MARNews

Arcade Fire announce last minute New York concert for Ukraine victims

Arcade Fire have announced a last minute concert in New York tonight (March 18) to help victims in Ukraine. READ MORE: Arcade Fire’s new single ‘The Lightning I, II’ finds the band at their ambitious best The band took to Instagram today to confirm they are playing a benefit show at the Bowery Ballroom – watch the announcement clip below. In the post, frontman Win Butler and band member Richard Reed Parry can be seen stapling posters for the show on a message board. Advertisement “Hey New York, we’re gonna play a show tonight, if you guys wanna come,” says frontman Win Butler. “It’s a benefit gig for Ukraine at the Bowery Ballroom.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Arcade Fire (@arcadefire) A caption on the clip also says “pay what u can” but no further information on how to purchase the tickets has been posted. It comes after the band played a benefit concert for Ukraine in New Orleans earlier this week. That show saw Arcade Fire play a number of new tracks including their single ‘The Lightning, I, II’, ‘Age of Anxiety’, and ‘Rabbit Hole’. All proceeds from that “pay-what-you-can” gig went to benefit the Plus1… Read More →

18MARNews

Limp Bizkit announce North American 2022 tour dates

Limp Bizkit have announced plans for a North American tour next month – buy your tickets here. READ MORE: Limp Bizkit – ‘Still Sucks’ review: the nu-metal dads keep the good times rollin’ The nu-metal icons’ ‘Still Sucks’ jaunt will take in 19 dates kicking off at the Hard Rock Live in Tampa, Florida, before making their way to Atlantic City, New York, Green Bay, Las Vegas and Reno before wrapping things up on May 31 in Ontario, Canada. They will be supported by Wargasm, $not, Scowl, Yung Gravy and Dying Wish on the dates. Advertisement The new shows come after the band cancelled a series of concerts on their ‘Limited Last Minute Post Pandemic Popup Party Edition’ tour last year “out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of the band, crew and, most of all, the fans.” Fred Durst and Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit at Lollapalooza 2021. CREDIT: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Tickets are on sale now and you can get tickets here. You can see the band’s full list of tour dates below: APRIL 28 – Tampa, Hard Rock Live* 30 – Hollywood, Hard Rock Live* MAY 3 – Norfolk, VA @ Chartway Arena* 4 –… Read More →

18MARNews

Keith Richards says Paul McCartney sent a note clarifying his controversial “blues cover band” comments

Keith Richards has said that Paul McCartney sent The Rolling Stones a note following the publication of an interview in The New Yorker, in which McCartney labelled them “a blues cover band”. READ MORE: The story of NME in 70 (mostly) seminal songs The musician was reflecting on The Beatles’ legacy when he made the remark about the Stones. He said: “I’m not sure I should say it, but they’re a blues cover band, that’s sort of what the Stones are. I think our net was cast a bit wider than theirs.” Speaking on the latest episode of the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, Richards said that McCartney sent the band a note explaining that his comments were taken out of context. Advertisement “I got a note from Paul about that, saying ‘I was taken totally out of context’. He said, ‘That’s what I thought when I first heard them.’ Paul and I know each other pretty well, and when I first read it I said, there’s been a lot of deleting and editing going on here. “The next day I got a message from Paul saying, ‘If you’ve read this shit, it’s all out of context, believe me, boys’… Paul’s a great guy, man. I mean, Jesus… Read More →

18MARNews

Keith Richards confirms Steve Jordan will help finish The Rolling Stones’ new album

Keith Richards has confirmed that The Rolling Stones’ touring drummer Steve Jordan will be on hand to help the long-running band finish their forthcoming new album. Jordan has been filling in on drums for the Stones following the death of their longtime drummer Charlie Watts, who passed away in August last year. READ MORE: The story of NME in 70 (mostly) seminal songs Speaking on the latest episode of the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, Richards clarified reports which previously claimed that Watts had finished work on the Stones’ next studio album before his death. Advertisement “We do have a lot of stuff of Charlie Watts still in the can,” he said. “We were half-way through making an album when he died…” The guitarist added: “Of course, if we want to carry on recording, we’re gonna need drums, and it’s gonna be Steve Jordan.” You can listen to the full podcast with Richards below. Richards also revealed on the podcast that he was initially reluctant to tour without Watts when the late drummer fell ill last year. “I was in, ‘Oh, I cannot do this without Charlie’,” he recalled. “But Charlie said to me, ‘You can do it with Steve. He… Read More →

