Month: July 2023

The Irish Times reported that singer Sinéad O’Connor, best known for her 1990 hit single “Nothing Compares 2 U,” has died at age 56.  O’Connor’s family said in a statement, confirmed by RTE: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”  No cause of death was revealed as of press time.

O’Connor released her debut album in 1987, and its 1990 follow-up I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got brought her international fame on the heels of her smash hit “Nothing Compares 2 U,” a song written and composed by Prince which became a hit across the globe.  The Irish singer’s mental health struggles plagued her over the years since her early rise to fame, culminating in a hospitalization in 2022 following the death of her 17-year-old son, Shane, whom she shared with musician Dónal Lunny. Shane went missing in January 2022, and O’Connor revealed days later that he’d died by suicide, tweeting at the time: “My beautiful son, Nevi’im Nesta Ali Shane O’Connor, the very light of my life, decided to end his earthly struggle today and is now with God. May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace.”

At the beginning of July, O’Connor switched to a new Twitter account, using her full name. She seemed positive about the future, and tweeted on July 11th that she was working on new music and had hopes for an international tour:  “Hi All, recently moved back to London after 23 years absence. Very happy to be home : ) Soon finishing my album. Release early next year : ). Hopefully Touring Australia and New Zealand toward end 2024. Europe, USA and other territories beginning early 2025 : ).  Her final Twitter post on July 17 alluded to her son’s suicide as she linked to a “Great Tibetan Compassion Mantra” and wrote: “For all mothers of Suicided children.”

O’Connor is survived by her three children: Jake Reynolds, 36, Roison Waters, 27,  and Yeshua Bonadio, 16.

Sinéad O’Connor, Iconic Irish Singer, Dies At Age 56

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Billy Idol is taking part in a special Twitch livestream in celebration of the release an expanded version of his 1982 self-titled debut album, set to drop on Friday, July 28.

Billy Idol (Expanded Edition) will feature a previously unreleased 12-minute Clubland Extended Remix of his classic tune “White Wedding.” Additionally, the two-CD set will feature a separate album with a previously unreleased concert, recorded August 12, 1982, at The Roxy in West Hollywood, California. It features performances of such tracks as “Hot in the City,” “Mony Mony,” “White Wedding” and more. Billy Idol Expanded Edition is available for preorder – here.

The Twitch livestream event will take place Wednesday, July 26, at 6 p.m. ET in Los Angeles, and will feature Idol’s longtime guitarist Steve Stevens as well as a special acoustic performance and a Q&A session, where Idol is expected to discuss the history of his debut album. Fans will be able to tune into the livestream via 3point5, Universal Music Group’s Twitch Channel.

Idol also recently announced on social media that Billy Idol: State Line, a film of his April Hoover Dam concert, will be released in theaters this fall. The concert features appearances from several special guests including The Dead Weather’s Alison Mosshart, Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones and No Doubt’s Tony Kanal.

Idol will also kick-off his North American tour on August 27 in Vancouver, Canada. Ticket information can be found at billyidol.net.

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The Doors ‘Live at the Matrix 1967: The Original Masters’ will be available on September 8th as 3 CD and 5 LP sets. The collection’s history stems from the five sparsely attended shows The Doors performed at a small club in San Francisco in March 1967, called The Matrix.  Peter Abram, who co-owned the nightclub with Jefferson Airplane founder Marty Balin, taped concerts at The Matrix regularly — and his recordings of The Doors, made between March 7-11, 1967, spawned the original masters series set to be released.

Abram’s original recordings have been remastered by Bruce Botnick, The Doors’ longtime engineer/mixer, for official release. The vinyl version includes all 37 songs from the shows sourced from the master tapes. Most of the newly upgraded live recordings are making their debut in the collection, including eight that have never been featured on any of the previous Matrix releases.

Production of the vinyl version is limited to 14,000 numbered with the CD limited to 21,000 copies worldwide. The band’s March 7th performance of the jazz instrumental “Bag’s Groove” is exclusive to the vinyl set and comes on a 7-inch single. “Bag’s Groove” is one of two never-before-heard recordings.

To pre-order, head to: http://store.thedoors.com

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Paramore has been forced to postpone four shows on their North American tour due to an ‘undisclosed illness’ within the band.

Paramore posted a series of statements on their social media accounts following the initial postponement in San Francisco: “As announced yesterday, our show in San Francisco was postponed due to illness within the touring party. After much deliberation, in the interest of our health and ability to put on a show you all deserve, we have decided to reschedule our shows this week in Seattle, Portland, and Salt Lake City … We tried everything in our ability to put on the show last night. We know that some of you waited in line for hours, traveled far distances, and moved around plans to be there. We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused … To everyone affected by these postponements, please know that we do not take postponing a show lightly. The last thing we want to do is postpone a show that we’ve all been looking forward to for months. We love you, we are sorry, and we hope to see you soon.”

The band first postponed their show in San Francisco on Saturday, July 22, which was rescheduled to Aug. 7; and now they’ve postponed three more shows in July. The band’s Seattle show, originally scheduled for July 24, has been moved to Aug. 9; their Portland date was postponed from July 25 to Aug. 10; and their stop in Salt Lake City, Utah has been moved from July 27 to Aug. 13.  The band’s July 29 show in Tulsa, Oklahoma and following in St. Louis on July 30 are still currently listed on their site, along with remaining and rescheduled dates in August.

Paramore is also scheduled to kick off an international tour in New Zealand on Nov. 18, running through dates in Australia and Europe before concluding with three shows at Wembley Stadium in August 2024.

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Queensrÿche has released a fully AI generated video for the song “Tormentum,” taken from their latest album, Digital Noise Alliance. T

The band shares of the video, directed by Above The Void: “Driving straight into the horrors of crimes against humanity and the rules of the Geneva Convention, this storyline depicts two characters: one as the vulnerable victim in pain, and the other as the captor trying to extract information … The chorus leads with the powerful chant, ‘Lights Again,’ expressing the person finally opening their eyes staring at the interrogation lights above during the dead intervals of torture. The eyes return to being closed tightly as the sessions begin again. The tale ends up highlighting this never-ending cycle of power, control, and greed.”

Queensrÿche recently released their 16th studio album, ‘Digital Noise Alliance,’ once again teaming up with producer Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Hatebreed). Take a look at the video for r “Tormentum”- here.

QUEENSRŸCHE Releases New AI-Generated Music Video For ‘Tormentum’

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