Peter Shep

Lorde says she only started getting credited properly with ‘Solar Power’

Lorde has discussed not being credited properly for her creative input throughout her career, and how that changed with ‘Solar Power’. READ MORE: Lorde: “I feel like I can see my world and myself a lot clearer now” Lorde spoke to Euphoria‘s Hunter Schafer on the A24 podcast Divine Frequency. Talking about the video for ‘Solar Power’ (which she co-directed alongside Joel Kefali) Lorde said: “I had written all the treatments and helped produce it, because I was super, super involved. It was so much fun to be on that set.” Schafer then asked Lorde if she’d ever directed before. Lorde replied: “It’s that classic thing for young women, where you’re like ‘I think I do this thing but I’ve never been credited with it and no one’s ever talked to me about it’, whether that’s music production, video directions or graphic design.” Advertisement “It takes a second to be like, I know what I’ve contributed to this and my credit should reflect that. It’s definitely been a process for me, figuring out how to voice that. So (the ‘Solar Power’ video) is my first time being called a director.” Elsewhere in the podcast, Lorde revealed she’d filmed “six or… Read More →

22JANNews

Halestorm members unharmed after tour bus fire

Halestorm have confirmed that they were unharmed and safe after their tour bus caught fire in the middle of the night last week. The US rock band just completed a handful of dates with Evanescence across the east coast of America yesterday (January 21), but the short tour didn’t go entirely smoothly. Guitarist Joe Hottinger posted a photo of the burnt-out interior of the bus on Instagram on Thursday (January 20). “Old Halestorm had a night for the books. We were all in our hotel rooms last night and we woke up to our bus burning down at 3AM,” he wrote in the caption. Advertisement “Fun fun. No one was hurt. The Worcester fire department got there and put the fire out. They were amazing. Our fearless security Steve pulled guitars and luggage out of the bay. We all lost some stuff, but it was just stuff.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Joe Hottinger (@thejoestorm) He added that investigators don’t know how the fire started but had confirmed it started in the bunk hall. “What matters is that no one was hurt,” Hottinger said. “The best part is that tonight, we will rock. Looking forward to… Read More →

22JANNews

New Nirvana NFTs to be launched to mark Kurt Cobain’s birthday

A new set of Nirvana NFTs will be launched next month, to make what would have been Kurt Cobain’s 55th birthday. The non-fungible tokens will be released on February 20 and will be created from previously unseen photos taken at one of the band’s 1991 gigs. READ MORE: Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ at 30: a track-by-track guide from your favourite musicians The NFT set will be comprised of 28 photos taken by photographer Faith West and will be sold via Pop Legendz. The images were taken on October 6, 19991 – six days after the release of ‘Nevermind’ – when Nirvana performed at J.C. Dobbs in Philadelphia. Advertisement The price for the digital pieces begins at $99 (£73) and goes up to $250,000 (£185k). Fans can purchase copies of the still images in either black-and-white or acid-washed colour for $99, or pick up artwork created from three of the images for $499 (£368). There will be 100 copies available of the NFTs at these price points. Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, Le Zenith, Paris, France, 24/06/1992. (Picture: Gie Knaeps/Getty Images) At the pricier end, the range will include four one-of-a-kind NFTs in GIF form made from 10 never-before-seen images, which come with a framed print… Read More →

22JANNews

M People’s Heather Small talks about the “positive, hard work” immigrants bring to the UK

M People’s Heather Small has spoken about the “positive, hard work” immigrants bring to the UK, in a new interview with NME. Taking part in Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?!, Small spoke about the time Boris Johnson referenced the lyrics to M People’s 1994 hit ‘Search for the Hero’ while talking about his experience of COVID-19 and subsequent weight loss mission. READ MORE: Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! – Heather Small Rather than invoice the Prime Minister, Small (whose parents are originally from the Caribbean) saw it as a chance to prove what people from immigrant backgrounds bring to the country. Advertisement “At this moment in time, I am of immigrant stock, I’m working class, I’m black, female and if a Conservative prime minister’s going to quote my words, I’ll take it! Everything I am doesn’t sit well with Conservatives all of the time,” she said. “And if you look at the strict immigration rules they want to put in place, I think to myself: there you are quoting the daughter of an immigrant,” she continued. “We bring something positive, we bring something different, and we bring a lot of hard work that should be acknowledged.” View this… Read More →

