From the death of a legend to a wacky band named after genocide, here’s what’s orbiting our musical universe this week…
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Covers to hear
* Tom Morello and Serj Tankian: “Crazy Train”
In dedication to the late Ozzy Ozbourne guitarist Rhandy Rhoads, fellow guitarist Tom Morello and System of a Down singer Serj Tankian have recently created their own rendition of “Crazy Train.” Have a listen here and be the judge.
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Our favorite covers
* Dinosaur Jr. dirtying up The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven”
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* The Smashing Pumpkins and The Epoxies recreating Alice Cooper’s “Clones”
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* John Frusciante high-pitching any song while live on stage
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The Best, Or Worst, In Band Names (a weekly feature)
ONE OF THE BEST? Hungry Kids of Hungary
This simple, silly band name gets us every time…
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ONE OF THE WORST? Confrontation Camp
Yes, this band means business but their name might have lost them a few fans.
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Music Video of the Month
Sia, “Elastic Heart”:
Known for her funky dance moves in “Chandelier”, Sia is at it again with another head scratcher. This time she received some help from acting talent, Shia LaBeouf. This video is about as artistic as you can make a fight look.
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Classic Video Of the Week
Duck Sauce, “Big Bad Wolf”:
Let’s point out the obvious. This video appears to be showing a series of men performing actions with second heads conveniently located in the crotch region. It’s a video that will keep you wondering what they’ll do next with this genetic mutation. Don’t worry if the video creeps you out, Duck Sauce’s use of colloquial sounds and a single repeated verse will keep you bobbing your head throughout this journey:
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Artists to keep an eye out for:
1. Halsey
Halsey, an Alternative musician is a great listen if you’re searching for songs about sadness and sex. Just check out her bio on iamhalsey.com and she’ll admit it herself. Now, play her track, “Hurricane” listed below. Close your eyes and listen closely. It’s not too farfetched to think you’re listening to a more provocative version of Lorde.
Music Link to “Hurricane”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FR9G7ioLLmc
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2. Sheppard
Say Geronimo! And plunge into Sheppard’s world of upbeat, happy-go-lucky style of music. The Australian indie-pop band has been growing in popularity recently having been featured on Billboard + Twitter’s Emerging Artists list.
Music Link to “Geronimo”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL_EXAyGCkw
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Interview of the Week:
King Tuff’s, Kyle Thomas with the Rolling Stone
A fellow indie-rocker, Kyle Thomas AKA King Tuff just gave Rolling Stone one-hell-of an interview. Within it, Thomas talks about his return to the top of music prowess and his inspiration for a song about PICKLES. Check out the interview below and for a crazy, hilarious read about the band KingTuffWorld.com and visit the About page…
King Tuff with the Rolling Stone link: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/becoming-king-tuff-see-kyle-thomas-trace-his-path-to-indie-rock-glory-20150123
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Review of the Week:
NewsWhistle’s rock n’ roll sphinx Chad Werner thumbs up Doomtree’s “All Hands”.
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Headline of the Week:
Noel Gallagher talks return to Oasis
Noel Gallagher of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Liam Gallagher of Oasis were not always separated by music. The two brothers featured in Oasis from 1991-2009 but decided to go separate ways after their toxic relationship caused one too many violent disputes.
With recent talk of the two brothers reuniting, Noel gave hope to a potential return to Oasis stating “It would only be for the money”. As egotistical as that may sound, fans will definitely welcome it with open arms. Each band has provided the music world with such vastly different sounds; one could only imagine what experiences they would collaborate on. This would be like forces of good and evil coming together to fight an even bigger villain, or maybe just plain awesome. Either way, fans better start hoping for a festival organizer willing to shell out the cash for this one because it seems like that’s the only way we’d all get our wish.
Link to Rolling Stone story: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/noel-gallagher-on-oasis-reunion-it-would-only-be-for-the-money-20150124
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The Music Plays On:
Edgar Froese of Tangerine Dream
We hate to end this edition on a sad note but Edgar Froese deserves honorable mention. Found dead at the age of 70, Froese paved the way for electronic musicians for generations to come. As a founding member of the group established in Berlin on September 1967, Tangerine Dream has been performing for over 40 years! Edgar Froese was the single remaining founding member at the time of his death on January 20, 2015. Froese also released solo recordings showcasing his talents on the piano, synthesizer, guitar, bass guitar, harmonica, mellotron, organ, horn, and mellophonium. While we say goodbye to this musical genius, his contributions will be sought out for many years to come.
Here’s an example of Froese’s work as a member of Tangerine Dream in the song “Wavelength”:
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Joey Fernandez is a music writer from New York’s strongest island. Drop him a line at joey@newswhistle.com
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Lead-In Image Courtesy of Christian Bertrand / Shutterstock.com
