New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Will Allow Music Venues To Reopen In April

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo had some measured good news for the state’s music fans: arts, entertainment, and events venues will be allowed to reopen in April, according to The New York Times. However, there will be limitations, of course, in the interest of public safety. Venues will be capped at 33% capacity, with a maximum of 100 people for indoor and 200 people for outdoor venues. Venues that can administer COVID-19 tests to all attendees can increase that number to 150 people indoors and 500 outdoors. The new rules are set to go into effect on April 2.

However, the Times does note that the limits won’t make it feasible for many venues to open; unless attendees get absolutely loaded, venues likely won’t be able to cover the costs of re-opening, keeping some — or most — effectively closed down until restrictions are lifted further. For instance, Broadway shows won’t be coming back until Labor Day, considering how much cost goes into production — shows that only get 33% attendance generally close within a season. Further complicating the issue is social distancing; many venues would require even lower numbers than that to accommodate six feet of distance between attendees.

But having outdoor shows back could be a good look, especially for indie performers and smaller, lower-production shows. Meanwhile, with something like an average of 65,500 new cases per week and over 517,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, it might be better to be safe than sorry. With the vaccine rollout expected to allow more venues to reopen in the fall according to Presidential chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, fans may appreciate waiting just a few more months.

Reggae Legend Bunny Wailer Has Died At 73

Rolling Stone reports that Bunny Wailer, the last surviving founding member of The Wailers, has died at age 73, as confirmed by his manager Maxine Stowe. He died earlier today at the Medical Associates Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica according to Jamaica Observer, and no cause of death has been released yet. He’d been in failing health since 2020 when he suffered his second stroke.

Born Neville Livingstone in the Nine Mile district of Jamaica’s St. Ann Parish, Bunny became a musical icon revered the world over for his work with The Wailers, which included childhood friend Bob Marley and later addition, Peter Tosh. The then-trio soon added singer Junior Braithwaite and backup vocalists Beverley Kelso and Cherry and began releasing a string of international hits, which included “Simmer Down,” “Stir It Up,” “Is This Love,” “Jamming,” “Could You Be Loved,” “Buffalo Soldier,” “Get Up, Stand Up,” and “Redemption Song.”

Rolling Stone notes that while Marley and Tosh were the group’s principal songwriters, it was Wailer who provided the band with not just its name but also its unforgettable harmonies. The group was instrumental in bringing Jamaican music to the world, touring the UK with Johnny Cash in the early 1970s. Wailer left the group in 1973 after the group’s new producer Chris Blackwell sought to rebrand them as “Bob Marley’s backup singers.” Wailer embarked on his own successful solo career with Blackheart Man. Wailer eventually won three Best Reggae Album Grammys, in 1991, 1995, and 1997.

Another 2021 Festival Has Been Canceled, And This Time, It’s Primavera Sound

Last year’s festival season was a total wash thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, it’s starting to look like 2021 may face a similar fate. LiveNation’s CEO seems to think big concerts can return this summer, but others don’t seem as optimistic. Earlier this year, Glastonbury announced that it would not put on a 2021 festival. A week ago, Boston Calling also announced that they were canceling their 2021 event. Now, another festival has closed its doors for 2021: Primavera Sound.

In a post titled “We will dance in 2022,” organizers wrote today:

“It is with great sadness that we must announce that the 20th anniversary of Primavera Sound Barcelona is postponed until 2022 due to force majeure.

We have tried everything, but we have now made this very painful decision due to the uncertainty surrounding the legal framework for large events on the original dates of the festival — from June 2nd to 6th –, which, added to the restrictions that currently exist, mean that we cannot work normally on the preparation of the festival nor ensure that, once the date arrives, it can be celebrated.

Thank you to all the artists, agencies, sponsors, production companies and workers involved in everything necessary to hold Primavera Sound. And to the attendees, our family, thank you for your faith and love. We owe you the best edition of Primavera Sound, and we are already working on it.

Like last year, we are going to offer all ticket holders the possibility to keep their tickets for next year. It will also be possible to request a refund of the ticket from Wednesday, June 2nd, which is when the Primavera Sound Barcelona 2022 line-up will be revealed.

We will make it doubly good next year.

Until then, take good care of yourself. See you soon.”

This year’s lineup was set to include Pavement, The Strokes, Bad Bunny, Tyler The Creator, Charli XCX, Tame Impala, FKA Twigs, Jamie xx, and Gorillaz, among others.

Check out the announcement below.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Best Vinyl Releases Of February 2021

Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.

Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of February below.

