In addition to inspiring countless metal musicians the world over, Black Sabbath‘s Tony Iommi has now inspired the name of a newly discovered fossil.
The fossil, uncovered by a team of scientists in Russia, is named Drepanoistodus iommii. It’s part of the conodont species, an “extinct clade of marine vertebrates” from the Middle Ordovician geological period.
In the etymology section of the research paper, which was published via the European Journal of Taxonomy, the scientists write, “Named in honor of legendary guitarist Tony Iommi, founding member of heavy metal band Black Sabbath.”
Last month, another team of scientists announced that they’d named three newly discovered fossils after the band Gojira. Meanwhile, Metallica previously inspired the name of a deep-sea crustacean, and a venomous snake species was named after frontman James Hetfield.
Foo Fighters have released a new version of their song “Chasing Birds” in collaboration with acclaimed New Orleans jazz outfit the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
The updated recording, dubbed a “Re-Version,” takes the original, psychedelic-tinged ballad and gives it a bit of a brighter vibe, thanks to a horn section and a shuffling drum beat. You can download it now via digital outlets.
“Chasing Birds” appears on the new Foo Fighters album Medicine at Midnight, which was released in February. It’s the second Medicine tune to get a “Re-Version,” following the Foos’ collaboration with Mark Ronson on “Making a Fire.”
The two “Re-Versions” will be released together as a seven-inch vinyl single on November 26 as part of Record Store Day’s Black Friday event.
Neil Young is among the music artists and entertainers who will take part in a virtual charity event called CAMP-A-THON on October 28 that will raise funds for The Painted Turtle, a free camp for chronically ill children and their families.
The event will be hosted by comic and actor George Lopez, a longtime supporter of the camp, and also will feature appearances by Young’s wife, actress Daryl Hannah, Los Lobos, Danny DeVito, Cheech Marin, singer/songwriter Brett Dennen, legendary Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela and others.
The event will feature stories about The Painted Turtle camp that will stream throughout the day, as well as performances from Young, Los Lobos, Marin and Dennen. The fundraiser will conclude with a virtual “Campfire” at 7 p.m. PT.
“This summer kids couldn’t go to the campsite and have a week long experience,” Lopez says, “but what The Painted Turtle did was bring Camp to all the campers wherever they may be, home or the hospital, and they delivered what they always deliver; hope, magic, and a whole lot of fun!”
The Painted Turtle is a nonprofit founded by late actor Paul Newman that’s located in Lake Hughes, California.
The CAMP-A-THON event is free, although viewers can make donations to the charity by visiting ThePaintedTurtle.org.
Young previously helped raise money for The Painted Turtle at his Harvest Moon: A Gathering concert, which took place in September 2019 at the camp.
Metallica indeed has new music in the works, but it may be awhile before you hear it.
Speaking with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, drummer Lars Ulrich assures that “of course there’s new music coming, there’s always new music coming,” while also cautioning that “there’s nothing cohesive.”
“There’s not a story, there’s not anything to really back it up yet,” he explains.
Metallica’s most recent album is 2016’s Hardwired…to Self-Destruct. The band has previously said that the wait for a follow-up won’t be as long as it was for Hardwired, which arrived eight years after its predecessor, 2008’s Death Magnetic.
Meanwhile, Metallica just released a deluxe reissue of The Black Album last month in honor of its 30th anniversary. They also dropped The Metallica Blacklist, a 53-track tribute compilation to The Black Album.
They won’t be stopping in Kokomo, but The Beach Boys will be hitting the high seas with some other famous music stars next year on a new musical-themed nautical extravaganza, The Beach Boys Good Vibrations Cruise.
The three-day cruise will set sail from Miami on March 25 and will visit Nassau in the Bahamas on the 27th before returning to port on March 28.
Joining The Beach Boys to perform on the cruise will be The Monkees and The Temptations, as well as comedian Joe Piscopo, popular tribute act The Yacht Rock Revue, Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath and more.
“I can’t wait to celebrate 60 years of The Beach Boys’ music on The Good Vibrations Cruise, setting sail this March,” says founding lead singer Mike Love. “With endless music and activities, it’s going to be an unforgettable vacation and we’re so excited to share it with friends and fans old and new.”
Besides the many performances, the cruise will feature events, attractions and activities including a Q&A session with The Beach Boys, photo opportunities with many of the artists, theme nights, an onboard Beach Boys museum, an on-shore excursion in Nassau and more.
Tickets for the cruise go on sale on Friday, October 8, at 2 p.m. ET. Visit TheBeachBoysCruise.com for all the details.
Illustration by Carlos Lerma/Courtesy of Song Exploder
A new episode of the Song Exploder online audio series focusing on the late John Lennon‘s 1970 solo song “God” debuted this week.
