Music – Page 3193 – 105.7 WDNY

Critics, fans already saying “Yep” to Jordan Peele’s ‘Nope’

July 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Anticipation was already high for Get Out Oscar winner Jordan Peele‘s new thriller Nope, but new reactions to preview screenings might take it to a fever pitch.

A review embargo has expired on the movie, which stars Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun, and viewers apparently couldn’t wait to weigh in.

Frank Pallotta, CNN’s entertainment business reporter noted in part, “NOPE is out of this world. A monster mash with great performances (esp. Kaluuya) and a 50s sci-fi invasion motif. A spectacle about the horrors of spectacles.”

Yahoo!’s Kevin Polowy says, “This is Jordan Peele spreading his wings and making big budget Spielberg/esque sci-fi, but with the subtext you’d expect. Enter with an open mind and you’ll be rewarded.”

Fandango’s Eric Davis says the thriller is “frightening & ferocious, but also very funny & unlike any UFO movie you’ve ever seen,” and praises Palmer’s “unforgettable” performance.

Nope‘s plot is still under wraps, but what’s known is Kaluuya and Palmer play siblings who return to their father’s ranch after his death, only to find the homestead is visited by beings from another world.

The movie comes out on Friday.

Don McLean explains why he finally decided to share secrets about “American Pie” in new documentary

July 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The new documentary The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s “American Pie” gets its television premiere today on the Paramount+ streaming service.

The film, which focuses on Don McLean‘s enduring 1971 anthem “American Pie” and its legacy, features new interviews with the singer/songwriter, as well as with country star Garth Brooks, Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson, actor Peter Gallagher, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and others.

The film also tells the story of the 1959 plane crash that killed rock ‘n’ roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper — the incident that serves as a launching point for the tune — and features McLean, for the first time ever, sharing details about the tune’s creation and the meaning behind its lyrics.

McLean had previously been reluctant to discuss the song’s enigmatic lyrics, but he tells ABC Audio that he recently had a change of heart, noting, “I’m at the last portion of my life, and I feel if people want to know, I’ll tell them everything I can tell them.”

Don recalls that as he was shooting his last interview for the film, “I said, ‘You know what? We’re missing the most important thing. I’ve got to talk about the lyrics of this song and how I did this, and what I was thinking.'”

Among the revelations McLean offers up are whether some of the enigmatic characters he mentions in “American Pie” actually were intended to represent such legendary music figures as Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and The Byrds.

The documentary also includes segments about the recording of “American Pie,” and about McLean’s performance this year at the Surf Ballroom — the Iowa venue where Holly, Valens and The Big Bopper played the night they were killed — on the 63rd anniversary of the tragedy.

Kevin Samuels cause of death revealed

July 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Medical examiners have determined a cause of death for Kevin Samuels.

According to TMZ, Georgia’s Fulton County Medical Examiner determined that the 57-year-old controversial YouTuber died of hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. It was also noted that Atenolol, a medicine used to treat hypertension, was found in Samuels’ system. The death was classified as due to natural causes.

As previously reported, Samuels died in May after collapsing in his home with a woman who has not been publicly identified. According to the incident report provided to ABC News by the Atlanta Police Department, the woman stated that she met Samuels the evening prior and spent the night with him. Upon Samuels’ complaint of chest pain, the woman attempted to help him, but he fell on top of her, after which she called 911.

Samuels was later transported to Piedmont Hospital for care.

Luke Combs shares precious photos with son Tex, wife Nicole

July 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Luke Combs is offering fans a look into his home life now that he’s a father, and the results are precious.

The powerhouse singer took to Instagram to share a black-and-white photo that shows him holding his 1-month-old son, Tex, while planting a gentle kiss on wife Nicole‘s forehead as she embraces the two. Another intimate shot shows the singer sitting cozily with his son swaddled in a gray blanket, his shelves packed full of awards and trophies visible in the background.

“This is what my days at home look like now. Couldn’t be happier about that,” Luke says in the captions alongside the stunning shots. “Been amazing getting to spend time with @nicolejcombs and little Tex.”

