Hey folks,
This past week, I released my first interview episode with Claire and John of the band Bluhm. We discussed their music and what influences them, the state of the music scene in Detroit, as well as a ton of other interesting music-related stuff. Their new song “Night Dream” is out now on all streaming platforms. If you haven’t listened to this episode or to their positively dreamy music, please go check it out. You’ll find a link to stream the new song below under New Releases.
I was also honored to be a guest (the first guest) on my friend Buddy Gott’s new podcast, Gotta Pop! We discussed our mutual love for Steely Dan. Buddy is a gracious host and I highly recommend his show.
There’s a ton of tour news that I’ll be covering in the podcast today because I couldn’t fit it all into this week’s newsletter.
So, if you’re enjoying the Zappagram podcast and newsletter, please tell your friends, enemies, flight attendants, primary physicians, next-door neighbors, therapists, yoga instructors, college professors, and anyone else who will listen, and be sure to leave a review on your streaming platform of choice!
Okay, enough shameless self-promotion.
Ground control to reader. Take your protein pills. Put your helmet on.
This music newsletter ain’t gonna read itself.
“I'm not ashamed to dress like a woman because I don't think it's shameful to be a woman.”
—Iggy Pop
ROCK THE VOTE
:: MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
- - -
WEEKLY PLAYLIST #53
:: NEW MUSIC EVERY WEEK
Featuring: Bluhm, The xx, Bleach Lab, A Girl Called Eddy, Weyes Blood, Flock Of Dimes, Angel Olsen, Nice Biscuit, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Moxy The Band, The Dead Milkmen
MASTER PLAYLIST (ALL WEEKS)
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MUSIC NEWS
:: WHAT’S GOING ON
Khruangbin Releasing Five Live Albums Before End Of Year
First up on May 19 is Live at Stubb’s, which was recorded at the titular Austin venue and features guest appearances by Kelly Doyle, Ruben Moreno, the Suffers, and Robert Ellis. [Spin]
Rush Frontman Geddy Lee Reveals Title and Release Date of Autobiography
The legendary musician’s My Effin' Life will arrive on Nov 14th. [Consequence]
Drive-By Truckers Announce ‘Director’s Cut’ Reissue of ‘The Dirty South’
Originally released in 2004, an upcoming remixed version includes bonus tracks and two songs with new vocals. [RollingStone]
Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood Is Selling Olive Oil Made at His Farm
Over the last eight years, Jonny Greenwood has spent his free time at his own farm in the Le Marche region of Italy, where he’s been harvesting and pressing olives with family and friends in order to make artisanal olive oil. [Consequence]
Greta Van Fleet Announces New Album, Starcatcher
Another heavily Led Zeppelin-influenced single, ‘Meeting the Master,’ is out now. [Spin]
Mötley Crüe Manager Accuses Mick Mars’ Representatives of “Elder Abuse”
The unfortunate dispute between Mötley Crüe and their former guitarist Mick Mars has gotten pretty ugly, with the band’s manager now accusing Mars’ representatives of “elder abuse.” [Consequence]
Nikki Sixx Confirms Mötley Crüe Are Working on New Music
The founding member and bassist of the hair metal icons shared a picture of himself, drummer Tommy Lee and new guitarist John 5 in a songwriting session. [NME]
Pet Shop Boys Release Five New Songs
Pet Shop Boys have also revealed that they’ve begun work on a brand new album, their first since 2020’s Hotspot. Additionally, they’ll tour the UK and Europe this summer. [Consequence]
Slowdive Have Finished Their New Album
The band confirmed the news that they have completed work on their first new album in six years. [Consequence]
Bob Dylan’s ‘Shadow Kingdom’ Streaming Concert Set for Release
Shadow Kingdom — recorded at a still-unknown venue and featuring Dylan reinterpreting over a dozen classics from his catalog — will be released as both a concert film and live album this June. [RollingStone]
Jah Shaka, Dub and Roots Reggae Legend, Has Died
The London roots reggae legend whose soundsystem influenced generations of artists, producers, and DJs, died on Wednesday, April 12, his management has confirmed. A cause of death was not provided. [Pitchfork]
The Script Guitarist Mark Sheehan Dead at 46
The guitarist died Friday after a brief illness. [RollingStone]
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OTHER NEWS
:: MAY OR MAY NOT BE MUSIC-RELATED
Record Store Day 2023
Check out the full list of releases. [NME]
Devon Gilfillian, Pissed Off at Nashville, Wants to Prioritize Black Joy
"What's the point in this country, where all these things are happening and our voices are getting smothered?" asks the singer, who addresses both struggle and celebration on a new album. [RollingStone]
The Story Behind Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here’ Album Cover
The album cover is just as iconic as the work within. Simple yet affecting, the cover was conceptualized by Hipgnosis graphic designer Storm Thorgerson. But what prompted the idea? [AmericanSongwriter]
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Z-REX
:: ZAPPA’S RECOMMENDATIONS
+ Jeff Gorman of Illiterate Light recently started a new Substack, and was kind enough to shout me out because I turned him onto the greatest platform to come along since ever. Please go follow Jeff and listen to Illiterate Light.
+ An electrified performance by Illiterate Light of their song “Light Me Up” recorded live at the Jefferson Theatre.
