Music News

The Black Crowes are nominated for a Grammy for their latest album Happiness Bastards, and they certainly feel honored by the recognition.

The album, the group's first collection of new material in 15 years, is nominated for Best Rock Album, and will compete with The Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds, Green Day’s Saviors, Pearl Jam’s Dark Matter, Jack White’s No Name, Fontaines D.C.’s Romance and Idles’ Tangk.

“To be nominated with the Rolling Stones? I mean, that’s pretty cool,” Rich Robinson tells Forbes.

“For me, to be recognized in the industry that we have somehow kept at bay for 35 years? That feels good,” Chris Robinson adds. “And to be included with the Stones and Pearl Jam and Jack White and Green Day? And the younger bands! IDLES is such a f****** strong group. To be included with all of those bands makes me feel really good.”

He adds, “And, yeah - it’s something that I’m not used to.”

The Grammys will take place Feb. 2 in LA, and will air live on CBS and will stream live on Paramount+.

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In addition to new vocalist Emily Armstrong, the reformed Linkin Park has two other fresh faces: drummer Colin Brittain and touring guitarist Alex Feder, who joined the band's live lineup after Brad Delson announced he would not be joining LP on the road.

Delson still remains part of Linkin Park, though, and played on their comeback album, From Zero. Speaking with Guitar World, Delson elaborates on his decision to step away from the live stage.

"For everyone, it wasn't like, 'Let's go back to what we were doing,'" Delson says of LP ending their seven-year hiatus following the 2017 death of frontman Chester Bennington. "It was like, 'Let's take what we've learned in the time off to approach our roles with greater self-awareness and insight.' I really thrive in the studio. I love making new things. That’s what energizes me personality-wise."

"That's why I decided to focus my energy on that area and have Alex as my world-traveler doppelganger," he continues. "I think he brings a lot to the show."

Delson adds that he's contributed to the feel of Linkin Park's live show, even if he's not playing in it.

"I'm really proud of the show," Delson says. "Even though I'm not onstage, I put a lot of my creative love into the show. I've always been obsessed with the setlist, the concept of the show, and how it flows. I worked really hard on the current show; that's no different than the past."

After playing a number of one-off shows in 2024, Linkin Park will launch a full world tour in support of From Zero in 2025. As for whether Delson may return to the live lineup, he says, "You never know."

"I don't have a crystal ball," he adds. "I can't definitely say."

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Is Shinedown kicking off 2025 with new music?

In their Instagram Story, the "Second Chance" rockers have shared of the words "January 1st...." against an otherwise blank page. It's followed by several photos of the band members in the studio.

Shinedown previously teased they were working on a new album, declaring that it's "going to sound like everything."

"We are doubling down on every style that has ever inspired us so that we may be fearless, and be the band that we set out to be from day one," the band said. "That includes bending genres, flirting with soundscapes and personality, and above all pushing the envelope when it comes to creativity."

Shinedown's most recent album is 2022's Planet Zero, which spawned the singles "A Symptom of Being Human," "Dead Don't Die," "Daylight" and the title track.

Meanwhile, bassist Eric Bass is prepping his debut solo album, I Had a Name, due out Feb. 28.

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Linkin Park finally returned in 2024.

After a seven-year hiatus following the 2017 death of frontman Chester Bennington, the "In the End" rockers announced that they'd reformed with new singer Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara, a move that proved to be both exciting and controversial among fans.

Leading up to the reveal, Linkin Park teased their return with a series of countdown clocks, which finally concluded on Sept. 5 with a livestream concert. The show introduced Armstrong with an opening performance of a new song called "The Emptiness Machine," which would serve as the lead single of Linkin Park's next album, titled From Zero.

The set also included performances of classic LP songs, proving that Armstrong was adept at channeling both the melodic and heavy aspects of Bennington's voice. For a brief moment, the buzz around Armstrong joining Linkin Park felt almost universally positive.

That changed, however, when reports of Armstrong's past ties to the Church of Scientology and its member Danny Masterson, who was convicted of rape, surfaced. Those reports were amplified by The Mars Volta's Cedric Bixler-Zavala, whose wife, Chrissie Carnell-Bixler, is among the women who've accused Masterson of sexual assault.

Armstrong then put out a statement referring to Masterson, saying she was "asked to support someone I considered a friend at a court appearance, and went to one early hearing as an observer."

"Soon after, I realized I shouldn't have," Armstrong wrote, adding she hadn't spoken to Masterson since. She concluded, "To say it as clearly as possible: I do not condone abuse or violence against women, and I empathize with the victims of these crimes."

