Indie

Iann Dior, MGK And Travis Barker Have A New Collab That Interpolates Semisonic’s Cult-y ’90s Hit ‘Closing Time’

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Last week Iann Dior released a new album, On To Better Things, which follows up his massive 2020. Dior and 24kGoldn broke out in a huge way during the first year of the pandemic when their bratty hit “Mood” went all the way to No. 1 and stayed there for weeks, spawning a remix with Justin Bieber and J Balvin, and even landing Dior a guest spot on a remixed version of UK indie rockers Glass Animals own sleeper hit, “Heat Waves.”

But before all the buzz around “Mood,” Dior released his debut Industry Plant, back in 2019, and a couple EPs before sharing On To Better Things, a full-length album that officially follows up his debut. But over the course of his last few releases, Dior has been leaning way more into the pop-punk side of things (and recent trend) with several collaborations with Travis Barker, Machine Gun Kelly, or both. Dior even appeared on a song off MGK’s pivotal jump to pop-punk, Tickets To My Downfall.

So it’s not that surprising that there’s a song on Ian’s latest album that features both Barker and Machine Gun Kelly, but what is surprising is another credited artist on the track: Dan Wilson of the band Semisonic. You see this track, “Thought It Was,” which is the third single from the album, released just a few days before the full-length dropped, interpolates Semisonic’s cult-y 1998 hit “Closing Time” in the melody, an easter egg within the song that plenty of fans will notice upon close listen.

A couple listeners did notice and comment last week when the song first dropped:

And one of the song’s other co-writers, Kyle Reynolds, also weighed in to let listeners know they were hearing it right!

Given how many people love the original, could this be Ian’s next shot at a No. 1 single? Well, it’s only been a week, but who knows, ’90s nostalgia has been at an all time high lately, so there’s always a chance this one will take off like “Mood” did. Hopefully, TikTok will do its thing and give us a mashup of Dior’s new song and the ’90s classic. Check the new song out above, and for good measure, check out the original below.

Frank Ocean Fans Are Very Unhappy With Machine Gun Kelly’s Cover Of ‘Swim Good’

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A new project from Frank Ocean has been on the horizon for years. Remember when he hinted at a new LP with his 2019 songs “DHL” and “In My Room“? Yeah, that never happened. Ocean’s fans were probably excited to see the musician’s name trending on Twitter Wednesday evening, presuming it be news about Ocean’s next release. So one can imagine their disappointment when they instead found a cover of “Swim Good” by none other than Megan Fox’s blood-drinking fiancé, Machine Gun Kelly.

Machine Gun Kelly has been very prolific when it comes to his own music, after having dropped his well-received Tickets To My Downfall and announcing yet another Travis Barker-produced album. But this week, the musician decided to take on Oceans’ Nostalgia, Ultra mixtape fan-favorite “Swim Good.” Machine Gun Kelly said it’s one of his “favorite” songs, and infused some of his now-signature pop-punk style into the cover. He also recorded a video to accompany the cover, which sees him wistfully singing the song against an ocean backdrop.

While Machine Gun Kelly was overjoyed to share the rendition, Ocean fans didn’t quite feel the same way. Sharing their disappointment about the cover on Twitter, people absolutely dunked on Machine Gun Kelly while taking it upon themselves to apologize to Ocean for his cover.

Listen to Machine Gun Kelly’s cover and see how Ocean fans reacted above.

Governors Ball’s 2022 Lineup Is Led By Kid Cudi, Halsey, And J. Cole

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We’re almost through the first month of 2022, which means that summer festival lineup announcements are starting to make their way out there. Today, one of the country’s biggest fests, Governors Ball, has unveiled its 2022 lineup, which is led by Kid Cudi, Halsey, and J. Cole.