18MARNews

Charli XCX Likes The Inherent Danger Of Crash

By Konstantina Buhalis Sashaying into the MTV studio after an afternoon at 30 Rock preparing for her recent Saturday Night Live performance, Charli XCX takes the room by storm. In a black sleeveless dress, with her hair curled and down, and the most incredible set of nails adorned with fake pearls that match her rhinestone-dotted eye makeup, she is the definition of star power. For almost a decade, the artist born Charlotte Emma Aitchison has stood on the precipice of superstardom. She co-wrote two tracks that quickly became part of the pop lexicon and dominated in the early 2010s — Icona Pop’s “I Love It” and Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” — and with the world at her feet after her first two albums, 2013’s True Romance and 2014’s Sucker, Charli took a step back. She struck out on her own, partnering with English producer A.G. Cook to create songs in a new, no-holds-barred style known as hyperpop. Taking risks, even when calculated in the music industry, can have dire consequences, but Charli jumped in headfirst. Now, with Crash, her third album released since 2019, she’s back and ready to assume the pop throne. “I wish I could say the decision I… Read More →

17MARNews

Listen to Weezer’s uplifting new song, ‘A Little Bit Of Love’

Weezer have today (March 17) shared a new song, ‘A Little Bit Of Love’ – check it out below. READ MORE: Weezer: “This album is about feeling isolated, alienated and secluded – it’s perfect for now” The song is taken from the first of four EPs that the band will release this year. Earlier this week, they announced full details of their long-promised ‘Seasons’ project that will see them release four EPs to correspond to each of the different seasons this year. Each of the EPs will be released on the first day of every season and will feature their own distinct musical style. Advertisement To coincide with the spring equinox arriving on Sunday (March 20), the first EP in the series, ‘SZNZ: Spring’, will arrive on that day. Taking to Twitter, the band explained: “This year we’re releasing 4 EPs inspired by magic, Pagan myths, religious rituals, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Shakespeare & more (so much more). Each one will take you on an enchanting journey.” Listen to new song ‘A Little Bit Of Love’ below: Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo has offered up a series of hints of the project’s various musical directions over recent months. He hinted that one of the… Read More →

17MARNews

Jack Harlow announces new album and says he wants to work with Dolly Parton

Jack Harlow has announced the release of his second album, ‘Come Home The Kids Miss You’. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, the Kentucky rapper revealed that his latest single ‘Nail Tech’ is the first to be taken from his upcoming new record, the follow-up to 2020’s ‘That’s What They All Say’. “It’s probably my least favourite song on the album,” Harlow said of ‘Nail Tech’. “But I know the effect it’s gonna have on people. I’m spitting, and there’s energy behind the beat. . . . I have different tastes.” Advertisement He added: “I can’t believe people love to listen to ‘Tyler Herro’ on repeat and ‘What’s Poppin’ on repeat,” he added. The aforementioned tracks both feature on Harlow’s debut LP, which also includes the singles ‘Way Out’ featuring Big Sean, and the Chris Brown-assisted ‘Already Best Friends’. ‘Come Home The Kids Miss You’ will be released on May 6 via Generation Now and Atlantic Records. Elsewhere in his Rolling Stone interview, Harlow talked about being particular about his collaborations and admitted that he’s hesitant to accept features on pop songs. “You won’t believe what I’ve turned down, because this pocket we’ve got right now is fragile, man,” he said. “I’ve turned down so much… Read More →

17MARNews

Ed Sheeran copyright case: Music experts disagree over ‘Shape Of You’ and ‘Oh Why’ similarities

A musicology expert has told London’s High Court that Ed Sheeran‘s ‘Shape Of You’ is “coincidentally similar” and bears “distinctive differences” to the song the singer is accused of copying. It’s alleged that Sheeran and two of his co-writers, Johnny McDaid and Steve Mac, lifted “particular lines and phrases” for the 2017 ‘÷’ single from a track called ‘Oh Why’ by Sami Switch (real name Sam Chokri). READ MORE: Ed Sheeran – ‘=’ review: the millennial Lionel Richie indulges his saccharine streak The latter artist and his co-writer Ross O’Donoghue claim that Sheeran took the “oh I, oh I, oh I, oh I” hook from the aforementioned song, which was released in 2015. Sheeran has “vehemently den[ied]” the accusation and rejected the suggestion that he heard ‘Oh Why’ before he wrote ‘Shape Of You’ in October 2016. Advertisement McDaid, who is also a member of Snow Patrol, claimed in written evidence last week that he could not recall ever hearing ‘Oh Why’ “in any way” and said he was unaware of Sami Switch before the current legal case began. Now, as Sky News reports, Anthony Ricigliano – a US forensic musicologist – concluded that it is “objectively unlikely” that any similarities between the two… Read More →

