Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life
Zappagram 147: Steve Albini's Closet, QOTSA in the Catacombs, 800+ Fugazi shows, cars crash into buildings, Smokey Robinson is a dirty old bastard, and more...
Dearly beloved,
We are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.
Obviously, I’m borrowing that from Prince, but that’s what I’ve been trying to do—get through this thing called life, which gets more complicated, messy, stressful, and insane by the day. Some days it feels like that elevator is trying to bring me down.
As we get used to living exhausted on an inexhaustible supply of existential dread, I’ve been forced to shuffle some things around, causing a temporary rift in the routines I rely on, which has affected my publishing schedule.
Rest assured, I’m working hard to course correct, and I aim to be back on track, publishing every weekend—like I have for the last four years—starting in June.
Before we jump into the newsletter, I want to ask for your help. I’m looking for heavy music recommendations—could be anything hardcore, any subgenre of metal, but it should be fast, furious, and angry. Think anything from Rage Against The Machine to Behemoth and all points between. The heavier and faster, the better. With the world burning down around us, I’m looking for appropriate soundtracks to the chaos we’re surrounded by.
Please drop your recs in the comments below. Thanks for being a rockstar. 🤘🏻
Ok, let’s catch up—we’ve got a lot of ground to cover…
Ground control to subscriber:
Take your protein pills. Put your helmet on.
This newsletter ain’t gonna read itself…
MUSIC NEWS
… Thousands of items from the late Steve Albini’s personal collection—including rare vinyl, books, vintage t-shirts, CDs, cassettes, zines, art, poker memorabilia, and more—are being sold through a new website, Steve Albini’s Closet, which operates as a weekly digital estate sale with new items released every Friday through the end of 2025. All proceeds go to Albini’s estate, and each item comes with a certificate of authenticity. Pro-tip: hit the site no later than Saturday because items go fast. The first 300–400 items sold out within the first 72 hours.
… Queens of the Stone Age have announced Alive in the Catacombs, a concert film documenting a largely acoustic performance recorded in July 2024 in the Catacombs of Paris. The band was accompanied by a three-piece string section and tailored the setlist to suit the unique, stripped-down environment. Bandleader Josh Homme noted that their performance marked the first time any artist has been allowed to perform in the historic ossuary. Fans can catch the film premiere on June 5 via the band’s website, and watch the trailer now on YouTube.
… Earlier this week, a previously unnoticed clause in SoundCloud’s terms of use added in February 2024 stating that uploaded content may be used to train AI technologies, was somehow brought to the public’s attention and people were pissed. In the days since, SoundCloud has responded by clarifying that it has never used artist content to train AI models, does not develop AI tools for such purposes, and does not allow third parties to scrape or use content from its platform for AI training, emphasizing instead that AI on the platform is currently limited to features like personalized recommendations, content organization, and fraud detection.
… Jill Sobule, the singer-songwriter best known for her groundbreaking hits “I Kissed a Girl” and “Supermodel” (from the film Clueless,) died at age 66 in a house fire in Woodbury, Minnesota, according to her representative. Sobule’s “I Kissed a Girl” was the first openly queer-themed song to reach the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, and her career spanned over three decades.
… Spotify introduced a new “snooze” button that allows Premium users to temporarily hide a song from their recommendations for 30 days, offering relief from overplayed tracks without permanently removing them from playlists or libraries. The feature is currently available to Premium subscribers and is part of a recent update that also revamps the queue interface (a sorely needed improvement) with new controls like shuffle, smart shuffle, repeat, and sleep timer.
… Broken Social Scene will release a tribute album, ANTHEMS: A Celebration of Broken Social Scene’s You Forgot It in People, on June 6, featuring covers of their influential 2003 album by artists including Maggie Rogers & Sylvan Esso, Toro y Moi, serpentwithfeet, and others. The band is also the subject of a new documentary, It’s All Gonna Break, which chronicles their formation and early years and is screening in select theaters across the U.S. this month and next.
