In Memoriam: Legendary Actor "Robert Duvall" Dies Aged 95

Robert Duvall, the veteran actor who had a string of roles in classic US films including Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, MASH and To Kill a Mockingbird, has died aged 95.

 

“Bob passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort,” wrote his wife, Luciana Duvall, in a message on Facebook.

 

“To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller. To me, he was simply everything. His passion for his craft was matched only by his deep love for characters, a great meal, and holding court. For each of his many roles, Bob gave everything to his characters and to the truth of the human spirit they represented. In doing so, he leaves something lasting and unforgettable to us all.”

Duvall was perhaps best known for his role as the cavalry-hatted Kilgore in Apocalypse Now, released in 1979, which yielded two of the most frequently quoted lines of dialogue in cinema history – "Charlie don't surf!" and "I love the smell of napalm in the morning". But he also made an immense impact as consigliere Tom Hagen in The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, the reclusive Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird at the start of his career, and many supporting and character roles throughout the ensuing decades. He was nominated seven times for an Oscar, winning once, for best actor in 1984 for Tender Mercies as a country-music singer trying to overcome alcoholism.

Born in San Diego, California in 1931, the son of a naval officer, he studied drama at college in St Louis, Missouri, and briefly joined the army. In 1955 he enrolled at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York (alongside James Caan, Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman), sharing flats with Hackman and Hoffman. Duvall worked steadily in TV and theatre, including an award-winning role in a 1965 production of Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge, directed by Ulu Grosbard, and won his first film role as the mysterious Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird, released in 1962

Further small roles in Bullitt (1968) and True Grit (1969) consolidated his reputation, but it was his role in MASH – as the self-important Frank Burns, who is repeatedly mocked by Donald Sutherland’s Hawkeye and Elliott Gould's Trapper John – that brought him to wider attention. Having appeared in Francis Ford Coppola’s feminist road movie The Rain People (1969), Duvall cemented his connection with the Hollywood new wave with the lead role in George Lucas’ 1970 debut feature, the dystopian sci-fi parable THX 1138; Tom Hagen in the first two Godfather films (he would ultimately not be cast in the third due to salary demands); and Kilgore in Apocalypse Now, in a role initially intended for Hackman.

Duvall also continued to appear in more mainstream films, including the second world war thriller The Eagle Has Landed (1976), news-media satire Network (1976), and baseball drama The Natural (1984). He made his directorial debut in 1983 with Angelo, My Love, a semi-improvised drama about a Romani street kid in New York. Despite his Oscar for Tender Mercies, lead roles rarely came his way, but he was a commanding supporting presence throughout the 80s and 90s, appearing in a wide range of films: the Dennis Hopper-directed gang thriller Colors, the Tom Cruise stock car blockbuster Days of Thunder (1990), and the Margaret Atwood adaptation The Handmaid’s Tale (1990).

In 1992, he returned to TV to play Stalin in an award-winning HBO series directed by Ivan Passer. Another lead role came his way in 1997, in his second directorial effort, The Apostle, in which he plays a preacher who kills his wife’s lover. He received his third best actor Oscar nomination for the role.

Duvall would direct two more films – Assassination Tango in 2002, in which he displayed his real-life talent for the Argentinian dance style, and the western Wild Horses in 2015. He continued to appear in a wide variety of films, from Hollywood thrillers such as The Gingerbread Man and Gone in 60 Seconds, to left-field dramas such as We Own the Night and The Road. A longtime interest in football (the “association” kind) led to roles in low-budget Scottish drama A Shot at Glory (opposite Ally McCoist) in 2000, and the comedy Kicking and Screaming (2005) with Will Ferrell.

Duvall continued working steadily through the 2010s, achieving another Oscar nomination for best supporting actor in 2015 for The Judge, becoming at the time the oldest male actor ever nominated.

Duvall was married four times: to Barbara Benjamin from 1964-81, to Gail Youngs (1982-86), to Sharon Brophy (1991-95), and to Luciana Pedraza, who he married in 2005. He had no children.

New Music: Sweet Relief

            

Howling Bells have today released their acclaimed new album, "Strange Life", via Nude Records. The UK-based Australian band’s first LP in 12 years, its release is accompanied by a new video for album single "Sweet Relief". The trio, comprising Juanita Stein (vocals, guitar), Joel Stein (guitar) and Glenn Moule (drums). They subsequently embark on a full UK headline tour in March and April. 

 

New Music: I Danced With Another Love In My Dream

           

Brigitte Calls Me Baby has shared new single "I Danced With Another Love in My Dream," the track is off their forthcoming album Irreversible, the song started with us attempting to write something happy, but somehow found its way to being about infidelity, shares vocalist Wes Leavins. We played a few different versions live and in the end decided to lean into the bright and shiny side of it, and it turned into a song where those adulterous thoughts are carried out in a dream scenario. The cool video was directed by Alec Basse.

New Music: Heart Attack

           

The rising indie artist Thunder Jackson makes his bold return with an exuberant new single "Heart Attack"written and produced with Taylor Johnson (Flaming Lips, Samantha Crain). Born out of the natural chemistry he shares with frequent collaborator Johnson, Jackson says of the track: “When it was time to get back in the studio after Hello Stranger, we struck gold with ‘Heart Attack.’ A rough demo I had sitting on my hard drive opened up into the world you hear now. It was the perfect push-and-pull to find the sound. The video was filmed during Thunder Jackson's Hello Stranger Tour 2025 in the USA, UK, Germany and Austria.

