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Forever in debt: Nirvana's 'In Utero' turns 30

Posted less than an hour ago

Nirvana's In Utero is now 30 years old.

Released on September 21, 1993, In Utero had the difficult and unenviable task of following Nirvana's giant 1991 album, Nevermind, which had made worldwide stars out of Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl, and brought the grunge and alternative rock movement of the '90s to the mainstream.

Coming off of Nevermind, Cobain was deemed the "voice of a generation" that spoke for the angsty and disaffected youth of the day. It's a role he seems to speak to on the opening In Utero track "Serve the Servants" with the line, "Teenage angst has paid off well/ Now I'm bored and old."

Meanwhile, Cobain's increased fame put scrutiny on his personal life. His marriage to Hole's Courtney Love, with whom he had a daughter, Frances Bean, had become tabloid fodder, along with reports of the couple's drug use.

In Utero was produced by Steve Albini, with whom Cobain wanted to collaborate due to his work with bands including Pixies and The Breeders. The harsher sound of the record prompted mixed feelings from Nirvana's label, as well as among the band members themselves, who at one point considered rerecording the album. Eventually, frequent R.E.M. producer Scott Litt was brought in to remix future singles "Heart-Shaped Box" and "All Apologies."

Upon its release, In Utero was a critical and commercial success, even while Walmart and Kmart refused to sell it until the album artwork was changed. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA.

Later in 1993, Nirvana recorded their legendary MTV Unplugged performance. Cobain died by suicide in April 1994, making In Utero Nirvana's final studio record.

A 30th anniversary reissue of In Utero will be released October 27.

If you are in crisis or know someone in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

Johnny Marr announces solo best-of compilation, 'Spirit Power'

Posted yesterday at 6:00pm

Johnny Marr has announced a new solo best-of compilation, Spirit Power.

The 21-track collection, due out November 3, collects highlights from the ex-The Smiths guitarist's four solo albums: 2013's The Messenger, 2014's Playland, 2018's Call the Comet and 2022's Fever Dreams Pts 1-4.

You'll also find two new songs, "Somewhere" and "The Answer," as well as several previously unreleased demos and alternate recordings. You can listen to "Somewhere" now via digital outlets.

"I've played a lot of arenas over the years, and in terms of songwriting, there's nowhere to hide," Marr says of "Somewhere." "For a song to work, it has to be a banger. I know it's almost uncool to think in those terms, but I grew up in a house where my parents listened to Motown, where you couldn't get a song released if it wasn't full of hooks."

Here's the Spirit Power track list:

"Armatopia"
"New Town Velocity"
"Easy Money"
"Spirit Power & Soul"
"Hi Hello"
"Somewhere"
"The Messenger"
"I Feel You"
"The Answer"
"Dynamo"
"Spiral Cities"
"Night and Day"
"Sensory Street"
"Walk Into the Sea"
"Candidate"
"Tenement Time"
"Hi Hello (Demo)"
"Somewhere (Demo)"
"The Answer (Crazy F Version)"
"The Messenger (Demo)"
"Speak out Reach Out (Crazy F Version)"

Listen to new Bleachers song, "Modern Girl"

Posted yesterday at 3:15pm

Bleachers have released a new song called "Modern Girl."

The track, which continues to showcase Bruce Springsteen's influence on Jack Antonoff, is available now via digital outlets and is accompanied by a video streaming now on YouTube.

"Modern Girl" is the first preview of the upcoming fourth Bleachers album. The group's last record, Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night, was released in 2021. It includes the singles "Stop Making This Hurt" and "How Dare You Want More," as well as the Springsteen collaboration "Chinatown."

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

What's on Mark Hoppus' Mount Rushmore of Blink-182 songs?

Posted yesterday at 2:15pm

How does your list of the best Blink-182 songs compare to Mark Hoppus'?

In a TikTok video, Hoppus responds to a fan asking him to name his Mount Rushmore of Blink tunes. His picks? "Dammit," "Feeling This," "What's My Age Again?" and "ONE MORE TIME," the title track off Blink's upcoming album.

You'll be able to hear "ONE MORE TIME" and decide if it belongs on your personal Blink Mount Rushmore when it premieres Thursday, September 21.

The album ONE MORE TIME..., Blink's first record with founding member Tom DeLonge in over 10 years, will be released October 20. It also includes the previously released single "EDGING."

Scream drummer Kent Stax has died

Posted yesterday at 1:45pm

Scream drummer Bennett Kent Stacks aka Kent Stax has died.

In a Facebook post published Wednesday, September 20, Scream shares that Stacks "passed away this morning after a bout with metastatic cancer."

"Kent is the original heartbeat of Scream," the post reads. "Though we have had to continue on without him before, we have always known Kent is irreplaceable. He was one of a kind. In addition to being a truly unique drummer, Kent was also an accomplished fisherman, skilled carpenter, and avid train enthusiast."

Stacks was part of Scream's classic lineup alongside vocalist Pete Stahl, guitarist Franz Stahl and bassist Skeeter Thompson, which recorded the hardcore outfit's 1983 debut album, Still Screaming. In 1986, Stacks left Scream and was replaced by a then-17-year-old Dave Grohl, who would later go on to play drums in Nirvana and form Foo Fighters.

