Latest news with #Soundgarden
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
World Music Day: How indie musicians are changing the soundscape
Indie-music has become a global sound, with influences from various genres, including jazz, soul, RnB, and, apart from the Indian classical music and folk. On World Music Day, celebrated on June 21, we spotlight some indie musicians, who are constantly experimenting with sound. Vasundara Vee Swipe, tap and repeat is the new addiction. The highs of having access to unlimited information/entertainment feeds, yet being ignorant of the lows of living in a digital haze and FOMOs, defines a life driven by technology. Jazz and soul singer Vasundhara Vee's new single, 'Junk the blame', addresses this. Earlier, this year, Vasundhara made headlines for singing at famed fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee's 25th anniversary celebrations. The Mumbai-based singer is known as one of the powerhouse vocalists, who is credited with bringing time-tested genres such as RnB, Soul and Jazz to playlists of today's youth. 'A singer always has a message, which is channelled through his/her personality,' says Vasundhara. As a child, Vasundhara was quiet and soft-spoken. 'I found my calling in soul, jazz and blues. Music transformed me. It pushed me to communicate through words and sounds,' she adds. Abhishek Hazarika Noida-based singer, songwriter, rhythm guitarist, composer and independent musician, Abhishek Hazarika, is trained in Hindustani classical (vocal), acoustic and electric guitar. His debut album, Brightendash, comprising 10 tracks, consists of a grunge-rock sound, rooted in classic and alternative rock sensibilities. Abhishek is inspired by bands such as Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, Pearl Jam, The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, The Melvins, Oasis, Green Day, The Beatles, The Who, Grand Funk Railroad, Jimi Hendrix, Cream and REM. Grunge rock, a subgenre of the 90's hard rock, originated in Seattle, the U.S. 'Grunge Rock gives me the freedom to explore multiple styles of rock music. And that's how I came up with the songs in my album. Sarthak Sardana Sarthak Sardana, popular as Sartek, is a DJ and electronic dance-music producer. He has had releases with major global labels and even found support in legends like David Guetta, Tiësto and Hardwell. Over time, he felt the urge to add something local to his repertoire of sound. 'I wanted to blend folk and Bollywood with house-techno and Afro. So he came up with productions that fused Indian folk tunes with electronic beats. Today, it resonates on dancefloors around the world. 'It is all about creating a sound rooted in culture, but built for the future,' says Sartek. Neel Adhikari, Pushan Kripalani, Arijit Datta Singer-songwriters Neel Adhikari, Pushan Kripalani and Arijit Datta recently collaborated with Tiger Baby Records (Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti and Ankur Tewari) for their latest album City Sessions. Pushan is a filmmaker and theatre director-turned songwriter, synonymous with his collective Slight Diversion. The trio's debut EP, 'Borrowed Guitars', earned them critical acclaim with the track 'Man, boy and liar' topping the charts. When Pushan wrote his first song, he was inspired by a woman singing in Central Park, New York. 'She sang with just an acoustic guitar in front of a small crowd. The songs were her own, yet appealed to people because of the simplicity of its rendition,' he recalls. Singer-songwriter Arijit Datta is the frontman of the Hindi-Indie band, Airport, which is known for its bluesy, evocative sound. 'The sound of Airport feels like home. It holds the weight of everything I have lived through — silence, chaos and search. This genre gives me the freedom to be myself, to communicate what I cannot articulate verbally. Making music is my way of staying connected to my original self,' he shares. Neel Adhikari is the artiste behind the opening track of Netflix's Little Things and Modern Love: Mumbai. Neel sees his music spread over two areas — background score and song. He dislikes categorisation of music and finds it hard to imagine himself stuck to one genre. He adds that he is drawn to certain textures and sounds. 'If it comes from an instrument that has wood and strings, it usually sounds good to me. My songs have a lot of acoustic guitars, ukuleles, banjos and now mandolins too,' he shares. Neel also loves analogue synths and percussions from interesting sounding non-instruments. His lyrics are essentially a play at depth using simple language. Quite often, one finds deep or dark words over a chirpy tune in his songs. 'I love the existence of contrasting elements in a composition and the sound of melancholy. Being a journeyman, I enjoy the process but am also goal-oriented and I break my back trying to achieve a sound I have imagined,' he states.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carol Kaye has declined her Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction invitation