New Music: Dirty Tech

           

Kim Gordon has released her new single, "Dirty Tech", the second preview of her upcoming album "Play Me."  The track follows the release of previous single "Not Today", and sees Kim Gordon explore the power struggle between humans and robots, which is reflected in an video directed by Moni Haworth. Speaking on the concept in greater detail, Gordon explains: "I was kind of musing about, is my next boss going to be an AI chatbot? We're the first ones whose lights are going to go out—not the tech billionaires. It's so abstract that people can't comprehend."

Rocktrospectiva: The Brilliant "Stripped" Turns 40

Released on 10 February 1986 "Stripped" was a song by the English electronic band Depeche Mode. It was released as the lead single from their fifth studio album Black Celebration. Written by the band's lead songwriter Martin Gore, "Stripped" incorporated various samples into the song; most notably, the sound of an idling car engine. It was the band's sixth consecutive single to enter the UK Top 20, peaking at number 15. Elsewhere, it peaked at No. 4 in Germany and reached the top 10 in Finland, Sweden and Switzerland. 

The recording for "Stripped" began the first week of November 1985 at Westside Studios in London. According to Alan Wilder, it was one of the few songs that was "easy" to record. As with their previous albums, Depeche Mode incorporated samples into their songs, which the band always created in-house. Gore's demo of "Stripped" incorporated the sound of an idling motorcycle; the album version instead sampled singer Dave Gahan's idling Porsche 911. They also included the sound of a bottle rocket in the song, as they were recording "Stripped" on Guy Fawkes Night, 5 November. To get the sound of the fireworks, they launched the rockets horizontally so that several microphones, set up in sequence, could capture the sound of the firework fizzing by. Final mixing for the song took place at Hansa Studios in early 1986.

While making the album, Andy Fletcher said that "the idea of 'Stripped' is to get away from technology and civilisation for a day and get back to basics in the country. It's about two people stripping down to their bare emotions. In the video we're seen demolishing a car and taking a TV apart... it's a bit, er, symbolic." Dave Gahan explained that "it's not about sex. It's to do with having nothing except yourself. The people in the song could strip off if they wanted to though."

For B-sides, the band deliberately wanted to move away from just doing "simple extended version[s]" of their singles, instead opting to include "experimental" tracks "Black Day" and "Breathing in Fumes", which were based off of album tracks "Black Celebration" and "Stripped", respectively. Also included as a B-side was "But Not Tonight", which the band's US label, Sire Records, included on the soundtrack to the movie Modern Girls (1986), in part because it was "the only optimistic and slightly upbeat track from the Black Celebration recording sessions."

In 1987, Gore said that "Stripped" was his favorite Depeche Mode song to date.

The band and label's hopes for the single were high, with Gahan saying that the song "excites me. It feels powerful to sing. The chorus is rousing and mob-like which I can get off on," and they were disappointed when it only made it to number 15 in the UK. In a 1998 interview, Gore said that the single marked a turning point for the band, saying "since the Black Celebration album we've started getting things right, and 'Stripped' is one of the best atmospheres we've ever captured."

In the US, label Sire Records decided that B-side "But Not Tonight" was a better choice for their American audience, and so "Stripped" was not released as a single in that country. Martin Gore expressed his frustration with the American release in the 2007 documentary The Songs Aren't Good Enough, There Aren't Any Singles and It'll Never Get Played on the Radio, saying, "The worst thing, though, about 'Stripped' was the Americans, who somehow decided to not release it at all and to put out the B-side, 'But Not Tonight,' because they got it into some dodgy film. For "Stripped", we took nine days mixing and God knows how long recording, and, you know, 'But Not Tonight' I think we did in about three hours. And the Americans in their wisdom decided to release that instead." Wilder echoed this sentiment, saying "I don't pretend to understand it but whenever we 'deliver' a product, they want something different that 'suits their market'," indicating a strained relationship between the band and their US label.

The music video for "Stripped" was directed by Peter Care and was filmed outside Hansa Studios in Berlin. A music video was also shot for "But Not Tonight", directed by Tamra Davis. The video, in which the band appeared bored while miming playing their instruments in a nameless film studio, was not released until the video collection The Videos 86–98+ (2002) was made available, leading to many fans not even knowing the video existed until 2002.

Track listings

7": Mute / 7Bong10 (UK)

    1. Stripped 

    2. But Not Tonight 

12": Mute / 12Bong10 (UK)

    1. Stripped (Highland Mix)

    2. But Not Tonight (Extended Remix)

    3. Breathing in Fumes

    4. Fly on the Windscreen (Quiet Mix)

    5. Black Day

CD: Mute / CDBong10 (UK)

    1. Stripped

    2. But Not Tonight

    3. Stripped (Highland Mix)

    4. But Not Tonight (Extended Remix)

    5. Breathing in Fumes

    6. Fly on the Windscreen (Quiet Mix)

    7. Black Day

The CD single was released in 1991 as part of the singles box set compilations.

