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  • This Day in Rock History: February 21

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    Although initially considered unsuccessful in terms of sales, the Flying V guitar by Gibson is now considered a classic. This iconic design first shipped out from Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Feb. 21, 1958. Only 98 of these guitars were manufactured through 1959, but Gibson produced a variation of the original Flying V in the ’60s.

    For more interesting facts about this day in rock music history, continue reading. We have all the details on breakthrough hits, cultural milestones, notable recordings, major performances, and more from Feb. 21 of the past.

    Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

    Several rock bands had breakthrough hits or experienced milestones on Feb. 21, including:

    • 1964: The Rolling Stones released their third single in the U.K., a cover of Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away.” Two weeks later, the song was issued in the U.S., marking the band’s first single to be released in the country.
    • 1970: Simon & Garfunkel’s fifth and final album, Bridge over Troubled Water, reached the top spot on the UK albums chart. It stayed on the chart for more than 300 weeks in total, with 41 of those weeks at No. 1.
    • 1987: After gaining popularity from the 1987 film of the same name, Ben E. King’s 1961 song “Stand by Me” made it to No. 1 on the singles chart in the U.K.

    Cultural Milestones

    With these events, the rock music industry would never be the same:

    • 1964: After being inspired by seeing the Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show, a 16-year-old Billy Joel joined his first band, The Echoes. He played piano on several of their releases before going solo in the early 1970s.
    • 1970: Eric Wilson, bassist for Sublime and several other bands formed after lead vocalist Bradley Nowell’s death, was born in Long Beach, California. In 2023, Wilson reunited with former Sublime drummer Bud Gaugh and performed with Nowell’s son, Jakob, in the reformed Sublime group.
    • 2002: Influential solo artist Elton John criticized the music industry for producing mediocre, average bands, claiming they hinder the chances of truly talented musicians breaking through.

    Notable Recordings and Performances

    Maybe you’re familiar with these famous rock music recordings and performances that took place on Feb. 21:

    • 1967: Pink Floyd began recording their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, at London’s EMI Studios, now known as Abbey Road Studios. It was a success with both the public and music critics, with two of its songs, “Astronomy Domine” and “Interstellar Overdrive,” being heavily featured in the band’s concert playlists over the years.
    • 1970: Jackson 5, featuring a young Michael Jackson, appeared on the show American Bandstand. They performed  “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,” and “There Was A Time.”
    • 1983: During a performance in Cleveland, Ohio, Adam Ant collapsed on stage. He had torn cartilage in his knee and had to miss several tour dates in February and March, but he eventually returned and finished the tour.
    • 1995: For the first time in over seven years, Bruce Springsteen took to the stage with the E Street Band at a New York City club. Springsteen had recorded his debut album with the band in 1972.

    Industry Changes and Challenges

    Evolutions and obstacles from years past are what allow us to enjoy rock music as it is today, and these are some notable events from Feb. 21:

    • 1990: While the Beatles only won four GRAMMY Awards between 1964 and 1997, Paul McCartney was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 32nd Annual GRAMMY Awards ceremony. Meryl Streep had the honor of presenting him with the award.
    • 2004: After a long battle with throat cancer, Les Gray, the lead singer of Mud, died of a heart attack. He was 57 years old.

    Whether you love the sound of hard rock, alternative, or the classics, the music you listen to today wouldn’t be the same without these Feb. 21 achievements and events. As long as you keep listening, this dynamic genre will continue to evolve.

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    Dan Teodorescu

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  • All-Star Tribute Album ‘Animals Against The Wall’ Revamps Pink Floyd Classics for 2026 Release

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    Cherry Red Records will release Animals Against The Wall — A Tribute To Pink Floyd Volume II on May 1 on its Lemon imprint. The collection features covers of two Pink Floyd records from the late 1970s. This 3-CD clamshell box includes performances of 1977’s Animals and 1979’s The Wall by dozens of rock musicians.

    It will be available on Apr. 24. The release follows the label’s 2025 tribute set, Shining On — Pink Floyd Tribute Collection, which focused on The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here.

    Animals Against The Wall — A Tribute To Pink Floyd Volume II showcases the late-1970s creative output between Roger Waters and David Gilmour. Contributors include Ian Anderson, Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Alan White, Keith Emerson, Robby Krieger, Al Di Meola, Arthur Brown, Billy Cobham, Vinnie Moore, Graham Bonnet, John Wetton, Adrian Belew, Glenn Hughes, and Tommy Shaw.

    Performances sound like the original recordings. Modern production touches are added across the three discs and updated arrangements breathe fresh air into these classic songs.

    Discs one and two cover The Wall in its entirety. Tracks feature combinations like Adrian Belew with Alan White and Steve Porcaro on “In The Flesh?” Fee Waybill teams with Ronnie Montrose and Mike Porcaro on “Another Brick In The Wall Part 2.”

    Disc three reimagines Animals with five tracks. Nick van Eede from Cutting Crew teams with Martin Barre from Jethro Tull on “Pigs On The Wing 1.” Graham Bonnet from Rainbow joins Vinnie Moore from UFO, Kasim Sulton from Utopia, Jordan Rudess from Dream Theater, and Pat Mastelotto from King Crimson for “Dogs.”

