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Dropkick Murphys have announced a new album, For the People, arriving July 4th. The video for the politically charged lead single “Who’ll Stand with Us?” can be streamed now.

The searing punk tune features prominent bagpipes and commanding vocals that declare, “We’ve been robbed of our freedom.” It’s a direct rallying cry, echoing singer Ken Casey’s recent sentiment that America is embroiled in “a class war.”

Get Dropkick Murphys Tickets Here

As stated in a press release, “‘Who’ll Stand With Us?,’ the album’s first single, is a call for unity, a return to sanity, and a look at what – and who – is really dividing us. It gets straight to the point: When the billionaires and broligarchs get done neutering society, what’s left for the rest of us? The song aims to frame class warfare for what it is. And, like all Dropkick Murphys songs,...

The best and brightest in a field always gravitate toward each other, whether that’s to smush genitals together or combine their powers to become something even greater. They also tend to be weird as hell, though, so sometimes, their collaborations only become something seriously strange.

5 SuperHeavy

Eurythmics keyboardist Dave Stewart got the idea for SuperHeavy “when he was in his house in the hills of Jamaica, above Saint Ann Parish, listening to three or four sound systems blasting at the same time, the music wafting into the air and blending together.” Not realizing this was unhinged behavior, he recruited Mick Jagger, R&b singer Joss Stone, reggae producer Damian Marley and Bollywood composer A.R. Rahman, and to his credit, the result does sound like someone is playing a bunch of different songs at once. Marley didn’t even seem to know how he got there, having been “pulled into...

While Anton Chekhov always thought of The Seagull as a comedy, that fact has frequently been forgotten through productions that fall into the soporific trap set by angsty, moping, lovelorn characters losing their hearts and minds in the Russian countryside.

There’s no such danger with Thomas Ostermeier, who once declared that he wanted to bring “some rock ‘n’ roll” to Ibsen (his Enemy of the People had the protagonist play Bowie covers in a band and open a political discussion with the audience). The firebrand German director now blasts the cobwebs off Chekhov with boisterous, dazzling delight.

But as irreverent as Ostermeier may seem — as self-referential, ironic, meta, playful — he’s true to his material. The reality of The Seagull is that it treads that fine line between comedy and tragedy. And while this production is an incredible blast, teetering on farce, Ostermeier and co-adaptor Duncan Macmillan (People, Places...

Ted Danson goes into spy mode and infiltrates a retirement home in Netflix’s “A Man on the Inside” — and he does it to a standout soundtrack. The touching new comedy comes from “The Good Place” creator Michael Schur, who was inspired by the charming, Academy Award-nominated Chilean documentary “The Mole Agent,” which followed an elderly man into a retirement community, where he proved a terrible spy but a lovely friend to the residents.

Comedy TV great Danson takes on the role of the mole for the Netflix series, which comes with a Netflix-budget soundtrack full of needle drops from throwback rock and folk greats like Cat Stevens, Cream and Jackson Browne, among many others. Check out a full list of all the songs in “A Man on the Inside” below.

‘A Man on the Inside’ Soundtrack “The Wind” by Cat Stevens “Rip Rip” by David Holmes “The Opera House...

Billy Bragg has extended his 2024 “The Roaring Forty” North American tour through October with an 18-date fall run.

Following Bragg’s previously announced July shows, the new string of dates kicks off in Vancouver on September 20th and will continue with stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, New York, and Washington, DC. See his full touring schedule below.

Get Billy Bragg Tickets Here

A Live Nation pre-sale is ongoing (use access code Chord) ahead of the general on-sale on Friday, June 7th via Ticketmaster.

You can also find deals and sold-out tickets at StubHub, where orders are 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s FanProtect program. StubHub is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.

Bragg will be accompanied by keyboardist and vocalist JJ Stoney on the tour as he performs fan-favorites from the career-spanning 2023 box set, The Roaring Forty. His most recent studio album,...

Last week, Carnegie Hall resonated with the spirit and songs of Sinéad O'Connor and Shane MacGowan as an expanded lineup of luminaries took to the stage for a historic tribute concert.

