ABC - Alternative Rock News

Primus auctioning off instruments bought last minute for Sick New World set

Posted yesterday at 6:00pm

Ahead of the performance at Las Vegas' Sick New World festival in April, Primus' usual gear got stranded in a snowstorm in between shows on the Sessanta tour with A Perfect Circle and Puscifer. Determined to still deliver their set, frontman Les Claypool and guitarist Larry LaLonde went to a local guitar shop and picked up a pair of matching Fenders.

Now, Primus is auctioning off the last-minute fill-in instruments in support of St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

"Ler and I wanted to match up (like ZZ Top!)," Claypool says. "The bass turned out to be very nice and played like a dream. Tempted to keep it but want to do something for [St. Jude] because they are a magical entity."

The Sessanta tour, which celebrates APC and Puscifer frontman Maynard James Keenan's 60th birthday, wraps up Saturday, May 4, in Forest Hills, New York. Primus will launch a tour with Coheed and Cambria in July.

Garbage releases RSD EP 'Lie to Me' digitally

Posted yesterday at 3:00pm

Garbage's Lie to Me EP, originally released as an exclusive for April's Record Store Day, is available now on digital platforms.

The collection features four previously unheard recordings, including a cover of Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren" and a 2023 remix of Garbage's Bleed Like Me track "Bad Boyfriend," which features Dave Grohl on drums.

The "Song to the Siren" cover is accompanied by a new visualizer, streaming now on YouTube.

Garbage's most recent album is 2021's No Gods No Masters.

The Marías release two new 'Submarine' songs

Posted yesterday at 2:00pm

Nice Life Recording Company/Atlantic Records; Credit: Bethany Vargas

The Marías have released two new songs from their upcoming album, Submarine.

The tracks are titled "No One Noticed" and "If Only." You can listen to both now via digital outlets.

Submarine, which also includes the single "Run Your Mouth," is due out May 31. It's the sophomore effort to The Marías' 2021 debut, Cinema, which spawned the single "Hush."

The Marías will launch a U.S. tour in July.

Listen to WILLOW duet with St. Vincent on new "pain for fun" song

Posted yesterday at 11:00am

WILLOW has released a new song featuring St. Vincent called "pain for fun."

The track appears on the "Transparent Soul" artist's new album, empathogen, which dropped Friday, May 3. You can listen to "pain for fun" now via digital outlets and watch its accompanying visualizer streaming now on YouTube.

empathogen is WILLOW's sixth studio album and the follow-up to 2022's <COPINGMECHANISM>.

St. Vincent, meanwhile, just dropped a new album, All Born Screaming, in April. It includes the single "Broken Man" and features Dave Grohl.

Imagine Dragons collaborates with J Balvin on new version of "Eyes Closed"

Posted yesterday at 10:15am

Imagine Dragons has premiered their previously teased collaboration with J Balvin.

The "Radioactive" outfit teams up with the Colombian reggaeton artist for a new version of their single "Eyes Closed." You can listen to the joint recording now via digital outlets and watch its accompanying video streaming now on YouTube.

The original "Eyes Closed" dropped in April. It'll appear on the upcoming ID album, Loom, as will the J Balvin version.

Loom, the follow-up to the two-part Mercury album, will be released June 28. Imagine Dragons will launch a U.S. tour in July.

Cage the Elephant shares new 'Neon Pill' track, "Metaverse"

Posted yesterday at 9:50am

Cage the Elephant has shared a new song called called "Metaverse," a track off the band's upcoming album, Neon Pill.

You can listen to "Metaverse" now via digital outlets and watch its accompanying lyric video streaming now on YouTube.

"Metaverse" is the fourth Neon Pill cut to be released, following "Good Time," "Out Loud" and the title track. Cage will premiere a fifth track, "Rainbow," during a performance on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! on May 8.

Neon Pill, the follow-up to 2019's Social Cues, arrives May 17. Cage the Elephant will play a one-off show in Los Angeles on May 7 before launching a full U.S. tour in support of Neon Pill in June.

Yungblud shares video for "I Was Made for Lovin' You" cover

Posted yesterday at 5:00am

Yungblud has premiered a video for his cover of KISS' "I Was Made for Lovin' You."

The black-and-white clip features closeup footage of the "Fleabag" rocker recording his vocals in the studio while sporting sunglasses and a bandana. You can watch it streaming on YouTube.

As previously reported, Yungblud put his spin on "I Was Made for Lovin' You" for the new movie The Fall Guy, starring Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling. The film hits theaters Friday, May 3.

In other Yungblud happenings, he'll be releasing an illustrated book, You Need to Exist, and holding his own music festival, Bludfest, in August.

Mike McCready approves of Duff McKagan's "River of Deceit" cover

Posted Thursday evening

Mike McCready approves of Duff McKagan's cover of the Mad Season song "River of Deceit."

In a Facebook post, the Pearl Jam guitarist writes, "The amazing Duff McKagan covered 'River of Deceit' by Mad Season and it's beautiful."

"Thanks Duff!" he adds.

McCready was a member of Mad Season alongside late Alice in Chains front man Layne Staley. The group, which also featured Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin and late bassist John Baker Saunders, released just one album, 1995's Above, which featured "River of Deceit."

As previously reported, McKagan's "River of Deceit" cover is included on his upcoming live solo album, Tenderness: Live in Los Angeles, due out May 31.

A symptom of being spicy: Shinedown announces signature hot sauce line

Posted Thursday afternoon

Shinedown is launching their own line of hot sauces.

Made in collaboration with the company Torchbearer Sauces, the first flavor is called Symptom Chipotle Garlic Sauce, a reference to Shinedown's "A Symptom of Being Human" hit.