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    Laura Adkins

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  • This Day in Rock History: January 19

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    Jan. 19 is a meaningful day for rock, and for music in general. Two of the greatest female artists in music history share a birthday, and it also marks an iconic album reaching No. 1 on the charts. Keep reading to learn more about these moments, along with other major events that occurred on this day in rock history.

    Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

    Some huge names had major career milestones on Jan. 19, including:

    • 1980: Pink Floyd’s legendary concept album, The Wall, reached the top spot on the US Billboard 200 album chart, where it spent an impressive 15 weeks. It was the band’s third US No. 1 album, and it went on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide.
    • 1980: While Pink Floyd was topping the US album chart, Michael Jackson went to No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with “Rock with You,” from his Off the Wall album. It was his third solo number 1 song, and the album sold more than 20 million copies globally. 
    • 2008: Radiohead’s seventh studio album, In Rainbows, hit No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart. This happened despite the band posting it on their website without any prior promotion and allowing fans to pay as much as they want for its MP3 version, including $0.

    Cultural Milestones

    While the music always comes first, rock’s colorful characters are a huge part of its charm and appeal. Here are the most notable rock culture moments from Jan. 19:

    • 1943: Janis Joplin was born in Port Arthur, Texas. She made a name for herself as a member of the band Big Brother and the Holding Company. She also released two highly acclaimed solo albums, with the second coming three months after her untimely death at the age of 27, in 1970.
    • 1946: Dolly Parton was born in Pittman Center, Tennessee. She has sold over 100 million albums worldwide throughout her career, and, following her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, she released her first rock album at age 77, called Rockstar.
    • 1994: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Some huge names were inducted, including Elton John, The Animals, John Lennon, and Rod Stewart, with the most memorable performance of the night being Bruce Springsteen and Axl Rose’s version of the Beatles’ “Come Together.”

    From music legends being born to others getting the recognition they deserve, these are the most noteworthy events that happened in rock music on Jan. 19. Visit us again tomorrow to find out what happened on that day in rock history.

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    Dan Teodorescu

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  • Top 10 Classic Rock Time Songs

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    Classic rock is filled with songs that wrestle with the idea of time, whether it’s slipping away, pushing forward, or reminding us of memories we can’t shake. Pink Floyd’s “Time’ is one of the most iconic examples of a classic rock time song, a brooding reflection on wasted years and the shock of realizing how fast life moves.

    “Too Much Time on My Hands” from Styx captures the restless energy of someone desperate for direction. Grand Fund Railroad’s “Bad Time” demonstrates how timing is everything. Meanwhile Boston’s “Foreplay/Long Time” blends incredible vocals with themes of change and personal growth. Each track uses the idea of time to tap into something universal, proving that even as decades pass, classic rock’s themes still feel… timely.

    Top 10 Classic Rock Time Songs

    1 – “Feels Like The First Time” – Foreigner

    “I have waited a lifetime… Spent my time so foolishly” Mick Jones wrote this song at a turning point in his own life. He was coming out of a divorce and had just come to America as Foreigner formed. This song was their first release.

    2 – “Where Have All The Good Times Gone” – Van Halen

    That is the question! Van Halen covered two Kinks songs during their career. This one and “You Really Got Me.” David Lee Roth had a Kinks compilation album. Ray Davies wrote the song, inspired by his dad and older relatives talking about how great life was before the war. Davies said of the song, “It’s got that hard edge The Kinks had, but at the same time, it’s got a reflective, poignant lyric.”

    3 – “Good Times, Bad Times” – Led Zeppelin

    “Good times, bad times, you know I’ve had my share” Making up and breaking up… Led Zeppelin telling the age-old story of coming of age.

    4 – “Nothin’ But a Good Time” – Poison

    “Ain’t lookin’ for nothin’ but a good time… And it don’t get better than this.” Bret Michaels sings about not having much money but still being able to enjoy life and have “good time.” Rikki Rockett talked about the song in an interview with AXS. He said, “It’s for the working class and the wish that you can have a good time among all that. Music is the way to escape.”

    5 – “Old Time Rock & Roll” – Bob Seger

    “In ten minutes I’ll be late for the door, I like that old time rock and roll!” It’s the song that Bob has referred to as the “Dumbest thing I ever did.”

    6 – “Too Much Time On My Hands” – Styx

    “Too much time on my hands, it’s ticking away with my sanity.” Tommy Shaw wrote this song on the fly. He was asked to write one more song for Paradise Theater, but he couldn’t think of anything to stay on theme. Instead he wrote “Too Much Time on My Hands” about a bar in Niles, Michigan where he was living at the time.

    7 – Bad Time – Grand Funk Railroad

    “I’m in love but I sure picked a bad time… to be in love” Grand Funk Railroad” doesn’t have many ballads, but this is one of their more sentimental songs. Mark Farner had a rough patch with his first few, Cheryl. He said in a Songfacts intyerview, “My first wife was in the kitchen. I can remember sitting at the piano – I had a little spinet in the dining room – and she’s threatening to put a 12-inch cast-iron skillet through my forehead. And I’m in there writing ‘bad time for being in love.’”

