:: PRELUDE
Guess who's back? Back again. Zappa’s back. Tell a friend.
Zappagram was born here on Substack, where I’ve published weekly (sometimes multiple times a week) since 2021. Earlier this summer, I got a wild hair up my ass.
A few of my friends jumped ship and moved their writing to a platform called Ghost. I looked into Ghost and liked much of what I saw. Ghost is a non-profit organization and is built on open-source technology. The platform has a lovely interface, and the websites built there are slick and modern. I decided to move Zappagram over there, knowing I could always return to Substack if things didn’t work out.
Cut to today: Zappagram is officially back on Substack, so take what you will from that. I’ll say this about Substack versus any other platform: you won’t find another place to host your writing that is as feature-rich or community-centric as Substack.
And that’s what makes Substack great: the people—the unparalleled, thriving community that only exists here. Great writers share their best work here, and passionate readers earnestly gather around the clock to support that work. Whether you’re publishing a longform article or a short post on Notes, there is substantial and meaningful engagement. Ideas are shared. Friends are made.
That combination is something you won’t find anywhere else but Substack.
So, I’m sorry I left for a while. I was distracted by something shiny and had to go check it out, and now that I got that out of my system, I won’t be wandering off again.
Thanks to everyone for welcoming me back with open arms, for your kindness, and your unending support.
You guys are the best.
Now, where were we? Oh yeah…
You guys, I’m pissed.
Visit billboard.com or rollingstone.com and if you have an ad blocker enabled in your browser, you will be greeted with a giant popup obscuring the screen, inviting you to disable your ad blocker to “support independent music journalism.”
Independent music journalism? I beg your finest pardon.
Billboard.com is owned by Penske Media Corporation, one of the largest publishing corporations in America. PMC also runs Variety, Rolling Stone, Vibe, The Hollywood Reporter, and several other huge publications, and they’re owned by Jay Penske, a multimillionaire who has been compared to William Randolph Hearst and Rupert Murdoch for his acquisition of media brands.
Independent music journalism, my ass.
Independent journalists operate without the constraints or agendas of large media conglomerates. This is, by definition, what makes us “independent.” We have the latitude to express honest opinions, provide critique, and champion whatever we want without pressure from advertisers or any commercial interests. We not only play a crucial role in the shifting media landscape, but I’d argue that we independents are the new guard, rapidly replacing legacy media outlets like Billboard and Rolling Stone, rendering them both irrelevant and obsolete, and we’re doing so with alarming momentum.
It’s the changing of the guard—out with the old and in with the new.
So, if you support Zappagram you are supporting true independent journalism, and the same goes for On Repeat Records, Abandoned Albums, Can’t Get Much Higher, Critical Conditions, Dig Me Out, , Herizon Music, The Honest Broker, Listening Sessions, Matt Berenson's Newsletter for Music Obsessives, New Bands For Old Heads, The New Cue, , Remember The Lightning, So It Goes, and Songletter.
All of these writers (as well as many others on Substack) are true independent music journalists and they are each incredibly deserving of your support.
It pisses me off to see a corporate-owned media conglomerate attempting to co-opt what we do, disrespecting their readers by lying to them, and branding themselves as “independent” when they are anything but.
As Kendrick Lamar said: they not like us.
We are the independent journalists. Not Billboard or Rolling Stone or Vibe or Variety. They need to stay in their damn lane. Corporations have already stolen too much from us and now they want to pretend that they’re one of us?
I don’t f*cking think so.
Enough ranting and raving from this lunatic. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover this week. Let’s do this…
Ground control to reader: Take your protein pills. Put your helmet on.
This newsletter ain’t gonna read itself.
🎵 For a limited time,Apple Musicis offering three free months to new subscribers. The promotion runs until September 23rd; sign up to claim it here. 🎵
:: WEEKLY MIXTAPE
Zappagram #123 [Spotify|Apple Music] featuring: Oasis, Mondo Cozmo, Wunderhorse, Valley, Skinshape, Allen Stone, Michelle, Mustafa
Zappagram master playlist (all music from past) on Spotify or Apple Music.
