Smash Mouth in 2016 with original singer Steve Harwell; Earl Gibson III/WireImage
Hey now, Smash Mouth has a new singer.
The “All Star” outfit announced Tuesday that Zach Goode will now be fronting the band. Goode takes the place of founding vocalist Steve Harwell, who announced his retirement last fall to focus on his health issues.
Goode has played in a number of bands throughout his career, including several tribute acts. One of his groups, called Geezer, is described as blending “rock, comedy, rap and barbershoppe to hilariously swing the entire history of popular music from AC/DC and Dr. Dre back to Buddy Holly and the Beatles, mashed up mid-song with spot-on Weezer and Beastie Boys hits.”
Smash Mouth’s first song with Goode on vocals is a cover of Rick Astley‘s ever-memed classic “Never Gonna Give You Up,” which certainly sounds like a joke, but is, in fact, a real thing. You can listen to it streaming now on YouTube.
Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson‘s new band Envy of None has released a second advance track from its forthcoming self-titled debut album, an ominous, atmospheric tune called “Look Inside.”
The song, which is available now as a digital download and via streaming services, showcases singer Maiah Wynne‘s ethereal, dreamy vocals, which are accompanied by swirling layers of electronic and reverb-laden instrumentation.
Envy of None has posted a snippet of “Look Inside” on its and socialmediapages and on the Kscope label’s official YouTube channel.
As previously reported, the Envy of None album is an 11-track collection that will be released on April 8. In addition to Lifeson and Wynne, a Portland, Oregon-based singer/songwriter, the band also features bassist Andy Curran of the veteran Canadian rock group Coney Hatch and guitarist/keyboardist Alfio Annibalini.
Prior to releasing “Look Inside,” Envy of None debuted another track from the album, titled “Liar.” Check out a lyric video for the latter song on YouTube.
Lionel Richie will be receiving the Library of Congress’ prestigious Gershwin Prize for Popular Song next week, and now we know who’ll be honoring the singer at an all-star tribute concert that’s part of the event.
The March 9 show in Washington, D.C. will feature performances from Gloria Estefan, Boyz II Men, Andra Day, Yolanda Adams, Miguel, country star Chris Stapleton and Lionel’s fellow American Idol judge, country superstar Luke Bryan.
Anthony Anderson will host the concert, and Lionel himself will perform. It’ll air on PBS on May 17 at 9 p.m. ET, as well as on PBS.org and the PBS Video App.
The Gershwin Prize honors a “living musical artist’s lifetime achievement in promoting the genre of song as a vehicle of entertainment, information, inspiration and cultural understanding.” Past recipients include Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Carole King, Smokey Robinson and Paul Simon.
This is yet another accolade for Lionel, who’s already won an Oscar, a Golden Globe and four Grammy Awards, and is nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Paul McCartney has joined the many artists and other celebrities voicing his support for Ukraine as the country is being invaded by the Russian military.
McCartney has posted a note on his official website and social media pages that reads, “Remembering playing for our friends in Ukraine in Independence Square in 2008 and thinking of them in these difficult times. We send our love and support.”
Sir Paul also included link to three organizations aiding in relief for Ukrainians in need — UNICEF, Save the Children and the Red Cross.
Accompanying the message is a photo of Sir Paul waving a Ukrainian flag while onstage at the aforementioned concert, which took place in June 2008 in the capital city of Kyiv. According to PaulMcCartney.com, the former Beatles legend’s show was free, was attended by hundreds of thousands of people, and was broadcast live on Ukrainian television.
It’s been over eight years since Lou Reed took his last walk on the wild side, but had he lived, the influential rocker would have celebrated his 80th birthday today.
Reed came to fame in the late 1960s as the leader, rhythm guitarist and main songwriter of the New York City-based band The Velvet Underground, whose songs explored dark themes such as drugs, kinky sex and domestic violence in the midst of the “Flower Power” era.
Although the group enjoyed little commercial success, their edgy and poetic tunes and sometimes experimental music inspired countless bands and artists that followed in their wake, including David Bowie, Roxy Music, Patti Smith and many notable punk, New Wave and alternative rock acts.
The band’s 1967 debut, The Velvet Undeground & Nico, was ranked #23 on Rolling Stone‘s 2020 list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”
Reed left The Velvet Underground in 1970 and forged a critically acclaimed solo career that spanned over 40 years.
Lou’s best-known solo effort was 1972’s Transformer, which was co-produced by Bowie. The album peaked at #29 on the Billboard 200 and included Reed’s signature tune “Walk on the Wild Side,” which reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as “Perfect Day.”
Two of Reed’s solo albums were certified gold for sales of 500,000 in the U.S. — the popular 1974 live album Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal and 1990’s New York, which featured the modern-rock hit “Dirty Blvd.”
Reed was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice, in 1992 as member of The Velvet Underground and posthumously as a solo artist in 2015.
Reed’s final album project saw him collaborate with Metallica on the 2011 concept album Lulu.
Lou died of liver cancer in October 2013 at age 71.
Here’s wishing Jon Bon Jovi a very Happy 60th Birthday.
Born on March 2, 1962, the New Jersey native formed Bon Jovi during the early 1980s. The band self-titled debut was released in 1984, and featured the single “Runaway,” which reached #39 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Bon Jovi’s career exploded with its third album, 1986’s Slippery When Wet, which featured not one but two chart-topping hits — “You Give Love a Band Name” and “Livin’ on a Prayer” — along with the #7 single “Wanted Dead or Alive.” The album spent eight weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200, and has gone on to sell over 12 million copies in the U.S.