    8 – “Foreplay/Longtime” – Boston

    “Well, I’m takin’ my time, I’m just movin’ on.. You’ll forget about me after I’ve been gone..” This was the first song Tom Scholz recorded for the band that would become Boston. Radio always plays these two tracks together. Confession I’m one of those people who didn’t know the UFOs were upside guitars until well into the 2000s.

    9 – “Time” – Pink Floyd

    “Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day, Fritter and waste the hours in an off-hand way.” The age-old conundrum. Many of us don’t realize that we’re in the prime of our life until it has passed us by. The song starts with clock sounds that were put together by Pink Floyd’s engineer, Alan Parsons. Alan recorded the clocks in an antique shop, transferred them to multitrack and synchronized their ticks and chimes.

    10 – “Good Times Roll” – The Cars

    “Let the good times roll. Let them knock you around.” Ric Ocasek took satirical jab at the “good times” in rock music on this one. According lpm.org Ocasek said, “That was my song about what the good times in rock ‘n’ roll really mean, instead of what they’re supposed to be. It was kind of a parody of good times, really. It was kinda like not about good times at all.”

    Honorable Mention Songs About Time/Reflecting

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    Donielle Flynn

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  • This Day in Rock History: November 23

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    Nov. 23 is a day to remember for rock music fans. It’s when Robert Johnson created the songs that would later prove to be the foundation for rock and roll, and when “Bohemian Rhapsody” took its rightful place at the top of the U.K. singles chart. Here are the most important events that happened on this day in rock history.

    Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

    These are the milestone moments that took place on Nov. 23:

    • 1936: Robert Johnson, widely considered to be the most influential Delta blues artist of all time, recorded 10 tracks in a San Antonio hotel. They included classics such as “Sweet Home Chicago” and “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom,” which were covered by countless other artists and contributed to the birth of rock and roll two decades later.
    • 1975: Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” climbed to the top of the U.K. singles chart. Despite being almost six minutes long and having an unorthodox compositional style, it proved to be a hit and spent nine consecutive weeks at No. 1.

    Notable Recordings and Performances

    Many iconic recordings were released on Nov. 23, including an album that fans had waited 15 years for:

    • 1970: George Harrison released “My Sweet Lord,” the lead single from his triple album, All Things Must Pass. It was Harrison’s first single as a solo artist, and it went to No. 1 on many national singles charts, including in the U.S., the U.K., Sweden, France, Canada, and Australia.
    • 1979: Pink Floyd released their most successful and widely known single, “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2,” from their album, The Wall. It sold over 4 million copies and went to No. 1 on the singles charts in 14 countries, including the U.S. and the U.K.
    • 2004: Evanescence released their first live album, Anywhere But Home, via Wind-up Records. It featured a show in Paris from May 25 of that year and came with a DVD that included three previously unreleased songs, four music videos, and behind-the-scenes footage.
    • 2008: Guns N’ Roses released their long-awaited sixth studio album, Chinese Democracy, through Geffen Records and Black Frog. It was the band’s first album with original material since 1991’s double release of the Use Your Illusion albums and only featured Axl Rose from the band’s classic lineup.

    Nov. 23 is an unforgettable day in rock music, marked by major milestones and famous album and single releases. Tune in tomorrow to discover the most important events that happened on that day in rock history.

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    Dan Teodorescu

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  • This Day in Rock History: November 14

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    On this day in rock history, icons Queen and Bob Dylan achieved significant milestones, and a few legendary tours began. These are the most relevant rock music events that took place on Nov. 14.

    Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

    Nov. 14 has witnessed a few major milestones, including the U.K.’s first-ever singles chart:

    • 1952: New Musical Express published the Official Singles Chart, the first singles chart in the U.K., after its advertising manager, Percy Dickins, surveyed around 20 record stores to determine the 12 best-selling singles of the time. This was a notable milestone for modern music and a precursor to all the charts that came after, including the Billboard charts.
    • 1981: Queen’s Greatest Hits album reached the top of the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart, where it spent four consecutive weeks. It’s the band’s best-selling album and has sold over 25 million copies.

    Notable Recordings and Performances

    Nov. 14 is also the anniversary of some famous tours and song recordings, including:

    • 1962: Bob Dylan recorded “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” as part of his album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. The album was released on May 27 of the following year, and the song was included as a B-side to Dylan’s single “Blowin’ in the Wind” in August.
    • 1967: Pink Floyd embarked on their first-ever U.K. tour. They opened for Jimi Hendrix and played a total of 29 shows in 15 cities, starting at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
    • 1975: Queen began their A Night at the Opera Tour, which included 78 shows. The first two shows took place at the Liverpool Empire Theatre on Nov. 14 and 15.

    With names such as Queen and Pink Floyd celebrating special moments, it’s fair to say that Nov. 14 is an important day for rock musicians and their fans. Come back tomorrow to discover what happened on that day in rock history.

