Zappagram #48
Happy birthday Flavor Flav, vinyl outsells CDs for the first time in 35 years, and the Zappagram podcast keeps getting better...
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Greetings & salutations!
As you know, I published the first episode of the Zappagram podcast last week. I want to thank everyone who subscribed! You’ve all been so kind to offer your positive feedback, and I’m really glad you’re enjoying the show.
I’ll continue with the weekly news recap shows, and will soon begin offering additional episodes throughout the week with guest interviews featuring new and established artists, music journalists, producers, and more. I’ve got some amazing things lined up, so if you haven’t already, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!
Note: I have gotten very sick over the weekend, so the podcast is delayed.
Ground control to reader. Take your protein pills. Put your helmet on.
This music newsletter ain’t gonna read itself.
“I used to think that anyone doing anything weird was weird. I suddenly realized that anyone doing anything weird wasn’t weird at all and it was the people saying they were weird that were weird.”
—Paul McCartney
ROCK THE VOTE
:: MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
- - -
WEEKLY PLAYLIST #48
:: NEW MUSIC EVERY WEEK
Featuring: Butch Bastard, Jeremy Messersmith, Sam Fender, Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Camp Crush, SYML, Bodywash, Nickel Creek, Beach Fossils, Florence + The Machine, Bartees Strange, Bleach Lab, The Flaming Lips, Iggy Pop, Mickey Sunshine
MASTER PLAYLIST (ALL WEEKS)
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MUSIC NEWS
:: WHAT’S GOING ON
RIAA: Vinyl Outsold CDs in 2022 For First Time In 35 Years
Vinyl sales accounted for 41 million units, compared to 33 million for CDs. [Spin]
Spotify’s New Home Feed Looks More Like TikTok
The revamped home feed has a vertical scrolling design meant to look more dynamic, with animated images, video clips and audio previews like the auto-playing trailers on Netflix. [RollingStone]
Gary Rossington, the Last Original Member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dies
The founding guitarist of Lynyrd Skynyrd, has died at the age of 71, the band announced. [Pitchfork]
Lewis Largent, MTV '120 Minutes' VJ and KROQ DJ, Dies at 58
Known to millions as an influential alternative-music MTV VJ and DJ on KROQ, died on Feb. 20 after a long illness, his family confirms. [Variety]
Death Row Catalog Back on Streaming Services
The Death Row catalog is back on streaming services one year after Snoop Dogg pulled the albums with the promise of building a platform of his own. [Consequence]
Jane’s Addiction Debut New Song ‘True Love,’ First in 10 Years
The song is a psych-tinged ballad that builds to an understated peak, with frontman Perry Farrell’s voice reverberating against twinkling guitars, splashy cymbals, and a pensive baseline. [RollingStone]
Rufus Wainwright Goes Folk With Brandi Carlile, David Byrne, Chaka Khan
Ahead of his 50th birthday in July, Wainwright is returning to the roots passed down to him by his folk legend parents Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle with Folkocracy, featuring a number of guest appearances. [Spin]
Angel Olsen Returns With New Single ‘Nothing’s Free’ From Upcoming EP
The new EP, due out this April, is titled Forever Means, and is a collection of tracks recorded during — but left off — her acclaimed 2022 LP Big Time. [RollingStone]
Jim Jarmusch’s Sqürl Announce Debut Album, Share Video for New Song “Berlin ’87”
Silver Haze features collaborations with Charlotte Gainsbourg, Anika, and Marc Ribot; it’s due out May 5. [Pitchfork]
The Bangles' Susanna Hoffs Announces Covers Album
The Deep End is out April 7th via Baroque Folk, while the first taste of the LP — a cover of The Rolling Stones’ 1966 track “Under My Thumb” — is available to stream now. [Consequence]
Tom Waits' Debut Album, Closing Time, Gets 50th Anniversary Reissue
The double LP set is pressed on black and clear vinyl cut at 45 RPM, with half speed mastering by London’s Abbey Road Studios. Pre-orders are now available through Waits’ website, ahead of its June 2nd release. [Consequence]
Rush Announce 40th Anniversary Edition of Signals
Signals-40th Anniversary will arrive in three configurations: the Super Deluxe Edition, a single-LP Picture Disc Edition, and a Dolby Atmos Digital Edition. A limited-edition “Backstage Exclusive” Super Deluxe box is also available through the official Rush online store, featuring eight lithographs of Neil Peart’s original hand-drawn lyrics for each song on on the album. [Consequence]
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LINKS OF NOTE
:: MAY OR MAY NOT BE MUSIC-RELATED
Lies Jim Carroll Told Me
As told to Legs McNeil [Legsville]
6 Ways to Fix the Broken Concert Ticketing System
Buying a ticket to a show shouldn’t feel like getting ripped off in a cryptocurrency scam. [Pitchfork]
The Untold Story of Elliott Smith’s Teenage Band
The singer-songwriter became famous for a style so intimate it resembled confession, but six recently unearthed albums made with his high school friends trace the surprising musical path he took to get there. [Pitchfork]
Eddie Izzard Reveals New Feminine Name
The comedian/actor has announced she now alternates between her original name and a new moniker. [NME]
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Z-REX
:: ZAPPA’S RECOMMENDATIONS
+ Matthew Ismael Ruiz, writing for Pitchfork, reviewed the amazing new Algiers album Shook.