… Iggy Pop, Jack White, and the Sex Pistols will headline the new CBGB Festival, a one-day event taking place September 27, 2025, at Brooklyn’s Under the K Bridge Park, alongside acts like Johnny Marr, Lunachicks, Marky Ramone, The Damned, Melvins, Gorilla Biscuits, Murphy’s Law, Cro-Mags, The Linda Lindas, Lambrini Girls, Soul Glo, and more, with the festival aiming to unite punk’s original icons and its next generation.
… Fugazi announced that starting this month, they will release a selection of their archival concert recordings on Bandcamp and streaming services, beginning May 2 with their first-ever show from September 3, 1987, and their final performance from November 4, 2002; additional live concert tapes will be uploaded monthly through the end of 2025, while the complete archive of over 800 concerts remains available for download at Dischord.
… Four women—a personal assistant and three former housekeepers—have filed a lawsuit accusing Smokey Robinson of sexually assaulting them dozens of times at his homes in California and Las Vegas. The women also claim that Robinson’s wife, Frances, was aware of the assaults and contributed to a hostile work environment through mistreatment and racially charged language. No criminal charges have been filed to date, but this makes the fact that he released an album named Gasms two years ago at the age of 83 even more gross than I already thought it was. Ew.
… Frank Zappa’s long-unreleased 1974 television special, Cheaper Than Cheep, filmed with the Mothers of Invention at their rehearsal hall in Hollywood, is finally being released after more than 50 years in the vault. The project, which Zappa self-funded and directed to maintain creative control, was shelved due to audio and video synchronization issues but has now been restored. The show features a number of performances of classics like “Cosmik Debris,” “Apostrophe (‘),” and “Inca Roads” to name just a few. You can watch the trailer here. The special itself is available for sale on the official Zappa Store.
I hate everything about this next story except for one thing—see if you can guess which thing that is. The answer is at the bottom of this email.
… Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis has launched a canned coffee brand called JOLENE, offering two varieties—Black (cold brew) and White (oat milk latte)—with beans sourced from an all-female co-op in Peru. The brand, available online, is distributed at 40 Live Nation venues and festivals, and is featured in four signature cocktails at Live Nation events.
… A car crashed into Billy Corgan’s Madame Zuzu’s tea shop in Highland Park, Illinois, for the second time in six months. Unlike the previous October incident that injured Corgan’s mother-in-law, this latest crash caused only minor exterior damage and no injuries, with Corgan’s wife Chloe Mendel Corgan describing it as “an honest accident” and the shop remaining open.
… And in further news of vehicles crashing into buildings—mere hours before the band Boy Hits Car was scheduled to perform, a full-load dump truck crashed into the legendary Whisky a Go Go venue in West Hollywood, knocking out power and forcing the cancellation of the show. The Whisky a Go Go nearly became the Whiskey a Went Went. Fortunately, no one was injured.
… Dead Kennedys guitarist East Bay Ray stated in a new interview that a reunion with original singer Jello Biafra will not happen because Biafra continues to turn down offers, including a lucrative one from Riot Fest in 2017, and that neither Ray nor bassist Klaus Fluoride have any objection to reuniting. Ray cited ongoing animosity and a past lawsuit over withheld royalties—which resulted in Biafra being ordered to pay back royalties and punitive damages—as reasons for the continued rift. Not to take away from anyone else’s contributions to the band, but for me, I wouldn’t want to see DK without Jello.