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    Dan Teodorescu

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  • This Day in Rock History: November 7

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    Nov. 7 celebrates Led Zeppelin dominating the album charts, the birth of Joni Mitchell, and Pink Floyd and Alice in Chains releasing legendary albums. Here are other events and milestones from this day in rock history.

    Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

    Two major industry names celebrated significant milestones on Nov. 7:

    • 1970: Led Zeppelin’s third studio album, Led Zeppelin III, reached No. 1 on the U.K. album chart, where it remained for 40 weeks. It achieved the top spot on the U.S. album chart later that year.
    • 1987: Bruce Springsteen’s eighth studio album, Tunnel of Love, got to No. 1 on the U.S. album chart. Powered by hit singles such as “Brilliant Disguise” and the title track, it went on to achieve triple Platinum status in the U.S.

    Cultural Milestones

    Rock’s stories and characters are almost as fascinating as the music itself. Here are cultural milestones that occurred on Nov. 7:

    • 1942: Singer, songwriter, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Joni Mitchell was born in Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada. Emerging in the 1960s, she thrilled audiences with her unique mix of folk, rock, jazz, and pop.
    • 1991: Guns N’ Roses rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin left the band. He returned for five shows two years later, filling in for his replacement, Gilby Clarke, who had broken his wrist in a motorcycle accident.

    Notable Recordings and Performances

    Nov. 7 is the anniversary of two hugely important albums in rock history:

    • 1969: Pink Floyd released their double album Ummagumma via Harvest Records. It included studio work and live recordings and later achieved Platinum status in the U.S.
    • 1995: Alice in Chains released their self-titled album on all audio formats, after a limited vinyl release a week before on Oct. 31. It was their last to feature frontman Layne Staley and was hailed by critics and the public, reaching double Platinum in the U.S.

    The most notable rock-related events that happened on Nov. 7 included the birth of singer, songwriter, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen’s eighth studio album, Tunnel of Love, reaching No. 1 on the U.S. album chart, and Guns N’ Roses rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin leaving the band.

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    Dan Teodorescu

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  • Houston Concert Watch 10/1

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    There was a lot going on in the music business in the autumn of 1975.  Bruce Springsteen was on tour promoting his breakthrough album Born to Run, meanwhile appearing on the covers of both Newsweek and Time in the same week.  The Who released the raggedy but still appealing record The Who by Numbers.  Bob Dylan kicked off his “Rolling Thunder Review” tour.  And the Sex Pistols played their first show, at St. Martin’s School of Art in London.

    But in the midst of all this, Pink Floyd released Wish You Were Here, the band’s follow up to the mega-platinum The Dark Side of the Moon.  Sales figures aside, Wish You Were Here is the superior album.  Both are tremendous, but Wish You Were Here is an album that appeals to so many.

    Who cannot identify with the album’s themes of absence and loss that the lyrics and music portray?  Who does not think of people now missing from life who once occupied such a significant position?  Wish You Were Here contains Pink Floyd’s most universal message, so I encourage you to give it a spin this week, maybe also raising a glass to someone whose journey is now over, but whose trip you were part of for a while.  Haven’t we all known a crazy diamond?

    Ticket Alert 

    Look at you, Colter Wall!  Two nights (Wednesday, January 21, and Thursday, January 22) at the Bayou Music Center!  His forthcoming album, Memories and Empties, will be released in November, which means that fans will be fully familiar with the new material by the time the Canadian singer-songwriter arrives in Houston.

    Kelly Willis has been a fixture on the Texas music scene for many years, and she is currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of her landmark album What I Deserve.  The album was begun with recording sessions in San Francisco, but after a parting with her record company, Willis brought the tapes to Austin and finished the record there, resulting in an album that still resonates today.  Catch Willis on Thursday, February 14, at the Mucky Duck.

    When Opeth comes to town, get ready for some heavy-duty prog metal, with notes (as wine connoisseurs would say) of blues, classical and jazz.  The band will play the Bayou Music Center on Sunday, February 15, but I don’t know that it’s really a Valentine’s Day-weekend-appropriate  show.  Unless your significant other is totally into this stuff, in which case, let ‘er rip!

    So what to say about Raye?  In the singer-songwriter / record producer’s catalog, the listener will find influences ranging from R&B to jazz to soul and pop.  That’s a lot going on.  Fortunately, Raye manages to corral these musical styles into a coherent, consistently grooving sound.  She will perform on Friday, May 1, at the 713 Music Hall.

    Concerts This Week

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    Blues guitarist Davey Knowles grew up on the Isle of Man, which is about 30 miles from Ireland.  Which explains the presence of a Celtic vibe and a major Rory Gallagher influence in his playing.  Check him out on Thursday at the Big Top, right next door to the Continental Club.

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    And speaking of talented blues-based guitarists, Tab Benoit will perform on Friday at the Heights Theater.  ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: Benoit founded Voice of the Wetlands (VOW), a conservation organization that promotes the preservation of the Louisiana wetlands and the accompanying culture.

