Zappagram #18
Fans of John Hughes movies have something cool to look forward to, Honeyyycrush has new music out, and we wish Edge a happy birthday...
Hey friends,
It’s been another busy week in the world of music—lots of great new releases, a killer weekly playlist comprised of gems both new and old, and some really cool news, especially for fans of John Hughes movies from the ‘80s.
Let’s dive in…
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Inquiring minds want to know
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What have you been listening to lately? Recommend something to me that I might not have heard yet! Let me know in a private reply to this email or leave a comment and share with the rest of the class.
“Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.”
―Leonard Bernstein
RECENT ESSAYS
The latest essays by Chris Zappa
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The Worst Album Titles of All Time
Volume one (of many)
Celebrating the Queen of Bass, Carol Kaye
The fascinating story of an unsung music legend
HEAVY ROTATION
New weekly playlists highlighting great music
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WEEKLY PLAYLIST #18
El Vy • Washed Out • Honeyyycrush • Broken Social Scene • Manchester Orchestra • The Mars Volta • Neko Case • k.d. lang • Lenny Kravitz • Charles Stepney
MASTER PLAYLIST (ALL WEEKS)
MUSIC NEWS
The latest happenings in the world of music
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John Hughes’ Movie Soundtracks Collected in Box Set Life Moves Pretty Fast
The iconic ’80s movies of John Hughes wouldn’t have been the same without their equally iconic soundtracks. Now, you can get musical highlights from the films in a box set called Life Moves Pretty Fast: The John Hughes Mixtapes, out November 11th. [via Consequence]
Lollapalooza Security Guard Arrested For Making Fake Mass Shooting Threat To Leave Work Early
Filed under: Jesus, what a fucking asshole. Whatever happened to just calling in sick? People are horrible and awful and just no good. [via Stereogum]
John Lennon’s Scathing 1971 Letter to Paul McCartney Is Up for Auction
The 1971 typewritten letter with additional hand-written remarks was penned by Lennon in response to an interview McCartney did with Melody Maker, where the latter shared his thoughts on John and Yoko, the dissolution of the Beatles’ business partnership and more. [via Billboard]
Johnny Depp & Jeff Beck accused of stealing lyrics from incarcerated man’s poem
Depp and Beck’s “Sad Motherfuckin’ Parade” appears to share numerous lines with “Hobo Ben,” a toast performed by Slim Wilson and recorded by esteemed folklorist Bruce Jackson in the mid-Sixties. [via RollingStone]
Prince Estate Legal Battle Over Assets Finally Resolved After 6 Years
A Minnesota judge signed off on a deal that finalizes how the late icon’s estate and assets would be distributed, Billboard reports. The agreement comes more than six years after Prince died without leaving a will. [via Pitchfork]
SoundCloud Confirms Layoffs Impacting Nearly 20% of Its Workforce
The company will be laying off approximately 20% of its global workforce citing “a significant company transformation” and the current economic and financial landscape. [via Variety]
Lady Gaga Confirms Starring Role In Joker Sequel
The pop singer will star as Harley Quinn next to Joaquin Phoenix. [via Spin]
King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard Cancel Their UK and European Tour Dates Due to “Personal Health Crisis”
Frontman Stu Mackenzie has pointed to his battle with Crohn’s Disease as the reason for the cancellation, saying he needs to return to Australia “for some urgent treatment.” [via NME]
NEW RELEASES
Listen to these recently dropped albums
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Abroad: Departure [listen]
David Bowie: Brilliant Adventure EP [listen]
Glass Animals: Dreamland: Real Life Edition [listen]
Heavy Gus: Notions [listen]
The Interrupters: In the Wild [listen]
Mat Kerekes: Nova [listen]
Neil Young + Promise Of The Real: Noise & Flowers [listen]
Pussy Riot: Matriarchy Now [listen]
UPCOMING RELEASES
These albums are coming soon
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AUGUST 12
Alicia Keys: KEYS II • Danny Elfman: Bigger. Messier. • Erasure: Day-Glo (Based on a True Story) • Goo Goo Dolls: Chaos In Bloom • Hollywood Undead: Hotel Kalifornia
AUGUST 19
Cass McCombs: Heartmind • Charlie Burg: Infinitely Tall • Hot Chip: Freakout/Release • Marketa Irglova: LILA • The Mountain Goats: Bleed Out • Panic! At The Disco: Viva Las Vengeance • Röyksopp: Profound Mysteries II • Silversun Pickups: Physical Thrills • Watkins Family Hour: Vol. II
AUGUST 26
Ezra Furman: All of Us Flames • Julia Jacklin: Pre Pleasure • Muse: Will of the People • Regina Spektor: 11:11 • Stella Donnelly: Flood • William Orbit: The Painter