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NEW RELEASES
:: RECENTLY DROPPED MUSIC
Angel Olsen: Forever Means EP [listen]
Chat Pile & Nerver: Brothers in Christ EP [listen]
Feist: Multitudes [listen]
Fruit Bats: A River Running to Your Heart [listen]
GoGo Penguin: Everything is Going To be OK [listen]
Kiersten Blue: “Thriving” (single) [listen]
Metallica: 72 Seasons [listen]
Mickey Sunshine: Mickey Sellout Pt 1 [listen]
Natalie Merchant: Keep Your Courage [listen]
Bluhm: “Night Dream” (single) [listen]
The Tallest Man on Earth: Henry St. [listen]
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RELEASE RADAR
:: UPCOMING RELEASES
- APR 21 -
Everything But the Girl: Fuse
St. Paul & The Broken Bones: Angels in Science
The Smashing Pumpkins: ATUM (Act 3)
Twin Ritual: Allie
- APR 28 -
Glen Matlock (of Sex Pistols): Consequences Coming
Smokey Robinson: GASMS
Stephen Stills: Stephen Stills Live at Berkeley 1971
Taj Mahal: Savoy
The Damned: Darkadelic
The National: First Two Pages of Frankenstein
- MAY 5 -
Durand Jones: Wait Til I Get Over
Ed Sheeran: - (subtract)
Jenny Owen Youngs: Offair: From The Forest Floor
The Lemon Twigs: Everything Harmony
Olivia Jean: Raving Ghost
SBTRKT: The Rat Road
Sqürl: Silver Haze
- MAY 12 -
Alison Goldfrapp: The Love Invention
Daft Punk: Random Access Memories (10th Anniversary Edition)
Dropkick Murphys: Okemah Rising
Esben & The Witch: Hold Sacred
Madison McFerrin: I Hope You Can Forgive Me
Moby: Resound NYC
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ON THIS DATE
:: MUSICAL HAPPENINGS OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
- APR 17 -
Birthdays: Roy Estrada, bassist with Frank Zappa and a founder member of Little Feat (1943) • Jan Hammer (1948) • Michael Sembello (1954) • Pete Shelley of Buzzcocks (1955) • Maynard James Keenan (1964) • Liz Phair (1967) • Drummer Matt Chamberlain (1967) • Redman (1970) • Morrissey walked off stage during his set at the Coachella festival in California after declaring he could 'smell burning flesh'. The committed vegetarian took offence to the smell coming from nearby barbecues. (2009)
- APR 18 -
Birthdays: Producer Paul Rothchild (1935) • Drummer Clyde Stubblefield (1943) • Greg Eklund, drummer for Everclear (1970) • Storm Thorgerson, whose album cover artwork includes Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon died aged 69. (2013) • Public Enemy became the fourth hip-hop act inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (the others that preceded Public Enemy were Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Run-DMC, and the Beastie Boys). Other 2013 inductees are Rush, Heart, Albert King, Donna Summer, and Randy Newman. (2013)
- APR 19 -
Birthdays: Producer/engineer Eddie Kramer (1942) • Bernie Worrell, American keyboardist and composer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads (1944) • Tim Curry (1946) • "Suge" Knight (1966) • Drummer, singer and multi-instrumentalist, Levon Helm, died of cancer aged 71. (2012) • Producer/songwriter Jim Steinman, most famous for his work on Meat Loaf's best-selling Bat Out Of Hell album, died at the age of 73. (2021)
- APR 20 -
Birthdays: Luther Vandross (1951) • Mikey Welsh, bassist of Weezer (1971) • Stephen Marley from Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers (1972) • Five friends at San Rafael High School in California coined the term "4:20" as a euphemism for smoking pot. April 20th became a popular day to spark one up, as does 4:20pm. Fans of the Grateful Dead helped spread the phrase, the Boston song 'Smokin'' clocks in at 4 minutes, 20 seconds, and if you multiply the title numbers in Bob Dylan's 'Rainy Day Women #12 And #35,' you get 420. (1971)
- APR 21 -
Birthdays: James Osterberg (a.k.a. Iggy Pop) (1947) • Paul Davis (1948) • Robert Smith (1959) • Michael Timmins, guitarist of Cowboy Junkies (1959) • John Maher, drummer of Buzzcocks (1960) • Lonnie Mack died. (2016) • Prince was found dead at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota. He was 57 years old. (2016)
- APR 22 -
Birthdays: Charles Mingus (1922) • Glen Campbell (1936) • Peter Frampton (1950) • Paul Carrack (1951) • Kenny Lyons of The Lemonheads (1956) • Daniel Johns of Silverchair (1979) • Richie Havens, the folk singer who opened the legendary 1969 Woodstock rock festival, died of a heart attack at 72 at his home in Jersey City, New Jersey. (2013)
- APR 23 -
Birthdays: Roy Orbison (1936) • Ray Burns (Captain Sensible) of The Damned (1955) • Ramones released their eponymous debut album. (1976) • Roy Orbison celebrated his 52nd birthday at a Bruce Springsteen concert, during which the audience sang happy birthday to him. (1988) • Johnny Thunders died of a drug overdose. (1991) • Peter Hodgson, from Liverpool found a tape in his attic containing 16 of The Beatles earliest recordings made in 1959. The tape included 'Hello Little Girl', a Lennon-McCartney composition that the Beatles never recorded and Ray Charles' 'Hallelujah, I Love Her So'. The sessions had been made on a reel-to-reel recorder that Hodgson's father had lent to Paul McCartney. (1995)
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CZ 🤘🏻
Zappagram #53: Radiohead co-founder sells olive oil