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Carol Kaye, one of the most prolific recording bass players in rock history, has revealed she won't be in attendance when she's inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this Fall. She's set to be honored as part of the Hall's Class of 2025 contingent, which includes several other overdue nods, with The White Stripes, Soundgarden, Bad Company, and Outkast among Kaye's classmates. However, the 90-year-old, estimated to have played on over 10,000 recording sessions and heard on records by Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, and the Supremes, has declined her invitation to November's event. 'People have been asking: NO I won't be there. I am declining the rrhof awards show,' she wrote on a now-deleted Facebook post, dated Wednesday, June 18. Kaye says she is 'turning it down because it wasn't something that reflects the work that Studio Musicians do and did in the golden era of the 1960s recording hits.' She first stepped into a recording studio in the late 1950s, laying down rhythm guitar on Sam Cooke's arrangement of the jazz standard, Summertime. She later pivoted to session work and became a talent in hot demand across the '60s and '70s as part of a group of musicians affectionately known as the Wrecking Crew. Kaye, however, doesn't take kindly to being considered a Wrecker. 'You are always part of a team, not a solo artist at all,' she explains, perhaps finding it odd that she's been singled out for the honor. 'There were always 350-400 studio musicians (AFM Local 47 Hollywood) working in the busy 1960s, and called that only. Since the 1930s, I was never a 'Wrecker' at all…. that's a terrible insulting name.' Before her Summertime gig, Kaye was a jazz guitarist, adding that she was 'accidentally asked to record' on the track, and then 'accidentally placed on a Fender Precision Bass in mid-1963 when someone didn't show,' leading to her prolific spell as a bass player. 'I never played bass in my life, but being an experienced recording guitarist, it was easy for me to invent good bass lines,' she adds. 'As a Jazz musician, you invent every note you play, and they used a lot of Jazz musicians.' Notable spots as a bass player saw her set the tone for Quincy Jones' Hikky-Burr, which became the soundtrack to the Bill Cosby Show, and the Beach Boys' iconic LP, Pet Sounds. 'My job was to add feel and groove to Brian's written bass parts,' she once told Bass Player. 'I tried to keep it cooking for him.' She's also said that it took 36 hours to cut Good Vibrations – 'we knew it was a big deal' – and in a rare interview, the band's late figurehead, Brian Wilson, was full of praise for her craft. On personal achievements alone, it is easy to see why so many have campaigned for her inclusion into the Hall's history books. But it's also easy to understand why Kaye, seeing herself as one cog in a much larger music-making machine, doesn't sit easily with the spotlight on her. Her Facebook post signs off by saying: 'I refuse to be part of a process that is something else than what I believe in, for others' benefit and not reflecting the truth. We all enjoyed working with each other. Thank you for understanding.' Drummer/producer Questlove has a different take on the situation. Commenting on Stereogum's Instagram post, which featured a screenshot of Kaye's post, he says: 'I appreciate the sentiment, but on the other side of this coin, not getting your flowers and receiving love isn't serving anyone here. 'For historical context, the world needs to see her receive this accolade,' he adds, seeing her as representative of the wider session musician scene. Kim Thayill, meanwhile, believes Soundgarden's induction marks a positive posthumous chapter in the legacy of Chris Cornell.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bad Company, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, The White Stripes Lead Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2025
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has officially unveiled its 2025 class, confirming Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Soundgarden and The White Stripes as this year's inductees. Ryan Seacrest announced the inductees on ABC's American Idol on Sunday night, the second year in a row the show revealed the Rock Hall class (ABC parent company Disney has the TV rights to the event). Aside from the performer category, Salt-N-Pepa and Warren Zevon are being honored with the Musical Influence award. Thom Bell, Nicky Hopkins and Carol Kaye are getting the Musical Excellence Award, and Lenny Waronker — the producer and executive best known for his longtime stint as the president of Warner Records — is this year's Ahmet Ertegun Award recipient. More from The Hollywood Reporter Bruce Springsteen Performs With Smokey Robinson, John Fogerty at 2025 American Music Honors Event How New Kids on the Block's Jonathan and Jordan Knight Breathed New Life Into HGTV Global DJ Alok Is Keeping Art Human and Bringing His True Self to the Desert The induction will take place November 8th at the Peacock Theater, and it will stream live on Disney+ that night. A special will air on ABC at a later date. The Rock Hall will announce on-sale information for tickets for the event at a later date. This will be the fourth time the induction will take place in Los Angeles, and the first time since 2022. 