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Do They Know It’s Christmas?

Read more Christmas.

Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid Read More Band Aid Band Aid 30 has the #1 Christmas single in the UK for their remake of "Do They Know It's Christmas?", featuring One Direction, Ellie Goulding, Ed Sheeran, Bono, Sam Smith, Rita Ora, Emeli Sande, Paloma Faith ...

Band Aid
x.com/BandAidForty

Did you know it’s been 40 years since “Do They Know It’s Christmas”? As a special celebration, Bob Geldof (Boomtown Rats), Midge Ure (Ultravox) and Trevor Horn, released a brand new Band Aid “Ultimate Mix.”

The song, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” was recorded on three separate occasions, over three separate generations, Band Aid (1984), Band Aid 20 (2004) and Band Aid 30 (2014)… and all those recordings, as well as the Ultimate Mix, are compiled on this latest release.

The 40th Anniversary Compilation, is available now on CD, 12”, download, and streaming.

This is how they describe the Ultimate Mix: “On ‘Band Aid - 2024 Ultimate Mix’ you will hear a young Sting sing alongside a young Ed Sheeran. A young Boy George with a young Sam Smith. A young George Michael beside a young Harry Styles. The young Bono with an older Bono, Chris Martin with Guy Garvey, the Sugababes and Bananarama, Seal and Sinead O’Connor, Rita Ora and Robbie Williams, Kool and the Gang and Underworld. The voices sing on against the Band Aid houseband of Paul McCartney, Sting, John Taylor (bass), Phil Collins, Roger Taylor, Danny Goffey (drums), Thom Yorke (piano), Paul Weller, Damon Albarn, Midge Ure, Johnny Greenwood, Gary Kemp and Justin Hawkins (guitar).”

Track Listings

1 Do They Know It's Christmas? (1984 Version)
2 Do They Know It's Christmas? (2004 Version)
3 Do They Know It's Christmas? (2014 Version)
4 Do They Know It's Christmas? (2024 Ultimate Mix)
5 Do They Know It's Christmas? (Live at Wembley Stadium, 1985)

Hit the North Pole: A Festive Charity Compilation for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund Read More Wham! Wham!'s "Last Christmas" song is possibly one of the best Christmas pop song. Released in 1984, it dominated the charts and is still very popular even today (especially in Japan and ...

Hit the North Records
bandcamp.com

Hit the North Records (is that a reference to Mark E Smith?) has put together a holiday compilation called Hit the North Pole: A Festive Charity Compilation for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund. The eleven-track compilation is available for purchase via Bandcamp now with 100% of proceeds going to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.

And yes, it includes a cover of “Last Christmas” by Steel Wool (read more The Very Last Christmas).

Steel Wool said, “A few months ago, we thought we were writing a new song, only to realize we’d accidentally reverse engineered George Michael’s 1984 hit. We kept trying to salvage the track and find a way to make it our own, but just couldn’t shake his unique brand of festive melancholy, so we shelved the demo. We’ve loved getting the chance to revisit the song while really leaning into the original, and are thrilled to release it in support of such an important cause.”

Tracklist:

1. Steel Wool – Last Christmas
2. Small Shake, Fur Trader – Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas
3. Nisa – Santa Baby
4. Jacob on the Moon – Last Christmas
5. Smooth Rogers – Silver Bells
6. Liska – The Man With All the Toys
7. Artie Do Good – Christmas Time is Here
8. Kurupi – Last Christmas
9. Tiberius – Christmas Time is Here
10. little bit – Snow Day

Waiting For Christmas by The Kut

The Kut
waiting4christmas.com

Now in its fifth year, all streaming revenue and £1 of each sale of “Waiting for Christmas” by The Kut will go to UK women’s charity White Ribbon.

The Kut writes, “It’s obvious there is still so much to be done… Whether that’s in the music scene, in society at large… or on the streets and then at home. Please join my Christmas wish to end violence against women and girls this year.”

The meloncholy holiday single “Waiting for Christmas” was originally released in 2020 to support the Red Cross, then the following year to help Girls Out Loud, then Mind, and last year supported Music Venue Trust.

Sample lyrics:

They tell me it’s Christmas time
The snow’s about to fall
Oh it’s Christmas time
So why do I feel so low?

If We Make it Through December by Kopper & Kash

Kopper and Kash
kopperandkash.com

Family band Kopper and Kash is composed of dad (Jeff Pennycoff) and two daughters (Mia and Ava Pennycoff). The trio have released their cover of Merle Haggard’s Classic Christmas Song, “If We Make It Through December.”

They described the song as about a struggling father during the Christmas time. The father can’t afford a gift for his daughter, and it doesn’t mean he hates or is unhappy in December, as the month was “meant to be the happy time of the year.”

Obviously, Kopper and Kash can relate to the original Haggard song… so much that they wanted to honor the song with recording their version of it.

Sample lyrics:

Got laid off down at the factory
And their timing is not the greatest in the world
Heaven knows I've been working hard
I wanted Christmas to be right for Daddy's girl

Broke For Christmas by The Roamers

The Roamers
theroamers.net

Los Angeles’ The Roamers announced their new holiday single, “Broke for Christmas.”