17MARNews

David Frost admits that the Brexit deal presents “a whole set of problems” for touring musicians

Former Brexit minister David Frost has admitted that the Brexit deal he helped negotiate presents “a whole set of problems” for touring musicians and their crew. The deal was on the receiving end of a huge backlash from across the music industry last year. The UK government has been accused of jeopardising the future of touring for UK artists due to their failure to negotiate visa-free travel and Europe-wide work permits for musicians and crew, which could make future tours of the continent unaffordable for many artists. READ MORE: Brexit, one year on: Music industry remains frustrated at “clueless” government Lord Frost, who was Chief Negotiator of Task Force Europe from January 2020 until he handed in his resignation back in December, was among the chief defenders of the deal, saying in June that he “felt sorry that [creative workers] have to face this situation”. Advertisement “The country took a decision to leave the European Union and to end freedom of movement, but that brings with it big change,” he told MPs. “There’s no point in pretending that change hasn’t happened.” Lord Frost has now admitted, however, that it was a mistake not to compromise with the EU over the… Read More →

16MARNews

Vince Staples remembers Mac Miller: “He gave me advice but also opportunity”

Vince Staples has spoken about the impact late friend and rapper Mac Miller had on his life in a new interview. READ MORE: Mac Miller – ‘Circles’ review: posthumous album is a conflicting, tantalising taste of what might have been Speaking with Peter Rosenberg on Hot 97, Staples reflected on Miller’s legacy, and what the ‘Best Day Ever’ rapper’s early support – from tour co-signs to business advice – meant to him. “He gave me advice but also opportunity, I would say is the easiest way to put it,” Staples said. “Like, ‘You should be doing more music, but I’m also gonna help you with the beats. And I’m not gonna charge you, and I’m gonna take you on tour, and I’m gonna kind of help you figure out how tour goes, and I’m gonna make sure you don’t have any expenses on tour.’ And that kind of just put me in a good position to be set up.” Advertisement Staples also recalled going to Miller’s house and all the relationships he built via those visits. “You can tell that I was really squeezed into it,” he said. “You know, I always appreciated that, him giving me a relationship with [Schoolboy]… Read More →

16MARNews

Manic Street Preachers to play BBC Radio 6 Music Festival in Cardiff

Manic Street Preachers will play an exclusive gig as part of the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival in Cardiff, it has been announced today (March 16). The annual live music event is set to take place in multiple venues in Cardiff from April 1-3, marking the first in-person festival to be held by 6 Music since 2020. Last year’s event was digital-only due to the coronavirus pandemic. IDLES, Little Simz and Father John Misty are among the leading names on the line-up so for this year’s event. Advertisement The Manics will perform at the festival in Wales on March 31 at a venue they’ve never played in before – Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff. 75 pairs of free tickets to attend the gig will be available to fans and allocated at random via a BBC Studio Audience Serves ballot. Fans can register for the chance to get tickets here – registration is open now and closes at midnight on Sunday 20th March. The performance will be broadcast live on 6 Music and simulcast on BBC Radio Wales from 7pm on March 31. It will also be available on BBC Sounds after broadcast and selected songs will be available to watch at a… Read More →

16MARNews

Big Bang have finished filming a music video for their long-awaited comeback

Big Bang have reportedly wrapped up filming for a music video that will accompany their long-awaited comeback project. READ MORE: GOT The Beat on working together for the first time: “We had great chemistry from the start” Earlier today (March 16), the boyband’s label YG Entertainment confirmed in a statement to South Korean media outlet SPOTV News that all four remaining members of the group recently wrapped up a shoot for a music video for an upcoming new song. “Big Bang’s G-Dragon, Taeyang, T.O.P and Daesung recently completed filming the music video for their new song,” YG Entertainment told SPOTV News, as translated by Soompi. “Big Bang’s comeback preparations are progressing smoothly. We will inform you of the release date as well as further details on the new song soon.” Advertisement Last month, YG Entertainment said in a statement to South Korean media outlets that the quartet would be releasing new music later this year. The upcoming project will be Big Bang’s first release in four years, since their 2018 song ‘Flower Road’. In that previous statement, YG Entertainment also revealed that member T.O.P left the agency, which he had been with for the past 16 years. Despite the end of… Read More →