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Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters releasing exclusive vinyl for Record Store Day 2022

February 16, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Artists including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters are taking part in this year’s Record Store Day on April 23, which offers limited edition vinyl exclusively in independent record stores.

RHCP will be releasing a special vinyl edition of their upcoming album Unlimited Love, their first record since guitarist John Frusciante rejoined the band in 2019. The RSD version will include two-LPs on silver vinyl, as well as an exclusive poster.

Pearl Jam is reissuing their 1998 live album Live on Two Legs, recorded during the Yield tour, on crystal clear vinyl.

Foo Fighters are contributing a seven-inch vinyl single featuring “re-versions” of two songs off their Medicine at Midnight album: “Making a Fire” and “Chasing Birds,” recorded by Mark Ronson and Preservation Hall Jazz Band, respectively. The single had been previously announced for last year’s RSD Black Friday event.

As previously reported, Metallica‘s Kirk Hammett is releasing his debut solo EP, Portals, on Record Store Day.

Other artists participating in RSD this year include Alice in Chains, Black Label Society, Black Pumas, Blur, Cold War Kids, Alice Cooper, The Cranberries, The Cure, Daughtry, Def Leppard, Dio, Glass Animals, Gojira, Judas Priest, The Lumineers, Motörhead, The Offspring, Pixies, Iggy Pop, Ramones, Slash, St. Vincent, U2 and My Chemical Romance‘s Gerard Way.

Record Store Day 2022 takes place April 23. Additionally, organizers are setting aside June 18 as a “safety net” drop date for any planned release that can’t make it to stores by April 23 due to issues including manufacturing or shipping delays, which have been prevalent amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Delays will be announced as they happen, while some releases, such as the Pearl Jam piece, have already been designated for June 18.

For the full list of releases and participating stores, visit RecordStoreDay.com.

Stevie Nicks says rivalry between female pop stars is “just ridiculous”

February 16, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Having been in Fleetwood Mac with Christine McVie for decades, Stevie Nicks knows a thing or two about maintaining female friendships in the music business. That’s why she doesn’t have time for sort of feuds or rivalries between female artists, which she says is “just bulls**t.”

Stevie has been a friend and a mentor to many female artists, including Vanessa Carlton, Sheryl Crow, the group HAIM, Sheryl Crow, Lana Del Rey and Katy Perry. In a new interview in The New Yorker, Stevie recalls that ten years ago, when Katy asked her who her rivals are, she told Katy, “I don’t have rivals…and neither do you…That’s just ridiculous.”

Stevie recalls that when Katy tried to explain that there was “the Taylor Swift army” and “the Katy army,” she told the “Teenage Dream” star bluntly, “That’s just bulls**t. You have to just walk away from that. Don’t carry that around in your mind because then they’re winning this game.”

Stevie notes that she and Christine McVie never competed, adding, “We were very protective of each other. We made a pact, in the very beginning, that we would never be treated with disrespect by all the male musicians in the community. And we really stuck to it.”

“I would say to her, ‘Together, we are a serious force of nature, and it will give us the strength to maneuver the waters that are ahead of us,'” Stevie recalls.

Stevie, who has several festival appearances lined up for later in the year, tells the New Yorker, “I [still] want to sing. But there are so many other creative things that give me a happy state of mind when I need it, that are in the future for me, that I really am excited about.”

Keith Urban chronicles his journey from dreamer to superstar in “Wild Hearts” music video

February 16, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Keith Urban’s newest music video, for his single “Wild Hearts,” recreates his journey to the top of the country music industry.

At the beginning of the clip, Keith presses play on a tape in a boom box, an image that he says is a throwback to his early days as a musician.

“It represents the beginning, when I had no band, and I just played to a couple of people,” the singer explains, adding that “I wanted to create the feeling of the journey I’ve been on from day one — hoping that one day I’d be playing live in front of as many people as can be jammed into a concert hall.

As the video continues, Keith’s career starts to ascend — literally. “The building I’m playing on starts rising higher, as the audience grows,” he goes on to say. “All of this leading to a starry sky becoming a sea of camera phones in the air — a phenomenal sight to see from any stage.”

“Wild Hearts” arrived in 2021, the first taste of new music from Keith since the release of his The Speed of Now Part 1 album in 2020. This spring, Keith will head out on his The Speed of Now World Tour, which kicks off in late April with seven shows in the U.K.

Post Malone’s “Sunflower” breaks streaming record previously held by PSY

February 16, 2022 by WDNY Radio

After dominating the streaming charts when it was released nearly a decade ago, PSY‘s “Gangnam Style” has been dethroned. Taking its place is Post Malone and Swae Lee‘s 2018 smash, “Sunflower.”