Songwriter Matt Rice tells the story about the song, “My songs tend to be a mix of fact and fiction. I wrote this song last year on the day before Christmas. I was struggling with the realities that a family man like myself deals with before Christmas and the financial challenges that come with it. So I took the general idea of "Oh crap, how am I going to make it work for Christmas this year?," and I fictionalized the rest of it into a song. Once I had the melody, lyrics and chord structure, we could've taken it a number of ways -- weepy ballad, tear-in-your-beer country, foot dragging blues shuffle, etc. But I felt like adding a tough Outlaw Country swagger to counterbalance the pathetic aspect of the lyrics was a good way to channel the so-sad-its-funny side of country music that we all love so much.”

If you have a 2024 Christmas/Holiday song, please provide as much detail as possible to [email protected] before Christmas Day (December 25, 2024). Thank you.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

R.I.P. Sinead O' Connor

(courtesy BBC)

(Read more Musicians who died in 2023)

Read More Sinéad O'Connor

R.I.P. Sinead O'Connor

Blessed with a uniquely powerful and unforgettable voice, Irish singer Sinead O’Connor has died at the young age of 56, confirmed to the BBC and Irish network RTE, by longtime friend and fellow musician Bob Geldof.

The statement reads in part, “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinead. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.” No other details provided, the cause of death is as of now, undetermined. 

O’ Connor was well-known, visually by her usually shaved head and wide eyes, and by incidents (some self-inflicted), and opinions outside of her music, that would also help define her career. She would release 10 studio albums, beginning with 1987’s Grammy-nominated breakout “The Lion and the Cobra” and sold millions of 1990’s World #1 single, the Prince-penned, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” which won a 1991 Grammy Award.

Her uncompromising controversies that embodied her true punk spirit, would make her an early victim of cancel culture, irrevocably antagonizing US audiences by famously ripping up a picture of the Pope, getting into a war of words with Frank Sinatra (and later a Miley Cyrus controversy) and boycotting the Grammy Award ceremonies in which she would win.

Sinead Marie Bernadette O’Connor was born on December 8, 1966, in Glenageary, a suburb of Dublin, to father, John, an engineer, and her mother, Johanna, was a dressmaker. She would speak in interviews and in her 2021 memoir, of a traumatic and abusive childhood, and early rebelliousness, which resulted in her being sent to reform schools.

When she was caught at 15 singing Barbra Streisand’s “Evergreen” at a wedding by In Tua Nua drummer Paul Byrne, she would leave boarding school to work as a waitress, performing singing “Kiss-o-grams” in costume on the side, and also was a vocalist in a local group, before being signed as a solo artist to Ensign Records.

After a collaboration with The Edge and duet with The The on “Kingdom of Rain” as well as her debut album, the worldwide breakthrough was her 1990 sophomore album which featured the song that would become her most successful, and the track she’s most associated with.

“Nothing Compares 2 U” was originally written for Prince’s side project, The Family, five years prior to O’Connor’s version, but was masterfully re-arranged by her and producer Nellee (Soul II Soul) Hooper, and the video of which was stark and simplistic, without props or backgrounds, focused on the singer herself to showcase the emotional impact of the song.

She would later accuse Prince of extreme jealousy (probably true) and some abuse and mistreatment when she visited him at his Paisley Park Studios (debatable). Prince would attempt to reclaim his song following, by working it into his own live repertoire, after O’Connor’s massive success.

O'Connor's later albums would explore different music styles including reggae, with 2014’s “I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss,” being her final studio release, though she had moved to London to finish a new album and initial worldwide touring plans for 2024-25 were in the making.

As her musical success decreased, erratic behavior, mental health issues, and newsworthy troubled incidents began to feature in headlines and detract from her musical artistry. She would marry four times and son Shane would tragically take his own life in 2022, at the age of 17.

She would also convert to Islam and started using the name Shuhada Sadaqat (among a couple others) in the constant search for her own truth, and is survived by her three remaining children, Jake, Yeshua, and daughter, Roisin and two brothers and a sister.

John C ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Alex G at First Ave (11/01/2022)

Alex G Setlist S.D.O.S Runner Hope No Bitterness After Ur Gone Judge Ain’t It Easy Mission Kicker Brick Horse Blessing Immunity Early Morning Waiting After All Cross the Sea Gretel Miracles Forgive -- Encore -- Snot Advice Rules Mis Gnaw Change Tour Dates Nov 2 Chicago, IL, US Thalia Hall Nov 3 Chicago, IL, US Thalia Hall Nov 4 Detroit, MI, US Majestic Theatre Nov 5 Toronto, ON, Canada Danforth Music Hall Nov 6 Montreal, QC, Canada Théâtre Corona Nov 8 Boston, MA, US Paradise Rock Club Nov 9 Boston, MA, US Paradise Rock Club Nov 10 Brooklyn, NY, US Brooklyn Steel Nov 11 Brooklyn, NY, US Brooklyn Steel Nov 12 Brooklyn, NY, US Brooklyn Steel Nov 14 Boston, MA, US Paradise Rock Club Nov 16 Washington, DC, US 9:30 Club Nov 17 Washington, DC, US 9:30 Club Nov 18 Philadelphia, PA, US Union Transfer Nov 19 Philadelphia, PA, US Union Transfer Nov 20 Philadelphia, PA, US Union Transfer Read More (Sandy) Alex G Alex G (Alex Giannascoli - not to be confused with singer/songwriter Alex G) just released Beach Music... his seventh full-length album, and his first Domino release. He’s obviously not used to recording in a studio, saying, “I was … Hatchie Hatchie’s new album Giving the World Away is out now on Secretly Canadian. Caroline Loveglow to open. …

Alex G was in town with his band to promote his new album God Save the Animals. But first Hatchie aka Harriette Pilbeam opened the evening with an eight song set. Born and raised in Brisbane, Australia, she is promoting her sophomore album, Giving the World Away.