Meanwhile, Bennington's son Jaime Bennington and his mother criticized Linkin Park's decision to bring in Armstrong and the way the reunion was announced.

Armstrong also wasn't the only new face in the reformed Linkin Park. Original drummer Rob Bourdon, who elected to not take part in the reunion, was replaced by Colin Brittain, while guitarist Brad Delson announced he wouldn't be joining LP on tour.

Still, Linkin Park powered through all that while continuing to play one-off shows around the world. "The Emptiness Machine" hit #1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock and Alternative Airplay charts, and From Zero debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 upon its release in November. 

Linkin Park's comeback will continue into 2025 when they launch a full world tour.

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Thirty Seconds to Mars calls their Seasons world tour the "best tour of our lives."

The international outing, which launched in March, supported the Jared Leto-fronted band's latest album, It's the End of the World but It's a Beautiful Day. Leto memorably climbed New York City's Empire State Building to announce the tour's U.S. leg.

"From the very first stop to the 78th city, your energy, passion, and love carried us through every moment," Thirty Seconds to Mars writes to their fans. "Thank you for screaming your lungs out, for your signs, your stories, your support, and your endless love."

They add, "Here's to the memories we've made and the ones still to come."

Thirty Seconds to Mars' 2025 plans so far include a summer tour of Europe.

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Rammstein has shared a documentary that gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at their 2019-2024 world tour.

The hour-long video, streaming now on YouTube, focuses on the tour's crew and production members as they set up Rammstein's famously elaborate live show in each city.

"From 2019 to 2024, a video team followed the production, focusing on the impressive efforts of the crew and their various trades," the doc's description reads. "The footage provides an authentic and powerful look behind the scenes of the production: from intricate stage construction and lighting design to pyrotechnics, logistics, and countless other tasks."

"It highlights the expertise, tireless dedication, close collaboration, and sense of responsibility of an exceptional crew — qualities essential to creating a show of this magnitude."

The tour included Rammstein's first-ever North American stadium run, hitting venues such as Chicago's Soldier Field and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

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Jack White made Barack Obama's 2024 playlist.

The former president included the "Seven Nation Army" rocker's solo track "That's How I'm Feeling" on his annual year-end wrap-up.

"Here are my favorite songs from this year!" Obama shares. "Check them out if you're looking to shake up your playlist – and let me know if there's a song or artist I should make sure to listen to."

Also included are Myles Smith's "Stargazing," Hozier's "Too Sweet," Fontaines D.C.'s "Favourite" and Billie Eilish's "LUNCH."

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Travis Barker is keeping up with the Kardashians with his latest collaboration.

The blink-182 drummer has produced a cover of Eartha Kitt's holiday staple "Santa Baby," recorded by his sister-in-law, Kim Kardashian. According to the Apple Music credits, Barker also played drums on the recording.

The cover is accompanied by a truly strange video featuring Kardashian crawling across the floor of a house, while what feels like a deleted scene from a David Lynch movie unfolds around her. The end features a cameo from Macaulay Culkin as Santa.

You can listen to Kardashian's "Santa Baby" now via digital outlets, and watch its video streaming now on YouTube.

Barker, who's married to Kim's sister Kourtney Kardashian, spent much of the year touring with blink in support of their 2023 album, ONE MORE TIME... He also recently teased some upcoming musical projects, writing in a November Instagram post, "Recorded two albums over October/November with some great people."

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You've heard of an elderly woman behind the counter in a small town, but what about a 60-year-old man behind the microphone in a hugely successful rock band?

Eddie Vedder hits the big 6-0 on Monday. The Pearl Jam frontman was born Edward Louis Severson III on Dec. 23, 1964, in Evanston, Illinois.

While living in San Diego in the '80s, Vedder recorded a demo for Seattle musicians Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament and Mike McCready, who were forming a band called Mookie Blaylock after the NBA player of the same name. The trio was also in a group called Temple of the Dog alongside Soundgarden's Chris Cornell and Matt Cameron.

Vedder was hired as Mookie Blaylock's vocalist, and he also sang on Temple of the Dog's debut album, contributing co-lead vocals to the song "Hunger Strike" alongside Cornell. Meanwhile, Mookie Blaylock changed their name to Pearl Jam and started recording their debut album, Ten, named after the player's jersey number.

Alongside Nirvana's Nevermind, Ten helped make "grunge" a household term with songs including "Even Flow" and "Alive," that latter of which was inspired by Vedder learning that his dad was not his biological father. 