+ My friends in the grunge/punk band Mickey Sunshine make music that sounds like a giant middle finger to the rampant sexism and misogyny (everywhere, but especially) in the modern music industry. Check out their new single “Rock God” and tell me that isn’t the most apt description ever.
+ Watch Flea interview Iggy (with many appearances by Andrew Watt.)
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NEW RELEASES
:: RECENTLY DROPPED MUSIC
Death Cab for Cutie: Asphalt Meadows (Acoustic) [listen]
Fever Ray: Radical Romantics [listen]
Lonnie Holley: Oh Me Oh My [listen]
Manchester Orchestra: The Valley Of Vision [listen]
- - -
RELEASE RADAR
:: UPCOMING RELEASES
- 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.
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ON THIS DATE
:: MUSICAL HAPPENINGS OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
- MAR 13 -
Birthdays: Neil Sedaka (1939) • Greg Norton of Hüsker Dü (1959) • Adam Clayton of U2 (1960) • Jack Harlow (1998) • Iggy Pop kicked off the North American leg of The Idiot World Tour in Montreal (with David Bowie in the band on keyboards and backing vocals). Blondie opened. (1977) • Radiohead released The Bends. (1995)
- MAR 14 -
Birthdays: Quincy Jones (1933) • Michael Martin Murphey (1945) • Este Haim (1986) • Peter Blake, who designed the Sgt. Pepper album cover, sued the Beatles’ record company for more money. Blake was initially paid £200 ($340) in 1967, but was now 'cheesed off' that EMI had never offered to pay more. (2001)
- MAR 15 -
Birthdays: Lightnin' Hopkins (1912) • Phil Lesh (1940) • Mike Love (1941) • Sly Stone (1944) • Ry Cooder (1947) • Howard Devoto of Buzzcocks (1952) • Dee Snider of Twisted Sister (1955) • Terence Trent D'arby (1962) • Bret Michaels (1963) • Kennedy Gordy. a.k.a. Rockwell (1964) • Mark Hoppus of Blink 182 (1972) • Will.i.am (1975) • Bob Dylan was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. (1982) • Bruce Springsteen was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame by Bono. (1999) • Scott Asheton, drummer for the Stooges, died of a heart attack, aged 64. (2014)
- MAR 16 -
Birthdays: Nancy Wilson of Heart (1954) • Flavor Flav (1959) • Aziz Ibrahim, guitarist for Simply Red, The Stone Roses (1964) • Alex Lee, guitarist for Goldfrapp, Suede, Placebo (1970) • Andrew Dunlop, guitarist for Travis (1972) Motown singer Tammi Terrell died of a brain tumor, aged 24. She collapsed onstage on October 14, 1967, into Marvin Gaye's arms during a concert in Hampton, Virginia. (1970) • Dick Dale died of heart failure, aged 81. (2019)
- MAR 17 -
Birthdays: Nat King Cole (1919) • Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane (1941) • John Sebastian (1944) • Mike Lindup of Level 42 (1959) • Billy Corgan (1967) • Caroline Corr (1973) • Justin Hawkins (1975) • Hozier (1990) • Alex Chilton died in hospital of heart problems in New Orleans aged 59. (2010)
- MAR 18 -
Birthdays: Wilson Pickett (1941) • Irene Cara (1959) • Vanessa Williams (1963) • Jerry Cantrell (1966) • Queen Latifah (1970) • Lykke Li (1986) • American singer, guitarist, and songwriter John Phillips of Mamas and The Papas died of heart failure aged 65. (2001) • Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Eddie Vedder. (2002) • Chuck Berry died aged 90. (2017)
- MAR 19 -
Birthdays: Ricky Wilson of The B-52s (1953) • Bruce Willis (1955) • Terry Hall of The Specials (1959) • Randy Rhoads, guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, was killed in a plane crash. (1982)
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Until next week…
CZ 🤘🏻
You’re sick again, Chris? I’d be looking at your residence for answers now. Something is really off.
Congrats on the podcast!
Damn. This has been a brutal winter for you. I hope you feel better ASAP!