Music News

Tom Jones, Bryan Adams, Madness and Sting have been announced as headliners for the inaugural Plymouth Summer Sessions festival in 2024.

The festival will take place between June 13 to 16 on The Plymouth Hoe. Tickets go on sale on Friday, December 1 at 9 am via the Summer Sessions and Ticket Master websites.

The Plymouth Summer Sessions will also feature Gabrielle, Cassyette, The Lightning Seeds and Blondie.

Jones will kick off the first-ever Plymouth Summer Sessions on Thursday, June 13, with support from Gabrielle. Adams will then take to the stage on Friday, June 14, alongside special guest Cassyette.

Madness are set to headline Saturday, June 15, joined by The Lightning Seeds, and Sting will wrap up the festival with special guest Blondie.

"We are thrilled to bring together an extraordinary lineup of legendary artists for the first-ever Plymouth Summer Sessions," said Peter Taylor, co-founder of festival partner Cuffe & Taylor in a press statement.

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Apple TV+ recently released an official trailer for the new three-part documentary series, "John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial."

Narrated by Emmy Award winner Kiefer Sutherland, the docuseries is set to premiere globally on December 6.

The docuseries features exclusive eyewitness interviews and previously unseen crime scene photos, shedding new light on the life and murder of music and cultural icon John Lennon, and the investigation and conviction of Mark David Chapman, his confessed killer.

"John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial" is a deeply researched examination of Lennon's 1980 murder. The series includes exclusive interviews including Richard Peterson, a taxi driver who was witness to the shooting; Jay Hastings, a doorman at The Dakota building who heard Lennon's last words; David Suggs, Chapman's defense lawyer; Elliot Mintz, a confidant to Lennon and Yoko Ono; and Dr. Naomi Goldstein, the psychiatrist who first assessed Chapman.

The series is produced for Apple TV+ by 72 Films, directed by Nick Holt and Rob Coldstream with executive producers David Glover, Mark Raphael and Coldstream, alongside producers Simon Bunney and Louis Lee Ray.

(Photo courtesy of AppleTV+)

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Dolly Parton's Rockstar has debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums charts.

Rockstar marks her ninth country topper and her debut on top of the Rock & Alternative Albums chart.

The legendary country singer-songwriter's latest album earned 128,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the November 17-23 tracking week, according to Luminate.

Rockstar also marks Parton's first No. 1 album on the all-genre Top Album Sales chart.

Parton also earned the No. 3 spot on the Billboard 200 for the first time with the album.

Rockstar is the 49th solo studio album by Parton, released on November 17 by Butterfly Records and Big Machine Records. The 30-track set, which is also her first rock album, is a collaborative project featuring a variety of rock musicians.

(Photo: Butterfly Records)

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French hard rock festival Hellfest has announced a huge lineup for the next year's edition, including Foo Fighters, Metallica, Machine Head and Avenged Sevenfold as headliners.

Hellfest 2024 will feature over 175 bands performing across six different stages. The rock and metal festival is set to take place from June 27-30, 2024 in Clisson, France.

Other acts include Queens Of The Stone Age, Royal Blood, Megadeth, Steel Panther, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Suicidal Tendencies, Saxon, Slipknot's Corey Taylor, Enter Shikari, Body Count, Tom Morello and many more.

Four-day passes for the festival are currently sold out, but one-day passes will be announced in early 2024.

(Photo: Raphael Pour-Hashemi; CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia)

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Billy Joel announced during a preview of Billy Joel: My Life - A Piano Man's Journey that he will continue to tour after the end of his residency at Madison Square Garden in July 2024.

"I'm not leaving [touring]. We'll still do the work - we're just not going to keep working in the same place. We're going to different places," Joel told the crowd.

Earlier, Joel expanded on his post-residency plans a bit during an interview with Fox 5 New York while he was visiting the exhibit, which is located at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in Stony Brook, New York.

"It doesn't mean I'm giving up," he insisted. "It doesn't mean I'm stopping performing. We'll do more gigs."