… Nicholas Cage recently gave an interview in The Guardian where he confessed that. "I don’t think a day goes by where I’m not mistaken for Nick Cave.” And now, Nick Cave has responded to Nicolas Cage by sharing his own story of mistaken identity: in a São Paulo bar, Cave met a man named Diego who, believing Cave was Cage, excitedly told him his wife adored him for his role in Peggy Sue Got Married; rather than correct the error, Cave played along, inventing stories about his supposed acting career and eventually writing a note to Diego’s wife signed “Love, Nic Cage…”
B-SIDES
Air announce new “Moon Safari” 2025 North American tour dates
Big Thief announce fall 2025 tour
Chuck D announces new solo album Radio Armageddon
DEVO set to kick off 2025 North American tour
Elvis Costello extends 2025 tour of early classics with The Imposters
Goose announces 2025 fall tour dates
Lorde announces 2025 tour
Melvins announce fall 2025 US tour with Redd Kross
Modest Mouse adds southwest run to 2025 summer tour
Phosphorescent outlines 2025 summer tour dates
Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter announce 2025 North American tour
Spiritualized adds U.S. dates to ‘Pure Phase’ 30th anniversary tour
The Swell Season announce first album in 16 years
The Who announce North American farewell tour
Thievery Corporation confirms fall 2025 North American tour dates
Wet Leg announce 2025 North American tour
Z-REX
Filmed and recorded in July 2024, Queens of the Stone Age: Alive in the Catacombs captures QOTSA as you’ve never seen or heard them before. This utterly unique once in a lifetime experience features a carefully selected setlist spanning the QOTSA catalog, each song chosen and epically reimagined for the Catacombs. The result is an unprecedented incarnation of QOTSA at their most intimate, yet surrounded by literally millions of human remains—“the biggest audience we’ve ever played for,” says Joshua Homme. Every aesthetic decision, every choice of song, every configuration of instruments… absolutely everything was planned and played with deference to the Catacombs—from the acoustics and ambient sounds — dripping water, echoes, and natural resonance — to the darkly atmospheric lighting tones that enhance the music.
NEW RELEASES
Arcade Fire: Pink Elephant
Beach Bunny: Tunnel Vision
Behemoth: The Shit Ov God
Blondshell: If You Asked for a Picture
Counting Crows: Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!
Dan Wilson: good night, los angeles
Dope Lemon: Golden Wolf
Ghost: SKELETÁ
The Head and the Heart: Aperture
I’m With Her: Wild and Clear and Blue
INXS: Listen Like Thieves (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
Jeff Goldblum: Still Blooming
The Kooks: Never/Know
Lucius: Lucius
Model/Actriz: Pirouette
Nils Frahm: Night
Pet Shop Boys: Dreamworld: Greatest Hits Live at the Royal Arena Copenhagen
Peter Murphy: Silver Shade
Pink Floyd: Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXI
Rilo Kiley: That’s How We Chose To Remember It
Rilo Kiley: The Execution of All Things (Frozen Lake Edition)
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings: Naturally (20th Anniversary Edition)
Simple Minds: Live in the City of Diamonds
Stereophonics: ‘Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait’
Sting: Sting 3.0 Live
Tennis: Face Down in the Garden **
Various Artists: Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young
William Tyler: Time Indefinite
** Zappa’s favorite
RELEASE RADAR
:: MAY 16
Cautious Clay: The Hours: Morning • The Dandy Warhols: Rock Remaker EP • Hozier: Hozier (Vinyl Reissue) • Pelican: Flickering Resonance • Sleep Theory: Afterglow • Slow Joy: A Joy So Slow At Times I Don’t Think It’s Coming • Tune-Yards: Better Dreaming • Windser: Windser
:: MAY 18
Chuck D: Radio Armageddon
:: MAY 21
Lana Del Rey: The Right Person Will Stay
:: MAY 23
7Seconds: New Wind / Change In My Head • Howard Jones: Piano Composed • Sparks: Mad! • Stereolab: Instant Holograms on Metal Film
:: MAY 30
Alan Sparhawk & Trampled by Turtles: self-titled • Garbage: Let All That We Imagine Be the Light • Illuminati Hotties: Nickel on the Fountain Floor EP • Matt Berninger: Get Sunk • Mt. Joy: Hope We Have Fun • Sufjan Stevens: Carrie & Lowell (10th Anniversary Edition) • Swans: Birthing
