Zappagram #83: Smells Like American Spirit
Hey friends,
As the year winds to a close, so does the new music release cycle. I want to remind everyone to listen to Butch Bastard’s Las Vegas Salvation which I’m calling 2023’s Album of the Year.
André 3000 released his first new music in 17 years and it’s not at all what anyone was expecting. If you’re like me, and you enjoy chill, jazzy, ambient, experimental music (which features a lot of flute) I think it’s a very enjoyable surprise. The song titles are incredibly long as are the songs themselves. If you check it out, let me know what you think.
Ground control to reader: Take your protein pills. Put your helmet on.
This newsletter ain’t gonna read itself.
“Things in life never come full circle. Maybe once or twice they’re hexagonal, but to me they’re almost always misshapen, as if drawn by a toddler in crayon.”
—Mike D, Beastie Boys
ROCK THE VOTE
:: MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
WEEKLY PLAYLIST
:: NEW MUSIC EVERY WEEK
Featuring: My Morning Jacket, Khruangbin, Busty and the Bass, Mandy, Indiana, Daft Punk, The Polyphonic Spree, Madi Diaz & Kacey Musgraves, The Utopiates, Allie Crow Buckley, Jonathan Fire Eater, IDLES
ZAPPAGRAM #83
ZAPPAGRAM PLAYLIST (ALL WEEKS)
MUSIC NEWS
:: WHAT’S GOING ON
George ‘Funky’ Brown, Whose Uplifting Drums Held Down Kool & the Gang, Dead at 74
The musician also co-wrote some of the band's biggest hits, including “Ladies Night,” “Jungle Boogie,” and “Celebration" [RollingStone]
Taylor Swift ‘Devastated’ After Fan Dies Before Show in Brazil
“I can’t believe I’m writing these words but it is with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show,” Swift wrote in a statement [RollingStone]
Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme Is Cancer-Free: “All Clear”
The singer-guitarist revealed earlier this year that he was diagnosed with cancer in 2022 [Consequence]
Prince’s Iconic White, Ruffled ‘Purple Rain’ Shirt Is Up for Auction
The soft, silk garment, which he wore during his performance of “Purple Rain” at the 12th Annual American Music Awards in 1985, is one of a huge collection of items from the late singer’s colorful wardrobe [CNN]
Kurt Cobain’s Cigarettes Are Up for Auction
Smells like American Spirits. Cobain’s smokes are among many Nirvana items currently up for bidding at Julien’s Auctions [Consequence]
Pink to Give Away Banned Books at Florida Tour Stops
Florida leads the country in book bans, with more than 1,400 books removed from shelves [RollingStone]
Jay-Z Sits Down for Career-Spanning Interview With Gayle King
The Brooklyn rapper and mogul discusses his childhood, his business career, and the stories behind his lyrics in the hourlong special [Pitchfork]
Posthumous Lee “Scratch” Perry Album King Perry Announced
Lead single “100lbs of Summer” features London R&B singer Greentea Peng [Pitchfork]
NOFX Announce 2024 North American Tour, Including Final Shows Ever
The veteran punk band will end its final run with three hometown Los Angeles gigs [Consequence]
Dolly Parton’s ‘Purple Rain’ Cover Is the Unexpected Prince Tribute You Need to Hear
And Dolly's takes on "Satisfaction," "Stairway to Heaven," and "Free Bird" rock too [RollingStone]
Sean Combs Accused of Rape by Singer Cassie in New Lawsuit
The singer also alleged that the hip-hop mogul forced her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed them [RollingStone]
Twin Temple Announce 2024 North American Tour with VOWWS
The self-described Satanic doo-wop act will kick off the 23-city trek on February 13th in San Diego and remain on the road through a show on March 13th in Las Vegas [Consequence]
Porno for Pyros Reschedule 2024 Dates, Now Calling Reunion Tour a Farewell
The Horns, Thorns en Halos Farewell Tour begins in February [Pitchfork]
Lana Del Rey, John Legend, Post Malone to Honor Elvis on ‘Christmas at Graceland’
Alanis Morissette, Kacey Musgraves, Kane Brown, Lainey Wilson, and more will also perform for the NBC holiday special [RollingStone]
Z-REX
:: ZAPPA’S RECOMMENDATIONS
He Won’t Stop Taking Pictures Until He’s Partying on the Other Side
At 85, Henry Diltz is one of the last great rock photographers still living (and working). His new book is a document of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the ’60s and his own history [NYTimes]
—
Khruangbin. Austin City Limits. Mesmerizing. Nuff said.
