From Chappell Roan’s long break to A.I. Ozzy Osbourne tributes, this is what The FADER editors are talking about.
Photo by BG048/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Erika Goldring/WireImage/NPR
Rod Stewart’s A.I. slop tribute to Ozzy Osbourne
Oh dear, oh dear. While people are understandably sad at the passing of Ozzy Osbourne, this is not the way to remember him. Rod Stewart fans noted this week that the aging rock star has included a video honoring the late Black Sabbath frontman into his live shows. That’s pretty standard. What’s unusual about this particular video is that it consists of entirely A.I. generated images of Ozzy hanging out in Heaven with some of the stars we miss the most; think Kurt Cobain, Any Winehouse, and Tupac. XXXTentacion also makes an appearance, taking things to a new level of poor judgement.
Chappell Roan could be disappearing for a while
Speaking in a new interview, Roan said that her breakout album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess took her five years to write and that the follow-up could take just as long. “I’m not that type of writer that can pump it out,” she said. See you in 2030, Chappell!
Doechii is hitting the road
Coming off the back of a summer of standout festival performances, Doechii has announced details of a North American tour. Dubbed the “Live From The Swamp Tour,” the run of shows will take Doechii across 12-cities starting on October 14 at Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. The tour will then move to Toronto, the Eastern Seaboard, Georgia, Texas, and Arizona before wrapping up with a west coast run comprising three shows in San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle.
Topshelf Records’ Gaza pledge
Topshelf, the indie label home to bands including Ratboys, Peel Dream Magazine, Ekko Astral, Parannoul, Mal Devisa, and more, has shared details of a fundraising campaign aimed at raising funds for people in Gaza. Every month for the next 5 months, Topshelf will match every donation of up to $1,000. Proceeds will be donated to the Sameer Project, an organization that helps distribute life-saving aid across Gaza. Head to Topshelf’s website to contribute.
MIKE killed his Tiny Desk Concert
Finally, end the week by checking out MIKE’s recent appearanece on NPR’s Tiny Desk series. Joined by a band that included duendita, Mark William Lewis, and Live.e, MIKE ran through a collection of songs from his latest album, Showbiz!, plus deep cuts from his vast catalog. His carefree and impassioned performance is guaranteed to put a smile on your face,.