Amanda Palmer and Billy Bragg Perform at tribute to Sinead O'Connor and Shane MacGowan

Credit/Copyright: Al Pereira

This profound celebration, organized by City Winery, not only honored the indelible legacies of these iconic musicians but also supported the crucial mission of Pen America with a donation of $65,000 to help them in their mission of advocating for freedom of speech worldwide.

The event, Sinéad & Shane at Carnegie Hall, saw an unprecedented gathering of talent, with performances that spanned the emotional spectrum, from heart-wrenching ballads to uplifting anthems. The night was not just a tribute but a powerful reminder of O’Connor and MacGowan’s profound impact on music and cultural dialogue. The event opened with comments from Roisin Waters...

On Wednesday, a host of musicians came together to honor late Irish legends Shane MacGowan and Sinead O’Connor with a tribute concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Most notably, O’Connor’s daughter, Roisin Waters, paid tribute to her mother with a stirring performance of “Nothing Compares 2 U.”

The concert also saw Bettye Lavette sing “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got,” Cat Power put her spin on “The Body of an American,” and Resistance Revival Chorus cover “Thank You for Hearing Me,” among other performances of O’Connor’s music. Additionally, Glen Hansard and Imelda May teamed up to perform MacGowan and O’Connor’s duet “Haunted.”

Among the artists who covered songs by MacGowan and his band The Pogues were Violent Femmes’ Gordon Gano (“A Pair of Brown Eyes”), Gogol Bordello’s Eugene Hütz (“The Church of Holy Spook”), Billy Bragg, The Hold Steady...

The lineup for the 2024 Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival has been announced, featuring headliners Devo, Madness, and Descendents. The 24th edition of the annual extravaganza will take place May 24th-27th at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center.

Joining the headliners on the bill are Punk Rock Bowling first-timers Billy Bragg, Gogol Bordello, Rocket From the Crypt, The Chats, Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand, Destroy Boys, 999, Scowl, Bratmobile, Snooper, Cosmic Psychos, and more. Returning acts include Lagwagon, Stiff Little Fingers, The Subhumans, The English Beat, 7 Seconds, Skatalites, and Bad Cop/Bad Cop.

Four-day passes are available via the festival website for $200. If passes sell out, check on StubHub, where your purchase is 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s Fan Protect program.

Per a press release, “The festival goes beyond the musical realm. Attendees can enjoy vibrant pool parties, try their luck at gambling, and partake in the excitement of the thrilling bowling tournament.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Pogues released their debut albums the same year, which allowed them to run in the same circles for a brief period. Chilis bassist Flea paid tribute to MacGowan on Thursday, a few hours after news broke of the former Pogues frontman’s death at the age of 65.

“And now I say, God bless the great Irishman Shane MacGowan,” Flea wrote on Instagram. “Every time I heard him sing, I heard the truth, and my heart filled up with humanity.”

He also shared a...

Shane MacGowan’s passing has led to an outpouring of tributes from fellow musicians.

“Every time I heard him sing I heard the truth, and my heart filled up with humanity,” wrote Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers. He proceeded to share an anecdote about the time he met the Pogues singer: “I once saw him sing with the Pogues at a festival in the late 80’s. It was so beautiful and I was reduced to tears. I approached him, and gushed “Man that was so beautiful, thank you etc…” He looked at me and burst into laughter, accidentally spitting beer in my face, and it was not thoughtless or mean at all, he was just so humble and being a dude singing it seemed absurd to him to be elevated, like I was doing to him. I have never been a church going man or a religious man, but if I ever felt baptised,...

Oliver Anthony has parlayed the viral success of his No. 1 hit, “Rich Men North of Richmond,” into an appearance at Louisville, Kentucky’s Louder Than Life festival later this month. The country singer will play a pair of sets on September 21st and September 22nd at Kroger Big Bourbon Bar, with set times to be revealed on the show days.

Anthony’s addition to the festival’s roster further diversifies this year’s installment from its roots in hard rock and metal, with non-heavy acts like Weezer joining the likes of Foo Fighters, Green Day, Tool, Pantera, and Queens of the Stone Age. Other notable performers include Avenged Sevenfold, Turnstile, Limp Bizkit, Rancid, and many more.

