Paramore drummer Zac Farro has announced a new album with his HalfNoise side project.
The record is called Motif, and will arrive November 5. You can listen to a new single called “Superstition” now via digital outlets.
“Motif was a huge stepping stone for me in a lot of ways,” Farro says. “From the songwriting to the production, I pushed myself in ways that I hadn’t before.”
He adds, “I really wanted to create a ‘HalfNoise’ sound instead of only writing with the goal of just finishing songs or an album. I wanted this record to be pointed and have purpose.”
HalfNoise will be playing a trio of shows this November, in Nashville, New York City and Los Angeles.
Paramore, meanwhile, released their most recent album, After Laughter, in 2017. It marked Farro’s return to the band after initially leaving in 2010.
Scott Stapp is approaching the EDM world “With Arms Wide Open.”
The Creed frontman has released a new song called “Light Up the Sky” in collaboration with dance music DJs and producers Wooli and Trivecta.
“When I first heard the track, I instantly started recording melodies and lyrics,” Stapp says. “The piano, builds, crescendos, drops, and overall vibes just connected right away. I wanted to give voice to the idea that releasing life’s inevitable sadness, fear, or regret is the first step to reclaiming the kind of intense joy and passion that this track explodes with.”
He adds, “I’m grateful for Wooli and Trivecta for reaching out — here’s to blending two worlds and to unexpected opportunities that forge something beautiful and powerful.”
You can listen to “Light Up the Sky” now via digital outlets.
Stapp’s most recent album is his 2019 solo release, The Space Between the Shadows.
Sammy Hagar‘s 2021 edition of his annual Birthday Bash is taking place this week, featuring three special performances by the Red Rocker and his band The Circle at the Catalina Casino on California’s Catalina Island.
The festivities began Thursday with a sold-out a VIP event that featured a hybrid acoustic/electric performance, as well as a segment where Sammy and the band — bassist Michael Anthony, drummer Jason Bonham and guitarist Vic Johnson — shared stories and took questions from the audience.
The show featured a 10-song set that included covers of Led Zeppelin‘s “When the Levee Breaks” and Depeche Mode‘s “Personal Jesus,” as well as versions of Montrose‘s “Bad Motor Scooter,” Chickenfoot‘s “Sexy Little Thing” and Van Halen‘s “Right Now,” “Humans Being,” “Mine All Mine” and “Finish What Ya Started.”
The bash continues tonight and Saturday with full-length rock shows. For those who can’t make it out to the concerts, Saturday’s event will be available for streaming via nugs.net. Visit nugs.net/SammyHagar for more details.
Fans attending the Catalina Island shows will be required to show proof that they’re fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
During the COVID-19 pandemic last year, Hagar was unable to hold his birthday bash at its usual location — his Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Instead, Sammy and The Circle played a socially distanced concert on October 8 on Catalina Island. With the pandemic still an issue in Cabo San Lucas, Hagar decided to bring the bash back to Catalina this year.
Hagar’s actual birthday is October 13. He’ll be 74.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for EA Sports Bowl at Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest
Lil Wayne is releasing his favorite songs from Tha Carter album series in a seven-inch vinyl box set.
Weezy announced Friday that Tha Carter Collection 7 will feature 19 tracks, including “A Milli,” “Go DJ,” “Hustler Musik” and “6 Foot 7 Foot,” along with liner notes and a booklet of rare photos never seen before. “Ya Dig,” which is included, was added to streaming services for the first time on Thursday.
You can purchase the box set now on Wayne’s website.
The first album in Tha Carter series was released in 2004, followed by Tha Carter II in 2005, Tha Carter III in 2008, Tha Carter IV in 2011, and Tha Carter V in 2018.
Last week, the Young Money Entertainment CEO dropped a collabo album with Rich The Kid titled Trust Fund Babies. He kicked off the week celebrating his 39th birthday at a bash in Miami hosted by his biggest star, Drake.
Rob Thomas is bringing us holiday joy with his first-ever Christmas album.
Due out October 22, it’s called Something About Christmas Time, and is available for pre-order now.
Over the years, Rob has released two Christmas songs: 2005’s “New York City Christmas,” and last year’s “I Believe in Santa Claus.”
He recently toldRolling Stone that the album features original songs, as well as covers of songs by Bryan Adams and Ray Charles, plus guest appearances by Ingrid Michaelson, gospel star Bebe Winans and country star Brad Paisley.
“It’s something I’ve always kind of wanted to do,” Rob told Rolling Stone. “But I didn’t think anybody needs to hear me sing ‘Jingle Bells.’ You know, nobody needs to hear anybody honestly sing ‘Jingle Bells’ again. But I think I managed to pick some really cool covers, so I think it’s got its own original sound.”
Headed into 2020, Rascal Flatts made an announcement that left fans stunned: After 20 years together, they planned to call it quits.
The trio intended to go out on a high note and planned a massive farewell tour that was supposed to keep them busy through the year, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to cancel those dates, and at this point, they haven’t announced any plans to reschedule.
In a new interview with People, lead singer Gary LeVox admits he’s disappointed that the band’s final year together fizzled out the way it did. “I hate the way that it ended. I hate that we didn’t get to do this farewell tour. I can’t stand the fact that it just feels there’s no closure with something that we’ve been so blessed with,” he says.