Two weeks on the road, Hatchie said she felt refreshed for she had the day off, which isn’t a typical routine for tours. Her rested voice had an ethereal quality with her airy sound lofting above the rich reverberations of the two guitars that accompanied her.

“Stay With Me” was a crowd favorite with a pulsating drum beat, rising synth chords that kept growing louder and louder into a crescendo.

Hatchie, a family nickname, lists her influences as the Cocteau Twins, The Sundays and Mazzy Star. When she launched into “The Rhythm” you could almost hear shades of an early Sinead O’Connor.

With her day off, Hatchie spent a portion of it in Dinkytown, which is located next to the sprawling University of Minnesota campus. She was so impressed with her breakfast, she joked about maybe applying at the university.

Alex G (Giannascoli) took the stage with his band: Sam Acchione on lead guitar, John Heywood on bass, and Tom Kelly on drums. Although not quite thirty he has already released nine albums. It probably helped that he started recording early at age of 11 when his parents gave him an Apple computer. Most of his early albums were self-released, but by the time of House of Sugar made Pitchforks Top 50 Albums in 2019, he had arrived.

Alex G has an eclectic range. Influenced by Elliot Smith and Built to Spill, he and his band demonstrated a high dynamic range, going from full pop and auto tune with “Immunity” to a haunted speed metal ride of “Brick.”

“After Ur Gone” was a crowd favorite as Alex G’s vocals and Acchione’s guitar went back and forth before Acchione took over with a wildly contained solo that earned a roar from the crowd. Acchione even thanked the crowd with a whammy bar lick at the end.

Another highlight was “Kicker”, which started with a slow, deliberate drum beat followed by a pizzicato guitar, low hum of the bass, all building into what can best be described as a musical ritual as the musicians turned and faced Kelly on drums to offer musical chords in some form of sacrifice, which had the crowd chanting Alex G’s name in the end.

Alex G is well known and highly regarded for being a singer/songwriter, meaning his lyrics tend to have a little more depth than the average pop song. He even tends to reference religious themes in his music, especially in “Blessing” when he sang: Every day/Is a blessing / As I walk / Through the mud / If I live / Like the fishes / I will rise / From the flood.

By the end of the show the full crowd wanted more and Alex G provided an extra-plus encore of 6 songs, the last one “Change” perhaps the best of the evening as he belted out the refrain: “I don’t like change” while Kelly slowed downed the beat and brought the band to a crawl, as if trying for a brief moment to hold back the inevitable.

Hatchie

Hatchie

Alex G Setlist

Alex G

Alex G at First Avenue, Minneapolis (01 Nov 2022)

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

R.I.P. Loretta Lynn

Read More Loretta Lynn After recording several recent rock records, a 2015 visit to Cash Cabin Studio to record a song with Loretta Lynn helped inspire the new album, a provocative collection of subversively sparse folk songs. …

The First Lady of Country Music, Loretta Lynn, has died at the age of 90.

Lynn is the most awarded female country recording artist and the only female ACM Artist of the Decade, scoring 24 No. 1 hit singles and 11 number one albums.

The acclaimed singer and songwriter signed to major label Decca Records in 1961, and had her first top 10 hit for the company with “Success” in 1962 (a song that was covered by Sinead O’Connor as “Success Has Made a Failure of Our Home” in 1992).

Lynn dominated the country singles charts for a decade from the 60s to the 70s, which included “Blue Kentucky Girl”, “You Ain’t Woman Enough”, “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)”, “What Kind of a Girl (Do You Think I Am?)”, “Fist City”,“Your Squaw Is on the Warpath” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”

In 2004, superfan Jack White, of The White Stripes, helped reignited her career by producing her album Van Lear Rose. Lynn and White were nominated for five Grammys and won two.

After nearly 60 years on on the road, she retired after her stroke in 2017.