The band continued its multi-platinum success with 1988’s New Jersey, which spent four weeks at #1, and yielded five top-10 hits — chart-toppers “Bad Medicine” and “I’ll Be There for You,” as well as “Born to Be My Baby,” “Lay Your Hands on Me” and “Living in Sin.”
Four other Bon Jovi albums also topped the Billboard 200 — 2007’s Lost Highway, 2009’s The Circle, 2013’s What About Now and 2016’s This House Is Not for Sale.
The group’s other notable pop hits include “Bed of Roses,” “Always” and “It’s My Life.”
In 2006, Bon Jovi scored a #1 country hit with “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” a duet with Sugarland‘s Jennifer Nettles.
In 2018, Jon was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Bon Jovi. Outside of music, Jon has acted in various films and TV shows, and has been noted for his philanthropy, particularly through his Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation and the JBJ Soul Kitchen community restaurants.
Next up for Jon and his band, a U.S. tour kicking off April 1.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images For The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Whenever there’s some kind of crisis in the world, Stevie Nicks turns to her journal — and then she shares her words with her fans. What’s inspired her latest missive is the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On her socials, the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has posted a “letter” to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, which is actually more of a poem. It begins, “Are you lonely, Mr. Putin? Is that why you sit at your long, long marble table alone in the night and through the day/and talk to ghosts[?]”
“Because you really have no friends — everyone is afraid of you; afraid to even offer up good advice, because great emperors don’t listen to anyone but ghosts,” she writes.
Stevie then goes on to tell Putin that he “will never be forgiven,” adding, “Your ghosts will haunt you night and day. They will shake their heads and say, ‘This time, Vladimir, you went to[o] far.”
“I hope you never sleep again,” she writes. “I hope you sit at that long, ugly, lonely table for the rest of your life. I hope your ghosts surround you until you are old and grey and miserable. I hope the history books in your country cease to ever write another word about you — I hope you turn to dust.”
“I hope you become invisible. I hope you become ‘the forgotten one,'” she adds, concluding, “The ghosts are coming Mr. Putin. They’re coming for you. Perhaps, they’re already here.”
It remains to be seen if Stevie will turn her thoughts into a song. Her letter follows another post she wrote four days ago, in which she described Putin’s actions as “Hitler coming back to haunt us.”
After its original September 2021 publication date was postponed, former Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum‘s memoir, Double Talkin’ Jive: True Rock ‘n’ Roll Stories, is finally scheduled to be released on May 10.
As previously reported, Double Talkin’ Jive features Sorum candidly looking back at his eventful life and music career. The rocker recounts his dramatic and dangerous early years as a drug dealer, his many adventures during his 1990-1997 stint with Guns N’ Roses, and his work and exploits with many other rock artists, including the supergroups Velvet Revolver and Kings of Chaos, plus The Cult, Alice Cooper and ZZ Top‘s Billy Gibbons.
Double Talkin’ Jive also finds Sorum opening up on his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, and reflecting on the perils and pitfalls of rock stardom.
The book features a foreword penned by Gibbons, whose 2021 solo album, Hardware, was co-produced and co-written by Sorum, and featured Matt playing drums on all the tracks.
Double Talkin’ Jive can be pre-ordered now at various online book sellers. Signed copies can be pre-ordered at RareBirdLit.com.
The UMe label has launched a new multi-faceted celebration dubbed “I Am Woman” in honor of Women’s History Month this month, and International Women’s Day on March 8.
To kick off the commemoration, a new lyric video for the late Helen Reddy‘s chart-topping 1972 female-empowerment anthem “I Am Woman” has premiered on YouTube. The clip also was created in honor of the 50th anniversary of the song, which was released as a single in May of ’72.
The campaign also includes a public mural, online stories spotlighting various female music artists, custom merchandise available for purchase on the uDiscover online store, an “I Am Woman” streaming playlist featuring a variety of empowering songs, and “I Am Woman”-themed EPs available via streaming platforms.
The “I Am Woman” mural is on display now at 1239 Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, California, and will give visitors the chance “to create shareable moments” and contribute their own stories to wall painting. The mural will remain on display for several weeks.
The streaming playlist features over 170 songs, beginning with Reddy’s “I Am Woman.” Other tunes by veteran artists on the playlist include Janet Jackson‘s “Nasty,” Diana Ross‘ “I’m Coming Out,” The Go-Go’s‘ “We Got the Beat,” ABBA‘s “Dancing Queen,” Pat Benatar‘s “Hit Me with Your Best Shot,” Gloria Gaynor‘s “I Will Survive,” Blondie‘s “Heart of Glass,” and Lesley Gore‘s “You Don’t Own Me.”
Dozens of artists, including Rod Stewart, Chicago, The Doobie Brothers and Tears for Fears, are taking part in Live Nation’s 2022 Lawn Pass promotion.
A Lawn Pass ticket allows you to attend up to 40 concerts this summer at one of a select number of Live Nation amphitheaters for a total of $199, plus fees.
Other tours participating in the promotion include Goo Goo Dolls, Jimmy Buffett, KISS, REO Speedwagon‘s outing with Styx and Loverboy, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Santana‘s joint trek with Earth, Wind & Fire, Sammy Hagar, Steely Dan and Third Eye Blind. More artists will be announced soon.
The promoter says Lawn Pass not only will allow fans to catch concerts at their local selected music venue, they will also be able to access some select sold-out shows. “Each Lawn Pass purchaser will receive a custom personalized credential with their name that serves as their ticket on each show day,” Live Nation says.
Only a limited number of Lawn Passes will be available per venue, and are on sale now at LawnPass.LiveNation.com on a first-come, first-served basis. Check out the website to find eligible venues and artists.