It all goes down at the Highland Festival Grounds at Kentucky Exposition Center from September 21st through 24th. See the full lineup here, and grab your tickets here.

“Rich Men” went viral after being...

Documentary about the punk band from Essex, who toured with the likes of Billy Bragg, is a fascinating time-capsule of the politically-charged Thatcher years

Here’s a fascinating time-capsule of a documentary about an admittedly niche-interest band who achieved their most valuable cultural currency during the politically-charged 1980s, and who achieved a subsequent second act that achieves considerable emotional heft. It also functions as an insight into a vanished world, not all that long ago, in which ranting poets, skinhead pubs, Letraset fanzines and – yes – the Deutsche Demokratische Republik actually existed.

Hailing from Harlow in Essex, a postwar new town designed to alleviate London housing shortages – hence the band’s name – the Newtown Neurotics apparently became a big deal in the town in punk’s second wave, though in truth they never really broke through to national recognition, tending to play second or third on the bill to bigger names.

Billy Bragg has unveiled a new song called “Rich Men Earning North of a Million,” which was inspired by Oliver Anthony’s recent viral single “Rich Men North of Richmond.”

In introducing the song, the English folk artist explained that, “Since I saw that clip of Oliver Anthony singing his song ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’, the ghost of Woody Guthrie has been whispering in my ear. ‘Help that guy out’ Woody keeps telling me ‘Let him know there’s a way to deal with those problems he’s singing about.’ So today I sat down and wrote this response to Mr Anthony’s song, for people like him and people like you.”

The result is a pro-union anthem that doesn’t discriminate, but rather speaks to “working folk” of all kinds.

“If you’re selling your soul, working all day. Overtime hours for bullshit pay. Nothing is gonna change...

Standing behind a camera atop a tripod onstage at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin, North Carolina, Lyle Lovett peers into the viewfinder and pauses for a moment before hitting the shutter button.

Lovett’s road manager yells loudly, “Fire in the hole,” as the room goes silent, the only subsequent sound being the click of the camera. The entire scene repeats itself a handful of times before Lovett is satisfied with how the empty venue, soon-to-be-packed with concertgoers, is portrayed.

“In terms of every type...

Shortly after Julian Sands was confirmed dead, Melanie Lynskey is remembering the late actor with a heartfelt tribute. Back in January, Sands was reported missing after failing to return home from a solo hike in the Mount Baldy area of the Southern California mountains. After months of searching, human remains were found last weekend with authorities confirming on Tuesday that it had been Sands. The actor was 65 years old.

Lynskey, who currently stars on Showtime's Yellowjackets, appeared in the Stephen King miniseries adaptation Rose Red in 2002. The project also featured Sands, and it was on the set where Lynskey met the Warlock star. In a new Instagram post, Lynskey remembers meeting Sands on the set of Rose Red, recalling just how kind he had been with her. That couldn't have made her any more thrilled, as she was a big fan of the actor.

"Julian Sands. I met you on...

Melanie Lynskey has posted her thoughts on Instagram about longtime friend Julian Sands, who was found dead in the Southern California mountains earlier this week.

Lynskey shared a photo of the pair and wrote about first meeting Sands while working on the 2002 movie Rose Red. She admitted being a bit starstruck as a big fan of Sands in the Oscar-nominated film, A Room with a View.

“I was so nervous I could barely speak to you,” she said. “When I did finally tell you what the movie/you meant to me, I was struck by your humility, your lack of ego, the absence of any grandstanding.”

The two became fast friends, Lynskey said, as she recalled their blossomig friendship.

“You bought me so many presents, mostly huge and intimidating non-fiction books and classical music CDs. You found out I’d never been to the opera, and so you came to...

Melanie Lynskey took to social media Wednesday to share a heartfelt tribute to the late Julian Sands.

Authorities confirmed the actor, who had been missing since January, died while hiking after his remains were recently found by hikers near the Mount Baldy wilderness area.

“The identification process for the body located on Mt. Baldy on June 24, 2023, has been completed and was positively identified as 65-year-old Julian Sands of North Hollywood,” the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department said in a statement Tuesday. “The manner of death is still under investigation, pending further test results.”