'Each of these inductees created their own sound and attitude that had a profound impact on culture and helped to change the course of Rock & Roll forever,' John Sykes Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, said in a statement. 'Their music gave a voice to generations and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps.' The nominees who missed the cut this year are The Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Maná, Oasis and Phish. The Crowes, Idol, Maná and Phish had never been nominated before. Phish handily won this year's Rock Hall fan vote (which counts for one ballot in the actual voting process), while Bad Company took second and Idol came in third. Joy Division/New Order were nominated back in 2023, while Oasis and Carey were both nominated for the first time in 2024. Last year's Rock Hall class included Cher, Mary J. Blige, Ozzy Osbourne and A Tribe Called Quest. Artists become eligible for the Rock Hall 25 years after their first commercial release. Checker, Cocker, Bad Company and Outkast are all getting in on their first nominations. Cocker's induction comes 11 years after the English singer died back in 2014, and eight years after Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell's tragic death in 2017. Lauper and The White Stripes were both previously nominated in 2023, while this was Soundgarden's third time on the ballot after nominations in 2020 and 2023. Checker's waited the longest for an induction out of this year's class, having released his first album back in 1960. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2024: Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Olivia Rodrigo and More
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Soundgarden's Kim Thayil Says Chris Cornell Would ‘Definitely Be Stoked' About Rock Hall Induction
Kim Thayil says that even before Chris Cornell's death in 2017, the members of Soundgarden would have conversations about the band being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 'Sometimes ideas have been tossed out — sometimes as a lark, just general chatter among buddies, and sometimes as a more serious, sincere thing,' the guitarist tells Billboard. 'We would joke around like, 'Hey, if we ever got in the Rock Hall, what special thing would we do? Who would we want to induct us?' We'd throw out all sorts of things; some of it was bulls–t clowning around, some of it was serious. More from Billboard Outkast, The White Stripes, Soundgarden, Chubby Checker & More to Join 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class: Full List P1Harmony, SEVENTEEN's HxW & More Among KCON Los Angeles 2025 Performers How to Watch the 2025 Tony Nominations Announcement Livestream 'So we've given a little bit of thought to it.' Thayil and company are definitely thinking more seriously about it now that, after two previous nominations, Soundgarden has been named as part of the Rock Hall's class of 2025, which will be inducted on Nov. 8 in Los Angeles. First and foremost, he's happy the Seattle band's time has finally come. 'I felt fairly confident that there was absolutely no reason why we wouldn't qualify for induction — from how I appraised the work we did and from what I received over the years from our peers and the music industry,' Thayil says. 'I'm much more appreciative now, especially when I saw the response people have given me when they learn about the nominations.' Nevertheless, he acknowledges, his own enthusiasm for the Rock Hall honor took some time to evolve.'I kinda came from a subculture of rock that didn't quite get what all the fuss is about,' Thayil tells Billboard. 'Back in the '80s, '90s, when the Hall started, I probably was not alone in being part of a punk rock or indie metal scene that had an aversion to the idea. It was kind of hard to wrap my head around both a qualitative appraisal and a quantitative assessment.' His view changed first after Cornell inducted Seattle rock precursors Heart into the Rock Hall in 2013, and then later after friends from Nirvana and Pearl Jam (including Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron) were inducted during 2014 and 2017, respectively. 'Chris lived the experience and said the enthusiasm of the fans was eye-opening for him, and understanding how important that was — and Matt seconded it,' Thayil explains. 'In so many ways the fans got some kind of validation by having a band that was important to their heart and that they championed get (the honor). I know I felt that way about bands I believed in, whether the MC5 or the Ramones or Kiss. 'Chris explained that to me, and that kind of changed things. Plus I heard this from the Nirvana guys, the Pearl Jam guys, other friends and other bands. So it really changed my perspective.' And Thayil is confident that Cornell — who died by suicide in May of 2017 following a concert in Detroit — would 'definitely be stoked' about Soundgarden being inducted. 