The National — The National, Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers, and Cherry Tree EP (Reissue)

4AD

It’s been 20 years since The National started their career with their self-titled debut album in 2001, then followed it with Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers and the Cherry Tree EP. Now, all three of those releases have gotten fresh remasters, and limited colored editions are available just for members of the band’s Cherry Tree fan club. For everybody else, the black vinyl editions still look pretty slick.

Get it here.

Sleepless In Seattle Original Soundtrack (Reissue)

Real Gone Music

Sleepless In Seattle was an iconic romantic comedy of its era, but aside from that, it had a killer soundtrack as well (which actually tore up the charts). It features songs from Céline Dion, Carly Simon, Tammy Wynette, Louis Armstrong, Nat “King” Cole, and others, and appropriately, this edition (limited to 1,500 copies) was released on red vinyl for Valentine’s Day.

Get it here.

Julien Baker — Little Oblivions

Matador Records

Baker recently explained to Uproxx how her new album feels like a boundary-breaking one for her, even if it isn’t: “It’s actually not that extreme, it just feels extreme for me. I’m like, ‘Drum machines, wow.’ I’m slow to change, I’m slow to changing who I am as a person. It takes me a while to adjust to stuff. So, I thought of this as a weird record.”

Get it here.

PJ Harvey — Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea and Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea — Demos (Reissues)

UMe/Island

PJ Harvey has been a staple of this monthly round-up lately, as she is in the midst of a series of rereleases from throughout her career. This month saw a new edition of 2000’s Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea, one of the most commercially successful albums of her career. Like previous reissues, this one also comes with a collection of previously unreleased demos.

Get Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea here. Get Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea — Demos here.

J Dilla — Welcome 2 Detroit — The 20th Anniversary Edition

BBE Music

J Dilla is one of the most beloved producers in hip-hop history, and now the release that started it all, Welcome 2 Detroit, is the subject of a new limited edition 20th anniversary box set. Aside from the album itself, the release also features previously unreleased outtakes, liner notes, interviews, and previously unpublished photos, making it a definitive edition of a classic.

Get it here.

John Coltrane — Lush Life (Reissue)

Craft Recordings

This new edition of John Coltrane’s legendary 1961 album Lush Life — which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year — was carefully remastered from the original analog tapes. Additionally, this is the first release in Craft Recordings’ new “Small Batch” series, each item in which will be individually numbered and come in “a foil-stamped, linen-wrapped slipcase featuring an acrylic inset of the original artwork,” as well as “a reproduction of the original album jacket, complete with tip-on jacket, and protected by an archival-quality, anti-static, non-scratching inner sleeve.”

Get it here.

The Strokes — Room On Fire (Reissue)

Vinyl Me, Please

The Strokes’ stunning debut album Is This It was a tough act to follow, but they did just fine with Room On Fire, which also earned the group critical acclaim. Now the album has gotten a shiny new Vinyl Me, Please reissue, for which the album was remastered and presented with an exclusive art print.

Get it here.

The Band — Stage Fright (50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition)

Capitol/UMe

Capitol and UMe are going all out to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Stage Fright, the third album from The Band. They’re reissuing it in multiple formats, the most expansive of which is the Super Deluxe Edition, which includes two CDs, a Blu-ray, an LP, and a 7-inch vinyl. Spread across those products are unreleased recordings, a 5.1 surround mix of the album, a photo booklet, and much more.

Get it here.

Danny L Harle — Harlecore

Mad Decent

Danny L Harle went full concept on his new album, Harlecore, which presents a futuristic vision of a club (a club feeling like something that’s definitely futuristic at the moment). Digging through the album’s credits will reveal that it features contributions from Caroline Polachek, Hudson Mohawke, Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry and Martin Doherty, Eyelar, and Hannah Diamond.

Get it here.

Foo Fighters — Medicine At Midnight

RCA Records

Of how it felt to finally release the new Foo Fighters album, Taylor Hawkins said, “[It feels] like taking a big huge sh*t. My stomach’s been hurting for a long time. Finally! A collective sigh of relief. We’ve finally got over our constipation.” What’s not sh*tty is the limited edition purple smoke vinyl edition of the album. While that is unfortunately sold out, there’s nothing wrong with the classic black vinyl edition that is still available.

Get it here.

Johnny Cash — At Folsom Prison (Reissue)

Vinyl Me, Please

Vinyl Me, Please has historically let members choose between three categories for their monthly album: classics, essentials, and hip-hop. Now, starting in March, they’ve added a new vertical: country. They got a heck of a release to kick things off, too, as their first VMP Country Record Of The Month is Johnny Cash’s At Folsom Prison. The vinyl proved to be popular, as it’s currently sold out, although there is the option to get on a standby list and get the chance to secure a copy in the future. The lesson: Get on board early because VMP is really bringing it with their new country offerings.