22JANNews

Kanye West requests “final edit and approval” on upcoming ‘Jeen-Yuhs’ documentary

Kanye West has asked to be given the “final edit and approval” on his new Jeen-Yuhs documentary before it arrives on Netflix next month. READ MORE: Kanye West – ‘DONDA’ review: some gems among lots – and lots – of filler Announced last year, Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy will present an “intimate and revealing portrait of Kanye West’s experience, showcasing both his formative days trying to break through and his life today as a global brand and artist”. The first “act” of the three-part doc series is due to premiere on February 16, with the subsequent episodes to follow as weekly instalments. An official teaser arrived earlier this month. Advertisement Taking to Instagram yesterday (January 21), West wrote: “I’m going to say this kindly for the last time. I must get [the] final edit and approval on this doc before it releases on Netflix. “Open the edit room immediately so I can be in charge of my own image. Thank you in advance.” You can see that post below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ye (@kanyewest) Jeen-Yuhs is being directed by Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah, who are long-time friends and collaborators of West. As Variety reports,… Read More →

21JANNews

Watch new clips from documentary ‘Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road’

Two new clips have been released from Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road, a documentary film about The Beach Boys co-founder. You can watch them below. READ MORE: ‘Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road’ review: inside the mind of a quiet genius Directed by Brent Wilson (unrelated to Brian), the documentary charts Wilson’s life and career through “a literal and metaphorical trip exploring Brian’s hometown”. In the first clip (revealed via Rolling Stone UK), Elton John discusses Wilson’s commitment to touring: “Brian will always wanna go out and perform. He will always wanna make records. It’s because music runs through his veins.” Advertisement The second clip sees Wilson hail track ‘Sail On, Sailor’ as “probably one of the best songs I ever wrote”. The documentary also features contributions from Bruce Springsteen, Nick Jonas, Linda Perry, Jim James, Gustavo Dudamel, Jakob Dylan, Steven Page, Taylor Hawkins, Al Jardin, Bob Gaudio, Don Was, Blondie Chaplin, Stephen Kalinich and Andy Paley. Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road also features original song, ‘Right Where I Belong’, that Wilson co-wrote with My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James for the project. Advertisement The film includes over 50 of Wilson’s most iconic hits, rare tracks and never-before-heard demos, along… Read More →

21JANNews

Listen to ‘The Batman’ theme from Michael Giacchino

The Batman theme has been unveiled by composer Michael Giacchino – you can listen to the track below. READ MORE: ‘The Batman’ movie: release date, plot details, cast and everything we know so far As teased in the trailers, the theme is both sombre and soaring, with soft orchestral stabs building to a triumphant finale. Giacchino has frequently collaborated with The Batman director Matt Reeves, scoring the end credits on 2008’s Cloverfield, along with tracks for films Let Me In, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes and War For Planet Of The Apes. Advertisement The Batman marks Robert Pattinson’s debut as the Caped Crusader, alongside Paul Dano as villain The Riddler, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Andy Serkis as butler Alfred Pennyworth, Colin Farrell as Penguin, and Jeffrey Wright as Gotham City’s police chief James Gordon. A synopsis for the film reads: “Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman, striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies – Alfred Pennyworth, Lt. James Gordon – amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the… Read More →

