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Listen to AWOLNATION cover The Scorpions’ 1991 hit “Wind of Change”

January 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

AWOLNATION has given us the first taste of their forthcoming covers album My Echo, My Shadow, My Covers and Me, which is due out May 6.

Aaron Bruno and company’s version of The Scorpions’ 1991 classic “Wind of Change,” featuring contributions from Portugal .The Man and Brandon Boyd of Incubus, is out now. On Instagram, Bruno writes, “I’ll never claim this to be as good as the original by @scorpions, but with the help of @portugaltheman and @brandonboyd i hope it brings you a similar optimistic feeling that the song gave me as a kid when it was always on MTV.”

He adds, “Can’t wait to share more of these covers and special guests with you!“

“Wind of Change,” Scorpions’ biggest U.S. hit, became synonymous with the end of the Cold War and the Soviet Union. The song resurfaced in 2020 thanks to a podcast that explored the rumor that “Wind of Change” had been written by the CIA.

Fun fact: AWOLNATION’s version of the song arrives exactly 31 years and one day after the original was released, on January 20, 1991.

Hollywood takes to social media to remember Louie Anderson

January 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Like millions of his fans, Louie Anderson‘s famous friends are remembering the Emmy-winning comic and Baskets actor on social media.

Anderson passed away this morning at a Las Vegas hospital, from complications of cancer. He was 68. It didn’t take long for his Hollywood colleagues to take to social media to mourn him. Here are some of their posts so far:

Henry Winkler: “Your generosity of spirit will cover the world from above .. we are so lucky you were on earth for a moment , spreading your humor all over like bars of living gold .. Good Bye”

Jeff Ross: “When Meatloaf died Louie Anderson was like, ‘What’s the point of living?’ I loved them both.”

Gilbert Gottfried posted a photo of himself with Bob Saget, who died earlier this month, and Louie Anderson. “This photo is very sad now. RIP Bob Saget and RIP Louie Anderson. Both good friends that will be missed.”

George Wallace: “Heaven has a hell of an open mic night goin’ right about now. Everybody gets the light. You’ll be missed. Louie. What an awesome friend. One in a million. Also pictured, the very much alive @kathleenmadigan, who has promised not to die this year.”

Kathleen Madigan posted a photo of she and Anderson, explaining, “Grateful I got to say goodbye. Loved him like a brother. My midwest king. Broken heartBroken heartBroken heart #RIPLouieAnderson.”

Comic Ron White: “RIP to one of the true greats. Thinking of all of the nights laughing in Vegas with Louie and @kathleenmadigan. We’ll all miss his sweet soul.”

Cobra Kai producer Jon Hurwitz: “RIP to one of our favorite comics since childhood. The guys and I were lucky enough to meet Louie Anderson in Vegas after one of his shows and he couldn’t have been cooler. We were delighted when he won an Emmy a few years later. Sending love to his family.”

Trivium’s Matt Heafy releases first single from new project Ibaraki

January 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Trivium‘s Matt Heafy has released the first single from his new project Ibaraki.

The song features Heafy teaming up with Ihsahn, guitarist and vocalist of the Norwegian black metal band Emperor. It’s called “Tamashii No Houkai,” which Heafy explains means “the breaking of the soul,” or “soul collapse.”

“It’s a Japanese term that didn’t exist before, but one we forged to reflect the song’s meaning,” notes Heafy, who was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and an American father. Ibaraki is the name of a Japanese demon of legend.

Heafy adds that Ihsahn has been “a longtime influence and mentor to so much that I do in music,” and says, “The writing of this song was the turning point for Ibaraki — it summarized everything from the past, present, and future of what I thought black metal was, is, and could be.”

Heafy notes, “‘Tamashii No Houkai’ is the perfect summary and representation of everything that Ibaraki is… and will be.”

Queen’s Brian May to make acting debut on upcoming episode of UK kids show ‘Andy and the Band’

January 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Queen guitarist Brian May will make his acting debut in an upcoming episode of Andy and the Band, a popular U.K. TV show geared toward children.