The fest takes place from June 10 to 12 at New York’s Citi Field and Kid Cudi leads the first day, which also includes Migos, Jack Harlow, Louis The Child, Black Pumas, Skepta, Quinn XCII, Madeon, Jpegmafia, Beabadoobee, Coi Leray, Channel Tres, Samia, Blue DeTiger, Aly & AJ, Paris Texas, Julia Wold, Between Friends, Ultra Q, and Plastic Picnic.

Halsey is Saturday’s headliner and also performing on that day are Flume, Roddy Ricch, Joji, Still Woozy, Ashnikko, YG, Chelsea Cutler, Tove Lo, Denzel Curry, Diesel (Shaquille O’Neal), Gus Dapperton, Benee, Peach Tree Rascals, The Teskey Brothers, Valley, Almost Monday, Dehd, Octacio The Dweeb, and Millington.

Finally, J. Cole will close out the final day, along with Playboi Carti, Glass Animals, Kaytranada, Clairo, Becky G, Jazmine Sullivan, 100 Gecs, Japanese Breakfast, JID, Coin, Soccer Mommy, Surf Curse, Duckwrth, Del Water Gap, Jax, Ken Carson, De’Wayne, The Brummies, and Kaien Cruz.

Check out the lineup poster below.

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

Neil Young Has Threatened To Leave Spotify Because They Allow Joe Rogan To Spread Vaccine Misinformation: ‘They Can Have Rogan Or Young’

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Who would you prefer: the weakest link on the ‘90s sitcom NewsRadio or the legend who wrote “Cinnamon Girl”? That’s the choice Neil Young is giving Spotify. The music streamer is home to dozens and dozens of Neil Young releases, from his self-titled 1969 debut to last year’s excellent Crazy Horse reunion Barn. It’s also home to the podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, whose host regularly spouts misinformation about the two-years-old-and-counting pandemic.

Now Young is taking a stand. As per Rolling Stone, the rocker wrote a letter to his management and label, sking them to remove some of the greatest songs ever recorded from the streamer that also allows a guy who used to force people to eat bugs to help make a public health crisis even worse.

“I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines — potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them,” Young wrote. “Please act on this immediately today and keep me informed of the time schedule.”

“I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform,” he charged. “They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young. Not both.”

Young is the latest figure to come out against Rogan, who has fed his 11 million subscribers nonsense that is sometimes debunked on his show by his guests. Earlier this month, 250 doctors signed an open letter, begging Spotify to “to take action against the mass-misinformation events which continue to occur on its platform” by implementing a policy against misinformation. Meanwhile, the day before Young came out against Rogan, the U.S. saw almost 700,000 new COVID cases, as well as over 2,000 COVID-related deaths.

In the meantime, you better take one last spin of Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, On the Beach, Tonight’s the Night, maybe even Everybody’s Rockin’ before it vamooses, all for a guy who’d rather take medication also used on horses than get a free and effective vaccine.

(Via Rolling Stone)

Neil Young is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

New Orleans Jazz Fest 2022 Is Returning With A Monster Lineup Featuring The Who And Foo Fighters

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Since 1970, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has been a diverse reflection of music and culture in America. With over a dozen stages showcasing artists, chefs, and thinkers alike, the music and arts festival takes over the heart of New Orleans every year. Trouble is, it’s been a few years since the festival has been able to operate as both the 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled because of conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. But if there’s anything that New Orleans has proven over time, it’s that the spirit of the city can endure anything and she’ll be ready to host the newly announced monster slate of artists for the 2022 edition, from April 29th to May 8th.

Taking place across two weekends, the primary headliners include The Who, Stevie Nicks, Foo Fighters, Jimmy Buffet, Luke Combs, Lionel Richie, Erykah Badu, The Black Crowes, and Willie Nelson. And that just really scratches the surface of the literally hundreds of acts appearing at the fest this year. There’s a bevy of NOLA staples on the roster like Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Big Freedia, The Revivalists, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Tank & The Bangas, and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. But there’s also notable acts from across the spectrum like Death Cab For Cutie, Norah Jones, Jason Isbell & 400 Unit, Ziggy Marley playing the songs of Bob Marley, and Kool & The Gang.