Nicole also shared a few snaps from the session with newborn photographer Montgomery Lee, showing the couple laughing with their son in Luke’s arms and another of her smiling down at Tex. “One month with you,” she writes.

Luke and Nicole welcomed Tex, their first child, on June 19.

Peter Frampton, Toto’s Steve Lukather among guitarists taking part in Joe Satriani’s G4 Experience camp

July 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Peter Frampton and Toto‘s Steve Lukather are among the talented guitarists who will participate in a new edition of Joe Satriani‘s G4 Experience guitar camp and concert series, taking place January 3-7, 2023, at the Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa in Henderson, Nevada.

Other musicians who will be jamming and sharing their musical expertise at the four-day event include Deep Purple‘s Steve Morse, Testament‘s Alex Skolnick, longtime Rob Zombie guitarist John 5, Five Finger Death Punch‘s Andy James and blues rocker Eric Gales.

The G4 Experience, which is returning for the first time since 2019, offers guitar workshops, jam sessions, nightly concerts, meet-and-greets, photo opportunities, autograph-signing sessions, recreational activities and more.

The nightly concerts will feature Satriani performing with his longtime backing band — drummer Kenny Aronoff, bassist Bryan Beller and keyboardist Rai Thistlethwayte. It also will include appearances by special guests and faculty members.

In a message about the event, Satriani says about the diverse list of guest instructors, “We bring together this eclectic mix to show all the different sides of playing guitar. They’re all brilliant musicians with styles that are all over the map.”

He adds, “They all have such different jobs, they’ve made millions of people happy with their playing, and yet they do it so differently. Every one of these players comes with fantastic new insights and innovations on playing guitar.”

Visit G4Experience.com for more information and to reserve your place at the camp. Those who register now will receive a 10% discount.

Panic! at the Disco dropping new ’Viva Las Vengeance’ song this week

July 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Panic! at the Disco will be dropping another new song off their upcoming album Viva Las Vengeance this week.

The track is called “Middle of a Breakup” and is set to debut alongside a video on Wednesday, July 20.

The video will introduce us to a pair of characters named Boyd and Maggie. Notably, Viva Las Vengeance also has a song called “Something About Maggie.”

“Middle of a Breakup” will be the second cut to be released from Viva Las Vengeance, following the title track, which already hit #1 on Billboard‘s Alternative Airplay chart. The album arrives in full on August 19.

Panic! will launch a U.S. tour in support of Viva Las Vengeance in September.

“I can tell you now that this is it:” Elton John promises this really is farewell

July 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

It feels like Elton John‘s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour has been going on forever, and it kind of has: It started back in 2018 and right now, it’s set to conclude in July 2023. Then, Elton swears, it’ll be over for good.

“I can tell you now that this is it,” he tells the British publication MusicWeek. “I will not be devoid of music, but as far as schlepping around the world doing shows, I don’t want to do it anymore. I’ve done it since I was 17.”

While Elton wants to wind things down touring-wise, his music career has had a big resurgence over the past few years. His set list includes both his first number-one hit — 1970’s “Your Song” — and his most recent number-one hit, which came last year with the Dua Lipa duet “Cold Heart.”

“I’m a 75-year-old heritage musician with a great catalog of songs and a great track record, but that doesn’t mean to say you stay relevant,” Elton points out. He thanks his management — which includes his husband David Furnish — for keeping him that way, and of course, Dua helped, too.

“She’s got everything there is to have as a female artist,” Elton says. “She’s bright, modest and not carried away by her own success.”

In fact, Elton feels young female artists like Dua and the bands HAIM and Wet Leg are “making the best music” these days. “It comes from innocence and pure joy and that, for me, is what music is about,” he says of those acts.

As for young male artists, Elton says he just got a listen to Lewis Capaldi’s eagerly anticipated sophomore album. While he reveals that Lewis has “apprehensions” about it, in his opinion, he says, “it’s a no-brainer.”