The show stars Andy Day as the leader of a rock band called The Odd Socks that’s made up of a group of his offbeat friends. May will appear as the Godfather of Rock in an episode titled “Planet Rock” that will premiere on January 24 on the BBC iPlayer and January 27 on the CBBC channel.

On the program, May’s character will join Andy and the Odd Socks to play the “best jam ever” and also will help the group overcome what’s described as a “a global ‘rocktastrophe.'”

The plot of the episode involves The Odd Socks visiting Planet Rock to seek the Godfather’s help in reuniting them with the group’s guitarist, Rio, who has lost his confidence, and his beloved air guitar.

In conjunction with the show, May has recorded a new song with Andy and the Odd Socks called “Planet Rock” that will be released on February 18.

“I have loved working with the Odd Socks! Playing the role of their Godfather of Rock was actually a very emotional experience,” May says. “The episode is a wonderful message of hope to kids who lose their self-confidence. The symbolic use of air guitar is beautifully apt. And on a broader scale I absolutely align with Andy and the Band in their quest for every kid to feel proud of their individual qualities.”

He adds, “I’m backing their anti-bullying campaign to the hilt!”

Meanwhile, Day notes, “Working with Brian has been a musical dream come true, as I am a huge Queen fan, but most importantly he completely understood the ethos and message of inclusivity we share in everything we do.”

The Fugees cancel reunion tour

January 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

After postponing their long-awaited reunion tour last year, the Fugees announced Friday that the tour has been canceled.

“We anticipate and understand disappointment but our anniversary tour will not be able to happen. The continued Covid pandemic has made touring conditions difficult, and we want to make sure we keep our fans and ourselves healthy and safe,” the group wrote in a social media post.

“An idea sparked to honor and celebrate this 25th anniversary of The Score, but we see now it may not currently be our time for revisiting this past work,” the post continued. “We’re grateful for the special night we did get to share with some of you in New York, with that rare live moment.”

Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel previously announced in September 2021 that they were reuniting for a 12-city international tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their 1996 iconic debut album, The Score. The album has sold over 12 million copies and earned two Grammy Awards: Best Rap Album, and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, for “Killing Me Softly.”

The Fugees performed a free show on September 22 in New York City as part of the Global Citizen Live series of concerts. It was the trio’s first performance together in 15 years.

Following the NYC performance, the tour was initially scheduled to continue on November 2, 2021, in Chicago, and then make stops in Oakland, California; Los Angeles; Atlanta; Miami; Newark, New Jersey; and Washington, D.C. December performances in Paris, London, Nigeria and Ghana were to have followed.

However, in October 2021, the group revealed that the tour was being postponed until 2022 “to ensure the best chance that all cities on the tour are fully open so we can perform for as many fans as possible.”

Nick Jonas announces he and Priyanka Chopra have welcomed a child via surrogacy

January 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Congratulations are in order for Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra, who made the surprise announcement Friday that they are the proud parents of their first child.

The couple issued the joint statement on their respective Instagram accounts, which read, “We are overjoyed to confirm that we have welcomed a baby via surrogate. We respectfully ask for privacy during this special time as we focus on our family.”

The couple thanked their fans for their support, but declined to share further information at this time about their newborn. Friends and family were quick to send in their well wishes, including Nick’s brothers, Joe and Kevin Jonas as well as Ryan Tedder and Vanessa Bryant.

Nick and Priyanka, who celebrated their third anniversary in December, have previously spoken to the media about their future family plans. Last February, the “Jealous” singer told E! News that he wants “many” children.

“It’s obviously something we hope happens, and God willing, it comes together,” he said at the time. “It’s going to be a beautiful journey, and I hope for many, or whatever that is. We’ll go figure that out when they get there.”

His words echoed what Priyanka told The Sunday Times the month prior, where she remarked, “I do want children, as many as I can have.”

The two never shared plans on when they intended to start a family and, instead, would say they were content being a family of two. Now, they’re a family of three.