Pearl Jam followed Ten with the albums Vs. and Vitalogy while also making headlines for boycotting Ticketmaster, which would last until 1998. Subsequent albums would take more experimental turns, but PJ's devoted fanbase stayed with them as they built their status into one of rock's biggest and most enduring bands.

All told, Pearl Jam's sold over 85 million albums worldwide and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. Vedder's also put out a trio of solo records, the most recent of which being 2022's Earthling. 

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Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann has shared a new solo song called "Meine Welt."

The track, which translates to "My World," follows Lindemann's debut solo album, Zunge, which dropped in 2023. You can listen to "Meine Welt" now via digital outlets.

Lindemann spent the fall on his first-ever solo U.S. tour. He'll launch an international tour in 2025.

The most recent Rammstein album is 2022's Zeit.

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Primus' search for a new drummer has been invaded by some bad apples.

In an Instagram post, frontman Les Claypool warns those who answered the open call to apply for the open spot of "pranksters who think it is funny to contact some of the applicants on their own and pretend to be a representative from PRIMUS."

"Although this is obviously the work of some extremely clever individuals whose intellect and sophistication must far exceed any of the general public to the point that none of us are really able to comprehend and appreciate this kind of humor, it is our duty here in the PRIMUS camp to at least give a 'heads up' as it were, to those who may be duped by these sad individuals who are obviously struggling with their own insecurities and shriveled genitalia," Claypool writes.

Claypool adds that any correspondence about the gig will always come from Primus' management and apologizes "for any inconvenience if you’ve experienced any of this."

Primus opened submissions to be the band's new drummer in November following the October departure of longtime member Tim "Herb" Alexander. They plan to hold auditions in January.

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Coheed and Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez has released a new covers EP, featuring his take on Taylor Swift's "Welcome to New York."

In a statement, Sanchez shares that he wanted to put his spin on "Welcome to New York" for two reasons.

"First, in 2014, my son was born in a Brooklyn Hospital (Welcome To NY, Atlas!)," Sanchez says. "When he became aware of this Swifty classic we listened to it even more so than when it was initially released, and if you know my wife, that's a lot."

"The other side of my choice is…I love NY," he continues. "When so many fled the city with uncertainty, my family made the decision to plant deeper roots here. There's no place in the world like it and no place I'd rather spend my downtime. It's a place that deserves all its tributes and songs. Maybe one day I'll have one in me… until then, this will have to do."

You can listen to Sanchez's cover of "Welcome to New York" and his EP, aptly titled Claudio Covers, now via digital outlets. The eight-track collection also includes renditions of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven," Bastille's "Pompeii," Night Ranger's "Sister Christian" and The Smiths' "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out."

Coheed, meanwhile, is prepping a new album, The Father of Make Believe, due out March 14. They'll support the record on a co-headlining tour with Mastodon in May.

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The AWOLNATION side project The Barbarians of California is returning to the live stage.

The hardcore outfit, which is fronted by AWOL's Aaron Bruno, has announced their second-ever headlining show, taking place March 8 in Los Angeles. A presale is open now, and tickets go on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. local time.

The Barbarians of California played their first headlining show in October in Los Angeles following the release of their debut album, And Now I'm Just Gnashing My Teeth, which features Tim McIlrath of Rise Against. They also have a support gig scheduled for February in Chicago. 

For a preview of a Barbarians concert, you can check out a newly released live video for the song "The Library" streaming now on YouTube.

AWOLNATION, meanwhile, will launch a U.S. tour in March in support of their new album, The Phantom Five.

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The Used is releasing new limited-edition vinyl pressings of the band's first three albums: 2002's self-titled debut, 2004's In Love and Death and 2007's Lies for the Liars.

Each record comes with updated artwork. You can preorder them separately or together in a collector's edition custom box set.

For more info, visit TheUsed.net.

As previously reported, The Used is launching a 25th anniversary U.S. tour in 2025, which will include three shows in each city. The first night will feature a full-album performance of The Used, followed by playthroughs of In Love and Death and Lies for the Liars on the second and third nights, respectively.

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Interviews with artists including Dave Grohl and Jack White are featured in an upcoming documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live.

The film, titled Ladies & Gentlemen … 50 Years of SNL Music, will premiere Jan. 27 on NBC and will be available to stream the next day on Peacock. It's codirected by The Roots' Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson.

“Everyone knows the most famous SNL appearances, whether it's Elvis Costello, Prince or the Beastie Boys, but they're the tip of a huge iceberg," Thompson says. "The process of going back through the incredible archival footage was like being in a time machine, DeLorean or other. I'm so happy I went on the trip and now get to share it with everyone."