The track, which featured in Sony’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, broke the Billboard record for spending the most weeks on its Streaming Songs chart. “Sunflower” just notched its 123rd week — first appearing on the chart in November 2018 — and after U.S. fans streamed it an additional 7.8 million times, it officially nudged PSY out of first place.

Previously, “Gangnam Style” held the record after spending 122 weeks on the chart. It fell off in September 2015.

Whether Post Malone can maintain his record-breaking streak has yet to be seen. Currently, Imagine Dragons‘ “Believer” holds third place, with 109 weeks spent on the chart, while The Weeknd‘s “Blinding Lights” has been pushed into fourth place, with 97 weeks.

Rounding out the top five is Luis Fonsi‘s “Despacito,” which features Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber.

Dr. Dre reveals gang references had to be removed from Super Bowl halftime show

February 16, 2022 by WDNY Radio

As rave reviews continue for the Super Bowl halftime show starring Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent, Dre has revealed that the NFL forced him to edit some of the lyrical content.

The former N.W.A. member Dre told TMZ that the spectacular performance, which was watched by 103 million on television, had to be revised because the NFL objected to gang references in a Lamar song, noting that editing it was “no big deal, we get it.”

Many people are talking about Eminem taking a knee following his rendition of his Academy Award-winning song, “Lose Yourself,” apparently in solidarity with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. In 2016, Colin ignited a heated controversy when he took a knee during the playing of the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice.

“Em taking a knee, that was him doing that on his own and there was no problem with that,” Dre commented.

Dre called the halftime experience “fantastic,” and praised all the performers, saying, “[E]everybody felt the magnitude of what this was.”

Blige performed her 2001 number-one hit “Family Affair,” produced by Dre, and the duo are planning to record together again. Mary attended an after party hosted by Dre at his mansion.

“She was playing me samples, and we were just vibing out, because we’re talking about working together on her next project,” Dre explained.

As previously reported, all the halftime stars experienced big sales bumps after the game, according to Billboard.

Sales of the songs heard during the performance increased by 775% overall compared to the two days prior to the show. The top-selling song performed was Dr. Dre and Snoop’s “The Next Episode,” which opened the show. Sales of that song alone increased 994%.

Kane Brown + Jimmie Allen are repping country music at the 2022 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

February 16, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Kane Brown and Jimmie Allen will be showing off their athletic abilities this Friday as they compete in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

They’re on opposite teams: Kane’s competing for Team Nique, coached by former pro basketball player Dominique Wilkins, while Jimmie’s on Team Walton, coached by Bill Walton.

Also stepping onto the court for the event are a host of other celebrities, including rocker Machine Gun Kelly, The Bachelor contestant Matt James, comedian Tiffany Haddish, and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb.

Both Kane and Jimmie are talented amateur athletes. Kane’s said in interviews that he played basketball in high school and considered pursuing the sport on the college level, but the music business came calling instead.

Meanwhile, Jimmie recently proved his love of physical fitness during a stint on Dancing with the Stars, where he learned how to dance the tango, paso doble and more.

The NBA All-Star Celebrity Game will air Friday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The game will take place at Cleveland, Ohio’s Wolstein Center.

Biden braces Americans for higher energy prices if Russia invades Ukraine

February 16, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — With fears of a Russian attack on Ukraine remaining a “distinct possibility,” President Joe Biden is sending a stark warning to Americans about what he says could be very real economic consequences at home — especially at the gas pump.

“I will not pretend this will be painless,” Biden said Tuesday while preparing Americans to be prepared for higher energy prices in the U.S. if Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to attack Ukraine and the Biden administration in turn puts its “powerful” sanctions in place.

The average price of a gallon of gas reached $3.51 on Wednesday, according to AAA, up roughly a dollar from a year ago and the highest level since October 2014. And in just the last month, prices in more than a dozen states have jumped 25 cents.

Russia is the second largest oil producer in the world, and if it invades and U.S. sanctions then keep its oil from the world market or make it more expensive, and ABC News Chief Business Correspondent Rebecca Jarvis reports some analysts predict prices at the pump in the U.S. could jump as much as 50 cents.

Pres. Biden says Russian invasion of Ukraine could impact energy prices.

“I will not pretend this will be painless…We’re preparing to deploy all the tools and authority at our disposal to provide relief at the gas pump.” https://t.co/D9IPWPkiUh pic.twitter.com/OzJrnsBQx4

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) February 15, 2022

Polls show Biden already is being blamed for higher gas prices as part of the worst inflation in nearly 40 years — more than 7% last year — and it’s a big political problem for him and Democrats ahead of November’s midterm elections.

ABC News’ Chief White House Correspondent Cecilia Vega pressed the White House on what Americans should be ready for.

“Worst case scenario, what should they expect if this happens,” Vega asked White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday.