Read more Musicians who died in 2022

October (7)

[04 Oct 2022] Loretta Lynn (American Hall of Fame country singer-songwriter), 90 Loretta Lynn, the acclaimed singer and songwriter whose ascent from a small Kentucky coal-mining community to national country music stardom became the stuff of Hollywood legend, has died. She was 90. ... via hollywoodreporter.com

[03 Oct 2022] Mon Legaspi (Filipino rock bassist for Wolfgang), 54, cardiac arrest Bassist Mon Legaspi passed away Monday evening due to cardiac arrest, according to the social media post of the band The Dawn. ... via gmanetwork.com

[02 Oct 2022] Alexander Scriabin (Александр Серафимович Скрябин) (Russian musicologist and composer), 75 Alexander Serafimovich Skryabin, composer, university lecturer and member of the Union of Composers of Russia, died at the age of 76. This was reported by the REN TV channel. ... via ctnews.ru

[02 Oct 2022] Béla Szakcsi Lakatos (Hungarian pianist and composer), 79 Béla Szakcsi Lakatos, an iconic figure of Hungarian jazz, died on Sunday morning, at the age of 79, Hungarian news agency MTI reported. Multiple award-winning Szakcsi Lakatos was a pianist, composer, holder of the Artist of the Nation title, and “a towering figure of Hungarian jazz,” the Hungarian Jazz Federation posted on Facebook. ... via hungarytoday.hu

[02 Oct 2022] Joy Vincent (Indian guitarist), 63 Joy Vincent was a guitarist who filled the stage with Malayalam film musicians of many eras. One of the famous guitarists of Kerala has passed away. ... via postsen.com

[01 Oct 2022] Stamatis Kokotas (Greek singer), 85 Legendary singer Stamatis Kokotas died at Asklipio Hospital in Athens, Greece according to an official announcement. He was eighty-five years old. ... via greekreporter.com

[01 Oct 2022] Bin Valencia (Argentine drummer for Almafuerte), 61, heart attack Bin Valencia, drummer recognized for having been part of Almafuerte from 2001 until the dissolution of the group in 2016, died this Saturday at the age of 61 while performing with Sirio, the band he was part of with his two children and his wife, at La Quadra Rock Club, located in the Buenos Aires town of Ramos Mejía. ... via infobae.com

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Sir Chloe at Turf Club, St Paul (14 May 2022)

Setlist July Untie You Animal Daddy's Car Mercy Should I Company Michelle Nothing Compares 2 U (Prince cover) Home Where I Am the Dog Sedona Feel Again -- Encore -- Easy on You Cake Too Close Read More Sir Chloe Sir Chloe, who recently appeared with alt-J in March 2022 at the Armory, is returning as headliner at the Turf Club in St Paul this May 14th. … Moon Kissed Moon Kissed to open the show. We caught the band in Nov 2021 and wrote, “Moon Kissed (Leah, Emily and Khaya) started their set with “Money Mouth”… and proceeded to play every song they’ve ever written. …

New York’s Sir Chloe just headlined the Turf Club in St Paul on Saturday, May 14.

Opening the show was Moon Kissed. The trio (Leah, Emily and Khaya) is ending their tour in support of their sophomore album I’d Like To Tell You Something Important, and you can tell that they are going to miss being on stage.

Seeing them perform in Nov 2021 and seeing them perform live at the Turf Club, there is a certain happiness in the band when they win over the crowd or get the audience to dance with them. They just love playing, and you can see it when they give it their all.

Like their last appearance, singer Leah has a thing for dancing on the bar at every show they play… and it’s no difference with the Turf, as she climbed the Turf Club’s bar and jumped around laughing and smiling.

Comparing their two live shows, which were only six months apart, they’ve changed up their setlist. Now they play prerecorded audio diaries before some of their songs, such as “Lost It”. The spoken word recording reminded me of early riot grrrl themes, like Chia Pet’s “I don’t need to be ‘asking for it’” from their song “Hey Baby”.

While it’s sad to see Moon Kissed go, they’ll be playing a few live shows in Brooklyn, and they’re already set to play Riot Fest 2022.

Sir Chloe is the name that Dana Foote’s mother almost gave her. In the final year at Bennington College in Vermont, Foote formed Sir Chloe. They signed with Los Angeles-based imprint Terrible Records, and released their debut EP Party Favors.

The young musician had a massive breakout hit single, “Animal” (over 12 million views), and “Michelle” also seeing massive numbers.

Currently the band is Dana Foote as band leader, guitarist and producer Teddy O’Mara, drummer Palmer Foote (her brother), and bassist Austin Holmes.

Dana mentioned that their song “Mercy” is not yet released. She didn’t explain more, but I can tell you that it is going to be a single off her forthcoming major label debut with Atlantic Records.

Highlight of their set was a cover of “Nothing Compares 2 U”, which is fitting for the Twin Cities, as the song was written by Prince for The Family. It wasn’t until Sinéad O’Connor covered the relatively obscure song that it became a massive global hit (to this day, people still think it’s an O’Connor song).

Look for Sir Chloe’s forthcoming debut album from Atlantic Records sometime in the near future.

