If you enjoy the podcast and newsletter, please tell your friends, enemies, and anyone else who will listen. Zappagram is 100% reader/listener-supported and I could really use your help: if you find what I do valuable and you can afford $5/month, it would seriously validate my efforts to have you as a paid subscriber. (Thanks for considering it!)
Ground control to reader: Take your protein pills. Put your helmet on.
This music newsletter ain’t gonna read itself.
“I never say it can't get any worse. I never say that, and I wouldn't advise it. But I do say it can get better.”
—Josh Homme
ROCK THE VOTE
:: MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
WEEKLY PLAYLIST #62
:: NEW MUSIC EVERY WEEK
Featuring: Bethany Cosentino, Lloyd Cole, Lyys, Llynks, Westrin & Mowry, Jonathan Wilson, Madi Diaz, Julie Byrne, Sam Evian, Feist, Spoon, Pixies, Generationals, Almost Sex, Deaf Charlie, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Police
ZAPPAGRAM #62
ZAPPAGRAM PLAYLIST (ALL WEEKS)
MUSIC NEWS
:: WHAT’S GOING ON
See Travis Barker Find Out That Kourtney Kardashian Is Pregnant During Blink-182 Show
The trio’s reunion tour hit the BMO Stadium in the Kardashian’s native Los Angeles Friday, where Kourtney was on hand to reveal — via a sign — that she was pregnant with the couple’s first child together. [RollingStone]
Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” Expected to Generate $4.6 Billion in Local Revenue
Swifties are spending an average of $1,300 to attend the tour [Consequence]
My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields Hid A Thumb Drive Of New Music In His Fender Signature Guitar Pedals
The limited release contained only 700 pedals worldwide, and each came with a signed booklet and a fancy cardboard box, but there was also a hidden easter egg inside 100 of the pedals. [Stereogum]
Ticketmaster, Others Agree to All-In Pricing as White House Cracks Down on Hidden Junk Fees
President Joe Biden meets with ticketing companies and venue owners Thursday to make "honest, transparent pricing" the industry standard [RollingStone]
Hans Zimmer Proposes to Girlfriend Onstage During London Concert
He might be known for scoring some of your favorite movies, but he had quite the cinematic moment of his own Thursday night. During his performance at the O2 Arena in London, the composer invited his partner onstage to propose to her in front of the crowd. [Consequence]
Jesse Malin Paralyzed From the Waist Down After Rare Spinal Stroke
Friends of the New York musician have launched a donation campaign to help cover Malin’s medical bills [Pitchfork]
Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme Reveals He Had Surgery to Remove Cancer
"Cancer is just the cherry on top of an interesting time period, you know?" he says in new interview. [RollingStone]
Urge Overkill Drummer John Rowan, Who Performed as Blackie Onassis, Has Died
The Chicago rock band covered Neil Diamond’s “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon,” made famous by a pivotal scene in Pulp Fiction [Pitchfork]
Two People Killed in Mass Shooting Outside EDM Festival at the Gorge
Beyond Wonderland cancels its second day after suspect - who was apprehended - opened fire in the venue's campgrounds area Saturday night [RollingStone]
Paul McCartney Used AI to Make a Final Beatles Song — But Not in a Creepy Way
Musician was able to complete an old John Lennon demo using the same tech Peter Jackson employed to isolate and restore audio for Get Back [RollingStone]
Bonnaroo Attendees Are Making Accidental 911 Calls With iPhone’s Crash Feature
Last fall, Apple launched its crash detection feature in iPhones and Apple Watches which is intended to automatically alert authorities to car crashes. The crash detection feature responds to extreme accelerations or decelerations, and it appears that extreme accelerations and decelerations happen often at Bonnaroo. [Stereogum]
Former Stone Pony Owner Arrested for Disrupting Trump’s Motorcade
Domenic Santana sought to block Trump's motorcade as it left a Miami courthouse on Tuesday [Consequence]
Z-REX
:: ZAPPA’S RECOMMENDATIONS
+ Steve Appleford writing for Revolver interviewed Josh Homme on Queens of the Stone Age’s Return, a lengthy piece that’s a must-read for any QOTSA fan.
