• Macklemore Confirms New Album on Twitter, Assures Fans That 'The Heist' Follow-Up Will Be Out in 2015

    It looks like 2015 will be a good year for Macklemore fans. Although nothing official has been announced, the "Thrift Shop" rapper recently responded to a comment on Twitter asking about new music. Mack responded by telling the follower that new material will be out this year, "XXL" notes. The release will be the follow-up to 2012's smash hit "The Heist."RT @loucereal: Its 2015 and I still don't have a new @macklemore album wtf <- you will this year. Believe that — Macklemore (@macklemore) January 1, 2015This is big news for fans who have been patiently waiting around for new Macklemore music. "The Heist" propelled the rapper and collaborator Ryan Lewis to stardom following a slew of hits like "Same Love," "Can't Hold Us" and "Thrift Shop." The effort went straight to No. 1 on multiple charts, but peaked at No. 2 on the "Billboard" 200."It's these sort of astute observations on the human condition and keen self-awareness that set this effort apart. That reality, coupled with Ryan Lewis' vast, daring and layered production, makes "The Heist" a truly beautiful album that challenges musical boundaries," "XXL" wrote about the album.Mack recently stopped by Ebro in the Morning to talk about being a white artist in the hip-hop realm.
  • Brian Johnson of AC/DC Joins Billy Joel for 'You Shook Me All Night Long' at New Year's Eve Gig [WATCH]

    Billy Joel rang in the New Year at the Amway Center in Florida, saving one big surprise for midnight. AC/DC's Brian Johnson joined the New York native on stage for a heavy rendition of his band's classic "You Shook Me All Night Long." The crowd could not have been happier.Joel got up from his piano for this one and slung a guitar around his body for the 1980 tune from "Back in Black." Johnson howls in the clip below, via Ultimate Classic Rock, as Joel and his band play a spot-on cover. The crowd freaks out at the end of the song, knowing too well that they just witnessed two of rock's best slay an awesome song.Previously, Johnson stopped by Madison Square Garden in March to perform the tune with Joel. The Piano Man also took on "Highway to Hell" in August with Dead Daisies frontman Jon Stevens.Everyone in the rock realm seems to be showing some love for AC/DC as of late. Gov't Mule collaborated with Slash and Myles Kennedy New Year's Eve on an entire set made famous by the Australian rockers. The setlist included "Shoot to Thrill," "T.N.T." and "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap." Check it out here.
  • Piano Stores Closing Doors as Fewer New Instruments Being Sold; Busy Kids and Restorations Hurting Sales

    Everybody knows that album sales are down, and at least in the UK singles downloads are down as well, but the advancement of the computer age is leaving another segment of the music market in the dust as well: pianos. A mini-feature by Billboard sheds light on the rapid rate at which piano retailers are closing their doors amid a climate where folks just aren't shelling out for the most significant of instruments. Last year saw the sale of somewhere between 30,000 and 40,000 pianos...compared to the instrument's peak year of 1909, when more than 364,000 were sold.
  • Migos Share "Wishy Washy" Music Video [WATCH]

    Atlanta hip-hop trio, Migos, have shared the music video for their song, "Wishy Washy," which you can check out here. The Gabriel Hart-directed video features the trio rapping in a laundromat (these guys are tough) while surrounded by a bunch of women who are being quite blatantly objectified in pretty much every single shot.
  • Chief Keef Shares New Track "That Be Me" [LISTEN]

    Chicago rapper, Chief Keef, has rung in the new year with a new track for his fans titled, "That Be Me," which you can check out here. Keef doesn't so much rap as sing-speak with Autotune over YG On Da Beat's spacy production, which honesty sounds much better than most of the beats that Keef cooks up for himself. It's not clear if this track will ultimately appear on one of Keef's many upcoming projects or if it's simply a standalone single.
  • Angus Young Describes AC/DC's Signature Style: 'We Want That Big Sound' [LISTEN]

    Few bands have created and maintained a musical style for 40 years like AC/DC. The Austrailian rockers -- Brian Johnson, Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd -- took the signature sound established with former lead singer, Bon Scott, and expanded on it with albums like 'Back in Black,' 'For Those About to Rock We Salute You' and 'Black Ice.' Angus spoke with Rock FM recently about the band's brand of lean hard rock
  • 7 Renditions of "The Promise" to Celebrate Your New Year's Resolution: Bruce Springsteen, When In Rome, Tracy Chapman and More

    Ugh, Day one of a new year. By this point we've already broken our new year's resolution, if only to recover from the hangover we're enduring to last year's last minute binge. Congratulations to you if you actually come through and accomplish your goals for 2015. Plenty of bands have made a promise, or "The Promise" to be specific. Here are a few examples, from Bruce Springsteen to When In Rome.