Music – Page 266 – 105.7 WDNY

Grateful Dead’s Bill Kreutzmann pays tribute to Bob Weir

January 14, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann has shared his thoughts on his late bandmate Bob Weir, whose death was announced Saturday.

In a lengthy post on Instagram, Kreutzmann recounts their first meeting and all the fun they had in the early days of the Grateful Dead.

“Together, we embarked on a journey without a destination,” he writes. “We didn’t set out to change the world, or to become big stars, or to have our own counterculture — we didn’t know any of those things were actually possible and we wouldn’t have been very interested in them even if we did. Well, not too much, anyway. Just enough to dream.”

“I once heard Bobby refer to himself as ‘the greatest rhythm guitar player in the world’ and it made me chuckle lightheartedly at my brother’s boastfulness,” he continues. “The thing is… he was probably right. Time has proven that nobody will ever be able to replace Jerry Garcia — or Phil Lesh — and time will prove the same for Bob Weir.”

“There are so many people who can rightfully say that their life would not have been the same without Bob Weir,” he adds. “That’s been true for me since I was 17. And through it all, the high times and the low tides, my love for him will not, indeed can not, fade away.”

Finally, Kreutzmann asks, “In the end, what more was there for him to do? He played it all… and never the same way, twice. I think he had finally said everything he had to say and now he’s on to the next thing. I just hope he was able to bring his guitar with him or otherwise he’ll go crazy.”

Grateful Dead was co-founded by Weir, Kreutzmann, Garcia, Lesh and Ron “Pigpen” McKernan in 1965, with drummer Mickey Hart and lyricist Robert Hunter joining the group in 1967. Kreutzmann and Hart are now the last two surviving members of the band.

Gracie Abrams to make acting debut in A24 film ‘Please’

January 14, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Gracie Abrams set to make her acting debut? That’s so true!

The singer will star in the upcoming A24 film Please, ABC Audio has confirmed. Babygirl and Bodies Bodies Bodies filmmaker Halina Reijn is set to direct Abrams in her first-ever professional acting role.

While the film’s story details are remaining under wraps, it will be written, directed and produced by Reijn. David Hinojosa will also produce in what will be his third collaboration with Reijn.

This is also the third collaboration between A24 and Reijn, who previously released both the slasher Bodies Bodies Bodies and the Nicole Kidman-starring erotic thriller Babygirl. The studio also acquired her debut film, Instinct.

Abrams took to Instagram to celebrate the casting announcement. She posted a screenshot of a news article about it, tagging Reijn and A24 in the caption, where she also wrote, “Please,” alongside 10 red heart emojis.

She also took to her Instagram Story to share a photo of Reijn, alongside an emoji of a woman on her knees.

Abrams was nominated for the best new artist Grammy in 2024 and the best pop duo/group performance for the song “us.,” which she made with Taylor Swift, in 2025.

She supported Swift as an opener on The Eras Tour and recently finished her first solo North American arena tour in support of the deluxe version of her sophomore album, The Secret of Us.

Pooh Shiesty tells the story of his song ‘FDO’

January 14, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Pooh Shiesty released his song “FDO” following his release from prison, but he actually started writing the track while serving a three-year sentence on a gun charge. He tells Complex he later realized he was getting ahead of himself and decided to pause the process.

“How the f*** am I going to talk about something that ain’t even happen yet?” Pooh recalled. “I’m not even out yet. I was like, ‘Man, I’m forcing it too much. F*** it—it’s gotta come natural.’”

After being released in early October, he revisited the song and made changes, including switching the beat to exude “First Day Out” vibes.

Another obstacle was the title of the song. Pooh tells Complex he didn’t want to call it “First Day Out” because the phrase was overused.

“I really didn’t want to do a ‘First Day Out’ because ‘First Day Outs’ were played out,” Pooh explained. “Especially when a lot of people don’t come home and perform the right way or produce the right way.”