Asking Alexandria, Motionless in White members reflect on Chester Bennington’s legacy

July 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

This Wednesday marks the fifth anniversary of late Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington‘s death. Ahead of the somber milestone, Asking Alexandria guitarist Ben Bruce and Motionless in White frontman Chris “Motionless” Cerulli have spoken with ABC Audio about Bennington’s influence and continued legacy.

“When Linkin Park came out, Chester’s voice was so unique and so different in a time where there were lots of vocalists grumbling down the mic and sounding really aggressive,” Bruce says. “He had that capability, but then at the same time could just, like a switch, flip it off and he sounded like a f***ing Backstreet Boy. He had the most insanely perfect voice.”

And it wasn’t just how he was singing, but what he was singing about that made Bennington so impactful. Cerulli recalls first hearing Linkin Park in high school while “going through home troubles and bullying.”

“Hearing Chester sing words that connected with me on a level that was so deep and so honest and raw … I remember the first time I heard ‘Crawling,’ it just crushed me,” Cerulli says. “It’s rare to find someone that can really reach people on that level.”

That “hole,” as Cerulli puts it, “will never be filled,” but he continues to see Bennington and LP’s influence on bands today, including his.

“It’s cool to see that their legacy is never gonna die,” he says.

“On the 20th anniversary of his passing, people are gonna still hear that voice and instantly know it’s Chester Bennington,” Bruce adds. “That’s special, not a lot of people have that.”

Bennington died by suicide July 20, 2017, on what would’ve been his friend Chris Cornell‘s 53rd birthday. Cornell had died by suicide just two months earlier in May 2017.

If you are in crisis or know someone in crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or by visiting 988lifeline.org. You can also contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

Police drummer Stewart Copeland’s new rock opera premiering in Italy this week

July 18, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Police drummer Stewart Copeland has collaborated on a new rock opera with The Pretenders‘ Chrissie Hynde and others called The Witches Seed that will get its world premiere on July 22 at the Tones Teatro Natura venue near Oira, Italy.

Copeland composed the music for the production, which was inspired by the history of the witch hunts in Europe during the bloodiest years of the Inquisition.

The Witches Seed includes some songs written by Hynde and features a libretto by award-winning British playwright Jonathan Moore, who has worked with Copeland on several previous opera projects.

The production features innovative video sets created by Edvige Faini, an acclaimed concept artist who has a long history working with Hollywood production studios, as well as with noteworthy video game producers.

The opera tells the tale of three women who are falsely accused of being witches during a time when the plague and other crises were causing great upheaval across Europe.

Irene Grandi, an Italian singer/songwriter who has scored many chart hits in her home country, has a starring role in the production.

The premiere of The Witches Seed is part of the 2022 Tones on the Stones Festival.

Meanwhile, Copeland has several of his “Police Deranged for Orchestra” concerts lined up for this year in Europe, the U.S. and Canada. The shows feature performances of reimagined orchestral versions of songs by his old band. Visit StewartCopeland.net for his full schedule.

Kerry King teases announcement of post-Slayer project: “I won’t be dragging my feet much longer”

July 18, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Slayer guitarist Kerry King is gearing up to share the details of his first project since the “Raining Blood” thrashers played their final show in 2019.

“You know me, so you know what it’s going to sound like,” King tells Metal Hammer. “I played this new song for a buddy, and I said to him, ‘If there’s anything I’ve written in the last few years that sounds like Slayer, it’s this.’ And he said, ‘That sounds like you could have pulled it off of any Slayer record.’ I actually made that riff up backstage at a Slayer show.”

King has been teasing new music since 2020. He’d planned to release some material that year, but then 2020 became 2020.

“Have I been dragging my feet? Yeah, because I wanted this [pandemic] s*** to get sorted,” King says. “I won’t be dragging my feet much longer.”

While King is continuing to keep most of the details close to the vest, he does reveal that Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph is a part of the project.

“We just started rehearsing and the only person I can give away is Paul because I took him from Slayer and we work very well together,” King shares. “We didn’t start rehearsing until the end of March, and that was the first time since that last Slayer show at the end of 2019 that me and Paul finally got into a room together.”

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