News of Stacks' death comes just a day after Scream announced a new album, DC Special, on Tuesday, September 19. The record, which marks the first new Scream music in over 10 years and their first full-length effort since 1993, is due out November 10.

Noah Kahan announces 2024 We'll All Be Here Forever Tour

Posted yesterday at 1:00pm

Noah Kahan is going to be on the road "forever."

The "Dial Drunk" artist has just announced North American dates for his 2024 We'll All Be Here Forever Tour. It launches March 26 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is mapped out through a July 19 homecoming show at Boston's Fenway Park. The tour will see Kahan playing at his biggest venues ever, including New York's Madison Square Garden and LA's Hollywood Bowl.

Fans can sign up now through September 24 for the Advance Registration Presale. Those who sign up will then be randomly selected to receive a code granting them access to the Registration Presale on September 27. Additional presales will follow until the general onsale, which starts September 29 at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster.

In other Noah Kahan news, he performs Wednesday night, September 20, at the Americana Music Association’s 2023 Americana Honors & Awards in Nashville. On September 25, he'll record an episode for Austin City Limits' 49th season.

boygenius premieres video for 'the record' song, "Cool About It"

Posted yesterday at 12:15pm

boygenius has premiered the video for "Cool About It," a track off their debut album, the record.

The animated clip, streaming now on YouTube, anthropomorphizes the relationship between a dog and their toy and could've probably also been the video for the early boygenius tune "Me & My Dog."

"'Cool About It' is a beautifully melancholic and piercing song that puts words to feelings often unexplained," says director Lauren Tsai. "It is an absolute dream to collaborate with the genius that is boygenius. I made animated videos on YouTube when I was 11 and I cannot imagine something I'd lose my mind over more if I could go back in time and tell myself. I will always be grateful to the band for the many ways in which their work has affected my life."

the record, which also includes the single "Not Strong Enough," was released in March. boygenius will launch a fall tour in support of the album, starting September 25 in Boston. The outing concludes with a Halloween show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

Lana Del Rey, boygenius, Billie Eilish, Noah Kahan make 'The Hollywood Reporter's' Platinum Players list

Posted yesterday at 11:35am

Lana Del Rey, boygenius, Billie Eilish and Noah Kahan are included on The Hollywood Reporter's inaugural Platinum Players list, which compiles "25 acts in music who are on top of the charts and at the top of the game."

"They move the needle on culture. They own their narratives," THR says. "They create songs and albums that define a generation and connect with listeners all over the world. They blend genres, set records and break them, only to set new records. They perform for thousands -- and, in some cases, millions -- on tour. In other words, these are the artists who have defined the year in music."

The list also includes big stars such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus and SZA.

Del Rey, meanwhile, has also given a new interview to THR. Among the topics she talks about include the viral video of her working a shift at a Waffle House.

"I wish my album [Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd] had gone as viral," Del Rey says. "I woke up to, like, 10,000 texts the next morning -- some from folks I had not heard from for 10 years. 'Saw your picture at the Waffle House!'"

"I was like, 'Did you hear the new album?'" she laughs.

The Breeders share alternate "Divine Hammer" recording off upcoming 'Last Splash' reissue

Posted yesterday at 11:00am

The Breeders have shared an alternate version of their song "Divine Hammer," included in the upcoming 30th reissue of their 1993 album Last Splash.

The previously unreleased recording features Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis and is fittingly dubbed "Divine Mascis." You can watch its accompanying video streaming now on YouTube.

The Last Splash reissue will be released Friday, September 22. It includes remastered audio of the original album, which spawned the single "Cannonball" as well as the bonus track "Go Man Go."

The Breeders are on tour throughout the fall playing headlining shows and dates opening for Foo Fighters. They're also set to open for the New York City and Los Angeles stops on Olivia Rodrigo's 2024 tour.

Bush shares new song "Nowhere to Go But Everywhere" + announces 'Loaded' best-of track list

Posted yesterday at 10:00am

Bush has premiered a new song called "Nowhere to Go But Everywhere."

The track will appear on Gavin Rossdale and company's previously announced best-of compilation, Loaded, due out November 10. Along with the new tune, Bush has unveiled the Loaded track list, which spans the "Glycerine" group's discography from their 1994 debut, Sixteen Stone, to their latest effort, 2022's The Art of Survival.

Loaded also includes a cover of The Beatles classic "Come Together."

"I'm really grateful that I get the chance to make music after all of this time," says Rossdale. "The privilege is not lost on me. I’m still in the octagon, and I think that's healthy because I'm good at fighting."

Bush will launch a U.S. headlining tour in November with support from Bad Wolves and Eva Under Fire. They're also playing a New York City benefit show on September 22 in protest of gun violence, which will stream live via the platform Veeps.