Get it here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

LiveNation’s CEO Thinks Big Outdoor Concerts Will Return To The US This Summer

It was around mid-March of 2020 that the first shelter-in-place orders were issued in the United States. That was almost a year ago now, and the future of the live music industry is still uncertain. LiveNation seems to think, though, that they will be able to host large, mostly full concerts this summer.

CEO Michael Rapino said during Live Nation’s Q4 2020 earnings call last week that “a clear outline to a 75 percent to 100 percent” is likely to go forward, noting that 75-plus-percent capacity shows in large US markets are “within sight.” He also noted, “We might have certain states that might not be ready, but we have enough states and enough artists willing to play the open slots if we get to that level in the right markets. So as long as these states open up to the right capacities, we can start in midsummer and in the southern US we can go all the way into November.”

As for shows at a lower capacity, that doesn’t seem to be in LiveNation’s plans, as Rapino said, “[We] have not, to date, done a lot of work in the 0-percent to 50-percent capacity business. We don’t see that as a viable model to ramp back up [considering the] fixed cost.”

This news comes just about a week after Boston Calling decided to cancel its event this year for the second year in a row, so it remains to be seen if other events will follow suit or if LiveNation’s optimism is shared by others.

All The New Albums Coming Out In March 2021

Keeping track of all the new albums coming out in a given month is a big job, but we’re up for it: Below is a comprehensive list of the major releases you can look forward to in March. If you’re not trying to potentially miss out on anything, it might be a good idea to keep reading.

Friday, March 5

  • A Day To Remember — You’re Welcome (Fueled By Ramen)
  • Adult Mom — Driver (Epitaph Records)
  • Alex Bleeker — Heaven On The Faultline (Night Bloom Records)
  • The Anchoress — The Art Of Losing (Kscope)
  • Andrew Bird and Jimbo Mathus — These 13 (Thirty Tigers)
  • Arab Strap — As Days Get Dark (Rock Action/Best & Fairest)
  • Barbarossa — Love Here Listen (Memphis Industries)
  • Bernice — Eau De Bonjourno (Telephone Explosion)
  • Charles Ellsworth — Honeysuckle Summer (Burro Borracho Records)
  • Charlie Peacock — Trout Creek Ranch (Twenty Ten Music)
  • Chevelle — NIRATIAS (Epic Records)
  • Daniel Kehoe — Disco Body Buzz (Tin Angel)
  • Decent Criminal — DC EP (Sell The Heart Records)
  • Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats — Unlocked 1.5 EP (Loma Vista)
  • Dodie — Build A Problem (The Orchard)
  • Dreamshade — A Pale Blue Dot (Horang Music)
  • The Drive — Can You Feel It (RCA)
  • Elizabeth And The Catapult — Sincerely, E (Compass Records)
  • Field Works — Cedars (Rollercoaster Records)
  • Fruit Bats — The Pet Parade (Merge Records)
  • Gabrielle — Do It Again (BMG)
  • Genesis Owusu — Smiling With No Teeth (Ourness)
  • G.S. Schray — The Changing Account (Last Resort)
  • The Horrors — Lout EP (Wolf Tone)
  • Ian Sweet — Show Me How You Disappear (Polyvinyl)
  • Jay Gonzalez — Back To The Hive (Middlebrow Records)
  • Jaz Elise — The Golden Hour EP (In.Digg.Nation Collective)
  • Jessy Rose — Are You Home? EP (Killing A Friend)
  • John-Robert — Healthy Baby Boy, Part 1 (Nice Life Recording Company/Warner Records)
  • John Sharkey III — Shoot Out The Cameras (Mistletone Records)
  • Judith Hill — Baby, I’m Hollywood (Regime Music Group)
  • Juliet Quick — Glass Years EP (Substitute Scene Records)
  • Kings Of Leon — When You See Yourself (RCA Records)
  • Leon III — Antlers In Velvet (Monosonic)
  • Mere Women — Romantic Notions (Poison City)
  • Oliver Jean And April March — Palladium EP (Third Man Records)
  • Painted Shrines — Heaven And Holy (Woodsist)
  • Pat Metheny — Road To The Sun (Modern Recordings)
  • Quintin Copper & Nas Mellow — Paradise (Sonar Kollektiv)
  • Soul Station — Now And Then (UMe)
  • Postdata — Twin Flames (Paper Bag Records)
  • Ron Gallo — Peacemeal (New West Records)
  • The Spill Canvas — Conduit (Pure Noise Records)
  • Spirit Award — Lunatic House (Share It Music)
  • Steve Almaas — Everywhere You’ve Been (Lonesome Whippoorwill)
  • Thirdface — Do It With A Smile (Exploding In Sound Records)
  • Thomas Blondet & Steven Rubin — Sea Songs EP (Rhythm & Culture Music)
  • Tigers Jaw — I Won’t Care How You Remember Me (Hopeless Records)
  • Various Artists — Coming 2 America (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Def Jam Recordings)
  • William The Conqueror — Maverick Thinker (Chrysalis Records)
  • Zara Larsson — Poster Girl (Epic Records)

