Check out this short summary of the latest news from Madonna, Serj Tankian, Macklemore, Roisin Murhy, Tom Morello, Nic Cester and more.
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Every month, our team will deliver a short roundup of the latest and most compelling music news gathered from across the internet. Stay tuned for a curated selection of the most relevant and interesting updates from the music world.
Jet’s frontman has disclosed that he auditioned for AC/DC before Axl Rose from Guns N’ Roses was chosen. Speaking on Australian radio station Triple J, he shared his experience of being considered for the role after Brian Johnson stepped down due to hearing issues.
Cester recounted how he received a call just as he was reading about Johnson’s departure in the morning newspaper while staying with his in-laws. Despite not expecting to secure the position, he contemplated accepting the audition opportunity in Atlanta, Georgia, for the upcoming tour dates.
Reflecting on the intense audition at the Black Crowes’ rehearsal studio, Cester described the overwhelming volume and scrutiny he faced from Angus Young and the band. He admitted to struggling with Brian Johnson’s distinctive vocal style, characterized by a unique microphone technique rather than sheer volume.
Tom Morello has taken to social media to praise Macklemore’s new pro-Palestinian protest song, calling it “the most Rage Against The Machine song since Rage Against The Machine.”
With less than three minutes, the track tangles American politics, capitalist greed, social media censorship, and white supremacy. The track features fragments of pro-Palestine demonstrations, the ruins in Gaza, and shots of multinationals like McDonald’s and Starbucks.
Macklemore criticizes the West and President Joe Biden about its stance on Palestinians, saluting students leading protests with the line, “If the West was pretending that you didn’t exist you’d want the world to stand up and the students finally did.”
Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine dubbed the single “a mighty and moving protest anthem” and went on to say, “All proceeds from this song go directly to UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.”
Kate Hudson is embarking on a new chapter in her career with the upcoming release of her debut album, ‘Glorious.’ Known for her role in ‘Almost Famous’ and her connections to musicians like Chris Robinson and Matt Bellamy, Hudson showcased her musical skills on The Howard Stern Show, where she treated listeners to a cover of Stone Temple Pilots’ “Vasoline.”
In an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone, Hudson shared her journey into music, admitting to past hesitations despite her deep love for the art form. Collaborating with partner Danny Fujikawa, former Chief frontman and founder of Lightwave Records, as well as renowned songwriter Linda Perry, helped shape the album’s soulful, rock-infused sound.
As she prepares to publish “Glorious,” Hudson embraces music as another avenue for creative expression, likening its immersive nature to her experiences in acting. Her debut promises to captivate audiences with its blend of raw talent and personal storytelling, marking a significant milestone in her multifaceted career.
As music festival season kicks off, a recent study sheds light on the drug preferences and safety practices among attendees.
The 2024 Drug Safety at Music Festivals study, conducted by Innerbody, surveyed 900 festival-goers and revealed that a significant 87% plan to use drugs during this year’s events, marking a 10% increase from last year.
Cannabis reigns supreme as the top choice, with 65.3% of respondents intending to indulge, reflecting the growing acceptance of legal cannabis. Cocaine follows at 46.5%, with psychedelics like LSD and mushrooms close behind at 26.1%. MDMA and ketamine also make notable appearances.
The study highlights increasing awareness of drug testing, with 80% testing substances before use. It underscores the importance of harm reduction strategies such as education, starting with small doses, and staying informed about medical resources onsite.
Apple has announced a new set of accessibility updates, but there’s one feature that’s about to change the way the deaf and hard of hearing will experience music on the iPhone forever.
Music Haptics leverages directly into the iPhone’s Taptic Engine and provides “taps, textures, and refined vibrations created in sync with music” to feel a song well beyond just by hearing it. First available on Apple Music itself, it will eventually be opened up to an API for developers to put in their own apps, ranging from music creation tools to more diverse apps.
“We believe deeply in the transformative power of innovation to enrich lives,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “That’s why for nearly 40 years, Apple has championed inclusive design by embedding accessibility at the core of our hardware and software. We’re continuously pushing the boundaries of technology, and these new features reflect our long-standing commitment to delivering the best possible experience to all of our users.”