The Yellowjackets star shared a throwback photo of her and Sands dancing on Instagram and opened up about being nervous to meet him for the first time on the set of the miniseries Rose Red in 2000.

“A Room With A View was a movie I had seen dozens of times, and I adored you in it,” she wrote.

Andy Rourke, who played bass for The Smiths on all four of the English band’s albums, died today of pancreatic cancer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. He was 59.

Tributes from the music world poured in following the announcement of Rourke’s death, which was made by his friend and Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr this morning.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Rourke after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer,” tweeted Marr. “Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans. We request privacy at this sad time.”

Marr followed up with an image of himself and Rourke from The Smiths’ days.

The Smiths in 1985, from left: Johnny Marr, Morrissey, Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke

Rourke was born on January 17, 1964, in Manchester, England, becoming friends...

Tributes have begun to pour in following the death of Andy Rourke, bassist for the Smiths. Rourke died at 59 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, as confirmed by guitarist Johnny Marr on Twitter this morning. Many fellow musicians and collaborators have praised Rourke’s playing and his work with the Smiths.

“Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans,” Marr noted on Twitter. He shared a much longer memory of his life with Rourke on Instagram.

Van Morrison has said that he wants to start looking at alternative outlets to release the “mountain of material” he has ready to go.

The 77-year-old singer, best known for hits such as “Brown Eyed Girl”, “Moondance” and “Crazy Love” said that he’s had to stop himself writing new songs, because he has so many already.

Morrison is releasing his forthcoming album Moving on Skiffle in March – marking his 44th studio record.

The legendary artist says that traditional labels are only able to put out a few records each year, which doesn’t cater for the amount of music he wants to release.

"It’s been a problem getting records out, so I’ve been looking at other alternative outlets,” said Morrision while being interviewed by Billy Bragg for the April issue of Mojo magazine.

"The big companies can only do one or two big records a year. This...

Jeff Tweedy has shared a new version of Woody Guthrie’s classic labor song, “Union Maid,” which appears as a bonus track on the soundtrack for Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut When You Finish Saving the World.

Tweedy delivers a zippy, brisk rendition of the early-Forties anthem, which is sung from the perspective of a proud, take-no-bullshit union woman. “This union maid was wise to the tricks of the company spies,” Tweedy sings over his breezy acoustic guitar, “She’d never be fooled by a company stool/She’d always organize the guys.

The Welsh national anthem has become a talking point around the world since Wales’s team began competing in their first World Cup since 1958.

Wales’s stirring anthem is called “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau”, which translates to “Old Land of My Fathers” in English.

When the Welsh team, headed up by captain Gareth Bale, and 3,000 Welsh supporters belted out the anthem at the country’s opening match against USA on Monday 21 November, it gave goosebumps to footballs fans around the globe.

Singer-songwriter Billy Bragg tweeted at the time: “Well Wales have won the national anthem singing contest. Their players looked proud to belt out their anthem while the US team looked faintly embarrassed to be singing in public.”

This year marks the first time the anthem has been sung at the tournament. The last time Wales were at a World Cup, they sang “God Save the Queen”.

Here are the...

The Welsh national anthem has become a talking point around the world since Wales’s team began competing in their first World Cup since 1958.

Wales’s stirring anthem is called “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau”, which translates to “Old Land of My Fathers” in English.

When the Welsh team, headed up by captain Gareth Bale, and 3,000 Welsh supporters belted out the anthem at the country’s opening match against USA on Monday 21 November, it gave goosebumps to footballs fans around the globe.

Singer-songwriter Billy Bragg tweeted at the time: “Well Wales have won the national anthem singing contest. Their players looked proud to belt out their anthem while the US team looked faintly embarrassed to be singing in public.”

This year marks the first time the anthem has been sung at the tournament. The last time Wales were at a World Cup, they sang “God Save the Queen”.

Here are the...

The Welsh national anthem has become a talking point around the world since Wales’s team began competing in their first World Cup since 1958.

Wales’s stirring anthem is called “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau”, which translates to “Old Land of My Fathers” in English.

When the Welsh team, headed up by captain Gareth Bale, and 3,000 Welsh supporters belted out the anthem at the country’s opening match against USA on Monday 21 November, it gave goosebumps to footballs fans around the globe.

