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Hey everyone,
Guess what?! Zappagram is now a newsletter and a podcast!
Just search “Zappagram” wherever you get your podcasts (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.) and smash that subscribe button. Of course, you can also listen right here on Substack, through the Substack app.
The podcast will be weekly, with a new episode dropping every Monday (same as this newsletter.)
The podcast will cover some things contained in the weekly newsletter, and some things that are not. Plus, I’m working on lots of bonus content that won’t be available in the newsletter, including some great interviews with bands, artists, writers, all sorts of stuff.
If you’d subscribe to the podcast, it would really mean the world to me.
I’m psyched about this new format and what I can do with it. I hope you’ll find it entertaining and follow along.
And now, back to our regularly scheduled content…
Ground control to reader. Take your protein pills. Put your helmet on.
This music newsletter ain’t gonna read itself.
“Art is a reverberation of an impermanent life.”
—Rick Rubin
ROCK THE VOTE
:: MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
- - -
WEEKLY PLAYLIST #47
:: NEW MUSIC EVERY WEEK
Featuring: Jackson Browne & David Lindley, He’s Not Your Kind, Twin Ritual, Mudhoney, Slow Joy, Algiers & Big Rube, Gorillaz & Thundercat, The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, Bluhm, Boygenius, GoGo Penguin, Tedeschi Trucks Band & Trey Anastasio
MASTER PLAYLIST (ALL WEEKS)
- - -
MUSIC NEWS
:: WHAT’S GOING ON
David Lindley, Multi-Instrumentalist Who Shaped the Sound of Soft Rock, Dead at 78
Lindley collaborated with the likes of Jackson Browne, Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Toto, Rod Stewart, and Joe Walsh. [RollingStone]
Wayne Shorter, Jazz Legend Who Collaborated With Miles Davis and Joni Mitchell, Dead at 89
Prolific Grammy-winning saxophonist also recorded with Steely Dan and Herbie Hancock in addition to his own renowned albums and work with supergroup Weather Report. [RollingStone]
De La Soul’s Entire Discography Finally Available on Streaming
De La Soul’s first six studio albums have been unavailable for ages due to a legal dispute. [Complex]
Steve Mackey, Pulp Bassist and Producer, Dies at 56
Mackey joined the legendary Britpop group in 1989 and played on seminal LPs like His ’n’ Hers and Different Class. [Pitchfork]
Pearl Jam Announce 25th Anniversary Edition of 'Yield'
Upon its original release, the grunge icons got hits like ‘Given to Fly’ and ‘Do the Evolution’ on the radio, the latter of which marked their first official video since ‘Jeremy’ in 1991. [FarOut]
The Weeknd Becomes First Artist to Hit This Spotify Milestone
The Canadian crooner's accomplishment comes days after he released his "Die for You" remix with Ariana Grande. [Billboard]
Foo Fighters Expand 2023 Live Plans With Three New Headlining Shows
The band has scheduled gigs in New Hampshire, Arkansas, and Alabama around some upcoming few festival dates. [RollingStone]
Black Midi Announce North American Tour
The band returns to North America this spring and summer, starting in Philadelphia and winding up a few weeks later in Boston. [Pitchfork]
Bon Iver Announced U.S. Shows For A New Tour Launching This Summer
The performances will kick off on August 2 in Duluth, Minnesota, on the heels of an Australian and European tour. [Uproxx]
Weezer Touring With Modest Mouse, Spoon, White Reaper And More This Summer
The 30-date trek begins on June 4 in Huntsville, AL. [Spin]
KISS Announces Final Shows Ever: ‘We’re Finishing Up Where We Started’
The band dished the details on The Howard Stern Show. [Billboard]
Frankfurt Cancels Roger Waters Concert, Calling Him One Of The World’s Most Well-Known Antisemites
The German city of Frankfurt has canceled an upcoming Roger Waters concert on May 28, citing “persistent anti-Israel behavior” from “one of the most widely spread anti-Semites in the world.” [Stereogum]
Jack White Joins the ‘SNL’ Five-Timers Club With Electrifying Performances
