Anthrax is celebrating 40 years of thrashing with a stiff drink.
The New York City metallers have announced Anthrax XL, a signature whiskey marking the band’s 40th anniversary. Created in collaboration with Hillrock Estate Distillery, Anthrax XL boasts a 115 proof cask strength, and is limited to 400 hand-numbered, limited edition bottles costing $155, each of which is signed by every band member.
“On the nose, there is an explosion of caramel, toffee, and butterscotch with hints of dried cherries and fresh herbs,” guitarist Scott Ian says of Anthrax XL. “The palette has a rich texture of bright red fruits, baking spices, and toasted almonds. I’m drooling just reading that back. Get yourself a bottle, you deserve it!”
Also available are special “Golden Ticket” bottles, which comes with two tickets and a meet-and-greet during Anthrax’s upcoming 2022 headlining U.S. tour, the exact details of which have yet to be announced. Only 40 of those will be sold, and are priced at $350.
Anthrax was founded July 18, 1981 — 40 years ago last month. The band marked the milestone with a streaming concert, as well as a video series going through each of their albums.
As previously reported, the five-CD collection features previously unreleased live, studio and demo recordings from Joni Mitchell‘s early career leading up to Blue‘s release.
Archives Vol. 2 features home recordings from 1967 and 1968; tracks recorded during the making of Mitchell’s first four studio albums — 1968’s Song to a Seagull, 1969’s Clouds, 1970’s Ladies of the Canyon and ’71’s Blue — performances and an interview from Joni’s August 1969 appearance on The Dick Cavett Show; and several full-length concerts.
The concerts include a March 1968 show at the Le Hibou Coffee House in Ottawa, Canada, that was recorded by guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, a February 1969 performance at New York City’s historic Carnegie Hall, and an October 1970 concert at London’s Paris Theatre, during which Joni was joined by James Taylor for part of the show.
Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 2 also is available as a limited-edition 10-LP vinyl set.
In addition, a standalone three-LP vinyl edition of Mitchell’s 1969 Carnegie Hall performance also will be released on November 12. A limited-edition white-vinyl version of Live at Carnegie Hall, February 1, 1969 can be purchased exclusively at JoniMitchell.com.
The three-LP set offers audio of the entire concert over five sides, while the sixth and final side features an etching of the American eagle design that appeared on the skirt Mitchell wore at the show.
Joni’s performance of “Chelsea Morning” that kicked off the concert has been released as a digital track in advance of the live album and the Archives Vol. 2 box set.
Here’s the Live at Carnegie Hall track list:
First Set
Side One
“Chelsea Morning”
A Valentine for Joni
“Cactus Tree”
“Night in the City”
“I Had a King”
Side Two
“Blue Boy”
My American Skirt
“The Fiddle and the Drum”
Spoony’s Wonderful Adventure
“That Song About the Midway”
“Both Sides Now”
Second Set
Side Three
“Marcie”
“Nathan La Franeer”
Intro to “The Gallery”
“The Gallery”
“Hunter”
“Morning Morgantown”
Side Four
Intro to “Get Together”
“Get Together”
Intro to “The Circle Game/Little Green”
“The Circle Game/Little Green”
Encore
Side Five
“Michael from Mountains”
Intro to “Urge for Going”
“Urge for Going”
Side Six
Etching of American eagle design from the skirt Mitchell wore at Carnegie Hall show
A vinyl box set celebrating the 50th anniversary of Billy Joel‘s career and focusing mainly on his 1970s albums is due out on November 5, the same day Joel will play his first rescheduled residency show at New York’s Madison Square Garden since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Billy Joel — The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 1 is a nine-LP package featuring the singer/songwriter’s first six studio efforts — 1971’s Cold Spring Harbor, 1973’s RIAA four-times-Platinum Piano Man, 1974’s Streetlife Serenade, 1976’s Turnstiles, 1977’s RIAA Diamond-certified The Stranger and 1978’s seven-times-Platinum 52nd Street — plus his first live album, 1981’s Songs in the Attic, and a previously unreleased two-disc concert album titled Live at The Great American Music Hall – 1975.
The box set, which you can pre-order now, also will feature a booklet that boasts archival photos, Joel’s comments about his early music, tributes from various well-known musicians and celebrities, and an essay by music journalist Anthony DeCurtis.
Live at The Great American Music Hall, which will be available exclusively as part of The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 1, was recorded in June 1975 in San Francisco. The concert features versions of such popular Joel tunes as “You’re My Home,” “New York State of Mind,” “The Entertainer” and “The Ballad of Billy the Kid,” as well as Billy’s imitations of Joe Cocker, Elton John and Leon Russell.