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    If you have ever said to yourself, “Man, if only there were a rock and roll band fronted by three bagpipe players,” then you are in luck, as the Red Hot Chilli Pipers will bring their unique act to the Dosey Doe Big Barn on Saturday.  The band performs a mix of traditional Scottish music and classic rock covers such as “Smoke on the Water,” “We Will Rock You” and “Don’t Stop Believing.”  This is one of those “dinner and a show” affairs that the Dosey Doe is known for, but no word yet on whether haggis will be on the menu. 

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    Jon Batiste can do it all.  Well, if not “all,” then most of it.  Batiste gained celebrity as the bandleader on Stephen Colbert’s late-night show, later winning an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Grammy for his score for the Pixar film Soul.  He has also composed a symphony and found time to do some acting last year, appearing as Billy Preston in the film Saturday Night.  Oh, and he composed the score for that movie too.  Batiste’s “Big Money” tour makes a stop at the Smart Financial Centre on Saturday.

    YouTube video

    Like many young artists, Junior H first entered the public consciousness via videos that he posted on YouTube.  His songs helped to establish the corridos tumbados (aka trap corridos) genre, which combines influences from narcocorridos and rap music.  Considering that Junior H has sold tens of millions of records in a period of just a few years, it’s no wonder that he can play two nights, this Saturday and Sunday, at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.

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    Cage the Elephant began its existence in Bowling Green, KY and then moved across the pond to London, where the band began to consolidate its sound.  ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: The band’s name resulted from an encounter with a man (probably mentally ill) who repeatedly told lead singer Matt Shultz, “You got to cage the elephant!”  I suppose we can consider the elephant caged, as the band will perform on Monday at the 713 Music Hall.

    This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.

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    Tom Richards

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  • Allie X’s “Is Anybody Out There?” Captures the Loneliness and Insecurity of Solipsism Perfectly

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    Allie X herself remarked to fans (which she labels “X’s”) that, while they might not have been expecting a new era so soon after Girl With No Face (especially since she’s been known to take three and four year breaks in between albums), the new era of HIGGY, as she’s branded her next record, couldn’t be stopped or contained. And time will tell as to what HIGGY might be an acronym for, but, in the interim, her lead single from the record, “Is Anybody Out There?,” provides a glimpse inside the mind of “a woman in her clear cube”—this being one of the labels she’s given her new alter ego, used to describe herself in the captions of photos whilst appearing in a clear cube amidst such settings as a Jack in the Box parking lot and the woods. Divergent locations that reveal, perhaps, that no matter where you go, there you are—trapped inside your mind with your tortured thoughts.

    Because the cube, of course, is a metaphor for the isolation of being inside one’s own “vacuum-sealed” brain, as it were. The pain and agony of only knowing for certain that your mind is all that’s sure to exist, and not really being able to comprehend who another person is because you can never comprehend for sure what they’re thinking—or, hell, if they even have a mind (an ever more valid suspicion these days). Even those who might be closest to you, whether as a friend or creative collaborator. In the case of the latter, Allie X addresses the sorrow of losing the person who helped her co-write and co-produce the song, Bram Inscore, acknowledging his 2023 suicide via the lyrics, “Genius that I wrote this with said, ‘So long,’ took his life/If I stay too long here I don’t think that I’ll survive.” Indeed, this notion of not being able to survive in a world so cruel and cold that it makes everything about life even more dangerous than it is at a baseline level is a recurring motif in “Is Anybody Out There?” A guttural scream demanding to know if anyone else happens to notice how fucked up this all is, or has everybody gone totally comatose?

    Hence, Allie X’s aura of combined resignation and earnestness when she sings, “Gotta get ready for the rapture, stop my blasphemy/Is anybody out there?/Is anybody out there?/Is anybody listening ‘cause I’m not hearing anything/I think I might be in this world alone/Is anybody out there?/I don’t know.” Being a Los Angeles resident for over a decade now (she moved there in 2013 to pursue her music career), Allie X also has an even more innate sense of isolation/“living in a bubble” than the average person (read: a non-Angeleno). Not to mention a greater sensitivity to and understanding of the devastation wrought by the multiple wildfires that ravaged the city at the beginning of January.

    So it is that she honors her adopted city (and the adopted city of so many others) when she says, “Santa Ana winds, they came, they scorned us and we burned/Now the insurance brokers got morose and taciturn’d.” Her poetic turn of phrase is in keeping with her “Victorian garb,” as she described it in one of her promos for the single (a mock tabloid about a “strangeling” who “rock[ed] ladies of the country club”—a Del Rey-ian kind of sentiment). Further intensified by a hairstyle befitting a very kooky queen. In fact, it’s not totally unlike the “coiffure” of what Helena Bonham Carter’s Queen of Hearts (a.k.a. the Red Queen) sported in Alice in Wonderland. Just much higher and more divided into two distinct “pieces” on each side.

    Referring to herself as the “Infant Marie” throughout these visuals that show her encased in a glass cube, Allie X provides comfort to those who have grown more fearful in recent times of what it means to keep enduring. The irony of present-day survival being that, if you do keep staying here too long, you won’t survive. Certainly not with the newly-minted emotional and physical rigors of the twenty-first century.