“If Russia decides to invade, there could be consequences here at home, and that could have an impact on energy prices, which could have an impact on prices at the gas pump,” Psaki said.

“He also wanted to be very clear and direct with the American people about what the impact could be and the fact that in his view, defending democracy and liberty is never without costs, but we need to convey to the American people exactly what that could look like.”

Psaki said “all options are on the table” to help bring down the price of gasoline and President Biden has been trying to get ahead of a major impact by shoring up supplies with allies and energy producers.

“We are taking active steps to alleviate the pressure on our own energy markets and offset rising prices,” said Biden.

Several Democratic senators have introduced legislation to temporarily suspend the 18.5 cents per gallon federal gas tax for the remainder of the year to help bring the price at the pump down.

The White House has not taken a position on the proposal.

In January, senior administration officials said they had been working with countries in North Africa, Asia, Europe and Asia to “ensure the continuity of supply” and lessen the price shock that comes with a shortage.

President Biden discussed global energy supplies with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud on Feb. 9 and when he hosted Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani at the White House on Jan. 31.

Despite the outreach and calls to pump more oil, Saudi Arabia has decided to abide by a five-year-old deal between OPEC+ countries and will not increase its production to full capacity, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Gavin DeGraw to release new music since 2016, unveils new tour

February 16, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Gavin DeGraw delighted fans Wednesday with a major announcement — he’s about to release new music for the first time in almost six years. The “Not Over You” singer revealed he is also heading back on tour this spring to support his forthcoming new album.

Gavin is heading out on the 20-date Full Circle Tour, which will take him to the nation’s biggest cities starting in Los Angeles, California, on April 19. He will hit up cities like Austin, Texas and Boston, Massachusetts, before wrapping things up in New York City on May 21.

“I’m very excited to announce my Full Circle Tour,” he said in a statement obtained by ABC Audio. “Each night I’ll be performing my upcoming album Face the River in its entirety. These songs are very close to my heart. I look forward to sharing them with you.”

This is the first time Gavin announced the title of his upcoming album, and he promises more info on its upcoming release is on the horizon. Face the River will be his first album in nearly six years, following 2016’s Something Worth Saving, which featured the hit “She Sets the City on Fire.”

Tickets for the Full Circle Tour go on sale this Friday on Gavin’s official website.

Weezer, Stone Temple Pilots, Death Cab for Cutie & more added to 2022 Beale Street Music Festival lineup

February 16, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Artists including Weezer, Stone Temple Pilots and Death Cab for Cutie have joined the lineup for the 2022 Beale Street Music Festival, taking place April 29 to May 1 in Memphis, Tennessee.

Chevelle, Spoon, Grouplove, Rival Sons, Counting Crows, Grace Potter and Ayron Jones are also among the new additions to the bill.

Previously announced artists include headliners Foo Fighters, as well as The Smashing Pumpkins, Lindsey Buckingham, Modest Mouse, Dirty Honey and The Glorious Sons.

For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit MemphisinMay.org.

CDC to loosen mask guidance as early as next week as COVID case numbers drop

February 16, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(ATLANTA) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was expected as early as next week to loosen its guidance on indoor masking as COVID cases and hospitalizations continue to drop and the White House considers a new nationwide strategy to move past the pandemic.

In a press briefing Wednesday, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said the agency was looking at new metrics for relaxing pandemic guidance, including masks, and would deliver that updated guidance “soon.”

The idea would be that local communities could relax COVID restrictions, such as indoor masking, based on such factors as ICU bed capacity. While Walensky hasn’t offered specifics on what the benchmarks might entail, she has said hospitalization levels are a key barometer.

“We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing when these metrics are better, and then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen,” Walensky told reporters.

The upcoming guidance comes as an increasing number of Democratic governors have already announced plans to lift mask mandates at the end of February or in March. Those decisions have largely been seen as a political calculation, driven by pandemic fatigue among voters.

The CDC has urged states to continue to recommend masks so long as the case number remain high, even as it considers new benchmarks. NBC News first reported on the timing of the expected guidance as early as next week.

“Omicron cases are declining, and we are all cautiously optimistic about the trajectory we are on,” Walensky said Wednesday. “Things are moving in the right direction that we want to remain vigilant to do all we can so that this trajectory continues.”

The White House denied any political involvement in the timing of the CDC’s upcoming announcement. President Joe Biden is set to deliver his State of the Union address on March 1 in which he’s expected to lay out his own detailed plan to move the nation forward.

When ABC News asked at the press briefing if the Biden administration had pressed the public health agency for new guidance by the end of the month — ahead of Biden’s speech — a White House official insisted the CDC had not been given a timetable.

Jeff Zients, Biden’s chief COVID coordinator, said: “CDC is clearly in the lead here on the substance and the timing of masking guidance.”

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