Here we are with some of today’s top news in music:
- Philadelphia band Good Old War released a five-song EP a few weeks ago, and just yesterday released a music video for the first song. It’s a nice return for a band that really looked like it was going to break up just a few months ago.
- I’m not sure exactly what’s happening with Philly punk band Beach Slang, but there’s sort of a new album on the way! Basically, their guitarist was accused of sexual assault and subsequently removed from the band. James Alex, the band’s lead singer, basically said at the time that he would continue playing music, but acoustic and solo for now, under the name Quiet Slang. He released a pretty decent EP last year under the name, called We Were Babies & We Were Dirtbags, and now there’s a full length, made up of acoustic recordings of songs from across Beach Slang’s two LPs and three EPs. Everything Matters and No One is Listening is out May 18.
- SXSW Film Festival, coming up next week, will feature the debut of a film called Paradox, which stars Neil Young, Willie Nelson, and Lukas Nelson in a narrative film billed as ‘a loud poem.’ What the SXSW description calls ‘a whimsical western tale of music and love’ has just been acquired by Netflix and will be added to the streaming service on March 23. I know Young has directed and produced movies, as well as contributing and writing songs to various soundtracks, but as far as I can tell, this is the first time he’s playing the lead in a non-documentary feature film.
- Oklahoman singer-songwriter Parker Millsap’s new album Other Arrangements is out May 4th. This morning we got the first song, “Fine Line,” off his fourth and first since 2016’s excellent The Very Last Day.