To get around that, Pooh titled the track “FDO,” which he says can either stand for “First Day Out,” “Free the Operation” or “F*** the Opps.”

The song reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first major rap hit of 2026. It also serves as a teaser for his upcoming debut album, which he says will showcase his versatility and include “Good production, good quality, good features, good content, good substance, a lot of substance.”

Peter Criss responds to Gene Simmons’ accusations about the writing of KISS’ ‘Beth’

January 14, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Peter Criss has responded to a recent Gene Simmons interview in which he claimed Criss didn’t deserve a songwriting credit on KISS‘ 1976 hit “Beth.”

The track, which peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, is credited to Criss, the late Stan Penridge and producer Bob Ezrin.

Simmons made the claim during an interview with the Professor of Rock podcast, saying, “Peter had nothing to do with that song. He sang it. … The mythology of ‘Beth’ is exactly that: mythology.” He argued Criss got the writing credit because he was “lucky enough to be in the same place at the same time as a guy who wrote” it.

But Criss told Billboard Simmons’ version of events is “not correct.”

“Gene wouldn’t know how the song was originally written because Gene wasn’t there from the conception of the song in the late ‘60s and he wasn’t there for the completion of the song with Bob Ezrin,” Criss said. “Gene’s statements are ridiculous and very uncalled for; he talks about things that he doesn’t know about.”

Criss said he wrote the melody and created the phrasing of the song’s original demo, then titled “Beck,” with Penridge. He also said that even though Simmons claimed it was his idea to change the title, it was Ezrin who changed it.

Ezrin also told Billboard that Simmons’ account is “not exactly how I remember it.”

“I believe from what I was told that the original song was written by Criss and Penridge and was called ‘Beck.’ It was a bit rockier and more macho,” he said. “I felt it had potential, so I asked to take it home and play with it a bit.”

Criss noted, “I would not put my name on a song I had nothing to do with. That is not who I am. I would not do that.”

Dropkick Murphys announce ’New England Forever’ split LP with Haywire

January 14, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Dropkick Murphys have announced a split LP with the hardcore band Haywire.

The album is called New England Forever and will be available exclusively on the upcoming Dropkick tour, launching Feb. 9 in Portland, Maine.

The track list includes a reworking of the 2005 Dropkick song “Citizen C.I.A.” retitled as “Citizen I.C.E.”

The Dropkick tour will conclude with the band’s annual St. Patrick’s Day show, taking place March 17 in Boston.

Dropkick Murphys’ most recent album is 2025’s For the People.

Listen to new Story of the Year song, ‘Disconnected’

January 14, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Story of the Year has released a new song called “Disconnected,” a track off the band’s upcoming album, A.R.S.O.N.

You can watch the “Disconnected” video on YouTube.

A.R.S.O.N., the follow-up to 2023’s Tear Me to Pieces, is due out Feb. 13. It also includes the single “Gasoline (All Rage Still Only Numb),” which is currently charting on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay ranking.

Story of the Year will celebrate the release of A.R.S.O.N. with a hometown show in St. Louis on Feb. 14. Their upcoming live schedule also includes sets at the Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple festivals.

J. Cole announces release date for long-awaited album, ‘The Fall-Off’

January 14, 2026 by WDNY Radio

After years of anticipation, J. Cole has finally revealed the official release date for The Fall-Off.

Cole shared the album artwork on Instagram and announced the news via a video that finds him doing everyday activities. A voice-over soundtracks the visuals, addressing the idea of “falling off” in show business.

“Everything is supposed to go away eventually,” the voice says, noting how fame is often viewed as a rise-and-fall narrative. It then highlights how people often look down on artists once they’re no longer at their peak, rather than seeing success as something that’s naturally fleeting.

The video closes with a shot of Cole from below, with the clouds and trees behind him, before the album title and release date appear on the screen. A brief snippet of a new song then plays, on which Cole is heard rapping, “Picture my soul, climbing out an infinite hole/ When n***** die over pride and live for the,” before the clip cuts off.