Cheap Trick, Paris Jackson among artists performing at 2022 Boston Calling festival

January 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Cheap Trick and the late Michael Jackson‘s daughter, Paris Jackson, are among the artists scheduled to perform at the 2022 Boston Calling Music Festival, which will be held May 27-29 at the Harvard Athletic Complex in Boston.

The power-pop legends and Jackson both are part of the lineup of the event’s first day, which will be headlined by Foo Fighters. The headliners for the second and third days of the festival, respectively, will be The Strokes and Metallica.

Also on the bill of the three-day event are Avril Lavigne, Weezer, HAIM, Glass Animals, Modest Mouse, Run the Jewels, The Struts and many more.

Tickets are on sale now, with packages ranging from $370 to $2,000.

Nirvana NFTs created from photos of 1991 club gig going up for auction in February

January 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Photos from a 1991 gig Nirvana played six days after the release of Nevermind are being turned into NFTs, with some of the proceeds from their auction going to charity.

Forbes reports that the pictures were taken at J.C. Dobbs in Philadelphia on October 1 by photographer Faith West, as the band played to about 150 people. To mark what would have been Kurt Cobain‘s 55th birthday, the NFTs are going up for auction on February 20 via Pop Legendz, a website West founded, and the NFT platform Rarible.

There are four unique NFTs created from 10 never-before-seen images, and bidding starts at 67 Ethereum, a digital currency, which is worth about $250,000. Each buyer will also get a fine-art print of one of the images, signed by the photographer. The 10 images are also being auctioned off individually as NFTs, in both black-and-white and color versions.

A second tier will allow 200 Nirvana fans to buy 14 artworks that have been created from three of the images, for $499. 100 copies each of 21 still images will be sold for $99 each. You can buy those with either Ethereum or a credit card.

According to the Pop Legendz site, half of the auction’s proceeds will benefit The Trevor Project, which works to prevent suicide among at-risk LGBTQ+ youth. Additionally, a portion of the other half of the proceeds will go to Grid Alternatives, which brings solar power to working poor families.

Kanye West demands final approval of the ‘jeen-yuhs’ Netflix documentary

January 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Kanye West always has control of his music and fashion empire, and now he’s demanding final approval of the three-part documentary about his career, jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy.

“I’m going to say this kindly for the last time. I must get final edit and approval on this doc before it releases on Netflix,” the 22-Grammy winner posted on Instagram Friday morning. “Open the edit room immediately so I can be in charge of my own image,” he continued. “Thank you in advance.”

Directed by Clarence “Coodie” Simmons and Chike Ozah, the film’s title was derived from West calling himself a “genius.” jeen-yuhs features never-before-seen footage from the last 20 years of Ye’s life. The docu opens at the beginning of his career in 2002, one year before he released his debut single, “Though The Wire.”

The film is set to premiere on Sunday, January 23 at the Sundance Film Festival and can be viewed online. The doc’s first act, Vision, will be shown in theaters nationwide on February 10 for a one-day engagement. jeen-yuhs will debut February 16 on Netflix.

The trailer includes scenes in the studio with Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams, the latter of whom says of Kanye, “This man can do everything himself.”

Ye also reviews a song from his debut album in the clip. Yeezy appears with Yasmine Bey, then known as Mos Def, and they rap “Two Words” from West’s 2004 album, The College Dropout. It was RIAA-certified four-times Platinum and remains Kanye’s best-selling project of his career.

Kane Brown’s plan to “be the fittest guy in country music”

January 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

If you keep up with Kane Brown, you probably know the singer’s on a path to “be the fittest guy in country music,” as he recently told Men’s Health.

If you happen to be on a similar journey, you’ll be interested to know the “One Mississippi” hitmaker’s also giving us a glimpse at how he plans to do it.

On the road, he likes to do high reps of simple exercises that use only his body weight for resistance, like pushups, squats, and planks that add a shoulder tap. If he can find a boxing gym, he’ll head there, too.

If your gains aren’t equal to Kane’s, don’t worry. He also revealed to Men’s Health something he hasn’t talked about a lot: In high school, he was the QB of the football team, the captain of the basketball squad and a baseball pitcher, while also running track.

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