Remaining tour dates:

May 16 Denver, CO, US Meow Wolf Denver
May 17 Salt Lake City, UT, US Kilby Court
May 19 Portland, OR, US Polaris Hall
May 20 Vancouver, BC, Canada Fox Cabaret
May 21 Seattle, WA, US Barboza
May 23 San Francisco, CA, US August Hall
May 26 San Diego, CA, US Quartyard
May 27 Santa Ana, CA, US Constellation Room
May 28 Los Angeles (LA), CA, US

Moon Kissed

Moon Kissed

Moon Kissed

Moon Kissed

Setlist

Sir Chloe

Sir Chloe

Sir Chloe at Turf Club, St Paul (14 May 2022)

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Jah Wobble & the Invaders of the Heart at Turf Club, St Paul (25 Sep 2016)

Setlist Cosmic Blueprint Socialist* Midnight Cowboy Theme (John Barry cover) Seven Theme From Get Carter (Roy Budd cover) Liquidator The Chain (Fleetwood Mac cover) Egyptian (partial) Visions of You Becoming More Like God Public Image* Everyman's an Island How Much Are They? Poptones* Fodderstompf* -- Encore -- So Many Years * Public Image Ltd song Read More Jah Wobble I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to hear that Jah Wobble & The Invaders of the Heart will be in Minnesota this Sunday, September 25th. This is Jah Wobble’s first …

Jah Wobble, billed as Jah Wobble & The Invaders of the Heart (previously known as Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart) stopped by the Turf Club in St Paul last week, September 25th. There were no opening bands, but Jah Wobble played for about two hours on this Sunday night.

Just to give you a backstory on Wobble, his real name is John Wardle. Wardle ended up forming The Four Johns with John Gray, John Lydon, and John Ritchie. The latter two became known as Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious (of The Sex Pistols). Wardle would eventually take the name Jah Wobble from a drunken, mumbling pronunciation from Vicious.

Wobble took up the bass, citing massive influences from hearing reggae music by Bob Marley and The Wailers... and joined up with Johnny Rotten’s post-Sex Pistol project Public Image Ltd. (abbreviated as PiL). He left the group to pursue a different creative vision with The Human Condition (with guitarist “Animal” and PiL’s original drummer, Jim Walker).

By 1982, Wobble formed Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart and after a decade, found success with his song ‘Visions of You’, thanks to the collaboration with then-rising Irish singer Sinead O’Connor.

Many of these stories can be found in Wobble’s book Memoirs of a Geezer: The Autobiography of Jah Wobble— Music, Life, Mayhem (Serpent’s Tail), which you can purchase at the merch table at his show.

The band started the show with ‘Cosmic Blueprint’ from the new album Everything Is No Thing, and it would be the only new song. The rest of the show can be broken in several parts - with the first being purely instrumental interpretations of songs from the 60’s and 70’s, including playing PIL’s ‘Socialist’ and a John Barry cover of ‘Midnight Cowboy’ theme song.

Jah Wobble

Jah Wobble sat on a stool for most of this part of the performance. Near the end of the first half, he stood up and described the anatomy of the band: the bird-like buzzing sound of the guitar, the snake-like sound of the keyboard, the thunderous stomping of the elephant sound of the drums, and ... of course, the swirling animal sound of the bass - which “has no known predator and it moves at its own pace.”

The second half of Wobble’s set took place mostly in the 90’s, starting with fan-favorite ‘Visions of You’. To be honest, I didn’t think they would play the hit song, because it would require a woman to sing Sinead O’Connor’s part. The band achieved this by using a pre-recorded loop of O’Connor’s vocals dubbed over the chorus.

The last part of Wobble’s show were made mostly of PiL songs, including ‘Public Image’ and ‘Poptones’ and set closer ‘Fodderstompf’ (with the catchy chorus of “We only wanted to be loved” as Wobble does his foot shuffle to the song).

Jah Wobble will be ending his 2016 US tour at the Echoplex in Los Angeles tonight, October 2nd.

Jah Wobble & the Invaders of the Heart at Turf Club, St Paul (25 Sep 2016)

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Minneapolis: September 25 to September 26, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from September 25 to September 26, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Haley Bonar Since 2003 The Size of Planets, Haley Bonar has been the staple Minneapolis singer/songwriter for years, even when she moved to Portland, Oregon, in 2009! …

HALEY BONAR
at Sociable Cider Werks
Sunday, 09/25/16, 3pm (FREE)
sociablecider.com

Haley Bonar will be playing a free show at the Sociable Cider Werks next Sunday. The event is free, however there are a few catches: 1) I believe you have to be over 21 to attend as there are alcohol involved, 2) you must have a valid credit card to verify your name as the ticket holder, and 3) it is limited to one ticket per person.

We reviewed Bonar’s latest album Impossible Dream (GNDwire / Spit Comet / Memphis Industries) and wrote, “With Impossible Dream’s skillful interplay of light and dark elements in these 10 songs, each with its own unique story, the incredibly talented Haley Bonar offers an unobstructed view inside her heart and soul.”

Cults to open. We’ve caught Cults a few times on tour, and every time we saw them, they sold out First Avenue... so expect a good turnout to this event.