Among the many classic songs features on the box set are “She’s Got a Way,” “Piano Man,” “Captain Jack,” “The Entertainer,” “New York State of Mind,” “Say Goodbye to Hollywood,” “Just the Way You Are,” “Movin’ Out (Anthony’ Song),” “She’s Always a Woman,” “Only the Good Die Young,” “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” My Life,” “Big Shot,” and “Honesty.”
The Beatles‘ final studio album, Let It Be, will be reissued on October 15 in multiple configurations in advance of the highly anticipated The Beatles: Get Back documentary that focuses on the making of the record.
All versions of the reissue will feature a new mix of the 1970 album by Giles Martin — son of late Beatles producer George Martin — and engineer Sam Okell.
The Super Deluxe editions of the reissue boast a total of 57 tracks, including 27 previously unreleased recordings from the sessions, a four-track Let It Be EP and an unreleased 14-track album titled Get Back featuring stereo mixes of songs compiled in May of 1969 by engineer Glyn Johns.
In advance of the Let It Be reissue, three tracks have been made available from the deluxe versions — a 2021 stereo mix of the title track, a recording of The Beatles’ rooftop performance of “Don’t Let Me Down” and the Get Back LP mix of “For You Blue.”
ZZ Top‘s Billy Gibbons contributed the lead track to the album May the Circle Remain Unbroken: A Tribute to Roky Erickson, which was released as a limited-edition colored-vinyl LP on July 17th as part of the 2021 Record Store Day event and now also can be purchased on CD.
The album features a variety of mostly contemporary artists saluting late Texas psychedelic rock pioneer Roky Erickson, who died in 2019 at age 71. Gibbons recorded a version of “(I’ve Got) Levitation,” a 1967 single by Erickson’s early band The 13th Floor Elevators, who was a big influence on Billy’s own music.
“[The 13th Floor Elevators] inspired me to start a group following in their footsteps called The Moving Sidewalks,” Gibbons tells ABC Audio, referring to his pre-ZZ Top band. “Elevators go up, sidewalks move forward, so it was a match made in heaven. We had a great admiration for everything that Roky did. And to this day, they remain great inspirations.”
The 13th Floor Elevators were best known for their debut single, “You’re Gonna Miss Me,” a minor 1966 chart hit that has become a garage-rock classic.
Acclaimed alt-country artist Lucinda Williams recorded a version of the song for May the Circle Remain Unbroken. Other artists featured on the tribute include Wilco‘s Jeff Tweedy, ex-Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan, Gary Clark Jr. and the duo of Alison Mosshart of The Kills and longtime Bob Dylan touring guitarist Charlie Sexton.
In addition to 13th Floor Elevators covers, the album features renditions songs from Erickson’s long solo career.
Reflecting on Roky’s passing, Gibbons says, “[H]e’s gone but not forgotten. We’ll have many more days of enjoying Roky Erickson and his great sounds.”
May the Circle Remain Unbroken is available at LightintheAttic.net. Here’s the track list:
“(I’ve Got) Levitation” — Billy Gibbons
“Starry Eyes” — Mosshart Sexton
“For You (I’d Do Anything) ” — Jeff Tweedy
“Clear Night for Love” — Lynn Castle & Mark Lanegan
“Don’t Fall Down” — The Black Angels
“Be and Bring Me Home” — Neko Case
“Red Temple Prayer (Two-Headed Dog)” — Margo Price
“Roller Coaster” — Gary Clark Jr. & Eve Monsees
“Night of the Vampire” — Ty Segall
“You’re Gonna Miss Me” — Lucinda Williams
“If You Have Ghosts” — Chelsea Wolfe
“May the Circle Remain Unbroken” — Brogan Bentley
The Grateful Dead and the Rhino label have partnered with Amazon Prime’s music-themed streaming The Coda Collection to launch a series of archival concert films.
Three professionally filmed Grateful Dead performances from the latter part of the band’s career have been confirmed as part of the series. The first, which is available now, documents a July 2, 1989, stadium show in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
The concert, which is available via streaming for the first time, featured Dead classics like “Playing in the Band,” “Friend of the Devil,” “Truckin'” and “Sugar Magnolia,” a medley combining Traffic‘s “Dear Mr. Fantasy” and The Beatles‘ “Hey Jude,” and covers of Bob Dylan‘s “Queen Jane Approximately” and “Quinn the Eskimo.”
Upcoming Dead concert films will include a Live in Washington, D.C. 7/12/89 and Live at Giants Stadium 6/17/91, which will premiere on September 8 and September 29, respectively.
The latter show, held at the now-demolished East Rutherford, New Jersey, football stadium, saw Bruce Hornsby joining the band as guest keyboardist and included a rare performance of “Dark Star Jam.”
Future installments of the series will feature performances from various other eras of The Grateful Dead. Fans can explore more information about the shows at the free CodaCollection.co website.
The Coda Collection is available to Amazon Prime members for $4.99 a month. A seven-day free trial also is offered.
