Hey everyone,
I’ve started selling merch as a way to support my efforts here.
The first thing in my shop is this cool “Will Work For Vinyl” t-shirt and it’d be so incredibly cool of you if you’d consider buying one.
I will have more products available soon (coffee mugs, stickers, vinyl totes, etc.) but this is a start.
Ground control to reader: Take your protein pills. Put your helmet on.
This music newsletter ain’t gonna read itself.
“To me, life is a gift, and it's a blessing to just be alive. And each person should learn what a gift it is to be alive no matter how tough things get.”
—Tony Bennett
ROCK THE VOTE
:: MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
WEEKLY PLAYLIST #66
:: NEW MUSIC EVERY WEEK
Featuring: Tony Bennett, Molly Parden, Parker Louis, Bleach Lab, Hozier, Billy Idol, Andrew Bird, Dan Mangan, Little Monarch, Citrine, Dungeon of Skeletons, The Beaches, Funkadelic
ZAPPAGRAM #66
ZAPPAGRAM PLAYLIST (ALL WEEKS)
MUSIC NEWS
:: WHAT’S GOING ON
Tony Bennett, Beloved Standards Crooner Who Bridged Generations, Dead at 96
One of music's last standards-bearer found a new generation of fans later in his career [RollingStone]
Lana Del Rey Target of Death Threats, Man Arrested
A 40-year-old Canadian man was detained ahead of the singer's performance in Quebec this past weekend [Consequence]
Watch Lana Del Rey Work a Shift at Waffle House
The star has been spotted out and about in Alabama this week [NME]
Roger Waters Announces Release of ‘The Dark Side of the Moon Redux’ As Solo Album
None of the former Pink Floyd members were featured in the album [NME]
Fans Respond After YSL Reveal $4000 Nirvana Merchandise
Luxury brand Saint Laurent is selling arguably the world’s most expensive Nirvana merchandise and, needless to say, fans aren’t happy [NME]
The Kills Are Teasing Their Return
The rock duo have been on hiatus since 2018 [NME]
Paul McCartney Announces New Podcast ‘McCartney: A Life in Lyrics’
Each episode will see Macca focusing on a single song from his work in the Beatles and Wings as well as his solo career [NME]
Fleetwood Mac to Unveil ‘Rumours Live’ Double LP in September
The album was recorded during the band’s concert at The Forum in 1977 [RollingStone]
Keanu Reeves and Dogstar Return With First New Music in Over 20 Years
The Nineties alt-rock band will release a new album in October and launch a North American tour later this summer [RollingStone]
Anti-Flag Announce Break Up Following Possible Rape Accusations Against Frontman
The the long-running political punk band announced on Patreon that they had disbanded [Stereogum]
Neil Young Will Return To The Roxy Exactly 50 Years After He Headlined Venue’s Opening Night
Young will perform at the Roxy on Sept. 20, exactly 50 years to the day after he opened the venue [Stereogum]
The Cure Left Millions of Dollars on the Table, and Still Had the Highest-Grossing Tour of Their Career
According to Billboard, The Cure’s “Shows of a Lost World Tour” sold 547,000 tickets for a gross of $37.5 million [Consequence]
Dead & Company Fading Away After Most Successful Tour in Spin-Off Band’s History
More than 840,000 fans saw the last lap of the spin-off jam band's final run [Billboard]
Live Nation Offering 4 Tickets for $80 All-In Package for Thousands of Summer Concerts
Including Beck with Phoenix, Counting Crows, QOTSA, Jimmy Eat World, Smashing Pumpkins, Snoop Dogg, The Offspring, and more [Consequence]
Z-REX
:: ZAPPA’S RECOMMENDATIONS
In April 1994, the great Tony Bennett went to Sony Studios in New York City to record an episode (which later became an album) of MTV Unplugged. It’s hard to believe this performance is now almost 30 years old, but this is one of the most beautiful renditions of “Fly Me To The Moon” you’ll ever hear.
NEW RELEASES
:: RECENTLY DROPPED MUSIC
Andrew Bird: Outside Problems [listen]
Bloc Party: The High Life EP [listen]
Blur: The Ballad of Darren [listen]
Greta Van Fleet: Starcatcher [listen]
Guided By Voices: Welshpool Frillies [listen]
RELEASE RADAR
:: UPCOMING RELEASES
- JUL 28 -
Aphex Twin: Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / in a room7 F760 EP
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
- AUG 11 -
Liam Gallagher: Knebworth 22
Neil Young: Chrome Dreams
The Hives: The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons
- AUG 18 -
Aerosmith: Greatest Hits
Cautious Clay: KARPEH
Grace Potter: Mother Road
Gregory Alan Isakov: Appaloosa Bones
Hozier: Unreal Unearth
Jon Batiste: World Music Radio
Sonic Youth: Live in Brooklyn 2011
Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense (Deluxe Edition)
- AUG 25 -
Cindy Wilson: Realms
Grandaddy: Sumday: Excess Baggage
Hiss Golden Messenger: Jump For Joy
Hüsker Dü: Tonite Longhorn
ON THIS DATE
:: MUSICAL HAPPENINGS OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
- JUL 24 -
All four Beatles and their manager Brian Epstein signed a petition printed in The Times newspaper calling for the legalization of marijuana. (1967)
- JUL 25 -
Birthday: Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth (1958) • The Woodstock ‘99 Festival ended with riots resulting in 120 people being arrested. Three people died during the 3-day festival and many were hospitalized after drinking polluted water. (1999)
- JUL 26 -
Birthdays: Mick Jagger (1943) • Roger Taylor of Queen (1949) • Grateful Dead keyboardist Brent Mydland died aged 38. (1990) • JJ Cale, aged 74, died of a heart attack. (2013) • Joey Jordison of Slipknot died, aged 46. (2021)
- JUL 27 -
Birthdays: Juliana Hatfield (1967) • Pete Yorn (1974) • Fans of rock & roll were warned that tuning into music on the car radio could cost you more money. Researchers from the Esso gas company said the rhythm of rock & roll could cause the driver to be foot heavy on the pedal, making them waste fuel. (1958)
- JUL 28 -
Birthday: Richard Wright of Pink Floyd (1943) • Thousands of public phone booths in Moscow were vandalized after thieves stole parts of the phones to convert their acoustic guitars to electric. A feature in a Russian youth magazine gave details on how to do this. (1969) • Dusty Hill of ZZ Top died, aged 72. (2021)
- JUL 29 -
Birthdays: Geddy Lee and Patti Scialfa (1953) • Danger Mouse (1977) • Cream made their live debut at the Twisted Wheel, Manchester, England. (1966) • Cass Elliot died, aged 32. (1974)
- JUL 30 -
Birthdays: Buddy Guy (1936) • Jimmy Cliff (1944) • Kate Bush (1958) • Seth Avett of The Avett Brothers (1980) • Jack White’s mission to play the first record in space was accomplished. “A Glorious Dawn” by composer John Boswell, mixed with audio of Carl Sagan describing the universe, was played almost 18 miles above Earth on a "space-proof" turntable. The record played for 80 minutes until the balloon carrying the contraption burst and sent the turntable hurdling back towards earth where it landed in Marsing, Idaho. (2016)
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Zappagram #66: Will work for vinyl