Other musicians interviewed include Costello, Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, Mick Jagger, Paul Simon, Billie Eilish, and Blondie's Debbie Harry and Chris Stein.

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Here Nirvana's Nevermind is now, entertaining us on the Billboard 200 for a historic amount of time.

The landmark 1991 record has spent its 700th week on the chart, making it only the ninth album in history to reach that milestone.

Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon holds the record for the most weeks spent on the Billboard 200, with 990.

Nevermind spends its 700th week on the Billboard 200 at #120. It famously hit #1 in January 1992, dethroning the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson.

A seminal release of the early '90s grunge and alternative scene, Nevermind spawned the generational anthem "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on its way to being certified Diamond by the RIAA.

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A new video has just been released for a track from the hard rock children’s album Solid Rock Revival.

The latest, perfect for the holiday season, is for the song “My Christmas List,” which features Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, Alice Cooper and Brandon Jenner.

Solid Rock Revival, which is nominated for a Grammy for Best Children’s Music, was released under the name Rock for Children, a rock collective that includes Alice, his daughter Calico Cooper and others. They previously released a video for “Freewheelin’,” a track that featured Alice, Calico and Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash.

Proceeds from the album benefit Alice’s Solid Rock Teen Centers, which provide free after-school training in areas such as music, dance and art for teens ages 12-20. It has locations in Mesa, Phoenix and Goodyear, Arizona.

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We’re getting another look at the upcoming Led Zeppelin documentary, Becoming Led Zeppelin.

A new trailer for the doc has just been released, featuring archival footage, clips of new interviews with band members Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Robert Plant, and archival audio from their late drummer John Bonham. The clip is set to the Led Zeppelin classics “Good Times, Bad Times” and “Whole Lotta Love."

“The first time we played together you could tell it was gonna be a good group,” Bonham says in the clip. “It was an electric atmosphere and that’d been what I’d been waiting for,” Plant adds.

Talking about producing the band’s first album, Page notes, “I wanted it to be something that they hadn’t heard before.” 

As for the band’s name, Jones reveals in the clip, "We were gonna be called Led Zeppelin and I thought, 'That’s a terrible name,' but I couldn’t come up with a better one so Led Zeppelin we were.”

Becoming Led Zeppelin first premiered as a work in progress at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. Sony Pictures Classics acquired the rights to the completed film in May. The movie, described as a “hybrid docu-concert film,” is the first officially sanctioned documentary about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group. 

Becoming Led Zeppelin is set to open exclusively in IMAX theaters on Feb. 7, with early access screenings in 18 markets starting Feb. 5. It will then hit theaters nationwide on Feb. 14.

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Artists including Shinedown and Alice in Chains allegedly used funds granted to them by a COVID-19 relief program on themselves, Business Insider reports. 

The bands received the loans through the Shuttered Venue Operations Grant, a program that aimed to support independent artists and venues amid the pandemic. Those who applied for a grant had to attest that they needed funds to cover "ordinary and necessary" expenses of an "ongoing operation," while proving that their revenue had fallen by at least 25% between the same quarters in 2019 and 2020.

According to Business Insider, Shinedown received an $8.3 million grant; $2.5 million was split between three of the band's four members. All four members were reportedly also paid over $100,000 each from a $1.2 million chunk of the grant allocated for payroll.

Meanwhile, $650,000 was reportedly split between 15 touring and production workers, meaning each person received, on average, less than what the Shinedown members allegedly paid themselves.

Alice in Chains, meanwhile, were reportedly granted $4.1 million allocated for payroll, $3.4 million of which went to members Jerry Cantrell, Sean Kinney and Mike Inez.

Business Insider reports that records indicate Alice in Chains did not use the grant money to pay for health insurance while also publicly promoting a GoFundMe for longtime crew member and photographer Scott Dachroeden amid his battle with cancer. Dachroeden died in November 2022.

A rep for Shinedown has not responded to ABC Audio's request for comment. A rep for Cantrell offered no comment.

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Coheed and Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez has announced a covers EP.

The aptly titled Claudio Covers drops Friday, and includes Sanchez's previously released renditions of The Smashing Pumpkins' "Stumbleine" and The Cure's "Just Like Heaven."

You'll also find covers of Taylor Swift's "Welcome to New York," Bastille's "Pompeii," Night Ranger's "Sister Christian," The Smiths' "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out," The Church's "Under the Milky Way" and The Outfield's "Your Love."

Coheed, meanwhile, is prepping a new album, The Father of Make Believe, due out March 14. They'll support the record on a co-headlining tour with Mastodon in May.

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