Asked if he might consider playing at the new Las Vegas venue the Sphere, where U2 currently is playing a residency, Joel said, "We might do that. We're talking about it. I have to go to the Sphere and check out what it really is all about, 'cause I'm not sure how we bring programming for that, but we'd have to do that."

Joel's Madison Square Garden residency is scheduled to wrap up on July 25, 2024. He also has shows scheduled at the venue leading up to his final residency date.

(Photo: David Shankbone; CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia)

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KISS' Paul Stanley has revealed that his recent bout with the flu made him wonder whether "it was my time."

KISS recently cancelled their End of the Road Tour shows in Ottawa, Toronto and Knoxville due to "unforeseen illness" within the touring party.

The band returned to the stage on Saturday, November 25, at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, where a pre-show soundcheck and Q&A session saw co-founder Stanley open up about his health situation.

"You know, I've done shows with cracked ribs, I've done shows with a 103 fever," he explained. "[This time] I literally... I was wondering if it was my time. But anyway, I'm here, and it's awesome."

Stanley had also issued an apology after two Canadian shows were canceled, writing on X, "Toronto And Ottawa. I've done everything possible to get onstage and be a part of the incredible 2 1/2 hour celebration we planned but this flu has made it impossible. I along with Gene, Tommy and Eric couldn't be more disappointed and send our deepest apologies."

(Photo: Raphael Pour-Hashemi; CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia)

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Heavy metal legends Metallica have announced their first-ever show in Saudi Arabia.

On December 14, they will become the first hard rock band to perform at the Soundstorm Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

"We're not done with 2023 just yet, as an amazing opportunity has just come our way to perform at a major festival that we have never played in a part of the world we rarely get to visit," the band said. "We're excited to announce that on Thursday, December 14 we'll be the first hard rock band to ever play at the Soundstorm Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.".

Launched in 2019, Soundstorm is a three-day festival featuring more than 100 international artists, DJs, and musicians combining music, interactive performances, and art installations.

This year's lineup also includes H.E.R., Black Eyed Peas, Calvin Harris, Pharrell & Phriends, J Balvin, Swedish House Mafia and David Guetta.

Festival and single-day tickets are available at https://mdlbeast.com/events/soundstorm-2023/tickets. More information about the three-day event is available at mdlbeast.com/events/soundstorm-2023.

(Photo: Tim Saccenti)

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A new music video for the late Jimmy Buffett's "Like My Dog" has been released, celebrating love for animals and promoting pet adoption.

The video features never-before-seen footage from Buffett as well as videos hashtagged #likemydog and posted on social media by his fans.

The music video was created in collaboration with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to encourage pet adoption from animal shelters and rescue organizations across the country.

"The dedication and humanity Jimmy Buffett put into his music crossed over into his love for animals, especially pets and wildlife," said Matt Bershadker, ASPCA President & CEO.

Written by Scotty Emerick and Harley Allen, "Like My Dog" was recorded by Buffett as an ode to his favorite furry friends. It is one of the tracks from his recently released final album, Equal Strain On All Parts.

On the heels of the release of his wildly successful album, Buffett was honored posthumously with a star-studded tribute at the CMA Awards.

The new video for "Like My Dog" was showcased on NBC's "Today" show and can also be viewed on Buffett's YouTube channel.

(Photo: Julie Skarratt)

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Neil Young recently released a new video, called "Stand for Peace," featuring his performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" on electric guitar.

The video, which was directed by Young's wife Daryl Hannah, features footage of Young performing next to an American flag and concludes with the written message "Be Brave" and "Stand For Peace."

Although Young does not make any direct reference to any particular ongoing war or political conflict, a few days earlier he had posted a statement on the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Young had written, "For our many Palestinian friends and our many Jewish friends, we do need to start over in the present and release our terrible connections to the past. As bad as they are, they need to be forgotten so we can be free to move on in life together, all humanity, focused on saving our planet for future generations of all people."

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A handwritten lyric sheet by David Bowie is set to be auctioned this week and is expected to fetch up to 100,000 pounds.

