Yes releases new track from upcoming album, ‘Aurora’

May 20, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Yes has released another song from their upcoming album, Aurora.

After debuting the album’s title track in April, the band — currently made up of Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Jon Davison, Billy Sherwood and Jay Schellen — has now released “Turnaround Situation.”

“‘Turnaround Situation’ came from realizing that every time I ignored my conscience, life seemed to fall apart in one way or another,” says Davison. “I’ve taken the wrong road before. Most people have. There’s always a temporary thrill in it, but eventually it catches up with you.”

Aurora is Yes’ 24th studio album and their first since 2023’s Mirror to the Sky. It will be released July 12 digitally, on CD and as a two-LP set, along with limited-edition deluxe editions that come with a bonus disc of instrumentals, a Blu-ray with various audio mixes of the album and more.

All formats are available for preorder now.

Lenny Kaye releases ‘Goin’ Local’ track ‘Solstice,’ co-written by Patti Smith

May 20, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Lenny Kaye, the longest serving member of the Patti Smith Group, has released another song off his upcoming debut album, Goin’ Local.

The latest is the track “Solstice,” which was co-written by Smith. The 79-year-old Kaye notes, “[O]ur collaboration continues a long history together across many of our shared works.”

This is the second track Kaye has released from the album, after previously releasing the title track.

Goin’ Local, coming out July 17, is described as “a deeply personal collection” that represents Kaye’s “most autobiographical and introspective turn yet.”

In addition to Smith, the album includes guest appearances from jazz pianist Matthew Shipp, Railroad Earth’s Tim Carbone, The Jayhawks’ John Jackson and multi-instrumentalist David Mansfield.

Goin’ Local is available for preorder now.

After hitting the road this spring with Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Kaye has more shows lined up for this summer, including an appearance at Dex Fest in Carrboro, North Carolina, which takes place June 26-27. Kaye, Alvin and Gilmore will then bring their tour to the West Coast, starting July 12 in Santa Barbara, California.

Watch the full trailer for ‘Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul’ documentary

May 20, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

The full trailer has now been released for the upcoming documentary Gregg Allman – The Music of My Soul, about the late Allman Brothers Band founder.

The trailer, set to the Allman Brothers Band classic “Midnight Rider,” features archival footage of Gregg and the band. It includes clips touching upon the relationship between Gregg Allman and his brother Duane Allman, as well as Gregg’s drug addiction problems.

The clip ends with archival audio of Gregg saying, “Never told this story, I might as well.”

Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul, from Grammy- and Golden Globe Award-winning filmmaker James Keach, is described as “a profound portrait of Gregg Allman, a luminous figure whose life and songs mirror his struggles and salvation,” told through archival recordings, interviews and live performances.

The film will premiere in New York on June 9, followed by a June 11 premiere in Macon, Georgia. It will also have one-week exclusive engagements in Los Angeles and New York, before playing in theaters nationwide on June 17. Tickets are on sale now.

Grateful Dead releasing 1966 Fillmore Auditorium Independence Ball concert

May 20, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Grateful Dead are taking it back to their early career with their latest live release.

Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA (7/3/66) will be released on July 3, on the 60th anniversary of the concert, which took place seven months after the band changed their name from the Warlocks. The performance was part of legendary promoter Bill Graham’s Independence Ball, with the band at the time made up of Jerry Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan and Bob Weir.

The concert features some of the earliest known recordings of songs like “Tastebud,” “You Don’t Have To Ask” and “Cardboard Cowboy,” which the band would stop playing by the end of that summer. It also includes “Cold Rain and Snow,” which would go on to be a Dead staple.

The performance of “Cold Rain and Snow” is available now via digital outlets.

Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA (7/3/66), which was previously available in 2015 as part of the 50th anniversary boxed set 30 Trips Around the Sun, will be released digitally and as a two-CD set. It will also be released as a three-LP set, its first time ever on vinyl, limited to 6,600 copies. The vinyl release is available exclusively at Dead.net.

On This Day, May 20, 1991: Paul McCartney released ‘Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)’

May 20, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

On This Day, May 20, 1991…

Paul McCartney released an album made up of performances from his January 25, 1991, MTV Unplugged broadcast.

Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) featured McCartney, backed by the band that joined him on his 1989–1990 world tour, performing acoustic takes on several Beatles songs, as well as some covers.

Among the Beatles songs performed were “Blackbird,” “Here, There and Everywhere,” “We Can Work it Out,” “I’ve Just Seen a Face” and “And I Love Her.”

McCartney was actually the first artist to release an album from his MTV Unplugged special. Several other artists followed in his footsteps including Eric Clapton, Nirvana, Bob Dylan and Neil Young.

‘Burning Down the House’: David Byrne performs Talking Heads classic with Stephen Colbert on ‘The Late Show’

May 20, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

As Stephen Colbert gets ready to sign off The Late Show, he enlisted Talking Heads frontman David Byrne to help him with his sendoff.

Byrne appeared on Colbert’s Tuesday night show for a special performance of the Talking Heads classic “Burning Down the House.” Midway through the song, Byrne, dressed all in blue, was joined by musicians and dancers all dressed in similar blue outfits, while screens in the background projected a raging fire.