SEPTEMBER 9
The Afghan Whigs: How Do You Burn? • Built to Spill: When the Wind Forgets Your Name • Charles Stepney: Step on Step • Jockstrap: I Love You Jennifer B • Oliver Sim: Hideous Bastard • Ozzy Osbourne: Patient Number 9 • Preoccupations: Arrangements • Santigold: Spirituals
VIDEO SPOTLIGHT
See it to believe it
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Jack White Live from the Olympia in Paris
Filmed live on July 20, 2022, this blistering performance is a must-see, covering Jack’s new album, Fear of the Dawn, as well as old favorites from the White Stripes and Raconteurs. Oh, to have been at this show… [via YouTube]
ON THIS DATE
Musical happenings of historical significance
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AUGUST 8
Birthday: The Edge (1961) • The photo session for the cover of The Beatles Abbey Road album took place on the crossing outside Abbey Road studios. (1969) • Janis Joplin bought a headstone for the grave of her greatest influence, Bessie Smith, at the Mount Lawn Cemetery in Philadelphia. Smith had died in 1937 after tragically being refused admission to a whites-only hospital. (1970)
AUGUST 9
Birthday: Whitney Houston (1963) • Ten original Gerald Scarfe drawings for Pink Floyd's album The Wall were stolen from the foyer of Earls Court, London, where they were being exhibited. (1980) • Jerry Garcia died from a heart attack at the Serenity Knolls rehabilitation clinic in San Francisco aged 53. (1995) • Baltimore's mayor proclaimed this day as the city's official Frank Zappa Day, citing Zappa's musical accomplishments as well as his defense of the First Amendment. (2007)
AUGUST 10
Birthdays: Ronnie Spector & Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull (1947) • Singer/songwriter Julia Fordham (1962) • Isaac Hayes died at his home in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 65. (2008)
AUGUST 11
Birthdays: Joe Jackson (1954) • Ben Gibbard (1976) • Led Zeppelin played their last ever UK show when they appeared at Knebworth House, England. (1979)
AUGUST 12
Birthdays: Buck Owens (1929) • Mark Knopfler (1949) • Pat Metheny (1954) • The Eagles, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and the Santa Monica Flyers all appeared at the Corral Club in Topanga, California. (1973) • Les Paul died at the age of 94 after suffering from severe pneumonia. (2009)
AUGUST 13
Birthday: Dan Fogelberg (1951) • John Lennon flew from Heathrow Airport to New York, and he never set foot on British soil again. (1971) • Four masked robbers broke in to Todd Rundgren's New York house, stealing stereo equipment and paintings after tying the musician up. (1980) • Members from Oasis and The Verve were arrested after smashing up a hotel bar and breaking into a church to steal communion wine. (1994) • Singer/songwriter Nanci Griffith died at the age of 68. (2021)
AUGUST 14
Birthday: David Crosby (1941) • Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses (1966) • Foo Fighters made their network television debut on The Late Show with David Letterman when they performed their new single “This Is A Call.” (1995)
OFF TOPIC
May or may not be music-related
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It’s Time for Big-Name Artists to Join Music’s New Labor Movement
A new proposal by Rep. Rashida Tlaib calls for streaming services like Spotify to divert some of their record profits to musicians in the form of direct royalties. An indie-rock veteran (remember Galaxie 500?) explains why your favorite major-label artists have yet to join the chorus of calls for change. [via VanityFair]
Four Arrested in Lollapalooza Phone Theft Ring
They were charged with felony theft after more than a dozen phones were allegedly found in their possession. [via Consequence]
How Joni Mitchell Became a Millennial and Gen-Z Hero
In the continual reordering of the popular-music canon, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: Joni Mitchell’s complex, emotive, cerebral, ever-evolving music is ranking higher than ever. [via RollingStone]
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Love, peace, and harmony.
CZ 🤘🏻
I can't hear "Feel it All Around" without imagining myself back on the top deck of the Marquam bridge.
Lately, I've been obsessed (as the kids say) with "John Cooper Clarke" by Working Men's Club, and R.E.M.'s "Out of Time" record. Two very different sounds, but I've had both on in equal measure. I finally got the latter on vinyl, and my wife says it's one of those records meant to be listened to on a record. I think she's right.
Those August 12th birthdays can't be coincidental!!! Love Washed Out and glad they're on your heavy playlist. I'm playing Bobbie Gentry right now. How cool she was!