:: MUSIC NEWS
» The biggest news this week is the reunion of Oasis. Last week marked the 30th anniversary of their debut album Definitely Maybe, and now the Gallagher brothers have announced a run of reunion shows in the UK and Ireland set to kick off in July 2025. This has caused Taylor-Swift-Eras-Tour levels of crashes and frustration among fans who’ve flooded Ticketmaster in an attempt to score tickets. The band’s representatives are now saying that all the tickets have been sold, but hinted more shows may be announced, saying “anticipation for details of the tour’s international dates is now rapidly mounting.” ❖
» Jack White says he’s filing a lawsuit against Donald Trump after a member of his campaign posted a video on social media featuring Trump departing for Michigan and Wisconsin, soundtracked to The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” Jack did not mince words. His response to Trump is worth a read. ❖
» ABBA have joined the chorus of artists demanding that Donald Trump cease playing their music at campaign rallies. The legendary pop group has instructed its record label, Universal Music, to inform Trump’s campaign that it does not have permission or license to use its music. ❖
» Next week, Donald Trump will appear in federal court in Atlanta over an injunction request filed by Isaac Hayes’ estate regarding the unauthorized use of the song “Hold On, I’m Coming.” Hayes’ estate is suing Trump for $3 million after allegedly finding 134 instances where the former president used “Hold On, I’m Coming” at campaign rallies without permission. ❖
» New York rapper Fatman Scoop, who scored an unlikely international hit in the early 2000s with “Be Faithful” and won a Grammy for his contribution to Missy Elliott’s hit “Lose Control,” died on Saturday (Aug. 31) after collapsing during a performance at a free concert in Hamden, Ct. He was 53. ❖
» Since the ongoing crisis in the Middle East escalated to a new level last October, many artists have mobilized to use their platforms in a variety of ways, including participating in the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and cultural boycotts of Israel. Some, though, have doubts about the effectiveness of such moves, like Nick Cave, who has pushed back against calls for such boycotts in a new interview. Update: Now, Roger Waters has responded to Nick Cave and, whoo boy, he did not tread lightly. ❖
» Bryan Ferry has released a new song—his first original composition since 2014’s Avonmore—that, per a press release, began as a “sketch” by Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, before Ferry and guest singer Amelia Barratt completed it. ❖
» RZA is almost inseparable from the legacy of the Wu-Tang Clan hip-hop collective he helped form in 1992, putting his stamp on the genre through his unique way of mixing soul samples. These days, though, he's trying his hand at classical music. A ballet he premiered with the Colorado Symphony last year has now made its way into an album. ❖
» Back in June, Neil Young cancelled the final 10 shows of his Love Earth tour, his first tour with Crazy Horse in a decade, citing the need for members of the band to recover from illness. He’s now discussed what happened in more detail in a Zooom Q&A with paid Neil Young Archives subscribers. ❖
» It seems that Lana Del Rey does not really have a “type” in the traditional sense. In recent years, she’s dated a cop, she got engaged to a guy who was in a YouTube cover band, then she dated a different musician, and then she got engaged again, this time to a musician and agent. Sure, you might look at that and think, Sounds like she likes musicians, actually. But Del Rey is going to zig when you want her to zag. Her latest rumored beau is a guy who gives alligator tours on an airboat in Louisiana. ❖
:: B-SIDES
» Kamala Harris once took her cousin to a Bad Religion concert. ❖
» Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ 1982 album, Long After Dark, receives a deluxe reissue set for release on October 18th. ❖
» Ween have announced they are stepping away from touring for the foreseeable future due to Michael “Dean Ween” Melchiondo’s continued mental health struggles. ❖
» The Cure have announced a 12-inch eco-vinyl single featuring two live recordings of new songs called “And Nothing Is Forever” and “I Can Never Say Goodbye” to be released on October 1st. ❖
» Morrissey says he accepted offer to reunite The Smiths in 2025, but Johnny Marr turned it down. ❖
» The Breeders’ Kim Deal is getting ready to release her first solo studio album. Nobody Loves You More is out November 22. ❖
» The Smile returns, perhaps sooner than expected, with their second album of the year, on October 4. ❖
» Jeff Lynne’s ELO kicks off farewell tour. I’ve seen some clips from the first show and Lynne still sounds just as amazing as he did back in the day. ❖
» Maren Morris says her family received “scary” death threats after she called out Morgan Wallen. ❖
:: Z-REX
In honor of Oasis getting back together, here’s their legendary performance from Wembley Stadium in July 2000. Parts of this show would become their live album Familiar To Millions.
:: ON TOUR
Now through November 23rd one of my favorite bands, Local Natives, are on tour, gracing cities across the U.S. with their unique blend of what Flood Magazine calls “upbeat-yet-melancholy alt-pop.” Check tour dates here and stream their gorgeous new album, “But I’ll Wait For You” here.