Serj Tankian describes System of a Down in his memoir, “Down with the System,” as “Armenian-Americans playing a practically unclassifiable clash of wildly aggressive metal riffs, unconventional tempo-twisting rhythms, and Armenian folk melodies, with me alternately growling, screaming, and crooning lyrics that could pivot from avant-garde silliness to raging socio-political rants in the space of a single line” emphasizing the band’s mission to shed light on the Armenian genocide.
As a refugee from Lebanon’s Civil War, part of a family with a history of displacement and survival through genocide, Tankian remains loyal to his principles, unwilling to compromise for popularity. Tankian identifies himself as the band’s primary activist, embracing the inevitable loss of fans with his belief that “an artist isn’t supposed to please everyone.”
Regarding the band not releasing an album since 2005, Tankian attributes it to “creative differences” with guitarist Daron Malakian and reflects on his past, regretting not being as assertive then as he is now.
In a recent interview, Róisín Murphy goes on to have a stance against the misconceptions of live dance music – “people assume that live dance music isn’t really ‘live’. “I never compromise,” she says. “Everything you hear at one of my shows is 100 percent live—played by the most amazing bunch of musicians you could ever wish to have with you.”
“If it wasn’t for the live side of things, I honestly don’t think I’d still be around,” says Murphy. “Sure, I could carry on releasing my albums, but I wouldn’t be able to make a living. That’s how the business works these days. But a gig is an experience… it’s memories. You can’t put that on a server or listen to it on your phone.
The Irish singer also reflects on the problems of giving her songs to remixers: “Giving someone your songs — your pride and joy — to remix isn’t easy. I get scared. You’ve spent all that time in the studio, then you give someone the permission to tear it apart and start again.”
Nicki Minaj was traveling from Amsterdam to Manchester, England, for her “Pink Friday 2 World Tour” when she was detained on suspicion of exporting soft drugs. After a few hours, the artist was released from custody, fined, and allowed to “continue her journey,” police announced on X.
Her performance at Co-op Live arena in Manchester is postponed, informed Live Nation UK—and broke an announcement that they had been disappointed with the inconvenience and promised fans that tickets would remain valid for the rescheduled concert.
Minaj took to social media to share her side of the story, stating that she spent 5-6 hours inside a jail cell and in another post, she wrote: “They’re being paid big money to try to sabotage my tour b/c soooooo many ppl are mad that it’s this successful & they can’t eat off me. They got caught stealing money from my travel/jets. Got fired. Got mad. Etc.”
Lastly she apologized to the fans and promised a bonus for tickets holders.
The Japanese music giant sent letters to over 700 tech firms, from Google and Microsoft to OpenAI, asking whether they used its songs in developing new AI systems. The company is requesting information from these firms about the songs to be identified, how to access them, and the total number of copies that might have been produced.
There is a deadline before companies are supposed to respond and Sony says that it will take measures to enforce its copyright “to the full extent permitted by applicable law.” The complaint is targeted at AI music systems, trained with the thousands, often millions, of songs to which Sony owns the rights.
Tech companies like Google and Microsoft have released similar AI tools, though what data is being used remains mysterious.
Not alone, Sony has also joined the fray against AI firms, following similar steps as Universal Music. This is in the wake of a series of lawsuits brought by personalities like George RR Martin, Slash, Nick Cave and Scarlett Johansson against AI companies.
Madonna’s “Celebration Tour” is in the news once again, although at this point, it’s not exactly fabulous PR. Justen Lipeles has filed a lawsuit asserting that the show at the Kia Forum in L.A. started late on March 7 and surged into nightmare territory. He insists the show started at 10 p.m., a full hour and a half after the base 8:30 p.m. that it was supposed to.
Lipeles claims the venue was so hot that Madonna refused to turn on the air conditioning, sweating him into illness. He also claims to have been “forced to watch topless women on stage simulating sex acts,” which he says was “pornography without warning.”
He is suing for breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, false advertising, and emotional distress and is demanding damages, legal costs, and reimbursement of the ticket price.
Neither Madonna nor Live Nation has commented on the latest lawsuit.
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Luca is an underground music expert with more than ten years
of DJing and playlist curation,
focusing on new artists. He has appeared at Primavera Pro and BIME Pro, and he writes for the Playlo blog about music news,
tips, and independent artists.
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