21JANNews

How Years & Years Of Hookups Led Olly Alexander To Make Night Call

By Jack Irvin Recovering from a breakup isn’t easy, even if the relationship wasn’t romantic. Early last year, Olly Alexander told fans he’d be pursuing Years & Years as a solo venture after fronting the synthpop band, alongside instrumentalists Emre Türkmen and Michael Goldsworthy, for over a decade. Following years of creative disagreements, Alexander became free to fully explore his lifelong aspirations of major pop stardom, no longer seeking his bandmates’ approval. But having full creative control has come with unforeseen, mainly self-inflicted pressures for the 31-year-old musician, whose new album, Night Call, drops today (January 21). “I have a big fear of failure, I realized. If anything goes wrong, it’s really on my shoulders,” Alexander tells MTV News. “It’s been a real journey, but I’m so grateful. I love making music and being Years & Years.” The band’s split was a long time coming, as initial chats about parting ways occurred during the making of 2018’s Palo Santo. “We couldn’t agree on a direction. It was a bit of a struggle,” explains Alexander, who created many of its tracks based on his own vision, separately from Türkmen and Goldsworthy. After an “intense” discussion about Years & Years’s future as… Read More →

21JANHit Singles

Rob Aldridge & The Proponents – Mind Over Manners

Rob Aldridge isn’t familiar to most, but that’s no reflection on his talent. Having spent the last few years touring the American South and breaking onto the festival circuit, first as a solo artist and then heading up The Proponents, the Alabama native is finally starting to get noticed as a songwriting frontman capable of a gnawing hook and a finely weighted turn of phrase. Jason Isbell is a fan, having commandeered Aldridge and the band as the opening act on his recent swing through the state. And the connection to Drive-By Truckers is deepened by way of The Proponents’ lead guitarist Rob Malone, who left the former after 2001’s Southern Rock Opera, just prior to Isbell’s arrival. ORDER NOW: Johnny Marr is on the cover in the latest issue of Uncut The Truckers are actually a decent marker for the kind of rugged, wind-blown roots-rock that Aldridge trades in, forgoing any cheap fetishisation of the South for something more nuanced and considered. Mind Over Manners, the successor to The Proponents’ self-titled 2018 debut, slinks between soulful, rustic blues and wired rock, driven at its most lawless moments by the fierce guitar interplay of Aldridge and Malone, not unlike the… Read More →

21JANNews

Grimes announces 10th anniversary ‘Visions’ reissue

Grimes (aka Claire Boucher) has announced a 10th anniversary reissue of her seminal 2012 album ‘Visions’. READ MORE: Grimes – ‘Miss Anthropocene’ review: an iconoclast continues to march to the beat of her own drum The reissue will be sold exclusively through the vinyl subscription service Vinyl Me, Please. The LP will come on 180-gram magenta and green galaxy vinyl, and will ship with an exclusive art print and liner notes written and illustrated by Boucher herself. It’s available for purchase here. Reflecting on opening track ‘Infinite Love Without Fulfillment’, Boucher commented: “Wow, I can hear myself learning how to make music in this song. I remember doing the vocal over the drums and then randomly trying that baseline and being like whoa! And kinda spiraling into this experiment.” Advertisement ‘Visions’ was the electronic artist’s third studio album. Bolstered by singles ‘Oblivion’ and ‘Genesis’, it was her first on 4AD, and was widely acclaimed – NME giving it a four-star review upon its release. Boucher has released two albums as Grimes since ‘Visions’ arrived – 2015’s ‘Art Angels’ and 2020’s ‘Miss Antropocene’. Late last year, she revealed she’s readying her new album, ‘Book 1’ – her first since leaving 4AD and… Read More →

20JANNews

Rage Against The Machine postpone selection of 2022 US tour dates

Rage Against The Machine have pushed back the start of their upcoming US tour with Run The Jewels, resulting in a number of dates being postponed. READ MORE: Run The Jewels: “The world’s gonna reset and then we’re gonna burn that motherfucker down” Zack de la Rocha and co. were initially due to hit the road between March and May 2020, with RTJ appearing as their support act. However, the tour became one of the first to be shelved as a result of the coronavirus crisis in March 2020 – and in May was rescheduled for summer 2021. It was then confirmed that the ‘Public Service Announcement’ tour would begin this spring, kicking off in El Paso, Texas on March 31, 2022. Advertisement This afternoon (January 20), Rage took to social media to announce they’ve pushed back the start of the tour to July 9 in East Troy, Wisconsin, resulting in the postponement of 19 shows from March 31 through May 23. “The Rage Against The Machine ‘Public Service Announcement’ North American Tour with Run The Jewels will now start on July 9, 2022 in East Troy, Wisconsin,” the band wrote in a statement posted to Twitter. “Headline shows scheduled… Read More →