Friday, March 12

  • Allie Crow Buckley — Moonlit And Devious (Night Bloom Records)
  • Baby Boys — Threesome (Transgressive Records)
  • Blackmore’s Night — Nature’s Light (earMUSIC)
  • Cactus Flowers — Solace EP (People.Parties.Places)
  • Cameron Knowler & Eli Winter — Anticipation (American Dreams Records)
  • Charles Lloyd & The Marvels — Tone Poem (Blue Note Records)
  • Chez Kane — Chez Kane (Frontiers Music)
  • Colin Miller — Hook EP (Oof Records)
  • Cool Ghouls — At George’s Zoo (Melodic/Empty Cellar)
  • DeeCRACKS — Serious Issues (uhfrecords)
  • Dollar Signs — Hearts Of Gold (Pure Noise Records)
  • Do Nothing — Glueland EP (Exact Truth)
  • Electric Jalaba — El Hal / The Feeling (Strut Records)
  • Flo Chase — Toi (Dull Tools)
  • Haerts — Dream Nation (Rix Records/The Orchard & Humming Records)
  • Hanalei — Black Snow (A-F Records)
  • The Horrors — Lout EP (Wolf Tone/Virgin Music Label & Artist Services)
  • Israel Nash — Topaz (Loose Music)
  • Issa — Queen Of Broken Hearts (Frontiers)
  • Jaialai — As Sweet As It Was EP (Super Music Group)
  • James Levy — Soldier (Side Hustle Records)
  • Joel Gabrielsson — Citadel EP (Jivvär Records)
  • Jordan Hart — Only Pieces Of The Truth EP (Believe)
  • Justin Courtney Pierre — An Anthropologist On Mars (Epitaph Records)
  • Kelly McFarling — Deep The Habit (self-released)
  • Lake Street Dive — Obviously (Nonesuch)
  • Leanne Betasamosake Simpson — Theory Of Ice (You’ve Changed Records)
  • Louisahhh — The Practice Of Freedom (He.She.They)
  • Mike Dillon — Shoot The Moon / Suitcase Man / 1918 (Royal Potato Family)
  • Minutian — Magical Thinking (Inverse Records)
  • Neil Frances — Stay Strong Play Long (Ninja Tune)
  • Nubiyan Twist — Freedom Fables (Strut)
  • Ocie Elliot — Slow Tide EP (Nettwerk)
  • The Paper Kites — Roses (Nettwerk)
  • Pet Needs — Fractured Party Music (Xtra Mile)
  • Perfume Genius — Immediately Remixes (Matador)
  • Pino Palladino and Blake Mills — Notes With Attachments (New Deal/Impulse)
  • Raissa — Herogirl EP (Zelig Records/Columbia)
  • Reza Safinia — Yin (Terrorbird)
  • Rob Zombie — The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Conspiracy (Nuclear Blast)
  • Ronnie Atkins — One Shot (Frontiers)
  • Saga — Symmetry (earMUSIC)
  • Selena Gomez — Revelación EP (Interscope)
  • Somni — Somni Presents: Up Too Early Volume 2 (Friends of Friends)
  • Stepney Sisters — Stepney Sisters (Alcopop)
  • Valerie June — The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers (Fantasy Records)
  • The Vices — Looking For Faces (Mattan Records)
  • Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno — Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno (Free Dirt Records)

