Darius Rucker

Darius Rucker 

Photo: C Flanigan/Getty Images

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Darius Rucker To Receive Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award At Music Biz 2019

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Rucker has been a years-long supporter of the MUSC Children's Hospital in Charleston, S.C., and, since 2010, has raised millions of dollars for St. Jude Children's Hospital
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Feb 20, 2019 - 11:35 am

GRAMMY-winning country singer/songwriter and one-fourth of South Carolina's Hootie And The Blowfish Darius Rucker will receive the Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award at the 2019 Music Biz Awards & Hall of Fame dinner on May 7 in Nashville.

The Music Business Association (Music Biz) will recognize Rucker for "his lifelong philanthropic efforts." Rucker has been a years-long supporter of the MUSC Children's Hospital in Charleston, S.C., and, since 2010, has raised millions of dollars for St. Jude Children's Hospital through his annual Darius & Friends benefit concert and golf tournament, according to Music Biz. The Hootie & The Blowfish Foundation has raised funds for public education and junior golf programs in S.C. 

“Through his tireless efforts to support the youth community of Charleston, not to mention the millions of dollars he has helped raise for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Darius has beautifully honored the legacy of our Humanitarian Award’s namesake, Harry Chapin," Music Biz President James Donio said in a statement. "We truly feel that Harry would be proud to see how Darius has used his platform and resources to benefit those among us in need. We are delighted to recognize him for all he has contributed."

The award is named after GRAMMY-nominated folk-rock singer Harry Chapin, who was committed to ending world hunger through philanthropic work.

Past award recipients include music manager and executive Scooter Braun, Paula Abdul and Annie Lennox. 

Rucker will be on tour with Hootie And The Blowfish and the Barenaked Ladies this spring. More information on dates can be found on the Hootie And The Blowfish website. 

Al Green To Return For First Live Concert Tour In Over Seven Years

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Explosions In The Sky 

Photo:  David Wolff - Patrick/Redferns via Getty Images

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Explosions In The Sky Announce 20th Anniversary Tour

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The post-rock greats will begin their U.S. tour dates on Sept. 11 in Mesa, Ariz
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Apr 15, 2019 - 5:37 pm

Post-rock greats Explosions In The Sky have announced that their first tour in some time will be in celebration of their 20th anniversary. 

"Hi everyone, our band turns 20 years old this year and to celebrate we're playing some shows this Fall," the instrumental band tweeted. "We hope to see some of you out there. And thanks so much for sticking with us for so long. We truly appreciate it."

EITS will begin their U.S. tour dates after dates in Asia on Sept. 11 in Mesa, Ariz. The band will stop in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Detroit and more before closing out their tour in Oklahoma City on Oct. 24.

The Texas band, known for their epic instrumental indie rock and emotional live shows, have released seven studio albums and contributed to movie soundtracks, including 2004's Friday Night Lights.  

The band has been celebrating past releases on social media, including the anniversary of 2007's All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone, and their latest album, The Wilderness, which came out in 2016. 

Presale tickets will be available April 16 at 10 a.m. local time. For more information, visit the band's website. 

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Perry Farrell

Photo: Erika Goldring/FilmMagic via Getty Images

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Perry Farrell Announces First Solo Album In 18 Years, 'Kind Heaven'

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The new album will feature a collective of musicians called Perry Farrell's King Heaven Orchestra,plus contributions from Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Mar 29, 2019 - 12:09 pm

GRAMMY-nominated frontman Perry Farrell, most popularly known for leading '90s rock gatekeepers Jane's Addiction, has shared the first single from his first solo album in 18 years.

Kind Heaven will be out June 7 and is the follow-up to Song Yet To Be Sung, released in 2001. The first single, "Pirate Punk Politician," is "a protest song about the rise of autocratic strong men around the world," Farrell tweeted On Tuesday. The hard rock sound is complemented by lyrics calling out politicians. 

Lollapalooza 2019: Childish Gambino, The Strokes, Ariana Grande, More Added To Lineup

"Ask me any simple question/ I'm an information contradiction, go/ Ask me any simple question/ I'll bash you with my fiction diction," Farrell sings. "Pirate, punk, politician/ I got you in a bad position/ Pirate, punk, politician/ I don't need nobody's permission."

At the time of the tweet, the singer said the video for the single was being shot and due to the nature of the song, the video would include "my dancer friends and I did some free forming, and some choreography (which seems daunting but it’s really fun)." 

The new album will feature a collective of musicians named Perry Farrell's King Heaven Orchestra, plus contributions from Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, according to Pitchfork. 

Outside of making music, Farrell, who is the founder of the Lollapalooza festival, took the time to highlight the diversity of the festival's lineup this year, which includes Ariana Grande, The Strokes, J Balvin and more: "Trying to imagine partying with all these people.. It is going to be Quite interesting wouldn’t you agree? Let me say that diversity thrives "@Lollapalooza and diversity is the spice of life that gives one the appetite to bite (how tasteless life would be w/ only 1 tribe)?Thx god!"

Behind The Board: Get Into The Vinyl Groove With Producer/Engineer Jeff Powell

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Kevin Parker of Tame Impala

Photo: Rick Kern/WireImage

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Listen: Tame Impala Release New Track "Patience"

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It's been four years since we've heard new music from Tame Impala, but their new release has come just in time for festival season
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Mar 22, 2019 - 1:08 pm

Tame Impala have released a new single appropriately called "Patience." The GRAMMY-nominated music project by Australian singer and musician Kevin Parker had not released any new tracks since 2015's Currents.

The long-awaited latest release embodies the exact feeling of having to wait for something: "Has it really been that long? / Did I count the days wrong? ... I've been waiting here / Waiting for the day to come," Parker's soft voice sings on the track featuring an equally soft piano. 

Parker, who has come to fame for the psychedelic, dreamy pop sound he shares as Tame Impala, teased the single on Instagram last night. "New track. 1 hour. Speakers/headphones people," the post said. 

He and his touring band will be headlining Coachella and Lollapalooza this year and starting a U.S. tour after the Indio, Calif. dates. He said that he would like to release a new album by mid-2019. 

"I'd be really disappointed if we didn't have something out by then." Parker told Matt Wilkinson on Beats 1. "I love playing the songs live, I love playing Currents songs I love playing Lonerism songs and everything but I think I'm ready to play some other songs live."

Behind The Board: Matt Ross-Spang On Why Memphis Is The Reason He Produces

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Matt Ross-Spang

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Behind The Board: Matt Ross-Spang On Why Memphis Is The Reason He Produces

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The Memphis native, who has worked with Jason Isbell, Margo Price and others, shares what he feels is dying in the studio and more
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Mar 22, 2019 - 10:10 am

GRAMMY-winning engineer, mixer and producer Matt Ross-Spang's first time in the studio was for his 14th birthday when he was given two hours of recording time at Sun Studio, known as the "birthplace of rock 'n' roll" in Memphis, Tenn. Engineer, musician and producer James Lott was on the board to help out. 

Behind The Board: Matt Ross-Spang

"I watched James working the faders and manning the controls and that's when I was like that's really cool." Ross-Spang says in the latest episode of Behind The Board. "'Cause I knew I wasn't going to be a great guitar player or anything I just enjoyed playing, but I saw that and I was like 'that's what I wanna do.'"

Ross-Spang, who has worked with Jason Isbell, John Prine, Margo Price and more, gets into how he produces depending on the artist, the kind of music-making he thinks is dying in the studio and some Memphis music history.

"If I had been born anywhere else I wouldn't be doing this," he said. "Memphis has kind of left a big mark on me."

Watch the video above.

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