Rocker delivers "Taking Me Back"/"Fear of the Dawn" medley, "A Tip From You to Me" during his fifth visit to late-night series. [RollingStone]
Phoebe Bridgers Named One of ‘Time’s 2023 Women of the Year
The singer-songwriter opened up about politics, touring with Taylor Swift and the strangely life-changing advice Ryan Adams once gave her. [Billboard]
Willie Nelson Welcoming Spoon, Ethel Cain To His Texas Ranch For Luck Reunion
The 11th annual event takes place March 16 and will also feature musical tributes to Doug Sahm and Leon Russell. [Spin]
Joni Mitchell Performed And Got Covered By Annie Lennox, Cyndi Lauper, & More At Gershwin Prize Tribute Concert
Mitchell performed onstage once more at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, DC as she was honored with the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. [Stereogum]
SST Records Producer Glen “SPOT” Lockett Dies at 72
He helped shape the sound of the legendary punk label by way of Black Flag, Minutemen, and Descendents. [Pitchfork]
- - -
LINKS OF NOTE
:: MAY OR MAY NOT BE MUSIC-RELATED
There Were Sidemen. And Then There Was David Lindley
The legendary musician didn't just accompany L.A. rock legends — he shaped the sound of an era. [RollingStone]
New Foo Fighters Pinball Machine Released
A small number of limited-edition pinball machines are now on sale. [NME]
Dave Grohl Cooked BBQ for 500 People at LA Homeless Shelter
Dave Grohl once again put his BBQ skills to good use last week when he pulled up to a Los Angeles homeless shelter in the midst of winter storms in Southern California with a huge meat smoker. [Consequence]
Martin Short Gives Up His Plane Seat for Chance the Rapper’s Daughter
“We both said thank you and as he stands up, I realize it’s THE Martin Short!!" the rapper recalls of the encounter. [HollywoodReporter]
- - -
Z-REX
:: ZAPPA’S RECOMMENDATIONS
+ In the world of music criticism, there are brutal takedown reviews which are often painfully accurate, but rarely are they also hilarious at the same time. Jeremy Larson’s review of Måneskin’s new album Rush! is one such review. (Pitchfork score of 2.0 and, for what it’s worth, I think that’s being quite generous for this mess of an album.)
+ My friend Jeffrey Harvey penned a touching tribute to De La Soul’s Dave Jolicoeur who, sadly, passed away last month at the age of 54.
+ Zoë Mead makes beautiful “doom pop” as Wyldest, and her video for “Beggar” follows her sleepwalking through the streets of London in what is a dreamy, visually arresting video worthy of your time.
- - -
NEW RELEASES
:: RECENTLY DROPPED MUSIC
Elvis Costello: The Songs of Bacharach & Costello [listen]
He’s Not Your Kind: Covers, Vol. 1 [listen]
LANNDS: Music for the Future [listen]
Slowthai: Ugly [listen]
Twin Ritual: “Wicked Little Town” (single) [listen]
Willie Nelson: I Don’t Know a Thing About Love [listen]
- - -
RELEASE RADAR
:: UPCOMING RELEASES
- MAR 10 -
Death Cab for Cutie: Asphalt Meadows Acoustic
Fever Ray: Radical Romantics
Lonnie Holley: Oh Me Oh My
Manchester Orchestra: The Valley Of Vision
- MAR 17 -
100 gecs: 10,000 gecs
Black Honey: A Fistful of Peaches
Hozier: Eat Your Young
M83: Fantasy
U2: Songs of Surrender
Unknown Mortal Orchestra: V
- MAR 24 -
Depeche Mode: Memento Mori
Elton John: Honky Château (50th Anniversary Edition)
Lana Del Rey: Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
Nickel Creek: Celebrants
Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon (Live at Wembley 1974)
Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon (50th Anniversary)
Sharon Van Etten: Tramp (Anniversary Edition)
- MAR 31 -
Boygenius: The Record
Crazy Horse: All Roads Lead Home
The Hold Steady: The Price of Progress
The New Pornographers: Continue As a Guest
APR 7 -
Blondshell: Blondshell
Devon Gilfillian: Love You Anyway
Matthew Logan Vasquez: As All Get Out
Mudhoney: Plastic Eternity
Oracle Sisters: Hydranism
Thomas Bangalter: Mythologies
- APR 14 -
Feist: Multitudes
GoGo Penguin: Everything is Going To be OK
Metallica: 72 Seasons
Natalie Merchant: Keep Your Courage
The Tallest Man on Earth: Henry St.