Friday, March 19

  • 24/7 Diva Heaven — Stress (NOISOLUTION)
  • Alex Somers — Siblings (Travelling the Groove Records)
  • Alex Somers — Siblings 2 (Travelling the Groove Records)
  • Alice Phoebe Lou — Glow (self-released)
  • American Culture — For My Animals (HHBTM Records)
  • Bass Race — Tender Vittles (Northern Transmissions)
  • Becca Mancari — Juniata EP (Captured Tracks)
  • Bell Orchestre — House Music (Erased Tapes Records)
  • Blanketman — National Trust EP (PIAS)
  • The Blue Stones — Hidden Gems (Entertainment One)
  • The Bones Of J.R. Jones — A Celebration EP (Technicolour)
  • Chad Vangaalen — World’s Most Stressed Out Gardener (Sub Pop)
  • Chinah — Feels Like Forever (The Orchard)
  • Colin Miller — Hook EP (Chess Club Records)
  • Dad Sports — I Am Just A Boy Leave Me Alone !!! EP (Grand Jury Music)
  • Daniel Lanois — Heavy Sun (Maker Series)
  • David Olney — Whispers And Sighs (Schoolkids Records)
  • Deniz Cuylan — No Such Thing As Free Will (Hush Hush)
  • Frances Luke Accord — Sunnyside EP (Two-Dale Records)
  • Gentlemen’s Dub Club — Down To Earth (Easy Star Records)
  • Greg Skaff — Polaris (SMK Jazz)
  • Guapdad 4000 and Illmind — 1176 (Paradise Rising)
  • Harry Connick Jr. — Alone With My Faith (Verve)
  • Jane Inc. — Number One (Telephone Explosion)
  • Janet Simpson — Safe Distance (Cornelius Chapel Records)
  • Jon Batiste — We Are (Verve)
  • Lana Del Rey — Chemtrails Over The Country Club (Interscope Records/Polydor Records)
  • Lo Talker — A Comedy Of Errors (Arts & Crafts)
  • Michael Feuerstack — Harmonize The Moon (Forward Music Group)
  • Michigander — Everything Will Be OK Eventually EP (C3 Records)
  • Middle Kids — Today We’re The Greatest (Domino)
  • Mint Julep — In A Deep & Dreamless Sleep (Western Vinyl)
  • Morgan Wade — Reckless (Thirty Tigers)
  • New Bums — Last Time I Saw Grace (Drag City Records)
  • Nik Bärtsch — Entendre (ECM Records)
  • Nitin Sawhney — Immigrants (Outcaste Records)
  • The Oddness — Distant Voices EP (Eskimo Recordings)
  • Otzeki — Now Is A Long Time (Akira Records)
  • Palm Ghosts — Lifeboat Candidate (Becky Warren)
  • Real Numbers — Brighter Then EP (Slumberland Records)
  • Riley Pearce — Love And Other Stuff EP (Nettwerk)
  • Rivals — Sad Looks Pretty On Me (Smart Punk Records)
  • Ronna Reason — Ronna Reason EP (Damaged Disco)
  • Safety — Greetings from The Sunshine State EP (Jetsam-Flotsam)
  • Serj Tankian — Elasticity EP (Alchemy Recordings)
  • Show Me The Body — Survive EP (Loma Vista)
  • The Snuts — W.L. (Parlophone)
  • Souleye — Hunting Teardrops (self-released)
  • Special Request — DJ Kicks (K7)
  • Steve Gulley And Tim Stafford — Still Here (Crossroads Label Group)
  • Sting — Duets (Universal Music Group)
  • Stoner Control — Sparkle Endlessly (Sound Judgement)
  • Tearjerker — Deep End EP (Bombshell Radio)
  • Tunnelvisions — End Of Time EP (Forced Exposure)
  • Vallens — In Era (Hand Drawn Dracula)
  • Vegyn — Like A Good Old Friend EP (PLZ Make It Ruins)
  • Veronica Swift — This Bitter Earth (Mack Avenue Records)
  • William Doyle — Great Spans Of Muddy Time (Tough Love Records)
  • Ziggy Alberts — Searching For Freedom (Alberts & Co. Music)