Singer-songwriter Billy Bragg tweeted at the time: “Well Wales have won the national anthem singing contest. Their players looked proud to belt out their anthem while the US team looked faintly embarrassed to be singing in public.”

This year marks the first time the anthem has been sung at the tournament. The last time Wales were at a World Cup, they sang “God Save the Queen”.

Here are the...

Wilko Johnson, the influential guitarist for the British pub rock band Dr. Feelgood who was credited with laying the groundwork for the punk movement, has died at the age of 75.

“This is the announcement we never wanted to make, & we do so with a very heavy heart: Wilko Johnson has died,” Johnson’s Twitter announced Tuesday. “He passed away at home on Monday 21st November. Thank you for respecting the family’s privacy at this very sad time. Rip Wilko Johnson.”

A cause of death was not provided. A decade ago,...

Harrison Ford has officially joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe – a development that has both delighted and amused fans.

Rumours had been swirling for weeks that Marvel was eyeing Ford to take over the role of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross from the late William Hurt, who played the character in numerous films between 2008 and 2021.

The news was confirmed by Deadline on Monday (17 October), which reported that Ford will appear in Captain America: New World Order starring Anthony Mackie as the titular superhero.

The film, directed by Julius Onah, is currently scheduled for release in the summer of 2024.

News of him joining the franchise was previously rumoured by Jeff Sneider of The Hot Mic With John Rocha and Jeff Sneider podcast and Slash Film.

Many fans have been joking that Ford – who is famously unenthusiastic about the plot intricacies and fan theories of the other major franchise he has starred in, Star Wars...

Harrison Ford has reportedly joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe – a development that has both delighted and amused fans.

Rumours had been swirling for weeks that Marvel was eyeing Ford to take over the role of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross from the late William Hurt, who played the character in numerous films between 2008 and 2021.

News of him joining the franchise was confirmed by Jeff Sneider of The Hot Mic With John Rocha and Jeff Sneider podcast and Slash Film.

Ford is now, of course, expected to play a major role in the forthcoming Marvel movie Thunderbolts, which is currently scheduled for release in summer 2024, and in Captain America: New World Order, which is also coming out next year.

Many fans have been joking that Ford – who is famously unenthusiastic about the plot intricacies and fan theories of the other major franchise he has starred in, Star Wars – will be grumpy about Marvel...

British presenting royalty Graham Norton has left Twitter soon after Harry Potter writer J.K. Rowling criticized him over comments about transgender people made in a recent interview.

The row began after singer-songwriter Billy Bragg commended Norton for his position on trans rights made at the Cheltenham Literature Festival.

Rowling, who has often clashed with trans activists on social media, told Bragg he was “supporting rape and death threats” by backing Norton, who appeared to have actually said very little to spark the controversy. When questioned on Rowling’s position on trans rights, Norton had said: “When I’m asked about it, I become a part of it. My voice adds nothing to that discussion and I’m sort of embarrassed that I’m somehow drawn into it.

“If people want to shine a light on those issues then talk to trans people. Talk to the parents of trans kids, talk to doctors,...

Graham Norton has deleted his Twitter account days after a clip of him talking about “cancel culture” and Jk Rowling went viral.

The TV presenter was speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on Tuesday (11 October), when he said that he felt the word “cancellation” should be replaced with “accountability’.

“You read a lot of articles in papers by people complaining about cancel culture and you think, ‘In what world are you cancelled?’” he said. “I’m reading your article in a newspaper, or you’re doing interviews about how terrible it is to be cancelled? I think the word is the wrong word. I think the word should be ‘accountability’.”

Host Mariella Frostrup then asked Norton about how his comments applied to Rowling, whom she said had been hit with “anger, rage and attempts at censorship” for her views on transgender people.

Norton replied that he felt his voice on...

Graham Norton’s comments about cancel culture got people talking on social media this week.

The talk show host was asked about his thoughts on celebrities being “cancelled” during an interview at the Cheltenham Literature Festival with Mariella Frostrup.

“The word is the wrong word,” he insisted. “I think the word should be accountability,” after questioning how someone could be “cancelled” when he’s reading about them still in a newspaper.