    And so, once more speaking to the increasing perils of living under various governments that treat humans as non-sentient (though maybe that’s only fair considering that humans treat every other living thing like they’re non-sentient), Allie X mentions another highly specific incident (and one that would have also been a big deal in L.A.): “A million Yogi tea bags got recalled for pesticide/If I stay too long here, I don’t think that I’ll survive.” These horrified reflections are complemented by the subtle psychedelic sound of the track, further amplified by The Beatles-esque tone of it (think: sonic elements of “Dear Prudence”).

    As for the accompanying visualizer, directed by Cal McIntyre (because “visualizers” are basically music videos now), Allie X of course appears in what is now her “signature” clear box, situated in what looks like a recording studio. Pacing the confines with a conductor’s baton in hand, her earnestness and desperation are most apparent in the delivery of her final answer to the question posed in the song. And that answer is: “I don’t know” (Lelaina Pierce of Reality Bites is familiar with realizing that, too).

    Alien undertones of the song aside, there’s also, of course, the fact that Pink Floyd once posed an “inverse” sort of question on “Comfortably Numb”: Hello? (hello, hello, hello)/Is there anybody in there?/Just nod if you can hear me/Is there anyone home?” Which perhaps just goes to show that, for quite some time now, humans have been wondering not just if there’s “anybody” out there, but if there’s anybody with a shred of humanity still left out there.

    Perhaps this being the concern that bridges the endless divide caused by solipsism. For it’s the one thing that many can presently seem to agree on. Because, when taken to mean “the belief that only your own experiences and existence can be known,” Allie X reminds that many of us do know one common experience: loneliness. Feeling as though no one can ever truly understand us, or the pain we’re going through. And “Is Anybody Out There?” absolutely cuts to the core of that feeling on a visceral level.

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    Genna Rivieccio

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  • Is Pink Floyd About to Sell Its Catalog to Sony Music for Half a Billion Dollars?

    Is Pink Floyd About to Sell Its Catalog to Sony Music for Half a Billion Dollars?

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    Of all the remaining multimillion-dollar music-catalog deals on the table, the rights to Pink Floyd’s recordings and name/likeness has been the most contentious. The catalog has been in play for several years with a reported asking price of $500 million, and the group was close to a deal in 2022, but the bitter infighting between the band’s members — primarily over main songwriter Roger Waters’ controversial political statements against Israel and Ukraine, and in favor of Russia — have complicated the deal enormously and scared off a number of suitors.

    However, reports and Variety sources say that Sony Music, which has spent more than a billion dollars on catalogs from Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Queen’s non-North American rights in the past few years (with backing from investment firms like Eldridge Industries), is in “advanced” talks to acquire the group’s recorded-music rights for a price between $400 million and $500 million.

    While specifics on the deal are unclear — and reps for the group and Sony declined or did not respond to Variety’s requests for comment — if the price is on the high end, as reported by Financial Times, that means Waters’ comments have had little impact on the price tag; if the low end, as reported by Music Business Worldwide, it means he has devalued the catalog by as much as 20%.

    Other potential suitors were said to be underwhelmed with the catalog’s annual earnings.

    Key bandmembers Waters and David Gilmour (pictured above right and left, respectively, in the early 1970s), have been feuding for decades, taking public potshots at each other while recently trying to find enough common ground to close a deal.

    Sony has never officially confirmed its catalog deals, although the ones listed above have been either widely reported by informed sources or been listed later on earnings reports. However, if news emerges that the deal has closed, the company is likely to face a firestorm of criticism for paying such a hefty sum to Waters, who has vehemently denied that he is antisemitic but has been quite unambiguous about his fierce criticism of the governments of Israel, Ukraine and the United States, and his strong statements in support of Russia and Vladimir Putin.

    Among many other incendiary statements, Waters has compared Israel to Nazi Germany and said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was “not unprovoked.” (Waters’ 2022 concerts in Poland were canceled over his comments about neighboring Ukraine.) “You are anti-Semitic to your rotten core,” Gilmour’s wife, novelist Polly Samson, told Waters on Twitter, amid other colorful comments; “Every word demonstrably true,” Gilmour added. Waters refuted their comments as “incendiary and wildly inaccurate.”

    The companies that were close to a deal with the group in 2022 — said to be Hipgnosis, Warner Music and BMG — have all had leadership changes since then (and earlier this year, BMG dropped Waters from its roster as a solo artist). Waters’ comments were a major factor in the deals falling apart, although a variety of other factors — including rising interest rates, tax issues and the sinking value of the British pound — also played a role.

    Sources told Variety early last year that the deal was “basically dead” because the surviving band members “just can’t get along,” although sources close to the band insisted that it wasn’t.

    “You could say the deal is no longer ‘active,’” one source said. “But at the same time, it’s still on the table. It’s a strange situation!”