Friday, March 26

  • 24kGoldn — El Dorado (Columbia)
  • Afternoon Bike Ride — Skipping Stones EP (Friends of Friends Music)
  • AJR — OK Orchestra (Bmg Rights Management)
  • The Alex Leach Band — I’m The Happiest When I’m Moving (Mountain Home Records)
  • Anna Fox Rochinski — Cherry (Don Giovanni Records)
  • The Antlers — Green To Gold (ANTI‐)
  • Band Of Spice — By The Corner Of Tomorrow (Scarlet Records)
  • Ben Howard — Collections From The Whiteout (Island Records)
  • Black Light Smoke — The Early Years (Cut Mistake Music)
  • Blind Faith — Closer EP (Wormholedeath)
  • Brigitte DeMeyer — Seeker (BDM Music)
  • Carrie Underwood — My Savior (Capitol Records Nashville)
  • Citizen — Life In Your Glass World (Run For Cover Records)
  • Clark — Playground In A Lake (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Clever Girls — Constellations (Egghunt Records)
  • Cujo Moon — Bridges II EP (Tone Tree Music)
  • David Olney & Anana Kaye — Whisper And Sighs (Schoolkids Records)
  • Death For Above 1979 — Is 4 Lovers (Universal Music Canada)
  • Dntel — The Seas Trees See (Morr Music)
  • Dr. Lonnie Smith — Breathe (Blue Note Records)
  • El Michels Affair — Yeti Season (Big Crown Records)
  • Esther Rose — How Many Times (Father/Daughter Records)
  • Evanescence — The Bitter Truth (BMG Rights Management)
  • The Eye Of Time — Acoustic II (Denovali Records)
  • Fitz — Head Up High (Elektra)
  • Floatie — Voyage Out (Exploding In Sound Records)
  • Frankie & His Fingers — Universal Hurt (SubFamily Records)
  • Fretland — Could Have Loved You (Soundly Music)
  • Grande Royale — Carry On (Sign Records)
  • The Holy Brothers — My Name Is Sparkle (Regional Records)
  • Jackson Scribner — Jackson Scribner (State Fair)
  • Janina Jade — Heart Of Rock N’ Roll (GMR Music Group)
  • Jess Locke — Don’t Ask Yourself Why (Dot Dash)
  • Joe Strummer — Assembly (Dark Horse Records)
  • John Smith — The Fray (Thirty Tigers)
  • Josh Carter — The Hideout Sessions (Pravda Records)
  • The Juliana Theory — A Dream Away (Rude/Equal Vision Records)
  • Kalbells — Max Heart (NNA Tapes)
  • Magnet Animals — Fake Dudes (Rarenoise Records)
  • Mike Clerk — The Space Between My Ears (Wardlaw Music)
  • Minor Moon — Tethers (Ruination Record Co./Whatever’s Clever)
  • The Mobile Homes — Trigger (Wild Kingdom Records)
  • Naoko Sakata — Dancing Spirits (Pomperipossa Records)
  • Neil Young — Young Shakespeare (self-released)
  • Nisa — Guilt Trip EP (Terrorbird)
  • Noga Erez — Kids (City Slang)
  • Odd Dimension — The Blue Dawn (Scarlet Records)
  • Play Dead — Skint EP (Blitzcat Records)
  • Real Estate — Half A Human EP (Domino)
  • Revoltone — For The Silent Voices (Secret Entertainment)
  • Sara Watkins — Under The Pepper Tree (New West Records)
  • Sarah Jerrom — Dream Logic (ECM Records)
  • Serpentwithfeet — Deacon (Secretly Canadian)
  • Simon Provencher — Mesures EP (Michel Records)
  • Solstice Rey — Sunday, Someday (Get Better Record)
  • Stepson — Help Me, Help You (SharpTone Records)
  • Tim Cohen — You Are Still Here (Bobo Integral)
  • Tune-Yards — Sketchy (4AD)
  • Various Artists — Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Soundtrack: Seven Evil Exes Edition (ABKCO)
  • Xiu Xiu — Oh No (Polyvinyl)

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Ric Wilson And Japanese Band Chai Give An Ode To Beauty Marks In Their Video For ‘Maybe Chocolate Chips’

Chicago rapper Ric Wilson has seen his popularity slowly increase for quite some time now. In just the last year, he’s landed collaborations with Terrace Martin, BJ The Chicago Kid, and more, but his latest partnership finds him taking his talents to the other side of the world. Wilson teamed up with Japanese electronic band Chai in their new video for “Maybe Chocolate Chips.”

The video is laced with a collage-like aesthetic that features animated cutouts of Wilson and Chai. The song is an ode to beauty marks and the video uses chocolate chip cookies as a motif, there to represent moles people may find on their face. It’s their attempt to put a positive spin on these beauty marks.

and the constant appearance of chocolate chip cookies throughout the video is proof of the artists’ attempt to put a positive spin on the blemishes some may be insecure about.

Chai’s bassist and vocalist Yuuki spoke about the song’s meaning in a press release. “Things that we want to hold on to, things that we wished went away,” she said. “A lot of things happen as we age and with that for me, is new moles! But I love them! My moles are like the chocolate chips on a cookie, the more you have, the happier you become! and before you know it, you’re an original.”

The track will also appear on the band’s upcoming album, Wink, which arrives on May 21. It’s their first release since 2019’s Punk. As for Ric Wilson, he’s dropped his “Pull A James Baldwin” single last month, which served as the follow up to his 2020 EP, They Call Me Disco, with Terrace Martin.

You can watch the video for “Maybe Chocolate Chip” above.

Jensen McRae Names The Five Black Musicians That Most Inspire Her Work

Jensen McRae never expected to go viral by tweeting a “niche” spoof that transformed into a relatable hit song.