Norton referenced John Cleese constantly taking a swipe at cancel culture.

Read More: J.K. Rowling Insists Her New Book Is Not Based On Her Despite It Being About A Character Being Criticized For Having Transphobic Views

He went on, “It must be very hard to be a man of a certain age, who’s been allowed to say what he wants for years, and now suddenly there’s some accountability. It’s free speech, but it’s not consequence-free.

Click here to read the full article.

Graham Norton sparked a mild Twitter eruption this week when he discussed the matter of cancel culture and transgender issues.

In a video from an interview with the TV host at the Cheltenham Literature Festival that was posted online Wednesday, Norton said it felt absurd that many of those who complained about being “canceled” were then able to talk about their cancellation in newspapers and in interviews.

“The word is the wrong word,” he said. “I think the word should be accountability.”

"In what world are you cancelled? I think the word is the wrong word. I think the word should be accountability."

Graham Norton criticises John Cleese and tells #TimesRadio that cancel culture isn't real.@mariellaf1 pic.twitter.com/mErngPl2kJ

— Times Radio (@TimesRadio) October 12, 2022

Norton used John Cleese, who has become an ardent campaigner against cancel culture (and is set to...

A judge was forced to threaten rapper Gunna’s supporters with arrest as they reacted to the news he had been denied bond for the third time.

On 13 October, Atlanta judge Ural Glanville denied permission for Gunna to leave jail, four months after his last request was denied by a Fulton County judge.

Gunna is among more than 24 people charged in an 88-page indictment in Georgia’s Fulton County earlier this year.

Also indicted was rapper Young Thug – real name Jeffery Williams – who is accused of founding Young Slime Life, which prosecutors allege is a violent street gang that’s commonly known as Ysl and is affiliated with the national Bloods gang.

On Thursday, as soon as the judge revealed his verdict, it was met with vocal outcry from Gunna’s supporters.

The uproar prompted Judge Glanville to threaten to arrest the supporters if they did not “settle down”, as per Billboard.

Nicki Minaj has accused the Grammy Awards of prioritising new artists, after her 2022 song “Super Freaky Girl” was moved from the rap category to the pop category.

The switch was revealed on Thursday (13 October) when the first-round ballot went out to Recording Academy voters.

The rapper and singer made her point on social media, explaining that she wouldn’t have been annoyed if she felt the same treatment applied to all genre-blending acts on the nominations list.

“I have no prob being moved out the Rap category as long as we r All being treated Fairly,” said the 39-year-old on Twitter.

I have no prob being moved out the Rap category as long as we r All being treated Fairly. If Sfg has 2B moved out Rap then so does Big Energy! ANY1 who says diff is simply a Nicki hater or a troll. I’d actually Luv 2 c a...

Billy Bragg has hit back at Jk Rowling after she appeared to accuse him of supporting “rape and death theats” by backing Graham Norton’s view on transgender rights.

On Thursday (13 October), Bragg posted a tweet praising TV host Graham Norton for his comments about so-called “cancel culture” while attending Cheltenham Literature Festival. Norton also commented on the media’s coverage of the debate surrounding trans rights.

Reposting a clip of Nortan’s talk, Bragg wrote: “Norton really good here on John Cleese.

“Telling him that cancel culture is just accountability, and Jk Rowling, suggesting that the media talk directly to trans teens and their parents rather than merely amplifying the takes of a celebrity.”

Rowling was quick to respond to Bragg, writing: “Very much enjoying the recent spate of bearded men stepping confidently onto their soapboxes to define what a woman is and throw their support behind rape and...

For a second, it’s like 2005 has barged into the pub demanding respect. Richard Archer, singer with Staines’ indie rock massive Hard-Fi, arrives at a Thames-side Richmond boozer with his bright blue eyes flashing and the jaw-length hair he sported pre-pandemic shorn back to his classic indie bovver-boy cut. He’s as energised as he ever was when leading some of the most raucous gig scenes this writer saw that entire disrespected decade, when entire Academies would be bouncing right back to the (drunk dry) bar to clock-off clubland punk anthems “Hard To Beat” and “Living For The Weekend”. He was champion of the skint but shot-crazed, a roaring mouthpiece for the left-behind street stars of surveillance culture Britain.