The song ended with Colbert coming out in the same blue outfit, dancing along with the performers.

Colbert is in his final week of The Late Show, with Bruce Springsteen set to perform on Wednesday. Colbert will sign off The Late Show on Thursday; no guests for the finale have been revealed.

CBS announced in July 2025 that it was canceling The Late Show, noting the decision to end the late-night talker was a financial one. David Letterman launched The Late Show in 1993, and Colbert took over when Letterman left in 2015.

Foo Fighters premiere video for ’Your Favorite Toy’ track ‘Of All People’

May 20, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Of all people you should watch the new Foo Fighters video, especially if you’re into extreme sports.

Dave Grohl and company have premiered the visual for “Of All People,” a track off the band’s new album, Your Favorite Toy. It features footage of the Swiss extreme skiing collective BPC, which endeavors to ski on surfaces other than snow, including grass and pavement.

“Just when I thought I’d seen it all, I discovered BPC and snowless skiing,” Grohl says in a statement. “It’s either the gnarliest extreme sport I’ve ever seen, the most fun anyone can have before a guaranteed trip to the hospital, or both. It’s an honor to be the soundtrack to this madness.”

You can watch the “Of All People” video streaming now on YouTube. Be warned, though: it includes footage of some pretty gnarly injuries, several of which are fingers pointing in the wrong direction.

Your Favorite Toy is out now. Foo Fighters will launch a North American stadium tour in support of the record in August.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

Billy Joel hits back against planned biopic

May 20, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Billy Joel does not support a planned biopic that was announced on Tuesday.

The film, Billy & Me, to be directed by editor/producer John Ottman, is described as the “untold origin story of Billy Joel before the fame, before the hit records, and before the world knew him as the Piano Man,” told from the perspective of Irwin Mazur, Joel’s first manager, who was responsible for discovering him in 1966.

Jon Small, who was Joel’s drummer in his early bands the Hassles and Attila, is also involved in the film as a consultant, co-executive producer and second unit director.

But the film is being made without the cooperation of Joel.

A statement provided to ABC Audio from Joel’s spokesperson reads, “Since 2021, the parties involved have been officially notified that they do not possess Billy Joel’s life rights and will not be able to secure the music rights required for this project,” adding, “Billy Joel has not authorized or supported this project in any capacity, and any attempt to move forward without it would be both legally and professionally misguided.”

Joel’s life and career was previously the subject of the two-part HBO documentary, And So It Goes, which debuted in July 2025.

Styx’s 2006 performance with youth orchestra subject of new documentary

May 20, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Styx is featured in a new documentary that highlights their 20-year partnership with Kaboom Collective, a nonprofit arts organization based in Cleveland.

Twenty Years On looks back at Styx’s 2006 performance with a youth orchestra, talking to the band, past orchestra members and more. It also includes a new generation of orchestral students recording new arrangements of Styx songs “Blue Collar Man” and “Build and Destroy.”

“Every person in this film made a choice to show up, to trust the process, and to give everything they had to something bigger than themselves,” Kaboom founder and conductor Liza Grossman says. “That is what Kaboom has always been about, and Styx understood that from day one.”

She adds, “Watching those young artists grow into doctors, educators, Broadway musicians, and studio artists over twenty years has been the greatest gift of my career. This film is for every one of them.”

“We are excited to be a part of the Kaboom Collective documentary, Twenty Years On,” says Styx’s Tommy Shaw. “It is amazing to celebrate our relationship and performance with the Cleveland Youth Orchestra twenty years later and see the kids grown up. We can’t wait for you to see it!”

A trailer for the film was released Tuesday, with the documentary set to have its world premiere on June 6 at Heights Theater Studios, Kaboom’s professional soundstage in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

More info on the film can be found at 20yearson.com.

The Black Crowes’ Chris Robison on the band’s 2015 breakup: ‘I was angry’

May 19, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson says anger prompted him to make moves in 2015 that wound up breaking up the band.

In an interview on Jay Mohr’s Mohr Stories podcast, Chris discussed the breakup, which his brother Rich Robinson said happened when Chris asked for a bigger stake in the band. Chris told Jay he asked for more money because he knew it would lead to the breakup.

“I had to remove myself because I was heartbroken about the whole thing,” he said. “I was angry.”

He said at the time their manager asked what it would take for him to continue with the band.

“And I knew this would be the nail in the head. I knew I could also set it down,” he explained. “I said, ‘I want more money then. If this is a cash cow, then I want my side of beef.’”

He added, “It’s not like I did it out of some random thing. I did it completely to put a nail in this thing, ’cause I knew.”

Chris said that during that period he felt the band was “out there just chasing money so everyone can live a certain lifestyle.”

“I felt, in all honesty, I was, like, I’m not here for that. And I’m not done. As an artist, as a person, I’m not done. This isn’t over,” he said.

“I’m also completely aware and prepared for that to sound selfish, self-indulgent,” he continued. “I did it to be cruel in a way, too, ’cause my heart was broken. And my spirit. I wasn’t gonna allow my spirit to be broken.”

The Black Crowes went on to reunite in 2019 and have since released two albums, 2019’s Happiness Bastards and 2026’s A Pound of Feathers. They are on tour now.

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