“Basically, I tweeted a joke that I assumed Pheobe Bridgers would probably write the vaccination anthem of our times on her next album, which would probably come out in a few years. But then, I decided I would write it instead in the meantime,” she laughs. “This tweet that I thought was very niche ended up blowing up.”

The song, aptly titled “Immune,” opens with the lyrics, “Traffic from the East Side’s got me aggravated / Hotter than the day my brother graduated / Wait four hours in the sun / In line at Dodger Stadium / I’m not scared of dogs or getting vaccinated.” The song resonated with fans and Bridgers herself, who retweeted the clip of the song with the simple comment, “oh my god.”

“When I tweeted the Phoebe Bridgers parody, which then became a real Jensen McCray song, I didn’t expect it to do what it did,” says the 23-year-old singer/songwriter who found herself suddenly famous. “I always thought there was some artifice to it, but in my case, and in a lot of other people’s cases, it really is just an accident. It was very much fortuitous timing, and I think I wrote a pretty good verse that people liked as well.”

Growing up in a bi-racial Black and Jewish family, the Los Angeles native always knew she wanted to be a musician. She took music lessons as a child and when she attended the Grammy Camp at USC at 16 years old, it cemented her desire to pursue music professionally. She returned to USC for her undergraduate degree, this time to study performance with an emphasis on songwriting, and while she was there, her manager found her on Instagram and, as she shares matter of factly, booked her for a show.

She released her first single, “White Boy” in December 2019, following it with “Wolves” in February of 2020. The plan was to continue rolling out music, but the pandemic put those plans on pause. However, the same mixture of inherent talent and social media magic that had brought McRae to her manager was conjured up again. She was awarded the honor of joining 2021’s YouTube Black Voices campaign, where she hopes her music will “[illuminte] one tile in the mosaic of the Black American experience.”

“I feel like the point of my music is to provide another example of Black womanhood and Black female existence in the world,” she shares when asked about the socially and politically conscious nature of her music. “I think even in my music where I talk about things that are not directly related to my demographic identity, it informs the work I do anyway. When I talk about mental health and unrequited love and adolescence, and in addition, political issues, I feel like my perspective as this person who is at the intersection of a few different marginalized identities comes through always.”

McRae has seen success in the same communities her idols have created, though, in her experience, there’s still more work to be done for women of color in alternative music. “When I would play shows, people would always ask me before I played if I made R&B or if I made ‘urban’ music,” she digs. “I don’t even know what that means. That’s kind of a big word in music. Then after I played, they’d be like, ‘oh, you remind me of “insert white artists here”, but with more soul,’ which to me was just like code for ‘you’re Black.’ I think as with many other fields, white women kind of got the exposure first, and now people are opening up their definition of womanhood and rock music and folk music a little bit more to include women of color in that space.”

When McRae reminisces about her favorite artists, her eyes light up, her speech quickens, and fits of laughter punctuate her sentences. Here, she pays homage to the Black artists who have not only inspired her music but, in some ways, have made her music possible.

Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys is the reason I am a musician. My mom played me her music, and I was so drawn to it right away. She was a mixed girl with braids and I was a mixed girl with braids and I was like, ‘This is everything to me.’ Really, it was her piano playing more than that I was really drawn to. I don’t even really play piano primarily anymore but the piano was my first instrument. Alicia Keys showed me a model of musical identity that really resonated with me when I was a kid. I just loved everything she did — especially The Diary Of Alicia Keys, Songs In A Minor, and As I Am. Those three albums were really important to me.

Stevie Wonder

Alicia Keys and Stevie Wonder were two of the first artists I listened to in childhood. Stevie Wonder [was] just fun and the virtuosity that he had was really inspiring. I just remember being in the car with my older brother and my mom and just begging to hear “Black Man.” We would just scream, “Black Man, Black Man, Black Man!” so she would play that over and over again. My dad is a lawyer, but he has a beautiful singing voice and he used to sing a lot of Stevie Wonder to my mom. That was part of how he courted her, so that’s a very important part of my story.

Tracey Chapman

Tracy Chapman is important in the sense that I get compared to her a lot. I am honestly not as well-versed in her discography, everything that I know I love, but I have to acknowledge the historical lineage that led to me as a musician. She’s a Titan. I’ve seen so many different live performances of her playing “Fast Car” and her silencing arenas with just her and her guitar. That’s really important to me because even though I love playing with a band and that’s something I definitely want to do when shows come back, just the knowledge that it’s possible to silence an arena with just you and your voice and your guitar is something really remarkable. And also alto representation. Higher “feminine-sounding” voices are often favored, and having a super deep voice sets me apart — which is cool but it can also be sort of isolating. There are not a ton of female-identifying artists who have those super deep voices, at least not in the genres I traffic in. So, whenever I do find other artists who have that deep resonant alto, I feel very seen.