Cole has been teasing The Fall-Off since 2018, referencing it on KOD’s “1985 — Intro to ‘The Fall Off.’” That same year, he told Angie Martinez he’d been working on the album for nearly two years. He later suggested it would arrive in 2020, but the project never came out. Since then, Cole has mentioned the album on tracks like “m y. l i f e,” “7 Minute Drill” and “Crocodile Tearz.”

In February 2024, Cole told fans he was at “the tail end” of finishing the album and later teased new music ahead of Dreamville Festival, but the release failed to arrive once again.

Now, The Fall-Off is officially on its way, with a vinyl pressing available for preorder.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

Don Toliver, Playboi Carti and NBA YoungBoy to headline Rolling Loud 2026

January 14, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Don Toliver, Playboi Carti and NBA YoungBoy will headline Rolling Loud’s only U.S. festival of 2026, taking place in Orlando May 8 to May 10.

Don will perform on Friday, Carti will close on Saturday night and NBA YoungBoy will wrap the festival on Sunday. Other artists on the lineup include Sexyy Red, BossmanDlow, Chief Keef, Destroy Lonely, Pooh Shiesty, Loe Shimmy, Tacorine and Skrilla.

The event will mark Rolling Loud’s first-ever festival in Orlando and will take place at Camping World Stadium.

“Playboi Carti, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and Don Toliver each represent different forces shaping hip-hop right now, and bringing them together for our only U.S. festival of 2026 felt intentional,” Rolling Loud co-founder Tariq Cherif said in a statement. “Eleven years in, Rolling Loud is still about putting the culture first and creating moments, elevating new voices, and building something that fans can feel proud to be part of.”

Rolling Loud co-founder Matt Zingler added that Orlando “felt like the right place to evolve the festival. It’s a new city, a new venue, and a lineup that truly reflects where hip-hop is today.”

Rolling Loud will also head overseas in 2026, with festivals set in Sydney and Melbourne on March 7 and 8. The events will feature headliners Gunna and Ken Carson, as well as Swae Lee, Tyga, Ski Mask the Slump God and more.

Peter Gabriel to release physical copies of ‘In the Big Room’ and ‘Live at WOMAD 1982’

January 14, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Peter Gabriel has announced the CD and LP release of two live albums that he released to digital services in 2025. The rocker is set to drop In the Big Room on March 13 and Live at WOMAD 1982 on May 8.

In the Big Room is a recording of an intimate fan club show that took place in November 2003 in the Big Room at Gabriel’s Real World Studios in the U.K. The 14-track album features songs Gabriel performed during two tours: the 2002-03 Growing Up Live tour and 2004’s Still Growing Up Live tour. The album features performances of songs like “In Your Eyes,” “Shock the Monkey,” “Digging in the Dirt” and “More Than This.”

Live at WOMAD 1982 captures Gabriel’s performance at his first WOMAD festival, which stood for World of Music, Arts and Dance. The concert took place in Somerset, England, and featured 60 bands from over 20 countries. The album features a recording of Gabriel’s Friday night set, which included seven songs from his album 4, which was released two months after the event.

Both physical releases are available for preorder now.

Gabriel recently announced that he’ll be releasing a new album in 2026, o/i, and will drop a new song with each full moon of the year. The entire album will be released by the end of 2026.

Why there will be ice in Florida for Tim McGraw’s first 2026 concert

January 14, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Tim McGraw‘s first show of 2026 will take place during an outdoor hockey game.

The country superstar’s set to headline the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series outdoor game Feb. 1 in Tampa, Florida.

Tim will play during the first intermission at Raymond James Stadium as the Tampa Bay Lightning takes on the Boston Bruins at the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The game starts at 6:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN. A limited number of tickets to the rare outdoor hockey game still remain.

So far, it’s the only show on Tim’s schedule save for his March 21 concert at the RodeoHouston.

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