The document contains Bowie's corrections, drafts and notes for the Ziggy Stardust tracks "Rock'n'Roll Suicide" and "Suffragette City." It will be displayed at the Omega Auctions showcase sale on November 28.

The letter of provenance reads, "The hand-written notes were given to the original owner personally by David Bowie at Trident Studio, with a few other pages of original lyrics, some of which didn't survive."

"They were needed so that the music publisher and management could prepare the lyric sheet, printed on the album's inner record bag,"it adds. "At the same time, for the person collecting, David alerted them to two songs he hadn't written that he had just decided would also feature on the album (It Ain't Easy and Round and Round - the names of which he quickly added at the foot of the page on the Suffragette City side), writing next to them: 'pub (publishing) you know these songs'."

The letter of provenance also says the sheet was purchased by the current owner in the early 1980s, and loaned to the V&A in 2013 for an exhibition.

Auction manager Dan Muscatelli-Hampson said, "These are two real cult favourites in the wonderful Bowie oeuvre and 'Suffragette City' has been described as one of his very best. It's an incredible artefact to have and to hold and it is sure to excite the many millions of Bowie fans around the world - just as the Starman lyrics did."

(Photo: Press)

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Foghat's Sonic Mojo has debuted atop Billboard's Blues Albums chart, giving the band its first No. 1 on the tally.

Foghat released the 12-track Sonic Mojo, their 17-th studio album, and the first new record in seven years, on November 10th via their own label, Foghat Records.

The album features original new tracks and iconic covers by some of their favorite musicians. Founding drummer Roger Earl, guitar virtuoso/engineer/co-producer Bryan Bassett, bass maestro Rodney O'Quinn and lead singer/guitarist extraordinaire Scott Holt have crafted an album that's a time capsule of their glory days.

The album's three singles, "Drivin' On," "She's a Little Bit of Everything" (co-written by the late Kim Simmonds from Savoy Brown) and "I Don't Appreciate You" are currently streaming on the band's official YouTube page.

The band, which began its journey in 1971, have eight gold records, one platinum record and one double platinum record so far.

(Photo: Jake Coughlin)

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During a recent episode of "The Osbournes Podcast," a segment featuring the Osbournes discussing their MTV reality series "The Osbournes" saw the family saying that they would never want to revive the series.

When asked by Jack Osbourne whether the series, which ran from 2002 to 2005, had a "positive or negative effect on everyone's mental health," Kelly Osbourne said it had a "massive negative effect" on her mental health. "It made me so insecure," she added. Ozzy Osbourne said the show served as the "best diary" for future generations of the family. However, he added that the intrusive nature of the production didn't allow him to even "pick my nose and squeeze a zit" without the cameras filming him.

Sharon Osbourne said she felt the show was a great experience, but it was time for it to end when it did. Ozzy chimed in that the series started to get "unreal" when they were forced to go on fishing trips and engage in other activities that they didn't normally do in real life.

Jack then remarked, "That's why I don't think we'll ever do another season," to which Ozzy replied, "It won't happen again. Never in a million years."

Ozzy admitted that he was hurt by the way he was portrayed on "The Osbournes," telling Jack, "I remember you came home one day, and said, 'Dad, let me ask you a question. Do you like people laughing at you or with you? And I said something like, 'As long as they're laughing, I don't give a sh-t.' But in all honestly, it made my head think, 'They're laughing at me.'"

(Photo: Ross Halfin)

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The Beatles' Red and Blue compilation albums have re-entered Billboard's Top Album Sales Chart.

The compilation album 1967-1970, also known as the Blue album, is ranked 5th on the chart dated November 25. 1962-1966, also known as the Red album, follows closely at No. 6.

The Red album sold 22,000 units and the Blue album sold 24,000 units in the November 10-16 tracking week in the U.S. following their expanded reissue, Luminate data shows.

Additionally, 1967-1970 made its re-entry on the Billboard 200 at No. 15, and 1962-1966 once again entered the chart at No. 20.

The 26-track 1962-1966 album and 28-track 1967-1970 album were originally released in 1973.