7": Sire / 7-28564 (US)

    1. But Not Tonight

    2. Stripped 

12": Sire / 0-20578 (US)

    1. But Not Tonight (Extended Mix)

    2. Breathing in Fumes

    3. Stripped (Highland Mix)

    4. Black Day

New Music: God's Lonely Man

            

Anna Calvi is releasing a new EP, Is This All There Is?, on March 20 via Domino. The record features collaborations with Laurie Anderson, Iggy Pop, and Matt Berninger. The first single for the project is "God's Lonely Man" alongside the legend Iggy Pop and a video directed by Luigi Calabrese. Is This All There Is? is the first in a trilogy of records exploring identity and romance. The EP was inspired by Calvi’s transformed outlook after becoming a parent. “Having a child was so transformative it made me consider the possibility that everything in life could potentially shift, and that is scary but incredibly freeing,” she said in a press release. “I didn’t want to take anything for granted any more. I want to exist in the best way for my child. I wanted to ask the most basic human question—is this all there is?”

 

In Memoriam: 3 Doors Down's Singer "Brad Arnold" Dies Aged 47

The lead singer and songwriter of 3 Doors Down, Brad Arnold, has died after a battle with cancer, the rock band announced on X. He was 47. "He will be deeply missed and forever remembered," the band said in a statement on Saturday.

The band is best known for 2000s rock hits like Kryptonite, Here Without You, When I'm Gone, and Loser.

In May 2025, Arnold announced that he was ill, and had received a diagnosis of stage 4 clear cell renal carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer, which had metastasised into his lung. I have no fear, I really sincerely am not scared of it at all," the frontman said, adding that he was disappointed that the band would have to cancel an upcoming tour. "I'd love for you to lift me up in prayer every chance you get," he said.

In its statement, 3 Doors Down said that, as a founding member, vocalist, and original drummer, "Brad helped redefine mainstream rock music, blending post-grunge accessibility with emotionally direct song writing and lyrical themes that resonated with everyday listeners".

The original band was formed in Mississippi in the mid-1990s. Another founding member of the original trio, Matt Roberts, died in 2016 at the age of 38. Arnold wrote Kryptonite, the band's breakout 2000 hit, "in his math class when he was just 15 years old", the statement continued.

Those closest to Arnold will "remember not only his talent, but his warmth, humility, faith, and deep love for his family and friends", it said. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer.

The band was regularly heard on rock and pop radio throughout the 2000s and 2010s. They have won three Billboard Music Awards. Their debut album The Better Life was the 11th biggest-selling album of the year in their home country.

Arnold had spoken openly about hit battle with alcoholism and his recovery, having been sober since 2016. "I used to think it was a way to calm myself prior to a show or to chase loneliness," he told Charleston.com in 2023.

New Music: Who Says

           

New York post punk/darkwave/synthpop/shoegaze artist Jasmine Golestaneh aka Tempers, has dropped her new single "Who Says." The track is taken from her upcoming new album "Delusion", due to be released on April 24 via fear of luxury. Co-produced with Jorge Elbrecht, the ten-track album is described as a journey of healing and emotional navigation. Commenting on the single, Golestaneh shares: “It’s about idealized love falling apart and celebrating emotional independence. It’s also the sound of someone convincing themselves they don’t need what they long for.” Directed by Fabiànne Thérèse Gstöttenmayr, the track’s music video feels like a pretty apt visual for the music with its introduction to the artist as a “hybrid creature” you might expect to find crouched behind the Winkie’s dumpster. It’s a pretty goofy concept that both eerily captures the feeling of stepping into an unloving relationship and lets the costume designers go wild

New Music: Waiting On You

            

Rick Astley celebrates 60th birthday with new single "Waiting On You" A landmark birthday is the perfect time for reflection. And as Rick Astley turns 60, he can look back on some enviable achievements – from his iconic global breakthrough with Never Gonna Give You Up to an unexpected career resurgence as he returned to No.1 with 50. But it’s also a time to look ahead towards what comes next, and that starts with intent as Rick shares his new single Waiting On You. This track underlines Rick’s ability to evoke timeless 60s soul influences and infuse them with a contemporary touch that is completely in tune with the present day. Emotive strings and Rick’s inimitable baritone provide the perfect sonic touchpoints for a song which not only looks back to the first flush of love, but also celebrates how it endures deep into a life together. Waiting On You was written, produced and almost entirely solely performed by Rick Astley at his studio, The Spud Farm.

 

New Music Notre Dame

            

Morrissey has shared his new single "Notre-Dame", which omits a controversial lyric about “terrorism” that he previously sang during live performances. This is the second single to be released from Morrissey’s upcoming album, Make Up Is A Lie, set for release on March 6th, after he previously shared the title track for the record last month The new track sees Morrissey team up again with his longtime collaborator and former guitarist Alain Whyte, who is credited as co-writing and performing on ‘Notre Dame’. Notably, Morrissey had previously played ‘Notre Dame’ on several occasions during his tour in 2023, which later emerged online. In the live performances that surfaced on YouTube, Morrissey sings,  "Before investigations, They said, "It's not terrorism'."However, in the new single version, he instead sings, “Before investigations, They said, 'There's nothing to see here'." The single "Notre-Dame"  is inspired by the tragic fire of the historical Parisian cathedral, which took place on April 15th, 2019. Following a five-year renovation process, which cost over $700 million, it finally opened its doors to the public again in 2024.

New Music: A Death In London

           

Liverpool-formed electro-pop band Ladytron are releasing a new album, Paradises, on March 20 on Nettwerk. Today they shared another song from it, the atmospheric “A Death in London,” via a black & white music video directed by Daniel Hunt Tones. In a press release the band claim the song was written on “Leonard Cohen’s Casio.” Whether they mean that literally or figuratively is up for interpretation, but we’re guessing the latter.