Get more details on the fest, check out the full lineup of performers across both weekends, and get your tickets here.

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

Khruangbin And Leon Bridges Reunite For The Ultra-Smooth Love Song ‘Chocolate Hills’

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Back in 2020, psychedelic indie trailblazers Khruangbin teamed up with their fellow Texas native Leon Bridges for the wildly popular, albeit unexpected, collaborative EP Texas Sun. The four-track EP did so well that they decided to join forces yet again for the sister EP Texas Moon. After officially announcing the upcoming project with the groovy number “B-Side,” Khruangbin and Bridges take things in a slower direction with the swooning single “Chocolate Hills.”

The new track “Chocolate Hills” shows Bridges doing what he does best: delivering a sensual-yet-sweet love song. Featuring sparse instrumentation by Khruangbin that opens up space for Bridges’ room-filling vocals to cut through, “Chocolate Hills” is an ultra-smooth serenade. A cascading guitar flows through hypnotizing chords as Bridges sings about getting lost in his partner’s love.

In a statement about the upcoming EP, Khruangbin explained the reason for their toned-down Texas Moon EP, saying they hope to contrast their last release with more languid tracks. “Without joy, there can be no real perspective on sorrow,” the band said. “Without sunlight, all this rain keeps things from growing. How can you have the sun without the moon?”

Listen to Khruangbin and Bridges’ “Chocolate Hills” above.

Texas Moon is out 1/18 via Dead Oceans. Pre-order it here.

The 2022 Grammys Are Now Set For April In Las Vegas

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It was revealed earlier this month that the 2022 Grammy Awards had been postponed due to concerns about the Omicron variant of COVID-19. A new date wasn’t revealed at the time, but now it has been set: The event is now set to take place on April 3, as Variety reported and The Recording Academy later confirmed. Furthermore, the ceremony has been moved to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas from its original venue, Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena. The new venue (which has 17,000 seats) is one the Academy knows well, as the 2021 Latin Grammys were just hosted there in November.

Details about other official Grammy Week events — like the Premiere Ceremony, the MusiCares Person Of The Year benefit concert (in honor of Joni Mitchell this year), and the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala (honoring Sony Music’s Rob Stringer) — will be announced soon. The CMT Awards were originally scheduled to take place at the MGM Grand on that date, but the event will be moved to a later date in April.

This marks the second year in a row that the Grammys were forced to postpone, as the 2021 event was also pushed back due to coronavirus concerns.

Find the full list of this year’s Grammy nominees here.

This post is being updated.

Adele’s ‘Easy On Me’ Stays On Top Of The ‘Billboard’ Hot 100 Chart For A Ninth Week

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Adele’s “Easy On Me” has made staying at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart look easy, as the tune has done it for a while now. The song’s successful run continues this week, too: On the new Hot 100 dated January 22, “Easy On Me” is No. 1 for the ninth total week. “Easy On Me” is nearly Adele’s longest-running No. 1 song ever in the US, as it’s just a hair behind “Hello,” which topped the chart for ten weeks in 2015 and 2016.

Gunna had the highest-charting debut of the week with “Pushin P,” as the Future and Young Thug collaboration places at No. 7. The track is now Gunna’s third top-10 hit, Future’s fifth, and Thug’s sixth. Meanwhile, Gayle’s TikTok-boosted hit “ABCDEFU” enters the top 10 for the first time at No. 9.

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” from Disney’s Encanto, also achieves a new peak at No. 4, which ties it for the second-highest Hot 100 placement ever for a song from a Disney animated film. It’s tied with Elton John’s Lion King classic “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” and Vanessa Williams’ “Colors Of The Wind” from Pocahontas. The only song ahead of it is Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle’s Aladdin staple “A Whole New World,” which topped the chart for a week in March 1993.