But that’s not the only thing that upsets Gary about Rascal Flatts’ breakup, the singer goes on to say. When they first announced the split, the band mates presented a united front, saying that all three of them — Gary, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney — mutually agreed that it was time to pursue separate endeavors. Now, Gary reveals, things weren’t quite that simple.
“I wasn’t happy that Joe Don quit,” he states. “It kind of came out of nowhere. It was like, ‘Let me try to wrap my head around this.’”
In the wake of the split, Gary moved on. He’s since released music as a solo artist, including a faith-based EP called One on One. After adjusting to life without Rascal Flatts, the singer says he’s happy to be doing what he’s doing these days.
“I’m just going to stay on my path,” the singer says of his current career focus. “I know what I’m supposed to do, and I love it.”
Less than a month away from her hit HBO series Insecure‘s final season, Yvonne Orji has confirmed a new show on the network.
HBO announced Friday that Orji will host the new dating reality series Your Mom, My Dad, which centers on a group of single parents “nominated by their college-age kids for a second chance at love.” The parents will move into a house together to find dates, while their adult children watch their every move from a house down the street. A release date for Your Mom, My Dad hasn’t been announced yet.
In other news, Jayme Lawson, Masali Baduza and Hero Fiennes Tiffin are the latest stars to be added to the Gina Prince-Bythewood-directed feature The Woman King, Deadline has learned. As previously noted, the film, which also stars Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu and John Boyega, is inspired by real events that took place in the powerful African state of Dahomey in the 18th and 19th centuries. It centers on Nanisca, the general of an all-female military unit called the Amazons, and her daughter, Nawi, and their fight against the French and neighboring tribes who work to enslave their people. A release date for The Woman King has not been announced.
Finally, renowned choreographer Laurieann Gibson is taking her knowledge of dance to the streaming world. The Emmy-nominated director has signed a deal with fan-focused streaming aggregator Cinedigm to launch the Born Out of Passion Network — or BOP — a free, ad-supported VOD service. Described as a “definitive destination” for multigenerational and multicultural dance content, BOP’s slate will include licensed programming, scripted and unscripted original content, dance fitness workouts, and dance tutorials led by Gibson and other industry notables. Gibson will oversee the channel, which is slated to debut in 2022.
Today is Bruno Mars‘ 36th birthday, but he had a special gift for his fans: a release date for his Silk Sonic album.
The world can finally enjoy the full project from Bruno and Anderson .Paak, An Evening with Silk Sonic, on November 12. The disc will feature the previously released hits “Skate” and “Leave the Door Open,” the latter of which won Best R&B Video at the MTV VMAs.
The entire London Theatre performance, which featured Taylor joining Mitchell for the second half of the show, is one of a few full-length concerts that will be included on Joni’s forthcoming archival box set Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971), due out on November 12.
Taylor, who was dating Mitchell at the time of the London concert, had recently written “You Can Close Your Eyes” for Joni. He wound up recording his own version of the tune, which appeared on his classic 1971 album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon.
Mitchell’s Paris Theatre show originally was broadcast in December 1970 on the BBC Radio program In Concert, which was hosted by famed British DJ John Peel.
In an interview with Cameron Crowe that appears in the Archives Vol. 2 liner notes. Joni reflected on performing with James in London. “That’s when we were dating,” she recalled. “He really locked up to my dulcimer, playing great with his guitar. Those two instruments together sound great. It sounded like one instrument. Musically, we were a great couple.”
As previously reported, Joni Mitchell: Archives Vol. 2, which you can pre-order now, is available as a five-CD set and a limited-edition 10-LP vinyl collection that features previously unreleased live, studio and demo recordings from Mitchell’s early career, leading up to the release of 1971’s Blue.
(NOTE LANGUAGE, CONTENT) “If this is what being canceled is about, I love it,” Dave Chappelle told a cheering crowd of more than 18,000 people at the Hollywood Bowl Thursday night, where his documentary Untitled screened.
The Hollywood Reporter noted a galaxy of stars in the audience, including Brad Pitt, and Tiffany Haddish, while Chappelle was joined onstage by more, including Steve Wonder, Snoop, Talib Kweli, Lizzo and Jon Hamm.
Untitled untracks Chappelle’s series of comedy concerts he staged to help his Ohio hometown get back on its feed amid the pandemic.
“I don’t know what to tell you, except I’m a bad motherf*****,” Chappelle said to cheers, in statements that referenced recent controversy about The Closer, his final in a series of Netflix comedy specials. “F*** Twitter,” he added. “This is real life.”
Chappelle noted he was starting a “kindness conspiracy” to combat cancel culture, a theme Stevie Wonder highlighted in his on-stage comments. “What we need to cancel is hate,” the legendary performer said. “What we need to cancel is fear…”
Wonder added, “I want us to cancel the idea of feeling that we don’t want anyone to laugh because if we don’t laugh, we cry. And I don’t believe that was God’s intention — ever.”
The love fest for Mark Twain Award winner Chappelle comes after The Closer took flak on Twitter for jokes some claimed were transphobic. Former Dear White People showrunner Jaclyn Moore, who recently transitioned, took to Twitter to say she was done with Netflix, “as long as they continue to put out and profit from blatantly and dangerously transphobic content,” referring to Chappelle’s Untitled.
GLAAD also flamed what the organization called Chappelle’s “brand of ridiculing trans people and other marginalized communities.”