New Music: Homewrecker

           

Sombr is back with a brand new single "Homewrecker" an upbeat pop song in which Sombr addresses a love interest who is emotionally unavailable. In the song, he expresses that, despite not wanting to insult the partner of the love interest or interfere in their relationship, that he would be a better match. The accompanying music video was released alongside the song on February 5, 2026, and was directed by Gus Black. Visually inspired by Western films, the video reflects the song's themes and depicts the singer caught in a "love triangle" with characters portrayed by media personality and model Quenlin Blackwell and actor Milo Manheim

New Music: Wormslayer

           

Kula Shaker have shared an epic new music video for the title track from their new "Wormslayer" album, after releasing the album last Friday January 30, the band have shared an epic short film to accompany title track, which features family members and draws inspiration from their love of fantasy table-top gaming. Starring Mills' teenage children and their friends, the video sees them shift to another dimension when their Dungeon Master sends them into the tabletop game to slay the mythical worm. The video adds to the growing number of film projects helmed by Mills.

New Music: Indigo Park

           

Bruce Hornsby has released a new song titled Indigo Park, marking his first major new music release of 2026 and offering a deeply personal look back at his formative years. The song arrives as the lead single from Hornsby’s upcoming album Indigo Park, which is scheduled for release later this year. Built around Hornsby’s signature piano work and understated storytelling, the track reflects on a teenage memory from his hometown of Williamsburg, Virginia, centered on a party at the Indigo Park Pool during his high school years. Lyrically, “Indigo Park” blends nostalgia with self awareness, capturing the awkwardness, freedom, and emotional intensity of adolescence. Hornsby delivers the story in a conversational tone, allowing small details and reflections to carry the weight rather than leaning on grand gestures. The result is a song that feels intimate and quietly powerful. The videographers are Matt Clery & Jorge Lazzari

New Music: I'll Change For You

           

Mitski presents her new single "I'll Change For You," the second single from her forthcoming album, Nothing’s About to Happen to Me, available February 27th via Dead Oceans. Mitski wrote all of the songs and performed all of the vocals on Nothing’s About to Happen to Me. Produced and engineered by Patrick Hyland and mastered by Bob Weston, the album continues the musical through line established with 2023’s The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, and features live instrumentation by The Land touring band and ensemble arrangements. The orchestra was recorded at Sunset Sound and TTG Studios, arranged and conducted by Drew Erickson, engineered by Michael Harris. Video has been directed by Lexie Alley & Andy Deluca.

New Music: Victim Of Luck

           

Metric have announced their new album, Romanticize The Dive due April 24 via Thirty Tigers, and shared their first single, "Victim Of Luck." Emily Haines said about the single: The song ‘Victim Of Luck’ and really the entire album is about the romance of a less than perfect life. It’s about dropping the mask of self-consciousness and vanity. The disarming first track album opener doubles as a mission statement, tracing the band back to their early days and revisiting, re-examining the tension, vulnerability, and hunger of youth. Through the lens of hindsight, Metric return to where it all began, with lead singer Emily Haines opening the band’s tenth studio album with these lines: singing:, “Let me take you back, it was the start of something, I was there not long before all the stardom. Now I’m in front of you and all I’m seeing is all my flaws. I was a starving artist but I was fearless. Now I don’t know what we are, frightened of heights we knew, scared to go too far, how I might look to you. Now who have I become, trash that mirror let my black mascara run.” The video has been directed by Fezz & Chess.

Rocktrospectiva: The Simple And Cohesive "Riding On The Tide Of Love" Turns 5

Released on 5 February 2021 "Riding On The Tide Of Love" was the 10th., studio album by Scottish band Deacon Blue. The lead single from the album, the title track "Riding on the Tide of Love", was released on 27 November 2020.

Speaking about the release of Riding on the Tide of Love, lead singer Ricky Ross said: "We never expected to be here, but here we are with the album. When we released City of Love back in March 2020 we celebrated it getting to number one in Scotland and number four in the UK, we were looking forward to a summer of festivals followed by a big tour at the end of the year. As we all know, that didn’t happen and once the dust had settled we realised we weren't going to be going out on the road any time soon. Riding On The Tide Of Love is a continuation of City Of Love, a companion piece that we recorded piece by piece, going into the studio one by one to record our individual parts. In its own way it’s brought us all together, we hope it will bring you together too".

Three songs from the album, "Look Up", "Send a Note Out" and "She Loved the Snow", were written and recorded for the band's previous album, City of Love, but did not make the final cut for the album. The band decided to re-record these songs for inclusion on Riding on the Tide of Love instead.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland, each of the band members had to record the tracks for the album individually, citing that, despite this, the band had never felt "closer together" and "more connected". Lead singer Ricky Ross said: "The band went into the studio one by one to record our individual parts. In its own way it's brought us all together". Riding on the Tide of Love debuted at number 23 on the UK Albums Chart, spending one week on the chart before dropping out of the top 100. In their native Scotland, the album debuted at number two on the Scottish Albums Chart on the week 12 February 2021. 

Reviews of the album were mostly positive saying the album continued in the rich vein of at the time last year's City Of Love. Three of these songs came from the same recording sessions. None of them are fillers. However, none are in the same league as Dignity, which managed to be both morose and uplifting, or Your Town which made gloom danceable. But Deacon Blue have the rare ability to make love, hope, heartbreak, nostalgia and even rage catchy. The one thing you can bank on is that they remain true to themselves.