Corinne Bailey Rae

One of the other biggest artists in my childhood would be Corinne Bailey Rae. I listened to her self-titled debut constantly when I was a kid. She was another Black woman with a guitar making this interesting fusion of pop and folk and jazz, and she’s British. I’m kind of an Anglophile. I love how delicate and feminine her depiction of Black womanhood is. There [are] a few songs on the album that are so special to me. Obviously, “Put Your Records On” — the big hit — just makes me happy. But “Like A Star” is a song I played at so many school talent shows. That song, “I’d Like To,” I love that song so much. That song to me is like summer. It paints such a vivid picture of growing up in a Black neighborhood. Obviously, for her, it’d been growing up in the UK, but there are a lot of overlaps. When I was little, the neighborhood I grew up in before I moved to the Valley, growing up [with] that sense of community and just being around a large group of Black people, just being fully joyous.

Moses Sumney

A more recent discovery is Moses Sumney. I started listening to him when I was a freshman in college. I don’t remember who originally played me “Plastic,” but I was frozen where I stood when I heard it. Everything I listened to from him is so inspiring. I wrote an essay about his double album græ that I’m going to put on my blog one day. He completely defies all description and, with regard to being someone who’s trying to break out of stereotypical genre boxes myself, to watch the way that he does that is amazing. Everything he does is about bouncing back-and-forth between binaries with regard to not only musical genres, but also gender. He’s so comfortable in himself and makes incredible art that isn’t bound to any social expectation, it’s just really beautiful. His lyrics are so incredible, his voice is its own crazy instrument. He’s so in control of his artistic vision, which is something I aspire to one day. I’m instrumental in all of the decision-making in my art, but I don’t necessarily feel like I am as confident as I one day could and Moses is definitely the model I want to emulate.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Boston Calling Festival Has Canceled Its 2021 Event

2020 was a year mostly without music festivals, and so far, it remains to be seen how 2021 will pan out on that front. Glastonbury has already called off its 2021 event and it looks like Coachella may get the axe as well. Boston Calling canceled its 2020 fest and now it is repeating that this year, as organizers announced today that the 2021 event will not be happening.

In a note shared on social media, organizers wrote:

“After exploring all possible options for hosting Boston Calling this year, we have made the difficult decision in conjunction with local and state authorities to cancel the 2021 festival. The health and safety of our entire community is always out top priority, and there was no appropriate scenario under which we could provide the Boston Calling experience you love and deserve.

While we are sad to go another year without the festival, we have set our sights on 2022 — mark your calendars for Memorial Day weekend. We look forward to sharing more information around headliners, lineup and vendors as we get closer to the 2022 festival. […] Stay safe, we look forward to seeing everyone again soon.”

While Boston Calling was one of the last major 2020 festivals to be called off, they have made the decision early this year. Now, music fans wait to see if this latest cancellation will be indicative of a larger trend for festivals in 2021.

Find Boston Calling’s full note about this year’s cancellation below.

Blink-182 Got Grimes, Lil Uzi Vert, And Pharrell On Their Next Album

Travis Barker does a ton of collaboration outside of Blink-182, but that doesn’t happen as frequently with the band. Barker has revealed, though, that for the next Blink album, they have been working on songs with Grimes, Lil Uzi Vert, and Pharrell.

On a recent episode of the Rock This With Allison Hagendorf podcast, Barker said the album is about “60 percent” done and added, “There’s a lot of cool stuff. There’s like a song with Grimes right now that’s really, really cool that I love. There’s a song with Uzi that’s really, really cool that we did with Pharrell.” He also said:

“I mean, it’s not like Blink’s making a rap song or anything. It’s like bringing Uzi over to our world. So it’s more of a punk kind of like reggae-feeling song. And yeah, I mean, I don’t think Blink will ever be anything but like a pop-punk band. I mean, that’s who we are. And I feel like our fans have kind of journeyed with us when we’ve done songs like ‘I Miss You’ or ballads like ‘Adam’s Song.’ But like we’re never going to veer too far off from what we are — like, I’m like a punk kid at heart, you know what I mean? Whether it’s like pop-punk with Blink or whatever with [Machine Gun Kelly] or whatever with Trippie [Redd], that’s where my heart’s at. Like, I was raised on rap music and punk rock music. It’s kind of all I know.”

Listen to the full Rock This episode below.