"Cultivating this sauce has been a passion project and has been an absolute joy to accomplish together," says drummer Barry Kerch. "This is just the beginning of what we want to present to the fans of Shinedown. This debut 'Symptom' sauce is to be enjoyed by the masses because this one is just right. This sauce is for all of us."

"A Symptom of Being Human" is a single off Shinedown's latest album, 2022's Planet Zero.

Mike Shinoda announces deluxe vinyl reissue of 'Post Traumatic' solo album

Posted Thursday afternoon

Mike Shinoda has announced a deluxe vinyl reissue of his 2018 solo album, Post Traumatic.

The expanded set is due out June 14 and includes the original record alongside two bonus tracks, "Prove You Wrong" and "What the Words Meant."

Shinoda wrote and recorded Post Traumatic following the 2017 death of his Linkin Park bandmate, Chester Bennington. While Shinoda had previously launched the side project Fort Minor, Post Traumatic marked the first album he'd released under his own name.

News of the Post Traumatic reissue comes following a report from Billboard that Shinoda and Linkin Park members Brad Delson and Dave "Phoenix" Farrell are considering a reunion tour in 2025, possibly with a new, female vocalist. However, nothing has been officially confirmed or announced.

Linkin Park last performed during their 2017 tribute concert to Bennington.

Vampire Weekend booked for 'Saturday Night Live'

Posted Thursday afternoon

Vampire Weekend is returning to Saturday Night Live.

The "Harmony Hall" outfit will perform on the long-running NBC sketch show for the fourth time on May 11. Former SNL castmember Maya Rudolph will host.

Vampire Weekend was previously the musical guest on SNL in 2008, 2010 and 2013.

After you catch them on your TV, you can see Vampire Weekend live on their upcoming U.S. tour, launching in June. They'll be touring behind their new album, Only God Was Above Us, which features the single "Capricorn."

Dave Grohl dedicates "My Hero" to "Dimebag" Darrell during Foo Fighters Dallas concert

Posted Thursday morning

Dave Grohl paid tribute to late Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott with a performance of "My Hero" during Foo Fighters' concert in Dallas on Wednesday, May 1.

"Since we're here in Dallas, I'm gonna dedicate this one to an old friend who lived around here," Grohl told the crowd in fan-shot footage posted to YouTube. "His name is 'Dimebag' Darrell."

Dime founded Pantera alongside his brother, Vinnie Paul, in nearby Arlington, Texas. Grohl, a longtime Pantera fan, wrote about hanging with Dime and Vinnie on his Daves True Stories Instagram account.

Foo Fighters' next show is at the New Orleans Jazz Fest on Friday, May 3. They'll play a number of one-off headlining dates and festivals before launching a full U.S. stadium tour in July.

Pantera, meanwhile, reformed in 2022 with vocalist Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown alongside Black Label Society's Zakk Wylde and Anthrax's Charlie Benante in place of Dime and Vinnie, who died in 2004 and 2018, respectively. They'll be playing the upcoming Sonic Temple and Aftershock festivals as well as dates with Metallica.

Noah Kahan had the bestselling album and single for Record Store Day 2024

Posted Thursday morning

Noah Kahan fans sure love their vinyl.

Billboard reports that the "Stick Season" artist had both the bestselling album and the bestselling single of 2024 Record Store Day, held in April. The event's top-selling single was Kahan's split 7-inch with Olivia Rodrigo, featuring the pair's covers of each other's song, recorded during performances on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. Kahan covers "Lacy," while Olivia sings "Stick Season."

Meanwhile, the top-selling album was a blue vinyl pressing of Kahan's 2021 album, I Was/I Am.

Other 2024 RSD bestsellers included albums by Paramore, Pearl Jam, The 1975, Talking Heads, Fleetwood Mac and David Bowie. Bestselling singles included Paramore's split with David Byrne as well as releases by U2, Daft Punk and The Beatles.

Imagine Dragons teases new version of "Eyes Closed" with J Balvin

Posted Thursday morning

Imagine Dragons is teasing a new version of their "Eyes Closed" single in collaboration with Colombian reggaeton artist J Balvin.

The joint track will premiere on Friday, May 3. You can check out a preview now via ID's Instagram.

The original "Eyes Closed" dropped in April. Imagine Dragons has also put out an acoustic version of the song.

"Eyes Closed" is the lead single off Imagine Dragons' upcoming album, Loom. The follow-up to the two-part Mercury, released over 2021 and 2022, arrives June 28.

Imagine Dragons will launch a U.S. tour in support of Loom in July.

Tom Morello, Thom Yorke, Chris Robinson & more featured in 'The Singers Talk' podcast

Posted Wednesday evening

Artists including Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, Radiohead's Thom Yorke and The Black Crowes' Chris Robinson will guest on the new podcast The Singers Talk.

The series finds host Jason Thomas Gordon interviewing different singers about their voices, which he also did for his book of the same name.

"[Singing is] a really brutal job, and I couldn't believe there was no resource to find out how people like [Bruce] Springsteen do this night after night," says Gordon. "So, I decided to do something about it and wrote The Singers Talk."

Morello, of course, is known more as a guitarist than as a vocalist, though he does sing with his The Nightwatchman solo project. For his contribution to The Singers Talk, Morello speaks on late Soundgarden front man Chris Cornell, whom he played with in Audioslave.

The Singers Talk podcast will also feature Rush's Geddy Lee, The Who's Roger Daltrey, former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar, Def Leppard's Joe Elliott, My Morning Jacket's Jim James and Sex Pistols' John Lydon. The first two episodes, featuring Bryan Adams and Norah Jones, are out now.

The book The Singers Talk came out in September, with proceeds donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which was founded by Gordon's grandfather, famed entertainer Danny Thomas.