Tour dates:

9.14 | Washington, DC - Black Cat
9.16 | Cincinnati, OH - MOTR Pub
9.17 | Bloomington, IN - The Bishop
9.22 | Milwaukee, WI @ 88Nine Radio
9.24 | Eau Claire, WI - The State Theater
9.25 | Minneapolis, MN - Sociable Cider Werks
10.13 | Hamburg, DE - Kleiner Donner
10.14 | Berlin, DE - Privatclub
10.15 | Munich, DE - Hauskonzerte.com
10.16 | Offenbach, DE - Hafen 2
10.17 | Amsterdam, DE - Paradiso
10.19 | Paris, FR - Espace B
10.21 | Brighton, UK - Green Door Store
10.22 | Gateshead, UK - The Sage ^
10.23 | Glasgow, UK - The Hug & Pint
10.24 | Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
10.27 | London, UK - Moth Club
10.28 | Bristol, UK - The Louisiana
10.29 | Manchester, UK - The Ritz ^

^ w/ Field Music
* w/ Big Thief

Read More Jah Wobble Keith Levene and school friend Jah Wobble (of Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart, who had a great hit with Sinead O'Connor with "Visions of You" in 1992). …

JAH WOBBLE
at Turf Club
Sunday, 09/25/16, 7pm ($25)
turfclub.net

I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to hear that Jah Wobble & The Invaders of the Heart will be in Minnesota this Sunday, September 25th. This is Jah Wobble’s first US tour in over a decade! We are very lucky to get Wobble to stop by St Paul, as one of his seven stops in the U.S.

The first time I heard of Jah Wobble and the Invaders of the Heart, it wasn’t because he was the bass player to PiL (Public Image Ltd), it was actually a song called ‘Visions of You’, featuring Sinead O’Connor in 1992. The song’s lyrics and melody got stuck in my head ever since.

Realistically, he’ll probably won’t perform the song (he’ll need at least a girl singer to sing O’Connor’s part), but expect to hear plenty of tunes from Wobble’s new album Everything Is No Thing.

Jah Wobble 2016 US Tour Dates

9/21 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
9/22 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
9/23 - Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel
9/24 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
9/25 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club
9/28 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
9/29 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios
10/2 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echoplex

Read More The Foghorn Stringband The Foghorn Stringband plays traditional mountain fiddle tunes and high-spirited Appalachian dance music. Featuring Portland's own local folk/bluegrass legend Caleb Klauder …

FOGHORN STRINGBAND
at Cedar Cultural Center
Monday, 09/26/16, 7pm ($15/$18)
thecedar.org

Old-time string band Foghorn Stringband will be headlining the Cedar Cultural Center next Monday, September 26th. The Portland band’s latest album is Devil in the Seat .

When not a full band, the group performs as Foghorn Duo (mandolin and fiddle) or the Foghorn Trio (mandolin, fiddle, and Nadine Landry on guitar).

“Spider” John Koerner to open. Spider is best known as a guitarist and vocalist in the blues trio Koerner, Ray & Glover (with Dave Ray and Tony Glover).

Next week! Tour of the Midwest!

Sept. 22 Boats and Bluegrass Festival
Sept. 23 Three Springs Barn
Sept. 24 Bluegrass Battles Hunger
Sept. 25 Strawbale Winery
Sept. 26 The Cedar Cultural Center

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

News: 90s news for 2016

Read More Natalie Cole "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" and this particular version was by the "king of soul" Sam Cooke... Natalie Cole - For Sentimental Reasons/Tenderly/Autumn Leaves (Medley) …

In case you missed it, here are some music-related news this week.

NATALIE COLE
nataliecole.com

Sure, we just compiled and published the 2015 death list in late December, but at early hours of New Year's Day, we found out that the "Unforgettable" singer Natalie Cole died on Thursday night (December 31st) at the age of 65 to ongoing health issues.

Like many of you who grew up in the 90s, we first heard of Natalie Cole when Elvis Presley's musical director Joe Guercio had this idea of remixing her father Nat King Cole into Natalie's cover "Unforgettable", creating a, simply put, an unforgettable duet. While some people criticized her for riding on the coattail of her father, you couldn't ignore that the duet won over fans and respect and remembrance for Nat King Cole. The duet went on to win three Grammy Awards in 1992 (Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance).

Her son, Robert Yancy, and sisters Timolin and Casey Cole issued this statement:

“Natalie fought a fierce, courageous battle, dying how she lived..with dignity, strength and honor. Our beloved mother and sister will be greatly missed and remain UNFORGETTABLE in our hearts forever.”

Read More Guns 'N Roses As expected, the former Guns N' Roses guitarist included several GNR classics throughout their set ("Nightrain", "You Could Be Mine", "Welcome to the Jungle", "Civil War", "Rocket Queen", "Sweet Child O' Mine" …

GUNS N' ROSES
gunsnroses.com

John and Vu talked about the rumor of a Guns N' Roses song on a 2015 December podcast (being edited as of this writing), and it's semi-confirmed that both Gn'R and LCD Soundsystem will reform for Coachella Music Festival!

After recently seeing Slash on his successful North American tour in Minneapolis, we didn't think he needed Axl Rose, but it would seem the two have kissed and made up.

As you know, Slash left Gn'R in 1996 (his last live performance with the band was in 1993) and never looked back.

Ray Waddell from Billboard is expecting a 25-date stadium tour, and that the band is asking for as much as $3 million per show (!) so tickets could cost as much as $275 per ticket.... making it for one of the most expensive tickets we've seen (discounting the after-market/scalper $10,000 tickets for Adele).

Will fans bear the expense? I think so, because you have to keep in mind that their debut album Appetite for Destruction is the biggest-selling debut in U.S. history, selling over 18 million records. In total, the album sold over 44.5 million units, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

Of course, Rose or Slash have not confirmed anything at this moment.