ASSHOLE OF THE WEEK
:: BECAUSE THERE’S ALWAYS ONE
I usually try to keep this music-focused, but this week’s winner simply had to be Elon Musk. Hands down. Musk is a stupid man’s idea of a smart man. I don’t think he’s smart, but I do think he’s an emotionally immature asshole.
NEW RELEASES
:: RECENTLY DROPPED MUSIC
André 3000: New Blue Sun [listen]
Bob Dylan: The Complete Budokan 1978 [listen]
Daft Punk: Random Access Memories (Drumless Edition) [listen]
Deafheaven: Sunbather (10th Anniversary Remix) (Remaster) [listen]
Dolly Parton: Rockstar [listen]
Iron & Wine: Who Can See Forever Soundtrack [listen]
Kurt Vile: Back to Moon Beach EP [listen]
The Polyphonic Spree: Salvage Enterprise [listen]
Speedy Ortiz: Major Arcana (10th Anniversary Edition) [listen]
RELEASE RADAR
:: UPCOMING RELEASES
- NOV 24 -
Busta Rhymes: BLOCKBUSTA
De La Soul: 3 Feet High and Rising (Vinyl Box Set)
Guided By Voices: Nowhere to Go But Up
John Prine: The Oh Boy Singles
Margo Price: Strays (Live at Grimey’s)
My Morning Jacket: Happy Holiday!
Noah Kahan: Cape Elizabeth EP (Vinyl Reissue)
Rilo Kiley: Under the Blacklight (Vinyl Reissue)
Screaming Trees: Live at Egg Studios
Snoop Dogg: Doggystyle (30th Anniversary Edition)
- DEC 1 -
Dillon Francis: This Mixtape Is Fire Too
Harp (feat. Midlake’s Tim Smith): Albion
Khruangbin: Live at Sydney Opera House
Minor Threat: Out of Step Outtakes EP
Peter Gabriel: I/O
Steely Dan: Gaucho (Vinyl Reissue)
Violent Femmes: Violent Femmes (Deluxe Edition)
- DEC 8 -
Arlo Parks: My Soft Machine (Deluxe)
Car Seat Headrest: Faces From the Masquerade
The Killers: Rebel Diamonds
Neil Young: Before and After
Pink Floyd: Atom Heart Mother (Special Edition)
- DEC 15 -
The Black Crowes: The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion (Super Deluxe Box Set)
EELS: EELS So Good: Essential EELS, Vol.2
Fall Out Boy: Take This to Your Grave (20th Anniversary Edition)
ON THIS DATE
:: MUSICAL HAPPENINGS OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
- NOV 20 -
Birthdays: Dr. John (1941) • Norman Greenbaum (1942) • Duane Allman (1946) • Joe Walsh (1947) • Mike Diamond of The Beastie Boys (1965) • Jared Followill of Kings of Leon (1986) • Bob Dylan started recording his debut album over two days at Columbia Recording Studios in New York City. (1961)
- NOV 21 -
Birthdays: Livingston Taylor (1950) • Björk (1965) • Carly Rae Jepsen (1985) • Legendary manager of Led Zeppelin, Peter Grant, died from a heart attack aged 60. (1995)
- NOV 22 -
Birthdays: Jesse Colin Young (1941) • Steven Van Zandt & Tina Weymouth (1950) • Karen O (1978) • INXS frontman Michael Hutchence was found dead in his Sydney hotel room, having taken his own life, aged 37. (1997)
- NOV 23 -
Birthdays: Bruce Hornsby (1954) • Alison Mosshart (1978) • Pink Floyd released “Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2),” which rapidly topped the charts in the UK, followed by the US and a further nine countries. (1979)
- NOV 24 -
Birthdays: Pete Best & Donald “Duck” Dunn (1941) • Clem Burke of Blondie (1955) • Chad Taylor of Live (1970) • Queen frontman, Freddie Mercury died at the age of 45 following complications from AIDS. (1991)
- NOV 25 -
Birthdays: Percy Sledge (1940) • Mark Lanegan (1964) • Nick Drake died in his sleep aged 26 of an overdose of tryptasol, an anti-depressant drug. (1974)
- NOV 26 -
Birthdays: Tina Turner (1939) • Jean Terrell of The Supremes (1944) • John McVie (1945) • John Stirratt of Wilco (1967) • Ron Jones of The Flaming Lips (1970) • Willie Nelson was arrested for possession of six ounces of marijuana found in his tour bus while traveling from Los Angeles to Texas. (2010)
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Until next week, friends…
🤘🏻🖤