- - -
ON THIS DATE
:: MUSICAL HAPPENINGS OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
- MAR 6 -
Birthdays: Bob Wills (1905) • Mary Wilson of The Supremes (1944) • David Gilmour (77/1946) • Kiki Dee (76/1947) • Guy Garvey of Elbow (49/1974) • Tyler, the Creator (32/1991) • The Beatles recorded sound effects onto the song ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' at Abbey Road studios in London. (1967)
- MAR 7 -
Birthdays: Townes Van Zandt (1944) • Arthur Lee of Love (78/1945) • Peter Wolf of The J Geils Band (77/1946) • Ernie Isley of The Isley Brothers (1952) • Taylor Dayne (61/1962) • Paul Davis of Happy Mondays (57/1966) • The Beastie Boys became the first rap act to have a #1 album in the U.S. with their debut album, Licensed To Ill. The album is one of Columbia Records' fastest-selling debut records to date. (1987)
- MAR 8 -
Birthdays: Mickey Dolenz of The Monkees (1945) • Randy Meisner (77/1946) • Gary Numan (65/1958) • Gaz Coombes of Supergrass (47/1976) • Tom Chaplin of Keane (44/1979) • English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, audio engineer, and musician, Sir George Martin died aged 90. (2016)
- MAR 9 -
Birthdays: Ornette Coleman (1930) • John Cale (81/1942) • Robin Trower (78/1945) • Jeffrey Osborne (75/1948) • U2 released The Joshua Tree. (1987) • Notorious BIG was gunned down and killed as he left a party at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. He was 24 years old. (1997)
- MAR 10 -
Birthdays: Rick Rubin & Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam (60/1963) • Edie Brickell (57/1966) • Record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive Timbaland (52/1971) • Carrie Underwood (40/1983) • Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel recorded “The Sounds Of Silence” as an acoustic duo. (1964)
- MAR 11 -
Birthdays: Bobby McFerrin (73/1950) • Lisa Loeb (55/1968) • Rami Jaffee (54/1969) • Deja Vu, the first album by Crosby, Stills Nash & Young, (and the second by the trio configuration of Crosby, Stills, and Nash), was released. (1970) • Neil Young went to #1 on the U.S. & UK album chart with his fourth studio album Harvest. (1972) • The front door of Ozzy Osbourne's childhood home in Birmingham, England went up for sale because the current owner was fed up with fans defacing it. (2005)
- MAR 12 -
Birthdays: Leonard Chess, founder of the Chess Records (1917) • Al Jarreau (1940) • James Taylor (75/1948) • Pete Doherty (44/1979) • Charlie Parker died of a heart attack in New York City. He was 34. (1955) • The Velvet Underground’s debut album was released. (1967) • The Rolling Stones started recording “Jumpin' Jack Flash.” (1968) • Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman. (1969) • The Allman Brothers Band played the first of two nights at the Fillmore East in New York. Both shows were recorded and released as a live double album. (1971) • Amy Winehouse made her U.S. television debut on The Late Show with David Letterman performing “Rehab.” (2007)
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Thanks for being here and for being so damn cool.
CZ 🤘🏻
I read that Maneskin review, and it was absolutely brutal. They’re not really my speed anyway, but damn! Interestingly (or not) my wife saw them at Lollapalooza and said they killed.
Separately, I was thinking of riding down to Breese, watching Momma and Modest Mouse and skipping Weezer. Looks like the resellers have already mixed that idea for me. 😡
Congratulations on getting that podcast up and running, Chris! And I always love reading your intro text before you lay out the musical wizardry.
I’m pretty old school when it comes to musical listening. I want to hear the actual instruments being played by the actual members in the band. Loops and electronic sound just don’t capture the reality.
But there are some really amazing lyrics being written and sung by really amazing vocalists, and that’s where my passions really lie...the words.