Read More Sinéad O'Connor As you know, I'm a huge Sinéad O'Connor fan, having steadily followed her career since the late 80s (you can read more about my journey of discovery here). We recently covered her "American Kindness …

SINEAD O'CONNOR
sineadoconnor.com

I love Sinead O'Connor and I feel lately that she is crying for help. The first alarming thing we learned from her Facebook page (now deactivated!) is that she tried to commit suicide after a fight with her family in late November. Earlier in the year, O'Connor announced that she would stop performing "Nothing Compares 2 U" (no reasons given). She just didn't want fans going to her shows and being disappointed that she no longer performed her #1 hit song.

Then, about a week ago, she published a rather lengthy excerpt from a forthcoming biography (set for release in October 2016?). The story is about her second meeting with Prince (who wrote "Nothing Compares 2 U").

The story is really, really long, and since she deactivated her FB page, I can't really copy and paste the details for you to read, however, from my memory: a driver was sent to pick her up to drive to Prince's house. She described it as dark with no lights.... like Prince was a real life vampire. She was creeped out by the whole thing, and felt actual danger and even if she called the police, she didn't even know where she was.

She said Prince kept calling her "Shine-head" so she fired back at "Prance". It was clear from her writing that Prince was mad at her for recording his song without his involvement or blessing (?)... Possibly more reasons, but I must confess I skipped some paragraphs to get to the point.

At the end of it, she got into a "punch up" fight with Prince and he kicked her out of his home at 5 in the morning with no way of her to get back to her hotel.

I don't believe she made up the story, and if that happened, then you can understand why she does not want to sing "Nothing Compares 2 U"... However the incident happened in the 90s, so it felt a little late to finally bring up the reason why she doesn't sing the song. Perhaps people kept asking why she doesn't sing the song in 2015 and she finally decided to come clean.

As we reported in 2013, she did perform the famous song... but unenthusiastically:

And her biggest hit, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” is given a requisite, unenthusiastic performance (although the crowd greeted the song with immense enthusiasm despite the rather lackluster performance).

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Sinead O'Connor: Take Me to Church

Read More Sinead O'Connor Over the topsy-turvy course of the last two decades Sinéad O’Connor has been known more for her erratic behavior and a myriad of controversies (most recently her online feud with Miley Cyrus) …

As you know, I'm a huge Sinéad O'Connor fan, having steadily followed her career since the late 80s (you can read more about my journey of discovery here). We recently covered her "American Kindness Tour" in 2013, to catch her at a rare US appearance in support of her How About I Be Me (and You Be You) (2012) album... but she's remained relatively quiet since then.

The good news is that O'Connor is back with a new album I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss, due this Fall, on a new label, Nettwerk Records. While I'm saddened about her departure from One Little Indian Records, I am excited to see where Nettwerk takes her.

To preview the new album, the label is offering to let us hear the preceding new single "Take Me to Church." The new single sounds surprisingly upbeat and happy, with plenty of electric guitars. The preview song also sounded woefully incomplete - fading out at exactly the three minute mark. I didn't get the whole picture, maybe there's more to be heard and seen, once August roll around.

I don't expect Sinéad O'Connor to tour in support of the new album. She's previously stated how she's got children and touring is long and difficult, but she also realized that live music performance is the only way to make money in the modern age. Even if there are no plans for touring, I'm still pretty excited to see that a new O'Connor album will be out this year.

Look for I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss on August 11th, 2014, via Nettwerk Records.

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Sinead O'Connor at City Winery, Chicago (11/05/13)

Setlist Queen of Denmark 4th and Vine Reason With Me Jackie Take Off Your Shoes I Am Stretched On Your Grave Nothing Compares 2 U The Healing Room The Wolf Is Getting Married I Had a Baby Thank You For Hearing Me In This Heart Fire On Babylon The Emperor's New Clothes The Last Day of Our Acquaintance Daddy I'm Fine Encore: V.I.P. Tour Dates 11/08/13 New York, NY @ City Winery 11/09/13 New York, NY @ City Winery 11/10/13 New York, NY @ City Winery 11/12/13 Buffalo, NY @ Riviera Theater 11/13/13 Tarrytown, NY @ Tarrytown Music Hall 11/24/13 Los Angeles, CA @ Luckman Fine Arts 11/26/13 Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up 11/27/13 Santa Barbara, CA @ Granada Theater 11/29/13 Carmel, CA @ Sunset Center 11/30/13 San Francisco, CA @ Nob Hill Masonic 12/02/13 Oakville, Ontario @ Oakville Centre 12/03/13 Oakville, Ontario @ Oakville Centre Read More Sinéad O'Connor I love Sinéad O'Connor, you all know that. Recently, her open letters to Miley Cyrus were the center of controversy. …

Over the topsy-turvy course of the last two decades Sinéad O’Connor has been known more for her erratic behavior and a myriad of controversies (most recently her online feud with Miley Cyrus) than for her musical contributions. At times it’s easy to forget that there’s a genuine talent behind the troubled persona. Her most recent album How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?, although not on par with her classic first two albums, contains enough emotionally resonant songs to remind us that Sinéad O’Connor is still a vital artist in 2013. And if you needed additional reminding, her powerful show Tuesday night at City Winery would have convinced you.