When they were reissued on November 10, 12 songs were added to the 1962-1966 original album, and 9 songs were added to 1967-1970.

Billboard's Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales.

(Photo: Apple Corps Ltd.)

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Daryl Hall has been granted a restraining order against his longtime musical partner, John Oates, as a legal dispute plays out between Hall & Oates.

However, the dispute between the pair isn't clear, as the court documents are sealed. The case summary on the Nashville Chancery Court website classifies it as a "Contract/Debt" dispute. Hall filed the initial complaint back on November 16.

Along with the complaint, Hall also filed a motion for a temporary restraining order as well as motions to keep all the documents under seal.

On November 17, a restraining bond was set at $50,000, and the restraining order itself was issued.

According to reports, Hall's lawsuit stems from Oates' attempt to sell off his share of their joint venture, Whole Oats Enterprises LLP.

Meanwhile, on November 23, Hall played a concert full of Hall & Oates classics in Tokyo.

Hall & Oates were formed in 1970. Hall is generally the lead vocalist, while Oates primarily plays the electric guitar and provides backing vocals.

During their peak years of 1974-91, the pair reached the U.S. Top 40 with 29 of their 33 singles charting on the Billboard Hot 100. Six of the singles reached No. 1: "Rich Girl" (1977), "Kiss on My List" (1980), the two 1981 releases "Private Eyes" and "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)", "Maneater" (1982) and "Out of Touch" (1984).

(Photo: Raphael Pour-Hashemi; CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

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The Orb and David Gilmour, the guitar and voice of Pink Floyd, recently released Metallic Spheres In Colour, a visionary re-interpretation of their classic 2010 album Metallic Spheres.

Now, in a new use of artificial intelligence led by major recording artists, they are stretching the creative possibilities of the remix project even further by inviting fans around the world to reimagine music from the new album, as well as its cover art, with AI-powered tools.

Fans can visit metallicspheres.io to create their own personalized AI track and artwork remixed from portions of Metallic Spheres In Colour. Visitors to the site will follow a series of prompts indicating the emotion they want the album's artwork to convey, plus mood and tempo preferences for the available audio.

The site, using artificial intelligence capabilities, then generates a new version for playback. Fans can share links to their creations via social media along with their reimagined album covers, and there will be an opportunity to purchase full length remixes as a download in the coming weeks.

In addition, select fan remixes of the Metallic Spheres In Colour album cover image, based on the original image by artist Simon Ghahary, may be included in an upcoming music video supporting the album.

Sony Music Entertainment and Legacy Recordings are collaborating with The Orb and David Gilmour to develop the Metallic Spheres In Colour AI project in partnership with Vermillio.

(Photo: Legacy Recordings/Sony Music)

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The Songwriters Hall of Fame has announced its list of nominees to be voted upon for induction at its 2024 Induction & Awards Gala.

Nominees in the Performing Songwriters category include Bryan Adams, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings, Blondie's Debbie Harry, Chris Stein and Clem Burke, Tracy Chapman, George Clinton, the Doobie Brothers' Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons and Michael McDonald and David Gates.

Heart's Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson, Kenny Loggins, Public Enemy's Chuck D and Flavor Flav, R.E.M.'s Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe, and Steely Dan's Donald Fagen and Walter Becker are also nominated.

Nominees in the Non-Performing Songwriters category are L. Russell Brown, Dean Dillon, Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, Hillary Lindsey, Tony Macaulay, Timbaland, Roger Nichols, Dean Pitchford, Maurice Starr and Narada Michael Walden. Three songwriters from each category who get the maximum number of votes will be inducted into SHOF at the Induction and Awards ceremony to be held in New York City in June 2024.

A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first significant commercial release of a song. Eligible voting members will have until midnight EST on December 27 to turn in ballots, with their choices of three nominees from a songwriter and three from a performing songwriter categories.

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Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose has been accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed by a former Penthouse model.

Attorneys for Sheila Kennedy filed a complaint in a New York court Wednesday, alleging that the actress and model was "sexually assaulted" in a New York City hotel room in February 1989, and that she "did not consent and felt overpowered."

