Mastodon ran into some trouble recently when the estate of former guitarist Brent Hinds sued the band for nonpayment and other infringements. The band publicly denied the allegations. Chad Childers has the story at Loudwire.
GOD, the British experimental/industrial band, is also having some trouble even though it’s been inactive for years. Bandleader Kevin Martin posted on Instagram that a label is attempting to reissue one of the records without the band’s consent. He’s seeking legal advice.
Macklemore, the rapper, was dropped from a high-profile tour by Ed Sheeran under pressure from Israel supporters such as billionaire Robert Kraft (and Pink), who took exception to Macklemore’s advocating for Palestine from the stage. Sheeran blames the promoter for Macklemore’s exit, but nobody’s buying it: the backlash has been swift, with all of the opening bands, including Sheeran’s backing band, quitting the tour in protest of Macklemore’s dismissal. Dylan Stableford and Kate Murphy have the details at Yahoo News.
The Devils, the classic and controversial Ken Russel film, has been restored and is coming back to theatres in the U.S. for a weeklong run in October. The film was influential in music, as at least two bands sampled it (Scorn and Ministry), at least one band used imagery from it (Godflesh), and one band’s artwork may have taken a nod from it (Neurosis). The trailer is below. I can’t wait to see it in the theater.
Mitch Harris, best known as a guitarist of Napalm Death, has a new venture, Tourflip, a management platform for artists, workers, bookers, owners, fans, and many more inbetween in the music business. He’s looking for founders and plans to launch this year. Check out the voluminous info at the website.
Calming music‘s benefits for healthcare and social workers was studied at Northwestern University recently. The study participants reported positive results after listening to the music for 20 minutes. Kristin Samuelson explains at Northwestern Now and includes a link to the music used in the study.
Rest In Peace
Frank Beard of ZZ Top died in August at 77. The Texan drummer was an OG of the band. The group’s Eliminator album was certified diamond by RIAA. Kyle McClenagan has the story at Houston Public Media.
Dolly Parton died in August at 80. She was a beloved country artist, noted for her charity work, but also crossed over into pop and bluegrass. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, and while she accepted the honor, she said it was inappropriate from a music category standpoint. Her induction ceremony was unique in that she wrote and performed an original song for the occasion.
David Fair was the cofounder of the indie, art band Half Japanese. He passed on in August at 74. He was also a painter, producer, and solo artist. Jon Blistein has more info at Rolling Stone.
Andy Williams, founding guitarist of New York band Every Time I Die, passed away in September. He went on to have a career in AWE wrestling. Mitchell Peters has the story at Billboard.
Marcus Andersson, the drummer of Swedish band Disfear, passed away in September. He joined the band in 1988. Cervanté Pope has the details at Metal Injection.
Chuck Varga, founding member of GWAR and The Slave Pit, died at 68 in September. After working with the band, he founded a costume and set design company. Tanya Fedak has more at Variety.
Peter Max, the psychedelic artist, passed away in September at 88. His career stretched back to the ’60s and helped define the “flower power” look. He also had a hand in popularizing yoga in the States. Beth J. Harpaz has more info at AP.