20JANNews

Jimi Hendrix estate sues heirs of Jimi Hendrix Experience’s rhythm section

The estate of Jimi Hendrix has filed a lawsuit claiming that the estates representing his late Jimi Hendrix Experience bandmates, Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell, do not have the right to sue them for copyright claims. Dorothy Weber, the lawyer representing Experience Hendrix, LLC and Sony Music Entertainment, filed the suit on Tuesday (January 18) in the US District Court in the Southern District of New York. According to Rolling Stone, it comes after a letter Sony Music received in December from British lawyer, Lawrence Abramson, in which he claimed the label owed Redding and Mitchell’s estates performance royalties for roughly 3billion streams of the Experience’s songs. Advertisement Abramson didn’t specify an amount they were looking for but did say that “such streaming figures and sales is estimated to be in the millions of pounds”. He added: “Ignoring this letter may lead our clients to commence proceedings against you and may increase your liability for costs.” The letter prompted Weber to take acton on behalf of Experience Hendrix and Sony, who claimed they were unable to be sued by the defendants because both Experience members previously signed waivers. Weber has alleged that Mitchell signed a document in September 1974 releasing the… Read More →

19JANNews

Watch Japanese Breakfast perform ‘Slide Tackle’ on ‘The Late Late Show’

Japanese Breakfast stopped by The Late Late Show With James Corden last night (January 18) to perform her track ‘Slide Tackle’ – watch it below. READ MORE: Japanese Breakfast live in Santa Fe: a warped residency of time-travelling tunes The singer-songwriter (real name Michelle Zauner) – who released her latest album, ‘Jubilee’, last summer – sat down with Corden to discuss her two Grammy nominations and her upcoming appearance on this year’s Coachella line-up. Asked where she was when she found out about her Grammy nods – for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album – Zauner said: “I was at my apartment in Brooklyn, and I screamed a lot and ran around, and my neighbours probably thought I was a crazy person.” Advertisement She then told a story of how her husband filmed her reaction, although he ended up mostly just focusing on the TV on which they watched the announcements, which Zauner joked was because he’s “not the most savvy person”. She also talked about how Union Transfer, the Philadelphia venue she used to work at before becoming famous, recently honoured her by installing a plaque at the venue and renaming coatcheck (the part of the venue… Read More →

19JANNews

Watch Stephen Malkmus debut two new songs at first gig in two years

Stephen Malkmus debuted two new songs at a gig in Portland at the weekend alongside one of Pavement‘s classic tracks. READ MORE: What’s the greatest Pavement record? Their five albums ranked in order of greatness The singer-songwriter, best known as the frontman of indie rock stalwarts Pavement, played his first gig since 2019 on Sunday (January 16) at The Alberta Abbey. Accompanied by his live band – made up of The Decemberists’ Chris Funk, Brad Truax and Jake Morris – Malkmus’s set included a performance of Pavement’s ‘Father To A Sister Of Thought’ and a cover of Wilco‘s ‘Box Full Of Letters’. Advertisement He also debuted two new songs titled ‘MTV’ and ‘Making Friends’, and he played ‘Blue Arrangements’ by Silver Jews, the New York band he formed in 1989 with Bob Nastanovich and the late David Berman. The two new songs are yet to be released, but fan footage from the show has landed online – you can check out clips from the show below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sprout (@sproutniblet) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sprout (@sproutniblet) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sprout (@sproutniblet) View this post on… Read More →