The haircut is appropriate: it’s now 17 years since the band’s debut album Stars of CCTV ram-raided the UK charts, but Hard-Fi are undergoing a Semtex blast of popularity.

In 2018, Lee Bains was at a Swedish university, where he’d been invited to speak about music and movement-building, when a student asked him a question he still thinks about to this day: Given Bains’ interest in social justice organizing, the student wanted to know if Bains ever wrote songs with the idea of people being able to sing along to them?

“Not really, to be honest,” Bains replied.

“The reason I ask,” Bains remembers the student saying, “Is that in the early 20th century Swedish labor movement, there would be songs adapted from hymns,...

If Woody Guthrie were still here, his daughter says, the folk legend would still be his old vigilant self. “I think Woody would be writing everything down, from the minutiae of the daily news to the bigger questions of why are we here and what’s happening right now,” says Nora Guthrie, the president of Woody Guthrie Publications. “I think Woody would be thinking along those lines, questions like that.”

It may be impossible to ascertain Guthrie’s mindset, but a new exhibit — “Woody Guthrie: People Are the Song” —sheds new light on the singer,...

Billy Bragg has announced his new album The Million Things That Never Happened, the British singer-songwriter and activist’s first collection of new music in four years.

Ahead of the LP’s October 8th release via Cooking Vinyl, Bragg has dropped the first single “I Will Be Your Shield,” which he called the “heart and soul of the album.”

“I’ve come to the conclusion that empathy is the currency of music — that our job as songwriters is to help people come to terms with their feelings by offering them...

Rolling Stone interview series Unknown Legends features long-form conversations between senior writer Andy Greene and veteran musicians who have toured and recorded alongside icons for years, if not decades. All are renowned in the business, but some are less well known to the general public. Here, these artists tell their complete stories, giving an up-close look at life on music’s A list. This edition features pedal-steel guitarist Greg Leisz.

Greg Leisz’s list of credits is so incredibly long and varied that it’s almost hard to believe it...

Courtney Love dismissed the possibility of a Hole reunion in an interview with Vogue, where she also debuted a new video cover series.

Love was frank when asked if there’ll ever be a proper Hole reunion saying, “No absolutely not. And you guys have gotta get over it. Our old manager Peter Mensch calls once a year to ask about a reunion: ‘Hey, just doing my thing I do every year with you and Jimmy Page [of Led Zeppelin].’ And I’m so honored to be in that company, but it’s just not gonna happen.

Billy Bragg, Lucy Dacus and more will participate in a series of conversation with labor leaders around the country to raise awareness for the Protecting the Right to Organize Act.

The series, which is being hosted by the Working Families Party, will kick off tomorrow, May 1st, which is also International Workers Day. At 3 p.m. Et, Bragg will chat with Sara Steffens of the Communications Workers of America, while at 7 p.m. Et, Boston-based singer-songwriter Anjimile will speak with Darlene Lombos of the Greater Boston Labor Council.

All conversations...

Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, Noel Gallagher, and other British and U.K.-based musicians have signed an open letter to England’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling on him to embrace reforms that would improve streaming revenues for artists, performers, and songwriters.

The letter is backed by the Musicians’ Union and the Ivors Academy (the former a U.K. trade group for working musicians, the latter an association for songwriters and composers), which represent tens of thousands of U.K. music professionals. It comes as artists in the U.K.

Stefan Cush, who was one of the lead vocalists for the folk-punk group The Men They Couldn’t Hang, died Thursday at 60 following a heart attack.

A statement on the band’s Facebook page said: “With unbearable sadness we have to let you all know that our brother, friend, inspiration, life of the party and soul of the band Stefan Cush died of a sudden heart attack on Thursday. We are beyond devastated. Our love goes out to his family … We loved him.”

Billy Bragg was among those remembering Cush’s contributinos. “He played a big part in their raucous show and always had a smile for everyone. He’ll be greatly missed.”

Cush formed the group in 1984 while serving as a roadie for the Pogues. He joined songwriter Paul Simmonds, Cush’s fellow vocalist Philip “Swill” Odgers, Odgers’ brother Jon, and Shanne Bradley (who was later replaced on bass...