'He's the one who convinced me how appreciative the fans and our peers and the Soundgarden community — that includes the people that we work with and work for us — would be about it,' Thayil says. 'He realized how important that was, and he understood that would be important to us because it's important to people who cared about us and helped us and supported us all along. 'That's how I believe Chris would respond to this. I think he'd be very appreciative and thankful to all the people who have believed in him and believed in the work he did and the work that we all did, collectively.' Thayil says Cameron and bassist Ben Shepherd are both 'very happy' about the induction news, and the guitarist is also pleased that original bassist Hiro Yamamoto — who was with Soundgarden from 1984 to 1989 and played on its first two EPs and first two albums — is being included in the induction. 'It's the classic lineup and the foundational lineup,' Thayil says. '[Yamamoto] was really enthused, too. You have to reflect upon our formation and all the hard work, just the weird things we went through — walking miles and stapling posters to telephone poles for a gig 40, 50 people will be at, the van tours — not just of the U.S. but in Europe — sleeping on floors in Motel 6. It's a long way, and I enjoy sharing and seeing enthusiasm from my bandmates and our people in the Soundgarden community — management, crew, everybody. It's great.' During its 34-year run, Soundgarden released six studio albums, including the six-times platinum Superunknown in 1994, and won two Grammy Awards. The group was the first of the so-called Northwest grunge bands to sign with a major label (A&M Records in 1989) and spearheaded a movement out of Seattle. The late Cornell also released five studio albums and joined members of Rage Against the Machine in the band Audioslave during Soundgarden's 1997-2010 hiatus. Its final release to date was King Animal in 2012. Thayil, Cameron and Shepherd have played together only a handful of times since Cornell's death, including at a charity tribute concert for him during January 2019 and as part of the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert in September of 2022, both at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Soundgarden's previous Rock Hall nominations came in 2020 and 2023, and Thayil says Cornell's absence has always been top of mind when the honor has been broached. 'It's a high bar, not just technically, but emotionally,' he acknowledges. 'There has to be a reverence for the missing brother and founder, and there also has to be reverence for the legacy — both for Chris' work and Chris' creativity, as well as the regard and reverence we have for ourselves collectively and for each other. Some suggestions have come out; I'm not prepared to share that, but I'll just say it's a higher bar than the usual composite of guitarists and drummers or singers.' Also lurking, of course, is the specter of seven unreleased Soundgarden recordings that were the subject of legalities between the band and Cornell's widow, Vicki Cornell. The matters were settled during the spring of 2023, but there's no word about plans to release that material. 'Certainly the catalog will continue to be addressed,' Thayil promises. 'It's been kinda shelved for a few years, but it will be addressed.' In the meantime, Cameron is currently on tour with Pearl Jam, and work with Thayil in the band 3rd Secret — which also Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and others — has so far released two albums. Thayil also guests on albums for a variety of other artists, which he'll continue as Soundgarden prepares for November's festivities. 'We always wanted to be the kind of band for our fans that we looked up to and inspired us — that's always been a context in which Soundgarden understood its own work,' Thayil says. 'We wanted to be that kind of band would make decisions with regard to that community that had supported us or that we had worked to build, and I think we did a great job of that.' Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Outkast, The White Stripes, Soundgarden, Chubby Checker & More to Join 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class: Full List
Chubby Checker, whose 'The Twist' was a global smash in 1960, has been eligible for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame since the first class was inducted in 1986, but he was never even nominated until this year. Despite having been ignored for decades, he made it in his first time on the ballot. So did first-time nominees Bad Company, Joe Cocker and Outkast, as well as Cyndi Lauper and The White Stripes, who had each been nominated once before, and Soundgarden, which had been nominated twice before. These seven acts were all inducted in the performer category. More from Billboard Becoming Chris Cornell: Inside the Early Days of Soundgarden Maynard James Keenan Says 'Modern Miracles' Might Be Required for Ozzy Osbourne to Perform at Final Show Former MTV VJ Matt Pinfield Shares New Recovery Update Following Stroke The inductees were announced by Ryan Seacrest on ABC's American Idol on Sunday night (April 27). There are six