19JANNews

Listen to Big Thief’s stripped-back new single, ‘Simulation Swarm’

Big Thief have shared a new, stripped-back single, ‘Simulation Swarm’ – you can listen to it below. READ MORE: Big Thief live in London: the Brooklynites channel their inner grungers at biggest show yet The track is taken from the group’s upcoming 20-track new double album ‘Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You’, which is set for release on February 11 via 4AD. It follows on from the last two songs shared by the band, ‘No Reason’ and ‘Spud Infinity’. Prior to that, the group released ‘Time Escaping’, ‘Change’, ‘Certainty’, ‘Little Things’ and ‘Sparrow’. Advertisement While the latest release is a staple of the band’s live shows and a fan favourite, the song has never been released previously. Listen to it below: “One of the things that bonds us together as a band is pure magic,” lead vocalist Adrianne Lenker said in a statement recently about ‘Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You’. “I think we all have the same guide and none of us have ever spoken what it is because we couldn’t name it, but somehow, we are all going for the same thing, and when we hit it… we all know it’s it, but none of us to this… Read More →

19JANNews

Every Time I Die’s Keith Buckley posts statement following the band’s split

Every Time I Die frontman Keith Buckley has issued a statement following yesterday’s (January 18) announcement from the other four members that the band has split. Guitarists Jordan Buckley and Andy Williams, bassist Stephen Micciche and drummer Clayton “Goose” Holyoak all shared a joint statement saying their last show with the band took place in December. They wrote: “While we hoped to come to an agreed upon legal statement that outlined the truth, we were informed today of something planned to be released not mutually agreed upon that consists of inaccuracies and controls a narrative to benefit one.” Advertisement The message went on to say that there has been “no direct communication” with Buckley, saying “it’s either impossible for direct communication with him solely or we’ve been cut off to any and all communication by him himself”. Today (January 19), Keith Buckley has shared his own statement, which he captioned: “this is my Truth. read it if you want to know it.” this is my Truth. read it if you want to know it. ? pic.twitter.com/HJvHUQDs1a — keith buckley (@deathoftheparty) January 19, 2022 Buckley wrote: “There is absolutely no hate in my heart when I say that whatever is going… Read More →

19JANNews

Jay-Z, Meek Mill and more push for law that would stop New York prosecutors using rap lyrics as evidence

Jay-Z, Meek Mill, Big Sean and more have united to support a proposed New York state law that would limit prosecutors’ ability to use defendants’ rap lyrics as evidence of alleged crimes. As Rolling Stone reports, the rap giants have added their names to a letter calling on lawmakers to pass Senate Bill S7527 – which was first revealed in November and which passed through the Senate Codes committee earlier this week – into state law. Others who have signed on to the letter include Fat Joe, Kelly Rowland and Killer Mike. The bill, brought forward by Democrat senators Brad Hoylman and Jamaal Bailey and assembly member Catalina Cruz, would limit a defendant’s music or other “creative expression” being shown to a jury in criminal trials, requiring prosecutors to provide “clear and convincing evidence” that that expression is “literal, rather than figurative or fictional”. Advertisement Highlighting the disparity between rap lyrics being used as evidence with other forms of expression, Hoylman provides two examples – no one, he says, believes Johnny Cash “shot a man in Reno just to watch him die“, nor that David Byrne is a “psycho killer“. “This is an issue that’s important to [Jay-Z, aka Sean Carter]… Read More →