+ This past Friday, Queens Of The Stone Age released their new album, In Times New Roman, and the following day, the band played a blistering set at the Pinkpop Festival in Landgraaf, Netherlands, and goddamn if the entire performance isn’t entirely too badass for words, especially “God Is In The Radio.” That song, from start to finish, is the epitome of everything badass in rock and roll today, or ever. Here is that complete concert performance in its entirety.
NEW RELEASES
:: RECENTLY DROPPED MUSIC
Balmorhea: Pendant World [listen]
Drive-By Truckers: The Complete Dirty South [listen]
Hand Habits: Sugar the Bruise EP [listen]
John Mellencamp: Orpheus Descending [listen]
Queens Of The Stone Age: In Times New Roman… [listen]
Sigur Rós: ÁTTA [listen]
Silversun Pickups: Acoustic Thrills EP [listen]
Son Volt: Day of the Doug [listen]
Spoon: Memory Dust EP [listen]
The Teskey Brothers: The Winding Way [listen]
RELEASE RADAR
:: UPCOMING RELEASES
- JUN 23 -
Albert Hammond Jr: Melodies on Hiatus
Amanda Shires & Bobbie Nelson: Loving You
Lloyd Cole: On Pain
M. Ward: Supernatural Thing
Portugal. the Man: Chris Black Changed My Life
Sleepy Gonzales: Mercy Kill EP
Wye Oak: Every Day Like the Last
- JUN 30 -
Charlie Watts: Anthology
Frank Zappa: Funky Nothingness
Grateful Dead: Here Comes Sunshine 1973
The Jins: It’s A Life
Lucinda Williams: Stories From a Rock n Roll Heart
- JUL 7 -
ANOHNI and the Johnsons: My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
Julie Byrne: The Greater Wings
Local Natives: Time Will Wait for No One
Nick Drake: The Endless Coloured Ways: The Songs of Nick Drake
PJ Harvey: I Inside the Old Year Dying
Taylor Swift: Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
- JUL 14 -
Duane Betts: Wild & Precious Life
Gordon Lightfoot: At Royal Albert Hall
- JUL 21 -
Blur: The Ballad of Darren
Nils Lofgren: Mountains
- JUL 28 -
Bethany Cosentino: Natural Disaster
Brad: In the Moment That You’re Born
Darlingside: Everything Is Alive
Joni Mitchell: Joni Mitchell at Newport
Madeline Kenney: A New Reality Mind
Stevie Nicks: Complete Studio Albums & Rarities
SUSTO: My Entire Life
ON THIS DATE
:: MUSICAL HAPPENINGS OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
- JUN 19 -
Singer-songwriter Nick Drake was born in Rangoon, Burma (1948) • Ann Wilson of Heart was born in San Diego, CA (1950) • Simon Wright, drummer of AC/DC was born in Manchester, England (1963) • Paula Abdul was born in San Fernando, CA (1963) • Brian Welch, guitarist of Korn, was born in Los Angeles (1970) • Scott Avett of The Avett Brothers was born in Cheyenne, WY (1976) • Rapper, Ben Haggerty, a.k.a. Macklemore was born in Seattle, WA (1983) • Gerry Goffin, who penned chart-topping songs with his then-wife Carole King died at the age of 75 in Los Angeles. He wrote dozens of hits over two decades, including 'The Loco-Motion', 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow' and '(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman'. (2014)
- JUN 20 -
Guitar legend Chet Atkins was born in Luttrell, TN (1924) • Brian Wilson was born in Los Angeles (1942) • Lionel Richie was born in Tuskegee, AL (1949) • Michael Anthony, bassist of Van Halen, was born in Chicago, IL (1954) • John Taylor, bassist of Duran Duran, was born in Solihull, England (1960) • Bassist Jeordie White, a.k.a. Twiggy Ramirez, was born in Fort Lauderdale, FL (1971) • Chino Moreno, lead singer of Deftones, was born in Sacramento, CA (1972) • Adam Hann, guitarist of The 1975, was born in Manchester, England (1988) • David Bowie recorded “Space Oddity” at Trident Studios in London. (1969)
- JUN 21 -