Riding On The Tide Of Love Track List:  

 

1. Riding On The Tide Of Love

2. She Loved The Snow

3. Nothing's Changed

4. Look Up

5. Time

6. Send A Note Out

7. Not Gonna Be That Girl

8. It's Still Early 

Rocktrospectiva: The Acclaimed "Ignorance" Turns 5

Released on 5 February 2021 "Ignorance" was the 5th., studio album by Canadian band The Weather Station, the album spawned two singles "Robber" & "Tried To Tell You". 

The album's ten tracks were recorded with two percussionists, a saxophonist and a flutist, plus bass, keys, and guitar. Songwriter Tamara Lindeman wrote and produced all the songs. The album's main theme was based on Lindeman's contemplation of the global climate crisis. 

The album opened with "Robber", this was a statement over a lush and complex instrumental track, Tamara Lindeman sang about the invisible forces that have shaped the world, consolidating power for themselves while disenfranchising others. Saxophone, strings and piano all enter into the mix at one point or another, creating the most expansive and politically charged song from the project to date. 

Co-produced with Marcus Paquin, Ignorance reimagined Lindeman's place within her own music and the scope of her project as a whole. Every moment feels lush and welcoming, designed to reach as many people as possible. Ironically, Lindeman wrote many of the songs alone with just an old keyboard, playing along to its rudimentary drum loops. Like "Separated," you can heard their humble beginnings: the deft, ambling rhythm of her fingerpicking is replaced with pulsing major chords; her lyrics, which once spilled into the margins with asides and scene directions, arrive in pared-down cycles of verse, swapping a few words while maintaining the general structure.

The Weather Station, and Ignorance represented at the time an even larger leap forward, incorporating elements of soft jazz and sophisti-pop into the mix. It’s certainly the most pop forward thing she’s done, but it’s far from straightforward. The instrumentals feel almost organic, each track containing different musical strands that coalesce and grow into one. It’s the most vast and cinematic Lindeman’s music has ever felt.

Another album highlight was "Heart," she sang over an aerodynamic rhythm, her falsetto swooping between each substratum of percussion like a small bird navigating the floors of a mansion. It was a rare moment in her songbook where you can tuned out the lyrics and just get lost in the music. She sang starkly in "Wear," the first moment on the album where her voice sounds truly unaccompanied, with a ticking drumbeat and high, dissonant piano chord dissolving beneath it. 

Lindeman, she had referred to "Parking Lot" as a love song for a bird,  and, for the most part, that's what it was. Standing outside a venue before a show, and on the verge of what sounds like a minor breakdown, she notices a small bird flying around the parking lot. Her writing throughout Ignorance can feel like the collected epiphanies from a lifetime of observing.

Ignorance was both a breakup album and an exploration of the state of the world. Lindeman became interested in climate change while writing the album, but rather than being a political statement the album explores what it means to existed in a world that may soon become uninhabitable. The natural world was a constant throughout the album, whether in the form of sunlight streaming through a window, a stunning sunset or a bird flying through the air.  In the end Ignorance was widely acclaimed by music critics and called it a piercing new album, also applauded and priased Lindeman's lyrics about climate change.  

 

Ignorance Track List:

 

1. Robber

2. Atlantic

3. Tried To Tell You

4. Parking Lot

5. Loss

6. Separated

7. Wear

8. Trust

9. Heart

10. Subdivisions

New Music: Not Around Anymore

           

Broken Social Scene are back with a new album called "Remember The Humans". and also shared their single "Not Around Anymore." The forthcoming record will mark the first from the Canadian group in nearly a decade, and reunites the Toronto collective with producer David Newfeld. For this record, the band share that the timing feels uncannily right, as it touches on themes of feeling overstimulated and overwhelmed by modern life, and yet also having a profound sense of dislocation at the same time. The new single takes on a subtly nuanced, yet comforting feeling throughout, with lyrics that centre around the need to take a step back from external pressures, and embrace simple pleasures in life. Video directed by Jordan D Allen, Rachel McLean and Kevin Drew.

Rocktrospectiva: The Fitting And Playful "Innuendo" Turns 35

Released on 4 February 1991 "Innuendo" was the 14th., studio album by the British rock band Queen. Produced by David Richards and Queen, it was their last album to be released in lead singer Freddie Mercury's lifetime. The album reached the No. 1 spot on the UK Albums Chart for two weeks, and also peaked at No. 1 in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland, staying at No. 1 for three weeks, four weeks, six weeks, and eight weeks, respectively. It was the first Queen album to go Gold in the US upon its release since The Works in 1984.

The album was recorded between March 1989 and November 1990. In the spring of 1987, Mercury had been diagnosed with AIDS, although he kept his illness a secret from the public and denied numerous media reports that he was seriously ill. The band and producers were aiming for a November or December release date in order to catch the crucial Christmas market, but Mercury's declining health meant that the release of the album did not take place until February 1991. Stylistically, Innuendo has been regarded as a return to Queen's mid-1970s bombastic period of exaggerated music and lavish production. Nine months after the album was released, on 24 November, Mercury died of AIDS-derived bronchopneumonia, a day after he publicly revealed his condition.