:: JUN 6
Black Moth Super Rainbow: Soft New Magic Dream • Broken Social Scene: Anthems: A Celebration Of Broken Social Scene’s You Forgot It In People • Caamp: Copper Changes Color • Elbow: AUDIO VERTIGO ECHO elbow EP 5 • Isaac Hayes: The Best Of Isaac Hayes • Mary Chapin Carpenter: Personal History • My Chemical Romance: Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge (Deluxe Edition) • Pulp: More • Soccer Mommy: Evergreen (Stripped) EP • Steely Dan: The Royal Scam (Vinyl Reissue) • Tracy Bonham: Sky Too Wide • Turnstile: Never Enough • Wavves: Spun
:: JUN 13
The Cure: Mixes of a Lost World • King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: Phantom Island • Metallica: Load (Remastered Deluxe Box Set) • Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts: Talkin to the Trees • Ray LaMontagne: Trouble (20th Anniversary Edition) • The Swell Season: Forward
ON THIS DATE
:: MAY 14
♯ Birthdays: Bobby Darin (1936) • Jack Bruce of Cream (1943) • Gene Cornish of The Rascals (1946) • David Byrne (1952) • Tom Cochrane (1953) • Ian Astbury of The Cult (1962) • Mike Inez, bassist of Alice In Chains (1966) • Producer/multi-instrumentalist Greg Kurstin (1969) • Dan Auerbach (1979) • DJ/producer Martin Garrix (1996) • Madi Diaz (1986) • Martin Garrix (1996) ♯ Events: Frank Sinatra died from a heart attack, aged 82. (1998) • B.B. King died in his sleep after suffering a series of strokes, aged 89. (2015)
:: MAY 15
♯ Birthdays: Brian Eno (1948) • Mike Oldfield (1953) • Andrew Eldritch of Sisters of Mercy (1959) • Ahmet Zappa (1974) • Birdy (1986) ♯ Events: June Carter Cash died in Nashville of complications following heart surgery, aged 73. (2003)
:: MAY 16
♯ Birthdays: Robert Fripp of King Crimson (1946) • Jonathan Richman (1951) • Krist Novoselic of Nirvana (1965) • Janet Jackson (1966) ♯ Events: The Beach Boys released Pet Sounds. (1966) • Ronnie James Dio died after a six-month battle with cancer. (2010)
:: MAY 17
♯ Birthdays: Enya (1961) • Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails (1965) • Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age (1973) ♯ Events: A fire destroyed Tom Petty's house in Los Angeles. (1987) • Daft Punk released Random Access Memories. (2013)
:: MAY 18
♯ Birthdays: Rick Wakeman of Yes (1949) • Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo (1950) • Page Hamilton of Helmet (1960) ♯ Events: Ian Curtis of Joy Division hanged himself in the kitchen of his house in Macclesfield, England, aged 23. At the time of his death, Curtis had Iggy Pop’s album The Idiot playing on his stereo. (1980) • Chris Cornell died by suicide in Detroit, Michigan. (2017)
:: MAY 19
♯ Birthdays: Grace Jones (1948) • Phil Rudd, drummer for AC/DC was born in Melbourne, Australia. (1954) • Joey Ramone was born in Queens, New York. (1951) • Michael Angelakos of Passion Pit (1987) • Sam Smith (1992) ♯ Events: Keith Richards crashed his car after falling asleep behind the wheel. (1976) • Ringo Starr was involved in a car crash less than half a mile from where Marc Bolan of T-Rex was killed in a crash three years prior. (1980) • Andy Rourke, bassist for The Smiths, died from pancreatic cancer, aged 59. (2023)
:: MAY 20
♯ Birthdays: Joe Cocker was born in Sheffield, England. (1944) • Jane Wiedlin of The Go Go’s was born in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. (1958) • Israel “IZ” Ka‘ano‘i Kamakawiwo‘ole (1959) • Dan Wilson of Semisonic was born in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. (1961) • Busta Rhymes (1972) ♯ Events: Ray Manzarek, founding member of The Doors, died in Rosenheim, Germany, aged 74. (2013)
CODA
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There is a light that never goes out,
Chris Zappa 🤘🏻
P.S. The only part of the Anthony Kiedis coffee story I liked was the fact that the coffee beans are sourced from an all-female co-op in Peru.
Obligatory "Fuck LiveNation" for good measure
Metal? Fuck yes
Sepultura "Roots Bloody Roots"
Pantera "Fucking Hostile"
Metallica "Disposable Heroes," "Battery"
Slipknot "sic"
In This Moment "Ashes"
Cannibal Corpse "Hammer Smashed Face"
Deicide "Once Upon the Cross"
I mean there's more. So much more in this misunderstood genre (and sub genres). If you like I'll generate a playlist.