Ray Davies of The Kinks was born in London (1944) • Joey Kramer, drummer of Aerosmith, was born in NYC (1950) • Multi-instrumentalist Nils Lofgren of The E Street Band and Crazy Horse, was born in Chicago (1951) • Pat Sansone of Wilco was born in Meridian, MS (1969) • Michael Einziger, guitarist of Incubus, was born in Los Angeles (1976) • Brandon Flowers of The Killers was born in Henderson, NV (1981) • Elizabeth Grant, a.k.a. Lana Del Rey was born in NYC (1985) • John Lee Hooker, American blues singer and guitarist died in his sleep aged 83. (2001) • Apple Music reversed its payment policy, a day after Taylor Swift said she was refusing to allow the company to stream her latest album 1989. In an open letter to Apple, Swift said she was withholding the record as she was unhappy with the three-month free trial offered to subscribers, saying "We don't ask you for free iPhones. Please don't ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation." Apple now said it would pay artists for music streamed during trial periods. (2015) • American music manager and record executive Elliot Roberts died aged 76. He is best known for helping to start and develop the careers of singer-songwriters from the late 1960s and 1970s, including those of Neil Young – whom he managed for over fifty years – and Joni Mitchell. (2019)
- JUN 22 -
Kris Kristofferson was born in Brownsville, TX (1936) • Producer Peter Asher was born in London (1944) • Todd Rundgren was born in Philadelphia, PA (1948) • Cyndi Lauper was born in NYC (1953) • Alan Anton, bassist of Cowboy Junkies, was born in Toronto (1959) • Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies was born in Scarborough, Ontario (1970) • American singer, actress, Judy Garland, died of a barbiturate overdose aged 47, she was found on the floor of her rented Chelsea home, in London. (1969) • Joni Mitchell released her fourth studio album Blue. (1971)
- JUN 23 -
June Carter Cash was born in Maces Spring, VA (1929) • Stuart Sutcliffe, original bassist of The Beatles, was born in Edinburgh (1940) • Robert Hunter, American lyricist, singer-songwriter and poet, best known for his work with the Grateful Dead, was born in Arroyo Grande, CA (1941) • Musician/producer Randy Jackson was born in Baton Rouge, LA (1956) • KT Tunstall was born in Edinburgh (1975) • Steve Shelley, drummer for Sonic Youth, was born in Midland, MI (1962) • During his “Welcome To My Nightmare” tour in Vancouver, Canada, Alice Cooper fell from the stage and broke six ribs. (1975)
- JUN 24 -
Jeff Beck was born in Surrey, England (1944) • Mick Fleetwood was born in Cornwall, England (1947) • John Illsley, bassist of Dire Straits, was born in Leicester, England (1949) • Jeff Cease, guitarist of The Black Crowes, was born in Nashville (1957) • Curt Smith of Tears For Fears was born in Somerset, England (1961) • Mario Calire, drummer of The Wallflowers, was born in Buffalo, NY (1974) • Frank Zappa performed live for the last time in Prague. (1991)
- JUN 25 -
Carly Simon was born in NYC (1945) • Tim Finn of Split Enz and Crowded House was born in New Zealand (1952) • David Paich, keyboardist of Toto was born in Los Angeles (1954) • George Michael was born in Middlesex, England (1963) • Hillel Slovak of Red Hot Chili Peppers died from a heroin overdose. (1988) • Michael Jackson died at the age of 50, after suffering heart failure at his home in Beverly Hills. (2009) • Amnesty International apologised to Iggy Pop after it had used an image of the singer in its latest anti-torture campaign without the singer's permission. The Belgian advert featured the Stooges frontman's face bloodied and beaten, quoting him as saying Justin Bieber was "the future of rock and roll" and the slogan: "Torture a man and he will tell you anything." (2014) • A lock of David Bowie's hair sold at auction for $18,750. (2016)
Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok for more music-related content.
Zappagram #62: McCartney & Lennon + AI = New Beatles song