Queen released their thirteenth album, The Miracle, in May 1989, but unlike their previous albums, they did not conduct a live tour. In an interview Freddie Mercury conducted with BBC Radio 1, he said that he wanted to break from the "album – tour – album – tour" routine. He had privately been diagnosed as HIV-positive in 1987, and at the time of the interview had been diagnosed with AIDS, which was not yet publicised; however, rumours had been spreading since 1988 about his health and of the possibility that he had the disease, with speculation fuelled by a clear physical decline in his appearance, particularly weight loss. While he kept quiet due to his preference not to talk to the media, the other band members denied the rumours; at one point, band member Roger Taylor told reporters that "he is healthy and working". In February 1990, Queen won the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. While Mercury accepted the award for the band at the Dominion Theatre, Brian May spoke for the band. Mercury's increasingly gaunt appearance at the ceremony sparked further speculation from the public about his health, which persisted throughout 1990. The 1990 BRIT Awards would be Mercury's final public appearance.

Mercury did not speak publicly about his health, saying that he did not want to sell his music out of people's sympathy for him. He was determined to continue working on music with Queen for as long as he could, saying that he would "keep working until I fucking drop". Mercury was persistently bothered by reporters at his London home, making it difficult for the band to record. As a result, the band relocated to Mountain Studios in Montreux, where the safer and more peaceful atmosphere allowed the band to concentrate. Early in Innuendo's recording, the band decided that all work would be again credited to Queen as a whole instead of to individual contributing members; May said that the decision made a significant impact in the recording process, while Taylor said that it helped eliminate much of the egotistical struggles that would normally cause bands to break up.

The album opened with "Innuendo"  began as a jam session in Switzerland amongst Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon in spring 1989. Freddie Mercury was upstairs and heard them playing the beat, and turned it into a song, creating the melody and starting off the lyrics. "Innuendo" was released as a single in January 1991, debuting at No. 1 in the UK. "I'm Going Slightly Mad",  was begun in Mercury's London house, after he had the idea of writing a song about madness, inspired by Noël Coward's camp one-liners. Most of the lyrics like "banana tree" or "one needle", came from both him and his friend Peter Straker, who stayed up all night in Mercury's kitchen, devising ever more outlandish lines. The music is Mercury's and is one of the earliest songs the band were working on in Montreux when Steve Howe came in. The video that accompanied the song saw Mercury dressed in a costume suit with wild hair, white gloves, long pointing shoes and extremely heavy make up, filmed in black and white. "Headlong" was written by May at the studio they had in Switzerland. He recorded it for his debut solo album, Back to the Light, which he was making at the same time, but after hearing Mercury sing it, decided it worked better as a Queen song."I Can't Live With You"  was also written for May's solo album. He gave it to the band as well since Taylor, Deacon and Mercury were fond of the track. Drums were programmed on synth by May, and the keyboard-pads were added by the producer. "Don't Try So Hard"  came from Mercury. 

 

The second half began with "Ride the Wild Wind" which was composed by Taylor, who recorded a demo with his own vocals. The album version is sung by Mercury with Taylor on backing vocals. The song is a sort of sequel of Taylor's A Night at the Opera composition, "I'm in Love with My Car", which focused on a man's passion for cars and racing. This time, the song involved all of the other members, that gave life to a fast song with beating drums and rhythmic bass line, which create the sensation of speed and engine's roar. In the mid-part, a May solo, which accentuates the sense of high velocity, and also gives the song a heavier sound. In some parts, a racing car can be heard."All God's People" was co-written by Mercury and Mike Moran, initially as part of Mercury's Barcelona project under the title "Africa by Night". He had asked May to play guitar, then one thing led to another and the entire band played. "All God's People" has a strong gospel influence. It contains Mercury's highest full-voice note, an F5 heard after the lyrics "around the world." Next "These Are The Days Of Our Lives" was written by Taylor. Keyboards were programmed by all band members in the studio, and conga percussion was recorded by David Richards. The music video for this song was Mercury's last appearance in a video medium, and with his knowing farewell look straight at the camera, Mercury whispers "I still love you" at the end of the song. By the time the video was made, it had become impossible to disguise that Mercury was seriously ill. The video was filmed in colour, but converted to black and white to minimise Mercury's frail appearance. "Delilah" was a song Mercury penned for his favourite female calico cat named Delilah. Although Mercury had about 11 cats, Delilah was special. "The Hitman" was started by Mercury. The original version was apparently on keyboards and in a different key. May took Mercury's riff (not uncommon), changed the key and recorded a demo of the heavy version. Deacon then re-arranged the structure and they all filled the gaps in lyrics and recorded it. All of the backing vocals were done by May. The demo version is sung by May, with Mercury making spoken comments (like "Bite the bullet baby!")."Bijou" was an idea Mercury and May had of making a song "inside-out", having guitar doing the verses and the vocal doing the break. Mercury put the chords, title and lyrics, and the two of them worked on the guitar parts. Mercury sang the first line and then May transferred the melody to his Red Special. The song was finished without any input from Taylor or Deacon. The beautiful and magnificent "The Show Must Go On" was written by May, based on a chord sequence he had been working on. May decided to use the sequence, and both he and Mercury decided the theme of the lyrics and wrote the first verse together. From then on May finished the lyrics, completed the vocal melody and wrote the bridge, inspired by Pachelbel's Canon. Some keys and ideas were also suggested by the producer. The song chronicles the effort of Mercury continuing to perform despite approaching the end of his life. The song was initially not released as a single as part of promotion for the Innuendo album, but was released in October 1991 as the band launched their Greatest Hits II album. 

 

The album received favorable critics considered on the band's finest record ever recorded and named as the Queen's last masterpiece cause boldly confronted mortality, the album was a fitting way to end one of rock's most succesful careers also it had a lot of intelligent humour and pathos about it.