The presentation, which was created by the Song Exploder team in partnership with Lennon’s estate, features a new interview with Plastic Ono Band bassist and longtime Beatles associate Klaus Voormann, as well as archival interviews with John, Ringo Starr and late keyboardist Billy Preston, all of whom played on the track.
To produce the episode, which takes an in-depth look at the creation of “God,” Song Exploder was given access the John Lennon Estate’s extensive interview archives, as well as the song’s master recording, original demo and outtakes.
“I’m a big fan of Song Exploder and the way [host] Hrishi [Hirway] analyzes songwriting and recording using the multitracks and sessions and the creator’s voice,” says John’s son, Sean Ono Lennon. “The shows are always intelligent, well-researched and beautifully edited, so we felt comfortable and confident opening up the archive to them to tell the story of this important song’s creation.”
“God” appears on Lennon’s first solo studio album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, and famously features lyrics in which John declared that he’d put his famous band behind him, including, “I don’t believe in Beatles/ I just believe in me/ Yoko and me.”
The Lennon interview featured in the episode was taken from a December 1970 conversation with Rolling Stone‘s Jann Wenner. Starr’s audio comes from the 2008 Classic Albums documentary about John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.
You can listen to the episode at SongExploder.net, and via Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Nirvana‘s sales and streaming numbers are certainly “In Bloom” in the wake of Nevermind‘s 30th anniversary.
The grunge icons’ seminal 1991 album skyrocketed up the Billboard 200 to number 44 after hitting the big 3-0 on September 24. That’s the highest Nevermind has been on the chart since 2011, when it was celebrating is 20th anniversary.
Nevermind also saw a 10 percent bump in on-demand streaming during the September 24-30 tracking week, as well as a 327 percent jump in sales.
In total, the RIAA Diamond-certified Nevermind has spent 543 weeks on the Billboard 200 — over a third of its entire lifespan.
Nirvana is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Nevermind with a deluxe reissue, due out November 12. The expanded collection includes the full live recordings of four Nirvana concerts from 1991 and 1992.
Red Hot Chili Peppers have revealed the details of their upcoming 2022 world tour.
The global outing is set to kick off with a European run starting June 4 in Seville, Spain, before arriving stateside for a U.S. trek beginning July 23 in Denver. Dates are currently scheduled through a September 18 performance in Arlington, Texas.
The Peppers will be joined at various dates on the tour by a wide array of opening acts, including Beck, The Strokes, St. Vincent, HAIM, A$AP Rocky, King Princess, Thundercat and Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals.
Tickets go on sale to the general public next Friday, October 15, at 10 a.m. local time. A fan pre-sale for the U.S. dates begins October 9, and October 13 for the Europe and U.K. shows.
The official video for “Move” — the single that reunites “Smooth” duo Carlos Santana with Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas — has arrived.
The black-and-white clip features Thomas singing alone under a stormy, lightning-filled sky, while Santana tosses off his signature guitar licks standing on a mirror in a black void.
In the second verse, American Authors singer Zac Barnett joins Santana on the mirror, which begins to crack. Later, Santana stands on top of a massive pile of speakers, playing the maracas.
“Move” is from Santana’s new album, Blessings and Miracles, which arrives October 15.
Regarding the song, Santana previously said it’s “about awakening your molecules. Ignite and activate yourself – you know, move. When Rob and I work together, we have a sound that’s splendiferous.”
John Mellencamp, the Indiana-born singer/songwriter who came to fame in the early ’80s under the name John Cougar, was born 70 years ago today.
Known for his roots-rock songs often celebrating small-town life in America, Mellencamp enjoyed his major commercial breakthrough with his fifth studio album, 1982’s American Fool, released under the John Cougar moniker.
American Fool is John’s only album to date to top the Billboard 200 chart, spending nine weeks at #1. It features his classic songs “Jack and Diane” and “Hurts So Good,” which peaked at #1 and #2, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.
Starting with his next album, 1983’s Uh-Huh, he began releasing his records under the name John Cougar Mellencamp, and beginning in 1991, he dropped “Cougar” altogether.
Among the other hits Mellencamp has scored during his long career are “Crumblin’ Down,” “Pink Houses,” “Lonely Ol’ Night,” “Small Town,” “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute to ’60s Rock),” “Cherry Bomb,” and a cover of Van Morrison‘s “Wild Night,” the latter a duet with Me’Shell Ndegéocello.
In 1985, Mellencamp, along with Willie Nelson and Neil Young, organized the first Farm Aid concert, and the charity event continues to raise money to support family farms each year.
Mellencamp was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.
John’s resumé also includes a collaboration with horror author Stephen King on the Southern Gothic stage musical Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, which premiered in 2012. In addition, Mellencamp is an accomplished painter whose artwork has been exhibited numerous times.
Mellencamp’s latest release is a duet with Bruce Springsteen titled “Wasted Days,” and the track also will appear on John’s next studio album, Strictly a One-Eyed Jack, due out in 2022.