Joni Mitchell will be honored as the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year at the charity’s 31st annual Person of the Year benefit gala, which will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center on January 29, two nights before the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.
“I’m honored to be chosen as Person of the Year by this great charity,” the 77-year-old Canadian singer/songwriter, an eight-time Grammy winner, says in a statement. “I look forward to being part of this gala that will help MusiCares continue their inspired work in providing a support system for those in need.”
The event traditionally features a tribute concert where many artists from across a various musical genres perform the songs of the honoree. The gala also features a dinner and a silent auction offering VIP experiences, celebrity memorabilia and more.
“We are so excited to bring together an amazing lineup of artists to celebrate the musical legacy of Joni Mitchell,” says MusiCares executive director Laura Segura. “She is being honored not only for her iconic music and lyrics, but for her trailblazing spirit and the inspiration she’s brought to so many artists.”
The Person of the Year gala benefits the MusiCares Foundation, which provides medical, financial and personal assistance to in-need members of the music community.
Last year’s gala was replaced by the virtual Music on a Mission event because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The presentation featured highlights from past Person of the Year galas.
Gene Simmons has apologized to David Lee Roth after making some insulting comments about founding Van Halen frontman during a recent Rolling Stone interview while discussing why Roth, who was KISS‘ 2020 support act, wasn’t opening for them on the band’s 2021 U.S. tour.
In the Rolling Stone interview, Simmons seemingly negatively compared Roth’s career to the late Elvis Presley‘s. Iin response, Diamond Dave posted a photo on his social media sites of a boy holding up his middle finger with the caption “Roth to Simmons.”
Now, in a new video interview with US Weekly, Simmons says, “I am so sorry and ashamed…that I hurt David’s feelings,” adding, “I don’t mean to hurt people’s feelings, and every once in a while, diarrhea of the mouth comes out.”
In the Rolling Stone interview, Simmons began by saying that during Roth’s heyday he was “the ultimate frontman,” but then said, “I don’t know what happened to him…I prefer to remember Elvis Presley in his prime. Sneering lips, back in Memphis…I don’t want to think of bloated naked Elvis on the bathroom floor.”
Simmons tells US Weekly, “I read that quote, and somehow the way they put it together…there was a segue to Elvis bloated on the ground and fat and naked and I don’t wanna see that. I wasn’t talking about David, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is I hurt David’s feelings, and that’s more important than the intent. So I sincerely apologize for that.”
Simmons also discussed with US Weekly how he signed Van Halen to his production company early in their career, then “produced their first 24-track 15-song demo and championed the band.”
Apparently, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross aren’t the only rockers contributing to Halsey‘s new album.
The “Without Me” star’s upcoming record, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, which was produced by the Nine Inch Nails duo, reportedly features the one-and-only Dave Grohl.
According to Stereogum, which obtained the If I Can’t Have Love credits, the Foo Fighters frontman returns to his Nirvana role to play drums on a song called “honey.”
Halsey, it seems, is a fan of Grohl, having tweeted in 2018, “Dave Grohl watched some of my set last night and I almost threw up mid song I was so nervous. I love u!!!!!”
Other If I Can’t Have Love guests, Stereogum reports, include ex-Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham on the track “Darling,” and Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio on the cut “You asked for this.”
If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power is due out this Friday, August 27. It’s accompanied by an IMAX film, premiering Wednesday.
Vanilla Fudge had their biggest hit in 1967 with a psychedelic cover of The Supremes‘ classic “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” and now the veteran rockers are set to release a rendition of another chart-topping smash by the legendary Motown group — “Stop! In the Name of Love.”
The band’s new version of “Stop! In the Name of Love” will be released on September 6, and will be available as a digital download and for streaming.
The track features the final recording of founding Vanilla Fudge bassist Tim Bogert, who died of cancer in January at age 76. A pre-order/pre-save link for the song includes a 30-second instrumental snippet from the tune, as well as a brief recording of Vanilla Fudge members Vince Martell, Carmine Appice and Mark Stein sharing memories of Bogert.
Meanwhile, according to a post on the band’s Facebook page, Vanilla Fudge has nine U.S. concerts lined up, spanning from a September 30 show in St. Charles, Illinois, through a November 17 date in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Doors guitarist Robby Krieger is on the bill of seven of the gigs, including a November 15-16 stand in New York City.
Here’s the full list of dates:
9/30 — St. Charles, IL, The Arcada Theater*
10/1 — Des Plaines, IL, Des Plaines Theater*
10/26 — Leesburg VA, Tally Ho Theater
10/27 — Warrendale, PA, Jergels
10/29 — Riverhead, NY, Suffolk Theater*
10/30 — Sugar Loaf, NY, Sugar Loaf PAC*
11/15 — New York, NY, Sony Hall*
11/16 — New York, NY, Sony Hall*
11/17 — Ridgefield CT, The Ridgefield Playhouse*