 

Innuendo Track List: 

 

1. Innuendo

2. I'm Going Slightly Mad

3. Headlong

4. I Can't Live With You

5. Don't Try So Hard

6. Ride The Wild Wind

7. All God's People

8. These Are The Days Of Our Lives

9. Delilah

10. The Hitman

11. Bijou

12. The Show Must Go On 

Rocktrospectiva: The Vibrant And Succesful "Control" Turns 40

Released on 4 February 1986 "Control" was the 3rd., studio album by US singer Janet Jackson. Her collaborations with the songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis resulted in an unconventional sound: a fusion of rhythm and blues, rap vocals, funk, disco, and synthesized percussion that established Jackson, Jam and Lewis as the leading innovators of contemporary R&B. The distinctive triplet swing beat utilized on the record was the precursor to the new jack swing genre. The album became Jackson's commercial breakthrough and enabled her to transition into the popular music market, with Control becoming one of the foremost albums of the 1980s and contemporary music in huge part cause their singles "What Have You Done For Me Lately", "Nasty", "When I Think Of You", "Control", "Let's Wait A While", "The Pleasure Principle", & "Funny How Time Flies". 

Containing autobiographical themes, a majority of the album's lyrics came as the result of a series of changes in her life: a recent annulment of her marriage to singer James DeBarge, severing her business affairs from her father and manager Joseph and the rest of the Jackson family, hiring the A&M executive John McClain as her new management, and her subsequent introduction to Jam and Lewis. The album has been praised by critics as both an artistic feat and as a personal testament of self-actualization. It has also been regarded as a template upon which numerous female artists have modeled their careers, particularly Black women.

When Jam and Lewis agreed to produce Jackson's third studio album, they wanted to appeal primarily to the African American community, in addition to achieving crossover success on the pop music charts. Before their association with Jackson, Jam and Lewis had originally planned to record an album with tracks they wrote for Sharon Bryant, but she found their lyrics and sound to be too "rambunctious". The duo presented the same set of recordings to Jackson, who gave her input and took co-writing and co-production credits for the album's content. Jam and Lewis recalled that to collaborate with Jackson on the material, they spent the first week simply getting to know their new client. Lewis explained, "We got into her head. We saw what she was capable of, what she wanted to say, where she wanted to be, what she wanted to be. We put together some songs to fit her as we saw her, as she revealed herself to us. It was as simple as that."

For the song "What Have You Done for Me Lately", which was originally penned for one of Jam and Lewis's own records, the lyrics were rewritten to convey Jackson's feelings about her recent annulment from James DeBarge. The song was chosen as the lead single for Control, as Jam and Lewis felt it best represented Jackson's outlook on life. "Nasty", which in Jackson's opinion was the most innovative song on the album, was inspired by her experience with street harassment in Minneapolis by a group of men outside the hotel she resided at during the recording of Control. She recalled, "They were emotionally abusive. Sexually threatening. Instead of running to Jimmy or Terry for protection, I took a stand. I backed them down. That's how songs like 'Nasty' and 'What Have You Done for Me Lately' were born, out of a sense of self-defense." Jimmy Jam wrote and played the keyboard arrangement, with Jackson playing the accompaniment. Background vocals were sung by Jackson, Jam and Lewis. The distinctive triplet swing beat of the song was developed by Jam on an Ensoniq Mirage keyboard. "Let's Wait Awhile" was centered on safe sex and abstinence, a subject of significant social commentary at the time. Jam commented that it is common practice for songwriters to use current events as a means of inspiration for lyrics and that the AIDS pandemic had raised awareness about sexually transmitted diseases. He commented, "The theme of the song ('Let's Wait Awhile') was Janet's idea. She's not a preachy person. She's not telling people how to live their lives. All she's doing is offering an opinion."

Control debuted at number 84 on the Billboard 200 on March 8, 1986, and at number 26 on the Top R&B/Black Albums on March 1, 1986. After twenty weeks, it topped the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Black Albums chart, selling 250,000 copies in a single week, a record for an album by a female artist. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) first certified Control gold in April 1986, denoting 500,000 units shipped within the United States. Two months later, in June 1986, the album was RIAA certified platinum, denoting 1 million units shipped. Three years later, Control was RIAA certified fivefold platinum in October 1989. By 1990, Control had sold 5 million copies in the United States and Since its debut, Control has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

Upon its release, the album received universal acclaim from critics by calling Janet Jackson as "more concerned with identity than with playlists", as Control declared she was no longer the Jacksons' baby sister. 

 

Control Track List:  

 

1. Control

2. Nasty

3. What Have You Done For Me Lately

4. You Can Be Mine

5. The Pleasure Principle

6. When I Think Of You

7. He Doesn't Know I'm Alive

8. Let's Wait AWhile

9. Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun) 

New Music: The Great Divide

           

Noah Kahan announced his musical return with his fourth studio album under the same name. The album, out April 24, explores nostalgia, guilt, and the feelings we try desperately to hide, refusing to speak out loud. The reference to the "great divide," in this instance, is that of an emotional drift. As an adult, Kahan can understand that his old acquaintance was severely depressed and struggling with a sense of identity, video has been shot by Director: Parker Schmidt

News: The Cure Have Won The First Grammy Of Their Career

The Cure have won the first two Grammys of their legendary career, the first for their comeback album ‘Songs Of A Lost World’. They won Best Alternative Music Album for their comeback record and the second was for Best Alternative Music Performance for 'Alone'.