Here's the Loaded track list:

"Everything Zen"
"Little Things"
"Comedown"
"Glycerine"
"Machinehead"
"Swallowed"
"Greedy Fly"
"Mouth (The Stingray Mix)"
"The Chemicals Between Us"
"Letting the Cables Sleep"
"The People That We Love"
"Inflatable"
"The Only Way Out"
"The Sound of Winter"
"This Is War"
"Bullet Holes"
"Flowers on a Grave"
"The Kingdom"
"More Than Machines"
"Nowhere to Go But Everywhere"
"Come Together"

Oasis' 'The Masterplan' B-sides compilation to be reissued

Posted yesterday at 9:50am

Oasis' 1998 B-sides compilation, The Masterplan, is being reissued in honor of its 25th anniversary.

The collection will arrive with remastered audio on November 3.

The Masterplan compiled the B-sides off the singles from Oasis' first three albums: 1994's Definitely Maybe, 1995's (What's the Story) Morning Glory? and 1997's Be Here Now. Among the tracks included are "Acquiesce" and a live cover of The Beatles' "I Am the Walrus."

Oasis is coming up on another big anniversary as Definitely Maybe turns 30 in 2024. While the band remains broken up and the Gallagher brothers have continued to snipe at each other through the press, Liam is planning to celebrate the Definitely Maybe milestone on his own tour next year.

The Gaslight Anthem announces 'History Books' album release shows

Posted yesterday at 5:00am

Rich Mahogany Recordings/Thirty Tigers; Credit: Kelsey Hunter Ayres

The Gaslight Anthem will be celebrating the release of their new album History Books in their home state.

The New Jersey rockers have announced a pair of shows taking place October 27-28 at Jersey City's White Eagle Hall venue.

Tickets go on presale Wednesday, September 20, at 10 a.m. ET, followed by the general onsale Friday, September 22. For all ticket info, visit TheGaslightAnthem.com.

History Books, which features the single "Positive Charge" and the Bruce Springsteen-featuring title track, will be released October 27. It's the follow-up to 2014's Get Hurt and the first Gaslight record since the group, who went on hiatus in 2015, announced they were "returning to full time status as a band" in 2022.

You can also catch Gaslight outside of the Garden State on their ongoing U.S. tour.

Sum 41's Deryck Whibley thanks fans for support following hospitalization

Posted Tuesday evening

Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley has spoken out for the first time since his hospitalization with pneumonia.

In a Facebook post published Tuesday, September 19, Whibley writes, "I wanted to take a min to say thank you to everyone for so much love and support."

"Although I'm not out of the woods yet and have been told to be prepared for a bit of roller coaster sickness over the next couple of weeks, I’m staying positive and doing my best to get through all of this," he continues. "I'm still bed ridden, having a hard time breathing, tight chest pains and some pretty wild fever dreams, that I guess are keeping this whole thing somewhat entertaining."

News of Whibley's hospitalization first came in a September 15 Instagram post by his wife, Ariana, who noted, "There is a lot of strain on his heart and they are telling us that there is a possibility of heart failure." In a follow-up post on September 16, Ariana said that Whibley had been discharged from the hospital and was "responding so well to his treatments."

In his post, Whibley adds that he's "in the best hands and am on the right medicine." He plans on "being my absolute best" for Sum 41's scheduled performance at the 2023 When We Were Young festival in October.

"That's my goal," he says. "Thank you, so much love."

The 43-year-old Whibley was previously hospitalized in 2014 with liver and kidney damage resulting from alcoholism.

Sum 41 spent the summer on tour with The Offspring. The band announced in May that they were planning to break up following a final album and tour.

Streams higher than the Empire State: fun. & Janelle Monáe's "We Are Young" reaches billion Spotify milestone

Posted Tuesday afternoon

fun. and Janelle Monáe's "We Are Young" has reached 1 billion streams on Spotify.

In a social media post on Monday, September 18, Spotify shares, "[fun.] and [Monae]'s youth anthem is the newest entry in the #BillionsClub canon."

Hitting 1 billions streams on Spotify is the latest accomplishment for the well-decorated "We Are Young," which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2019 and reached 1 billion YouTube views in 2022.

"We Are Young" was a single off fun.'s 2012 album, Some Nights, which also spawned hits in the title track and "Carry On." The trio — made up of Nate Ruess, Jack Antonoff and Andrew Dost — never released a follow-up album and has remained on hiatus since 2015.

Ruess has since launched a solo career, while Antonoff started the band Bleachers and has become one today's most in-demand producers, working with artists including Taylor Swift, Lorde, Lana Del Rey and St. Vincent.

K.Flay announces intimate MONO: Live in Stereo tour

Posted Tuesday afternoon

K.Flay has announced a North American tour in support of her new album, MONO.

The outing, dubbed the MONO: Live in Stereo, kicks off in March 2024 and features the "Blood in the Cut" artist playing two shows in intimate venues across seven cities: Los Angeles, New York City, Toronto, Chicago, Denver, Seattle and San Francisco.

For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit KFlay.com.

MONO, which features the single "Raw Raw," was released Friday, September 15. It reflects K.Flay's experience after suddenly losing hearing in her right ear in 2022.