Anne Feeney, a key part of the folk music movement and a committed political and labor activist, died Wednesday in Pittsburgh, Pa. from complications of Covid-19. She was 69 and her daughter, Amy Sue Berlin, announced her passing on Facebook.

Feeney was a major player on the folk circuit, the first woman president of a musicians union in the US, and a regular collaborator with folk icons like Pete Seeger, John Prine, and Peter Paul and Mary. Her anthem Have You Been to Jail for Justice is sung on picket lines and in jail cells around the world.

Her career included more than 4,000 shows across North America and Europe performing for striking workers, in union halls, and large protests. Her performance at the World Trade Organization protests in 1999 was featured in the documentary This is What Democracy Looks Like. She organized dozens of tours supporting various causes, including the Sing Out...

Wilco have released a demo version of their song “Candy Floss,” to be included on the upcoming deluxe reissue of the band’s 1999 album Summerteeth.

Out now: "Candy Floss (Demo)" from the soon-to-be-released Deluxe Edition of Summerteeth.

Preorder at https://t.co/UIMyUhzo3z...

Dave Hause interprets the songs of two wildly different artists on a new double EP. Patty/Paddy features the punk troubadour interpreting five songs by Americana songwriter Patty Griffin and five by Paddy Costello, of the Minneapolis punk band Dillinger Four.

Hause, the leader of Philadelphia group the Loved Ones, previews the project with the Griffin song “Long Ride Home,” off her 2003 album A Kiss in Time. For the recording, Hause enlisted the Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon and his brother Tim Hause to join him on harmonies. The result...

The story of political punk band Anti-Flag is coming on October 3, 2020 from director Jon Nix, TurnStyle Films and Executive Producer Matthew Chojnacki of 1984 Publishing Beyond Barricades: The Story of Anti-Flag dives into the world of punk rock and activism, shedding light on the trials and tribulations of playing politically charged music for over 25 years. An inspiring look at a group of musicians dedicating their lives to fighting for human rights through their songs and outreach. With their endless drive to help others, they put empathy over apathy and fight cynicism with optimism but find that things could go tragically wrong at any moment.

Interviews with the band and contemporaries such as Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Billy Bragg, Tim McIlrath (Rise Against), Brian Baker (Bad Religion), Chris Cresswell, Tom May and Greg Barnett (The Menzingers) and many more help tell the story of a band whose drive to spread their message is truly unstoppable.

Wilco’s Summerteeth, released in March 1999, will be receiving a deluxe edition more than 20 years later.

Summerteeth: Deluxe Edition will be released as a four-cd set on November 6th via Rhino, featuring a 2020 remastered version of the band’s third album by Bob Ludwig, along with an entire disc of unreleased studio outtakes, alternate versions and songwriting demos.

Along with classic Wilco tracks such as “I’m Always in Love,” “A Shot in the Arm” and “Via Chicago,” the deluxe edition of Summerteeth includes 24 previously unreleased recordings with the demos...

Tim Burgess is on Twitter a lot, even when there’s not a global pandemic that’s keeping him and everyone else indoors. The lead vocalist of British alt band the Charlatans spends an inordinate amount of time on the social platform, tweeting dozens of times a day on just about everything — promoting his new solo album, daily updates on his life at home, and of course, what music he’s been listening to.

Recently, though, the musician’s Twitter has been transformed into a calendar and promotional tool for Tim’s Twitter Listening Party,...

Jim Dandy Jan 18, 2020

In this preview of John Constantine, Hellblazer #3, the legendary dirtbag magician ducks fire and lyrics in England.

There's something weirdly soothing about the particular way Simon Spurrier and Aaron Campbell show what a scumbag John Constantine is. Not that he hasn't been a sleazeball in the past - it's part of his core appeal. He's a jackass con man who will sell out the people he loves at the drop of a hat, but usually because he believes he's got an elaborate multilevel screwjob planned that he thinks will leave him even with his friends and get him what he needs from the bad guy.

But there's something about how Spurrier writes him that feels...extra right. We're documented Spurrier fans. When he's on, he's amazing. But he can occasionally veer into..."wordy." It's almost always dialogue when it happens, so it's better than a wall of narration boxes.