Tag: "Kurt Cobain"

Three album’s into their career, The Airborne Toxic Event are still proving they’ve got what it takes to turn an audience on their heads. Their latest single, “Timeless” is just that. Delivering a moving and anthemic chorus, “Timeless” holds its own in a sea of predecessors that The Airborne Toxic Event has made their norm.

“I remember thinking, ‘Don’t write like you’re an indie rock artist or an art-rock band, don’t write like you’re trying to write an Airborne song, don’t try to be you — just write what’s in your heart,’” Frontman Mikel Jollett explained. “It’s cheesy and it’s very Hallmark-y and I want to be like Kurt Cobain and say my whole life’s twisted and darker than that, but my deepest wish really is that.”

You can listen to the song right here and view the band’s tour dates after the jump. Continue reading ‘The Airborne Toxic Event Release “Timeless”’

To those of you who haven’t fainted yet from disbelief at the sight of that headline, I can assure you this is no joke.

For the first time in 20 years, the two surviving members of the legendary ’90s grunge band Nirvana will reunite for a special charity performance tonight in New York to benefit the victims of Hurricane Sandy. However, since their iconic frontman Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994, the reunion calls for a replacement. So, who better to join drummer Dave Grohl and bassist Krist Novoselic than the great Sir Paul McCartney?

That’s right. If a Nirvana reunion didn’t sound bizarre enough, then allow Macca to be the icing on the awkward cake. According to The Sun, the 70-year-old pop rock legend was asked by Grohl to “jam with some mates,” who, unbeknownst to the Beatle, turned out to be Nirvana with the addition of unofficial fourth member Pat Smear.

Next thing you know, they’re playing a reunion show for a star-studded audience like it’s no big deal. Can you even imagine Macca’s aged British accent uttering the angst-ridden drugged out gravely vocals on “Smells Like Tean Spirit?” Who would have thought that “Rape Me” would be sung by the same guy who performed “Yellow Submarine.” Well, millions of listeners are about to find out tonight. It will certainly be a spectacle, that’s for sure. Let’s just hope this is a one time tribute.

If you like Nirvana, then you might also like OurStage’s own Fiction Reform.

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Watch The Official Trailer For Dave Grohl’s “Sound City” Documentary
GRAMMY Nom Says The Beatles are History/iTunes Brings Them Up To Date

You know things are getting out of hand when Courtney Love has to step in to be the voice of reason.

Love, the wife of the late, great Kurt Cobain, stated in an interview with The Observer that rumors regarding musical about her relationship with her deceased husband were just that. “There will be no musical,” said Love. “Sometimes it’s just best to leave things alone.”

Wait, since when was there going to be a Nirvana musical? Says who?! Sam Lufti, that’s who.

Lufti, the sometimes co-manager of Love, is currently involved in a rather ugly lawsuit with one of his past clients Britney Spears. While testifying under oath Lufti made mention of a potential stage or screen adaptation of Cobain’s life story and the music of Nirvana.

Continue reading ‘Courtney Love (Ew) Says Nirvana Musical (Gross) Isn’t Happening (Thank God)’

• Paul gets toasty.
• This is as much of a semi–endorsement as you’re gonna get, Obama.
• Another thing that Kurt would have hated.
• Amy Winehouse: the play.
• Diddy is unbreakable.
• Voodoo, as it was meant to be heard.

• Avril + Nickelback + Anime.
• This is everything that Kurt Cobain would have hated.
• A remarkable similarity between Lady Gaga and a new genus of ferns.
• This guitar probably smells great.
• Kathleen Edwards lands on a winning band name.
• Cee–Lo’s most high–profile feature yet.

For this week’s Songs of the Revolution, we were honored to play host to Shonen Knife, the all-female Japanese pop punk band that influenced a generation of American rockers before ever stepping onto U.S. soil.

The band has just released Pop Tune, their 18^th studio album since their debut in 1982. Frequently cited by Kurt Cobain as one of his favorite bands, they had a lot of success in America in the mid-late ‘90s, and during that time made one of their best-loved recordings, a cover of The Carpenters’ “Top Of The World,” which was included on a popular tribute album.

Despite a few lineup changes over the years (singer Naoko Yamano is the remaining original member), the band is currently as strong as ever, as evidenced on this session. We naively requested a stripped-down set, in keeping with the vibe of the SOTR sessions. When the band arrived at the studio, we set up and suggested maybe just a hi-hat for cymbals. Sure, they nodded and agreed. Drummer Emi Morimoto asked for another cymbal stand. Okay, maybe just a ride cymbal, we hinted. Soon enough, she was wailing on the kit with a nice, high crash invading all the mics. We had to respect that. And, in the end, we’re glad we’re not the ones who got Shonen Knife to water it down.

Enjoy these streaming video performances and free downloads, and try not to let “Banana Chips” drive you mental with its insistent catchiness. Atomic-level earworm.

More like this:

• Songs Of The Revolution: Will Dailey
• Songs of the Revolution: O’Brother

Today is kind of a slow news day. And so, today, you get… rock stars in drag: the superlatives.

Most natural: Bowie

Most disturbing: Queen

Most frequent: Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones

Best homage: Blur (as Blondie)

Most dudes: Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention

Best pout: Ozzy Osbourne

Most confusing to high school jocks in 1994: Kurt Cobain

Most committed: New York Dolls

Best looking: Bono

It seems recently that bits and pieces of Kurt Cobain‘s life have slowly been rising to the surface. Artwork by the Nirvana frontman himself has been discovered and is set for auction by his late wife Courtney Love in the near future. Former Hole guitarist Eric Erlandson just released a book of prose and poetry entitled Letters To Kurt, including details about Cobain’s life and death, as well as Erlandson’s relationship with Love. In an interview, Erlandson also revealed that, in the months before his death, Cobain had been at work on a solo album, which he hopes might someday be released to the public. “It would have been his White Album,” Erlandson says in an interview with Fuse.

Courtney Love speculated in a recent interview (“unprompted,” according to her interviewer) about where her late husband would be today if he’d lived (“I don’t fuckin’ know,” she concluded). Now, Love has managed to burn her last remaining shred of dignity, accusing David Grohl, via Twitter, of inappropriate behavior towards her daughter, Frances Bean Cobain. Both Frances and Grohl have of course denied the accusations, with some dismissive words for Love in return. “Unfortunately Courtney is on another hateful Twitter rant,” says Grohl, while Frances says that “Twitter should ban [her] mother.”

In light of what would have been Kurt Cobain’s 45th birthday, how do you think the grunge icon would react to all of this? Do you think his demos are ever going to be released?