18JANNews

Rachel Zegler apologises for dramatic reading of Britney Spears’ tweets

Rachel Zegler has tweeted an apology for performing a dramatic reading of Britney Spears‘ tweets about her sister, Jamie Lynn Spears. READ MORE: Controlling Britney Spears review: toxic conservatorship back under the microscope Spears shared a statement on Twitter following Jamie Lynn’s appearance on Good Morning America, where she spoke about Britney’s controversial conservatorship, which was terminated last year. In one section of the interview, Jamie Lynn said the singer locked the two of them in a room with a knife because she “didn’t feel safe”. This prompted Britney to post a lengthy response: Advertisement “Jamie Lynn…congrats babe! You’ve stooped to a whole new level of LOW,” Britney wrote. “I’ve never been around you with a knife or would I ever even think to do such!!!. The only knife I ever saw you with at home was cutting the biggest pieces of squash I ever saw in my life and it was way too big for me to cut. “So please please stop with these crazy lies for the Hollywood books. NOW and only NOW I do know only a scum person would make up such things about someone.” Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Britney and am rooting… Read More →

18JANNews

Watch Robert Glasper’s powerful performance of ‘In Tune’ and ‘Black Superhero’

Robert Glasper delivered an all-star performance of ‘Black Superhero’ on last night’s episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon – watch below. READ MORE: Friends Like These – Denzel Curry x Robert Glasper The Grammy Award-winning musician appeared as the musical guest on the NBC chat show in support of his upcoming album ‘Black Radio III’, which is set for release on February 25 via Loma Vista. Poet Amir Sulaiman appeared alongside Glasper for a powerful live airing of the record’s spoken-word prelude, ‘In Tune’, before Rapsody, BJ The Chicago Kid and DJ Jazzy Jeff took to the stage to contribute to ‘Black Superhero’. Advertisement As Rolling Stone notes, the special set was put together to mark Martin Luther King Day in the US yesterday (January 17). You can watch the full appearance below: Sharing ‘In Tune’ on Twitter ahead of the Fallon performance, Glasper wrote: “Martin Luther King wasn’t just the conductor of the black civil rights movement he created a model that other movements across the world replicated. “He’s one of our superheroes because he showed us what’s possible when we stand united…when we’re in tune.” The 13-track ‘Black Radio III’ follows on from 2012’s ‘Black Radio’ and… Read More →

17JANNews

Simple Minds share new version of rare track, ‘Act Of Love’

Simple Minds have shared a new version of one of their earliest tracks, ‘Act Of Love’ – listen to it below. READ MORE: Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! – Jim Kerr, Simple Minds The song is a reimagining of one the earliest songs written baby Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill in 1978. The song was never recorded or released. The release of the song coincides with the group’s first performance at Glasgow’s Satellite City in 1978. Advertisement You can listen to it here: Speaking about the track, Kerr said: “Over the years people have asked: ‘When did you think Simple Minds had the potential to make it?’ My stock answer was always: ‘Oh, we didn’t really think about that’. But I realise now that I wasn’t telling the truth. I believed we had something special as soon as I heard Charlie play the riff on ‘Act Of Love’.” He added: “I was thinking about the excitement of what we were setting out to do. We would rehearse in the afternoon in a derelict building in the Gorbals and I’d walk past Govanhill Library, thinking about the idea of the muse: a voice within that will appear and provide inspiration…. Read More →

17JANHit Singles

Introducing the Ultimate Music Guide to The Pretenders

BUY THE PRETENDERS ULTIMATE MUSIC GUIDE HERE It’s fitting in a way, for a boxing fan like Chrissie Hynde, that she should enjoy a reputation as a fighter: in fact, the ultimate comeback kid. More than once she’s had to take the knocks, but she returns undaunted. Maybe a bit bruised by the experience, but with her spirit as strong as ever. It’s that spirit and resilience we celebrate in this latest Ultimate Music Guide, to her band: the Pretenders. If Chrissie was a nearly-was of punk rock – an employee of Malcolm McLaren’s shop Sex; in bands, however fleetingly with members of the Damned and the Clash – then she truly found her moment in the new wave of a couple of years later. Hip, determined, she had a vision for how things should be done, and went about finding people to help bring her songs to life. Advertisement As she tells us in her exclusive foreword for this new magazine, her idea was that “we were going to be like a motorcycle club but we had guitars. I thought I was this little badass because I liked bikers, not to my credit, that’s just where my head was… Read More →