Sinead O'Connor in Victorian gown

Sinéad walked onstage clad in a wine-colored Victorian gown, and quickly put on sunglasses, explaining with a smile that it helps calm her nerves so she doesn’t run away from the audience in fright. She then proceeds with a ferocious version of John Grant’s “Queen of Denmark” that nearly had the audience running away in fright. “Why don’t you take it out on somebody else? Why don’t you bore the shit out of somebody else?,” screams Sinéad, and the audience responds with enthusiasm. It is this fascinating combination of frailty and rage that courses through the show. When she is surrounded by her backing band, Sinéad brims with confidence and seems genuinely joyful, making frequent smiling asides to her bandmates; when onstage alone, she appears frail and nervous. But, in all cases, she exudes a refreshingly honest take-me-as-I-am-warts-and-all humanity that is sorely needed in an era of auto-tune lip-sync phoniness. Her face, puffier, tattooed, showing signs of the strain of a troubled life, is still beautiful and, more importantly, natural.

On the ballads, her voice has taken on a Marianne Faithfull world weariness that suits the dark subject matter well. The junkie confession of “Reason With Me,” the best of her recent songs, is mesmerizing as Sinéad evokes the sadness of a lost life, “I’m the one who sits in the back room / I’m the one who doesn’t know how to have fun.” But Sinéad’s songs, even at their darkest, always have a soft light of hope at their core: “I don’t want to waste the life God gave me / And I don’t think that it’s too late to save me” she sings, and it’s impossible not to believe her.

For old school fans like me, Sinéad’s performance of “Jackie” - the first track off her debut album - is a special chill-down-the-spine moment as her voice soars into the ether. It is in these louder moments that Sinéad’s voice continues to amaze. However, a strange whispery a capella version of “I Am Stretched On Your Grave” (from her 1990 breakout LP, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got) falls flat as she apologizes at one point for forcing the crowd to endure another “boring verse”. And her biggest hit, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” is given a requisite, unenthusiastic performance (although the crowd greeted the song with immense enthusiasm despite the rather lackluster performance).

It’s impossible not to smile along with Sinéad...

The songs from How About I Be Me? get a far more enthusiastic treatment. It’s impossible not to smile along with Sinéad during “The Wolf Is Getting Married” as lines that appear sappy on paper (“Your smile makes me smile / Your laugh makes me laugh”) transform into a joyous celebration of human connection. Another touching moment occurs when a gay man in the crowd asks Sinéad if they can celebrate because gay marriage had just been legalized in Illinois. “That is a wonderful reason to celebrate,” she replied with a smile, before dedicating the next song, “In This Heart,” to the moment. It’s an apt dedication as Sinéad, flanked by the gorgeous harmonies of her female bassist and guitarist, sings of enduring love and commitment.

Sometimes the brunt honesty of Sinéad’s diary-like confessional songs become almost uncomfortable to behold, as during “I Had a Baby” where the pain she feels, as a mother whose baby was fathered by a married man, is not for herself, but for her child who must suffer for her bad decisions. “I don’t know why he should suffer instead of me / Over sh** that’s because of me,” rages Sinéad. As she sings, “I was always crazy” while nervously shaking her head from side to side, I can’t doubt her for a second, and as someone who also struggles with mental illness, a wave of sadness washes over me. There’s something so powerful about watching an artist confront their demons onstage, and the vision of Sinéad battling her troubled mind will endure.

Sinead O'Connor

The show should have concluded on a triumphant note - as the crowd was dancing and whooping over brilliant versions of “Fire On Babylon,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes” (the apex of the show) and “The Last Day of Our Acquaintance”. However, Sinéad returned for the encore to sing an a capella version of the most tedious and self-righteous song on the new record, “V.I.P.” Before beginning the song she awkwardly (but perhaps appropriately) instructed the audience not to applaud immediately after the singing ended, but to wait until she completed her whispering coda and stepped away from the microphone. As she sang the endless verses, which castigate modern celebrities for living shallow and selfish lives, the only moment of levity was the laughter from the audience at the line, “Get our pictures taken with the Pope” - which she acknowledged with a sly smile. As on the record, the song ends with ponderous theological whispers (“How can you say we are wise and we possess the instruction of the Lord?” blah blah blah), and as Sinéad steps away to appropriately-placed polite applause, the audience anticipated the high-energy song that would doubtlessly conclude the show. As the house lights came on and the roadies began to disconnect the cords, confusion reigned, as the crowd tried in vain through the force of their enthusiasm to rouse Sinéad to return to the stage for a more appropriate ending.

Alas, Sinéad lives to confound us all, and why should we be surprised? The “dyke” who marries men, the priest who rips up pictures of the Pope, the feminist who tattoos a man’s initials on her face - throughout her career Sinéad has been nothing if not unpredictable. As the confusion of the empty ending eases, I hear the voices around me processing what they just experienced. “That was amazing!” “Oh, her voice gives me chills.” And isn’t that what it’s all about, ultimately? That chill-inducing voice. And as I depart the venue, I think to myself with a smile, “I can cross another ‘must-see’ artist off the list”.

Sinead O'Connor at City Winery, Chicago (11/05/13)

angela ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ sineadoconnor.com