other inductees this year in other categories. Salt-N-Pepa and Warren Zevon are set to receive the musical influence award; Philly Soul producer Thom Bell, English studio pianist/organist Nicky Hopkins and studio bass guitarist Carole Kaye (who was part of the fabled Wrecking Crew of top L.A. studio musicians) will receive the musical excellence award; and producer and label executive Lenny Waronker will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award. Sadly, several of these people didn't live to see their inductions. Hopkins died in 1994 at age 50; Zevon in 2003 at 56; Chris Cornell of Soundgarden in 2017 at 52; and Bell in 2022 at 79. Checker had to wait even longer for induction than Cher, who was finally inducted last year, 59 years after Sonny & Cher's breakthrough smash 'I Got You Babe.' With Outkast and Salt-N-Pepa both being inducted this year, this is the sixth consecutive year that one or more rap acts has been in the induction class. With Lauper, Salt-N-Pepa, Meg White of The White Stripes and Carol Kaye being inducted this year, this is the fourth consecutive year that four or more female acts were in the induction class. Bell won the first Grammy Award ever presented for producer of the year, non-classical, in 1975. By coincidence, Waronker was among the other nominees in the category that year. Waronker was also nominated for record of the year that year for producing Maria Muldaur's classy and sexy 'Midnight at the Oasis.' Waronker's many other hits as a producer include Gordon Lightfoot's Hot 100-topping 'Sundown,' Rickie Lee Jones' 'Chuck E.'s in Love' and Randy Newman's 'I Love L.A.,' which Dawes performed as the opening song on this year's Grammy telecast. Carol Kaye, 90, is this year's oldest inductee. Checker and Waronker are both 83, but will both be 84 by the time of the Nov. 8 induction ceremony. All of the artists who were induced in the performer category have landed top five albums on the Billboard 200. Three of them reached No. 1: Bad Company (Bad Company, 1974), Outkast (Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, 2003) and Soundgarden (Superunknown, 1994). Three more reached No. 2: Chubby Checker (Your Twist Party, 1962), Joe Cocker (Mad Dogs and Englishmen, 1970) and The White Stripes (Icky Thump, 2007). Lauper climbed as high as No. 4 twice, with She's So Unusual in 1984 and True Colors in 1986. Both of the artists who are receiving musical influence awards made the top 10. Salt-N-Pepa reached No. 4 with Very Necessary in 1994. Zevon hit No. 8 with Excitable Boy in 1978. Lauper won the Grammy for best new artist in 1985. She's the sixth artist who was a past winner of that award to go on to a Rock Hall induction. Outkast won the Grammy for album of the year in 2004 for Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. André 3000 was nominated again in that category at this year's ceremony for New Blue Sun. Two of the inducted acts are duos – Outkast (André 3000 and Big Boi) and The White Stripes (Jack White and Meg White). The other seven nominees in the performer category were denied admission to the Rock Hall – this year, anyway. Oasis and Mariah Carey were both passed over for the second year in a row. Both were surprising snubs – Oasis is reuniting for a global tour in 2025; Carey's profile, never low, has been boosted in recent years by her status as the uncontested Queen of Christmas. Of the other passed-over artists, Joy Division/New Order were previously on the ballot in 2023; this was the first time on the ballot for The Black Crowes, Billy Idol, Maná and Phish. The voters showed no love for brother acts this year. Oasis includes Liam and Noel Gallagher; The Black Crowes includes Chris and Rich Robinson. Maná was vying to become the first rock en español act to make the Rock Hall. Joy Division/New Order was vying to join the short list of two related acts being inducted in tandem, following Parliament/Funkadelic in 1997 and The Small Faces/Faces in 2012. Phish, which won this year's fan vote, has never landed a Hot 100 hit, but the band is a powerhouse live attraction, as evidenced when it played the Sphere in Las Vegas in April 2024. Idol was a mainstay of early MTV – as was Lauper, who did get in. In an interview with Vulture, Idol said of his guitarist Steve Stevens, 'Because of our special relationship, if I get in, they will induct him as well.' This would have echoed Pat Benatar's induction three years ago, where the Rock Hall inducted both Benatar and her husband and musical partner, Neil Giraldo. But it's academic, as Idol didn't make it this year. The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction will be live on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. The 2025 ceremony will once again stream live on Disney+, with a special airing on ABC at a later date and available on Hulu the next day. The 2024 ceremony aired on New Year's Day. Here's the full list of 2025 inductees: Bad Company Chubby Checker Joe Cocker Cyndi Lauper Outkast Soundgarden The White Stripes Salt-N-Pepa Warren Zevon Thom Bell Nicky Hopkins Carol Kaye Lenny Waronker Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