At the ceremony at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena tonight, the band picked up two prizes – Best Alternative Music Album and Best Alternative Music Performance, the latter for ‘Alone’.

They had only previously been nominated for two Grammys in their career, both in the Best Alternative Music Album category – in 1993 for ‘Wish’ and in 2001 for ‘Bloodflowers’, but were unsuccessful on both occasions.

They were not on hand to accept their awards, as they were attending the funeral of their long-time guitarist and keyboardist Perry Bamonte, who died in December at the age of 65. They did, however, send a speech that was read from the stage, in which frontman Robert Smith said: “Simon, Jason, Roger, Reeves and I would like to thank the Grammys for this wonderful award, we are very honoured to receive it.”“We would also like to thank everyone who helped in the creation of our ‘Songs Of A Lost World’ album, particularly co-producer Paul Corkett, everyone in the Universal Music Group who worked so hard to get our ‘Lost World’ found, everyone in our mostly indefatigable crew…and most importantly, all of the Cure fans around the world, who came to our ‘Lost World’ shows and enjoyed our ‘Lost World’ music. Without you, none of this would be possible. Thank you!

In the Best Alternative Music Performance category, the Cure beat out Bon Iver, Turnstile, Wet Leg and Hayley Williams, while for Best Alternative Music Album, they won ahead of Bon Iver, Tyler, The Creator, Wet Leg and Hayley Williams.

New Music: The Great Divide

           

Noah Kahan's new single and upcoming album, both titled The Great Divide, are about the emotional pain of drifting apart from someone you were once close too. "From a long silence forms a divide, a great expanse demanding attention. I stare across it. I see old friends, my father, my mother, my siblings, my younger self, the great state of Vermont," Noah reflected and shared the inspiration behind his new project. Noah Kahan new album is set to release his fourth studio album, on April 24, 2026.

New Music: You Get The Feeling

            

Squeeze are back with a brand new album Trixies and with the release of the evocative acoustic scene setter single "You Get The Feeling". One of 2026’s most anticipated albums Trixies is the band’s first album in eight years but the first they ever wrote. A collection of stories set in a fictional night club Trixies, the album was written by the band’s founders teenage Chris Difford (19) and Glenn Tilbrook (16) at the very start of their songwriting partnership. Back in 1974, when Trixies was written, the musical vision of the young creators exceeded their virtuosity. “We fully committed ourselves to songwriting but this was three or four years before we even got to make our first record. Long story short, these were songs that we just didn’t have enough musical experience to record properly” explains Difford. Now, fifty years on, that problem no longer exists for the band who have played more than 600 shows since reuniting in 2007. “The original version of You Get The Feeling was more like an old blues song” recalls Tilbrook. “It took me 50 years to figure out how to do it justice!”.  The video was directed by Oska Zaky and Connie Virdie

 

New Music: Votive

           

The New Pornographers will release new album The Former Site Of on March 27, via Merge. Now the band has shared their new single "Votive" alongside an animated by Michael Arthur. The band that performs on the follow-up to Continue as a Guest comprises A.C. Newman, Kathryn Calder, Neko Case, John Collins, and Todd Fancey. Charley Drayton joins on drums, replacing the disgraced former drummer Joe Seiders. Newman says in a press release, "Having time in my studio really opened things up. I don’t like wasting my bandmates’ time, and always felt guilty when I’d give them a song, ask them to do something, then completely change the song and ask them to do it again. Now I can get the skeleton of a song together first—just a couple of elements, the key feeling, really as little as possible—before bringing it to the band and running from there."

New Music: All My Life

           

Robbie Williams has released a new video for his latest single "All My Life" taken from the brand new album "Britpop"  and contains scenes from the upcoming documentary "Robbie Williams - Thru A New Lens", the documentary footage courtesy of Lorton Entertainment and the video has been directed by Charlie Lightening.

In Memoriam: Home Alone & Beetlejuice Star "Catherine O'Hara" Dies At 71

Actress Catherine O’Hara has died at the age of 71, her representatives have confirmed. The actress passed away following a "brief illness", with no further details released.

 

The Canadian-US actress and comedian was one of the most distinctive screen performers of her generation, with a career spanning more than five decades across television, film and sketch comedy.

 

Born in Toronto in 1954, O'Hara began her career in Canadian theatre and improvisation, joining Toronto's Second City in the early 1970s. She first rose to prominence later that decade as a cast member and writer on SCTV, where her character work and improvisational skills helped shape the show's influence on North American comedy. During her time on the series, she won multiple Emmy Awards as part of the writing team.

 

Her transition to film brought her to international audiences. In the late 1980s, she appeared as Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice, followed by her role as Kate McCallister in Home Alone and its 1992 sequel. The films established her as a regular presence in major studio comedies throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

 

Alongside her mainstream film work, O’Hara developed a long-running collaboration with director Christopher Guest. She appeared in several of his ensemble films, including Best in Show, A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration.

 

In television, O’Hara later achieved renewed acclaim through her portrayal of the iconic Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek, which aired from 2015 to 2020. The role earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and introduced her to a new generation of viewers. 

 

O’Hara continued to take on selective screen roles. Most recently, she appeared in series two of The Last of Us, marking one of her final on-screen performancesO’Hara held dual Canadian and US citizenship. She was married to production designer Bo Welch from 1992, and is survived by their two sons.