    On a purely business level, the Pink Floyd recorded-music catalog, not to mention its merchandising rights, is one of the most valuable in contemporary music, with classic albums like “Dark Side of the Moon,” “The Wall,” “Wish You Were Here,” “Animals,” “Meddle,” “Piper at the Gates of Dawn,” “More” and more. And after the sales of catalogs by Dylan, Springsteen (both for around $600 million), Neil Young, Stevie Nicks, James Brown (all around the low nine figures) and many others, it is one of the most lucrative and desirable known to be on the market. (Song publishing is not included in the prospective Pink Floyd deal.) The principals — Waters, Nick Mason, David Gilmour and the estate of late keyboardist Rick Wright — are all in their early 80s or late 70s and presumably thinking about estate planning.

    Caught in the middle of the dispute is Mason, who said in 2018, “It’s really disappointing these rather elderly gentlemen are still at loggerheads.”

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    Jem Aswad

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  • Vinyls and Marijuana Go Together

    Vinyls and Marijuana Go Together

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    What is old is new again, records stores are making a comeback. Record Store Day shares a celebration day with cannabis community.  Like 4/20, it involved by a bunch of afficandios lifting up independent retailers and raising awareness and celebrating the multi-faceted art. Taking a page of Free Comic Book Day, it started in 2007  and is celebrated at retailers around the world. Hundreds of artists participate iby making special appearances, performances, fan meet ups  and the issuing of special vinyls.  It makes sense they share a day, vinyls and marijuana go together.

    RELATED: 5 Morning Activities To Help You Feel Happier

    Music and marijuana are a perfect match. Marijuana makes music almost come alive in a 3-D fashion. Marijuana’s properties improves current attention, prevents memory seeking, and helps the mind concentrate on music making it appear more fresh and intriguing. It helps the body concentrate on the current moment. Both marijuana and vinyl are going strong.  The legal cannabis industry just hit $29.5 billion for 2023 and the vinyl industry revenues grew 17% to $1.2 billion in 2022. This is the sixteenth consecutive year of growth and accounted for 71% of physical format revenues in physical stores.

    Of course, what vinyl pairs best with marijuana? Here are some suggestions.

    Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon

    Pink Floyd’s classic allows the consumer to wallow in philosophy and explore the corners of the mind. While enjoying the plant, thought and preconceived ideas can be taken apart and reconstructed. The song’s rhythm will make feel as if every bone and muscle vibrant and independent.

    De La Soul – Three Feet High And Rising

    De La’s beat is great for a happy high. Fully perfected its alchemical balance of fun and wisdom, with a heavy dash of silliness, it lets your soul escape into a colorful playground.

    RELATED: Are You Really Ready To Try THC-P

    Tame Impala – Yes I’m Changing

    This psychedelic rock band sets the mood perfectly. The main band member, Kevin Parker, shared he has no recollection of creating this song and it was as if someone else wrote it. What more can be said and it is also a great reminder we are always changing and healing from our past.

    The Beatles

    From Yellow Submarine to All You Need Is Love, the bands songs intertwines with a high and brings you essence to the forefront allowing you to feel, love, thing and be.

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    Anthony Washington

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  • The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is performing the music of Pink Floyd on 4/20

    The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is performing the music of Pink Floyd on 4/20

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    click to enlarge

    Courtesy photo

    The DSO presents The Music of Pink Floyd on Saturday, April 20 at 8 p.m.

    Imagine an epic orchestra and rock band teaming up to play Pink Floyd’s biggest hits.

    You won’t have to imagine it, as this mashup will be a reality when the Detroit Symphony Orchestra performs the music of Pink Floyd — and on April 20 no less.

    We’re not encouraging anyone to get high and go to the DSO given the date… or are we?

    The concert at Orchestra Hall with feature the DSO backed by a rock band playing songs like “Money,” “Learning to Fly,” “Comfortably Numb,” and selections from The Wall.

    The two-hour-long show starts at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 20 and tickets start at $39.

    For more info, see dso.org.

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    Randiah Camille Green

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  • Roger Waters Fires Back After Backlash, Government Investigation Over Onstage Nazi Garb At Berlin Show: ‘Bad Faith Attacks’

    Roger Waters Fires Back After Backlash, Government Investigation Over Onstage Nazi Garb At Berlin Show: ‘Bad Faith Attacks’

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    By Brent Furdyk.
    Published:
    Last updated:

    Roger Waters is responding after becoming mired in controversy after the Berlin stop on his This Is Not A Drill tour.

    At one point in the show, the Pink Floyd alum donned a long SS-style leather overcoat adorned with a swastika-like symbol (actually crossed hammers), replete with a Nazi-style red armband, before being handed a prop machine gun and gleefully firing into the crowd.

    Anyone familiar with the 1982 film “The Wall” — written by Waters, and based on Pink Floyd’s 1979 concept album of the same name — will recognize the iconography was directly lifted from the movie, in which an alienated rock star refashions himself as a Hitler-style fascist dictator; Waters has worn similar uniforms onstage when performing “The Wall” for several decades.

    Photo by Adam Berry/Redferns via Getty Images

    Nevertheless, given Waters’ frequent criticism of Israel, wearing a Nazi-style uniform onstage in Berlin was not a good look, leading to a firestorm of controversy.