:: NEW RELEASES
The Boxmasters: Love & Hate In Desperate Places • John Legend: My Favorite Dream • Jon Hopkins:Ritual• Los Bitchos: Talkie Talkie • Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds:Wild God• Oasis:Definitely Maybe (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) • Ty Segall:Love Rudiments • Tycho: Infinite Health • U2: ZOO TV – Live In Dublin 1993 EP
:: RELEASE RADAR
SEPT 6 - Alanis Morissette: Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie (Thank U Edition) • David Gilmour: Luck and Strange • Eva Cassidy: Walkin’ After Midnight • The Flaming Lips: The Soft Bulletin (25th Anniversary Vinyl Reissue) • The Heavy Heavy: One of a Kind • Max Richter:In a Landscape • Mercury Rev:Born Horses • MJ Lenderman:Manning Fireworks • Neil Young:Neil Young Archives Vol. III Takes
SEPT 13 - Chilly Gonzales: GONZO • Dale Crover (of Melvins): Glossolaliao • The Damned: AD 2022 – Live in Manchester • Floating Points: Cascade • Foxing: Foxing • London Grammar: The Greatest Love • M. Ward: For Beginners: The Best of M. Ward • Nada Surf: Moon Mirror • The Notorious B.I.G.: Ready To Die (30th Anniversary) • Snow Patrol: The Forest Is the Path
SEPT 20 - Bob Dylan & The Band: The 1974 Live Recordings • Bright Eyes: Five Dice, All Threes • Butthole Surfers: Locust Abortion Technician (Vinyl Reissue) • Fleetwood Mac: Mirage Tour ’82 (Live) • Galaxie 500: Uncollected Noise New York ’88-’90 • Gregg Allman Band: Uncle Sam’s • Hippo Campus: Flood • Jamie xx: In Waves • Jesse Malin: Silver Patron Saints • Joan as Police Woman: Lemons, Limes and Orchids • Julian Casblancas + The Voidz: Like All Before You• Phil Collins: Both Sides (All The Sides) Box Set • Sade: Love Deluxe (Vinyl Reissue) • Sarah Jarosz: Polaroid Lovers (Deluxe Edition) • Thurston Moore: Flow Critical Lucidity • Wilderado: Talker
SEPT 27 - AC/DC: Fly on the Wall (Vinyl Reissue) • Alan Sparhawk: White Roses, My God • Alice in Chains: Black Gives Way to Blue (Vinyl Reissue) • Billy Strings: Highway Prayers • The Fray: The Fray Is Back EP • Gavin DeGraw: Chariot 20 • Genesis: Invisible Touch (Vinyl Reissue) • Kate Bollinger: Songs From a Thousand Frames of Mind • Lou Reed: Why Don’t You Smile Now: Lou Reed at Pickwick Records 1964-65 • October Drift: Blame the Young • Tropical f*ck Storm: Tropical f*ck Storm’s Inflatable Graveyard
OCT 4 - Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Volume II (Expanded Edition) • Better Than Ezra: Friction, Baby (Vinyl Reissue) • Coldplay: Moon Music • Don Henley: Building the Perfect Beast (40th Anniversary Edition) • Finneas: For Cryin’ Out Loud! • Hazlett: Goodbye to the Valley • Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit: Live From the Ryman Vol. 2 • Joni Mitchell: Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980) • Leon Bridges: Leon • Neil Young: Freedom(Vinyl Reissue) • Suede: Dog Man Star (30th Anniversary Edition)
:: ON THIS DATE
SEPT 2 - Birthdays: Billy Preston (1946) • Steve Porcaro (1957) • Thieves broke into the London home of Icelandic singer Björk and stole valuable recording equipment. The 36-year-old singer was asleep in the flat at the time of the incident. (2002) • Australian rock musician Conway Savage, from Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds died, aged 58. (2018)
SEPT 3 - Birthdays: Blues guitarist Freddie King (1934) • Al Jardine (1942) • Steve Jones of Sex Pistols (1955) • David Mead (1973) • Walter Becker, co-founder and guitarist of Steely Dan died aged 67. (2017) • The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert was held in London, England. (2022)
SEPT 4 - Birthdays: Kim Thayil of Soundgarden (1960) • Mark Ronson (1975) • Beyonce (1981) • The first guitar torched on stage by Jimi Hendrix sold for $328k at an auction of rock memorabilia. (2008) • Gary Wright of “Dream Weaver” fame, died at the age of 80. (2023)
SEPT 5 - Birthdays: Al Stewart (1945) • Freddie Mercury & Loudon Wainwright III (1946) • Brad Wilk of Rage Against The Machine (1968) • An asteroid was named after Freddie Mercury on what would have been the singer's 70th birthday. (2016)
SEPT 6 - Birthdays: Roger Waters (1943) • Dean Fertita of Queens Of The Stone Age (1970) • Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries (1971) • Elton John recorded a new version of “Candle In The Wind” after performing the song live at Diana Princess of Wales funeral. (1997)
SEPT 7 - Birthdays: Buddy Holly (1936) • Gloria Gaynor (1947) • Chrissie Hynde (1951) • Benmont Tench (1954) • Eazy-E of NWA (1964) • Keith Moon died of a overdose. (1978) • Warren Zevon died. (2003)
SEPT 8 - Birthdays: Patsy Cline (1932) • Benjamin Orr of The Cars (1947) • Aimee Mann (1960) • David Bowie performed the first interactive concert when his performance was beamed live into 21 cinemas from Warsaw to Edinburgh. (2003) • Co-founding member of Kool & the Gang, Ronald Bell, died at the age of 68. (2020)
:: CODA
Please support Zappagram by sharing with your friends, enemies, dental hygienists, parole officers, second cousins, personal trainers, and next door neighbors two houses down, or upgrade to an affordable paid subscription. For the price of one gallon of gas, you can be a monthly Zappagram patron and feel good about supporting independent journalism. That’s rock n roll.
May all your albums play without any skips.
