Blink-182 Top the Charts

Blink-182
Jason Tate

Blink-182 have the number one album in the country.

Blink-182’s One More Time bows atop the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Nov. 4), securing the rock trio its third chart-topping set. The new full-length studio album begins with 125,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Oct. 26, according to Luminate, largely powered by traditional album sales. 

One More Time is Blink-182’s first album with the group’s longtime lineup of drummer Travis Barker, vocalist/bassist Mark Hoppus and guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge since DeLonge departed the group in 2015 for seven years, and the first studio effort from that trio since 2012’s Dogs Eating Dogs EP.

You love to see it.

Chase Tremaine – Accidental Days (Deluxe Edition) Track-by-Track

Chase Tremaine
Adam Grundy

This past week, I was able to chat with Chase Tremaine to discuss his deluxe reissue of Accidental Days. The deluxe edition of the album has been re-released today on Bandcamp, and it features ten new bonus tracks, plus commentary on the ten main album songs. I continue to be impressed by Chase’s extensive work ethic, and I hope this track-by-track sheds some light on his creative process.

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Tom DeLonge Talks UFOs, Bigfoot, and Blink-182

Box Car Racer
Jason Tate

Tom DeLonge of Blink-182 talked with Polygon:

So the spirit of Monsters of California is that ghosts are real, Bigfoot is real, UFOs are real, demonic possession is real, orbs of light are real — it’s all happening. And it’s not weird or unique or rare; it is a part of the fabric of existence. So if you go into the ocean, you’re gonna see a jellyfish, you’re gonna see a dolphin, you’re gonna see a whale, then you’re gonna see a boat. And then you’re gonna see a Coke can and some banana peels float by, and you’re gonna realize there’s an island somewhere.

You’d have no idea the ocean is a lot bigger than the jellyfish. It’s got everything in it, and things in it that make no sense that are left over from somewhere else. That’s kind of the point, is that “paranormal” just means “more than normal.” But pretty soon, it will be just normal. Frequencies of life are intersecting, and in certain locations in certain places, we will see the echoes of that. And we will interact with that. And we will understand that. We won’t call it weird. We are at a point now where it’s an inflection point on our understanding of consciousness.

And:

No, Blink is gonna continue. This thing’s a monster. I mean, the band’s bigger than it’s ever been, by miles. On paper, I guess it makes sense, but in my heart, it doesn’t, because I feel like a skateboarder from East County, San Diego. I don’t know how I got this position. Looking at old videos of us, I’m like, Have I really been doing this shit for, like, 27 years? But it’s bigger than it’s ever been. Somehow it’s relevant.

I get it on paper — the songs are catchy, there’s a lot of energy, so it’s fun. The humor and friendship and brotherhood, everyone can relate to. Maybe that’s all you need. But I know that exists in other bands, too, so I’m not quite sure why it’s all working the way it is. But I am so grateful. It’s weird, because for so long, people were annoyed by these dumb skateboarder kids that would tell dick jokes on stage, singing pop songs. They would say we were like the Beach Boys on meth. But, fuck, the Beach Boys are fucking good — I wish I was that good! But here we are still doing it

Brian Fallon Talks New Gaslight Album

Gaslight Anthem
Jason Tate

Brian Fallon talked with Kerrang about The Gaslight Anthem’s new album:

“Yeah, Autumn. It kicked my butt! Man… I had that opening riff and I had the first line for, like, a year. It was just sitting there, and even before I was gonna get the band back, I had one line and a riff, and I was like, ‘I know this is good, but I just can’t finish it.’ But the only reason I had the first line, god bless her, my little daughter was really frustrated one day, and she goes, ‘Mom! There’s too much traffic in my head!’ And I was like, ‘I’ll be having that!’ I heard it from my room here, and I wrote it down (laughs).”

Mary Middlefield – “Sexless” (Video Premiere)

Mary Middlefield
Adam Grundy

Today I’m thrilled to bring everyone the exclusive video premiere from talented pop artist, Mary Middlefield, called “Sexless.” Taken from her debut album, Thank You Alexander, that dropped in March, Middlefield channels key artists like Dua Lipa, Lizzo, and the brash openness of Katy Perry. Middlefield shared:

I’d already pushed my sincerity all the way out there with the sad songs, but with this, I wanted to push myself towards embarrassment. It gave me a new perspective. There’s nothing really embarrassing about not having sex or being single or not having a partner or just not even wanting it. I don’t want to censor anything in my art. Life isn’t pretty, finding love and taking care of yourself and your loved ones is really fucking hard, a lot of people are cruel and mean. If just getting through the day is hard for most of the people I know – myself included – why would I try to make anything prettier than it actually is?

If you’re ready to see what all the hype is about, Mary Middlefield is delivering the right vibes.

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Ali Sperry – “My Walk To You” (Video Premiere)

Ali Sperry
Adam Grundy

Today I’m so excited to share with everyone the new single and video from Ali Sperry called “My Walk To You.” Ali Sperry, when faced with a year of trauma, racial reckoning, and downright worldwide existential crisis, did what she has always done — turned inward and wrote songs that channeled, mirrored and ultimately distilled those cultural currents. On this vibrant new single that floats over Sperry’s transcendent vocals, she showcases why she’s a key artist to watch in the Nashville music scene. Sperry shared:

Songwriting can be pure therapy for me, and that was the case with ‘My Walk To You.’ Some songs I whittle away at for months or even years, but this was one of those gifts that showed up whole. It was during a period of deep grief as I was processing the recent loss of my first pregnancy, and as I was going to bed one night the words and the melody came into my head, essentially fully formed. I made a note of the lyrics and recorded a quiet voice memo on my phone so I could remember the melody in the morning. I distinctly heard piano as being the driving instrument in the song, and imagined strings weaving around the melody. It was a very heavy time in my life, and this image of the soul I was singing to, somewhere in the ether waiting and witnessing my journey to them, helped me grasp a sense of hope and fortitude.

If you’re ready to believe in true musical artistry again, Ali Sperry is here for you.

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The End of iTunes?

Jason Tate

Kirk McElhearn:

Soon, all that will be left of the iTunes brand is the iTunes Store for music. And people buy much less music [than] in the past, having mostly shifted to streaming. Will the iTunes name finally fade away as music sales dwindle? It’s hard to imagine Apple stopping digital music sales entirely; even if fewer people buy digital music, the market isn’t dead, not by a long shot. Global digital music sales peaked in 2012 at around $4.4 billion, and in 2021 they had dropped to $1.1 billion. That’s a decline of about 75%, but Apple still earns a hefty amount of money from selling digital music.