"Rose used his fame, status, and power as a celebrity and performer in the music industry to gain access to manipulate, control and violently assault Kennedy," according to the lawsuit.

The alleged incident has caused Kennedy to suffer "severe emotional, physical, financial and psychological distress," it says.

Axl Rose, whose real name is William Bruce Rose, has not yet publicly responded to the complaint.

Reports say Rose faces a jury trial under the N.Y. Adult Survivors Act.

(Photo: Raphael Pour-Hashemi; CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

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Rock legend Neil Young has said that he's leaving X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, for "reasons that should be obvious" to owner Elon Musk.

"We are stopping all use of X that we can control," Young wrote in a statement posted to his website. "For reasons that should be obvious to the richest man on Earth, we are taking action against his company."

The post featured an image of Musk with the text "Tesla should fly flags of love, not hate" written over the billionaire's face.

The statement continued, "For our many Palestinian friends and our many Jewish friends, we do need to start over in the present and release our terrible connections to the past. As bad as they are, they need to be forgotten so we can be free to move on in life together, all humanity, focused on saving our planet for future generations of all people."

Young joins a list of boycotters of X, including Apple and Disney, after Musk indicated he agreed with a social media post accusing "Jewish communities" of advancing "hatred against whites."

Musk pushed back against the allegations, but not before Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Global, Lions Gate Entertainment and Comcast also announced pauses of their online ad campaigns.

"This past week, there were hundreds of bogus media stories claiming that I am antisemitic," Musk posted on X. "Nothing could be further from the truth. I wish only the best for humanity and a prosperous and exciting future for all."

(Photo: Raphael Pour-Hashemi; CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

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Billy Idol's Vertigo Live concert film Billy Idol: State Line is set to make its streaming debut via Veeps on Saturday (November 25) at noon PT.

Idol and guitarist Steve Stevens will be there for the stream/chat.

The concert film documents the rock legend's April show at the famed Hoover Dam, the first-ever concert performed at the location.

The Veeps stream exclusively features bonus, never before seen footage of Idol performing the tracks "Rebel Yell" and "Bitter Taste" at the Hoover Dam.

The movie highlights the history and significance of Hoover Dam and includes performances from two unique sets of Idol's iconic hits - a full band concert at sunset with special guests that electrified and illuminated the surrounding Black Canyon and an acoustic duo set on the roof of the powerhouse at the foot of Hoover Dam straddling the Colorado River, directly on the Nevada/Arizona state line.

The full band set features Alison Mosshart, Steve Jones, and Tony Kanal, in addition to Stevens.

"Our show at Hoover Dam was a monumental and surreal career highlight," notes Idol. "I'm excited to get State Line out into the world. With this film we set out to highlight the continued importance of one of the most inspiring infrastructural achievements of the 20th Century, while also bringing the power of rock n roll to a stunning, magical location. I think we more than succeeded on both accounts."

The film is free for Veeps All Access subscribers, and individual tickets can be purchased at Veeps.com for viewing between November 25 and December 7.

Fans around the world will be able to access the show at Veeps.com as well as via the Veeps app on Apple TV, Roku, iOS and Android.

(Photo: Jane Stuart)

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Kelly Clarkson performed a cover of Frank Sinatra classic "I Get a Kick Out of You" during the "Kellyoke" segment of a recent episode of he daytime talk show "The Kelly Clarkson Show."

"I get no kick from champagne / Mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all / So tell me why should it be true / That I get a kick out of you," Clarkson croons in the chorus.

"I Get a Kick Out of You" is a song by Cole Porter, which was first sung in the 1934 Broadway musical Anything Goes and then in the 1936 film version.

Originally sung by Ethel Merman, it has been covered by dozens of prominent performers, including Sinatra, Dolly Parton, and Ella Fitzgerald.

A cover by Mel Torme won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocal(s) for arranger Rob McConnell. A duet version by Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga was nominated for three awards at the 2022 Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year.

(Photo: Brian Bowen Smith)

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