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

Pope Francis Left The Vatican To Visit A Record Store And He Got A Mystery CD

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Vinyl records are currently the physical music format of choice: In 2020, they outsold CDs for the first time since the ’80s. However, when you narrow the scope down to just recent physical music acquisitions by Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic Church, CDs are in first place: The Telegraph reports that last week, Francis made “a rare private foray” to visit Stereosound, a record store in Rome, and while there, he was gifted a mystery CD.

Tiziana Esposito, one of Stereosound’s owners, told The Telegraph, “He was here for maybe 20 minutes, just time for us to have a chat. It was an honor, very emotional. He is a great person, a simple man but marvelous. He used to come here before he became pope, when he was the archbishop of Buenos Aires and visiting Rome. This time we gave him a present, a CD, but I’m not telling anyone what it was.”

Letizia Giostra, another of the store’s owners, also told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera (as Catholic News Service notes), “The Holy Father is passionate about music and was already our client, years ago, when he was still a cardinal and would pass through Rome. Then, of course, we never saw him again. And now he came to visit us, to say hello.”

Aside from the CD, Francis was also seen holding a vinyl record as he left the store, of which Giostra said, “It’s a gift we gave him, a record of classical music.”

In a 2016 interview, Francis noted he missed being able to do everyday things like go out and get some pizza, saying, “I could order it, but it is not the same. It’s nice to go there.” In a 2013 interview with America Magazine, Francis noted of his favorite composers, “Among musicians, I love Mozart, of course. The ‘Et incarnatus est’ from his Mass in C minor is matchless; it lifts you to God! I love Mozart performed by Clara Haskil. Mozart fulfills me. But I cannot think about his music; I have to listen to it. I like listening to Beethoven, but in a Promethean way, and the most Promethean interpreter for me is Furtwängler. And then Bach’s Passions. The piece by Bach that I love so much is the ‘Erbarme Dich,’ the tears of Peter in the ‘St. Matthew Passion.’ Sublime. Then, at a different level, not intimate in the same way, I love Wagner. I like to listen to him, but not all the time. The performance of Wagner’s ‘Ring’ by Furtwängler at La Scala in Milan in 1950 is for me the best. But also the ‘Parsifal’ by Knappertsbusch in 1962.”

2021’s Highest-Paid Musicians Include Bruce Springsteen And Mostly Others Who Also Sold Their Catalogs

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2021 saw a lot of artists leave the year with a lot more money than they had at the start of it. Now, Rolling Stone has compiled a list of last year’s highest-earning musicians, and on top is Bruce Springsteen, who, largely to his massive catalog sale, brought in $590 million in 2021.

The rest of the list is mostly populated by artists who secured their bags with similar sales: Paul Simon is No. 3, Ryan Tedder is No. 5, Red Hot Chili Peppers is No. 6, Lindsey Buckingham is No. 7, Motley Crüe is No. 8, and Blake Shelton is No. 9. Meanwhile, Jay-Z is second on the list with $470 million and therefore No. 1 among artists whose 2021 earnings weren’t mostly thanks to catalog sales. Other big sales were involved, though: He sold half of his Armand de Brignac champagne for $300 million, and he and other Tidal co-owners sold 80 percent of the company for $302 million. The only other artists on the list who didn’t make bank from catalog sales are Ye (aka Kanye West) at No. 4 and Taylor Swift at No. 10. Swift is also the only woman on the list.

Zack O’Malley Greenburg, who penned the Rolling Stone post, also unveiled an extended version of the list in his newsletter, which includes Neil Young at No. 11 (the highest-ranking act not born in the US) and The Rolling Stones at No. 12.

As for the methodology used to compile the list, the publications notes, “The list measures pre-tax income for calendar year 2021 before deducting fees for agents, managers, lawyers, living expenses, etc. Estimates are generated by scouring public documents and interviewing individuals with direct knowledge of major deals.”

Check out the list here.