    READ MORE:
    Roger Waters Claims He’s On Ukrainian ‘Kill List’ After Comments On Russian Invasion

    As a result, German authorities have opened an investigation into the matter to determine whether Waters’ performance violated the country’s stringent anti-Nazi laws.

    The investigation was launched because Nazi symbols, flags and uniforms are strictly prohibited in Germany, with a police spokesperson telling Reuters that Waters’ onstage uniform was alleged to be “deemed capable of violating the dignity of the victims, as well as approving, glorifying or justifying the violent and arbitrary rule of the Nazi regime in a way that disrupts public peace.”

    Interestingly, Waters addressed the controversy before if even took place.

    As People reported, prior to the start of the show Rogers appeared onstage to deliver a message. “The show will start in 10 minutes and a court in Frankfurt has ruled that I am not an antisemite… just to be clear, I condemn antisemitism unreservedly,” he said.


    READ MORE:
    Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters Has Poland Gigs Cancelled Over Stance On Ukraine War

    Waters’ remarks were in response to a decision last month by a Frankfurt court, determining the controversial sequence was allowed under the country’s artistic freedom of expression laws after protests from Jewish groups demanding the cancellation of Waters’ shows due to his reputations as “one of the most widely known antisemites in the world.”

    Following the backlash, Waters responded with a lengthy statement via Twitter.

    “My recent performance in Berlin has attracted bad faith attacks from those who want to smear and silence me because they disagree with my political views and moral principles,” Waters wrote.

    “The elements of my performance that have been questioned are quite clearly a statement in opposition to fascism, injustice and bigotry in all its forms. Attempts to portray those elements as something else are disingenuous and politically motivated. The depiction of an unhinged fascist demagogue has been a feature of my show’s since Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ in 1980,” he continued.


    READ MORE:
    Roger Waters Explains Why A Pink Floyd Reunion Would Be ‘F**king Awful’

    As Waters noted, his “parents fought the Nazis in World War II, with my father paying the ultimate price.”

    He concluded, “Regardless of the consequences of the attacks against me, I will continue to condemn injustice and all those who perpetrate it.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIdo4Mi1XFI

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    Brent Furdyk

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  • Pink Floyd Feud Spills Out Into Public As Roger Waters, David Gilmour Go At it

    Pink Floyd Feud Spills Out Into Public As Roger Waters, David Gilmour Go At it

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    The already-sour relationship between ex-Pink Floyd bandmates Roger Waters and David Gilmour seemed to take an irreparable turn on Monday.

    Gilmour’s wife, novelist and lyricist Polly Samson, fired off a tweet accusing Waters of being “antisemitic to your rotten core” and called him “a Putin apologist and a lying, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching, misogynistic, sick-with-envy, megalomaniac.”

    It’s not clear what specifically prompted the message, but it may have been an interview Waters did with Germany’s Berliner Zeitung newspaper in which he said he stood by comments comparing modern Israel to Nazi Germany for its treatment of Palestinians, accused the Israelis of genocide and defended his boycott of the nation.

    Waters, who quit Pink Floyd nearly 40 years ago, also wrote on his website that the “Israel lobby” is trying to silence him via a “despicable smear campaign” while he insisted he’s not antisemitic.

    He also posted another message in response to Samson, calling her comments “incendiary and wildly inaccurate,” and implied he was considering legal action.

    Gilmour, who posts only very occasionally on social media, hit back later in the day with a tweet that said his wife was delivering just the basic facts:

    Waters is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement that targets Israel over the treatment of Palestinians. Some argue his words and actions have crossed the line into antisemitism, which Waters has angrily denied.

    Waters has also defended Russian President Vladimir Putin, criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and called U.S. President Joe Biden a war criminal over the war in Ukraine.

    His former bandmates, on the other hand, reunited last year to release a single under the Pink Floyd name in support of Ukraine. “Hey, Hey, Rise Up!” features vocals by Andriy Khlyvnyuk of the Ukrainian band BoomBox as well as a Ukrainian choir.

    In his new interview, Waters trashed the band as “really, really sad” and “lacking in humanity” over the move.

    Waters has had a famously contentious relationship with the other members of Pink Floyd even when he was in the band. He ultimately quit the group after the release of 1983′s “The Final Cut,” then went to court to stop the other members from using the band’s name.

    It was ultimately settled out of court, and the band carried on without him.

    There’s been little love between them since, but Waters and Gilmour have shared the stage on a handful of occasions, most notably a one-shot Pink Floyd reunion in 2005 for Live 8, a global event to help fight poverty.

    Waters and Gilmour were joined there by Nick Mason on drums and Richard Wright on keyboards, both founding members of the Floyd.

    Wright died three years later.

    Waters just wrapped up a solo tour of the United States and hits Europe in spring. Gilmour did some livestreams from home during the pandemic but hasn’t toured since 2016, when he traveled as a solo act. Mason has been touring with his own band, Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, which focuses on Pink Floyd’s earliest songs.

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