Sunset Marquis Hotel’s Legacy Recounted at Events with Lzzy Hale and Sharon OsbourneHeld at Landmark Theatres on Sunset Boulevard, just steps from the Sunset Strip, the double-header premiere of If These Walls Could Rock celebrated the new documentary chronicling the legendary history of the Sunset Marquis Hotel. Friday, August 14 featured a Q&A with Allison Hagendorf and Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, while Saturday, August 15 featured MC contributor Lyndsey Parker, and Sharon Osbourne.

Directed by Tyler Measom and Craig A. Williams, the 93-minute documentary spans more than 60 years of Sunset Marquis history and features over 40 music-industry figures, including Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, Slash, Dave Grohl, and Morrissey. The film also explores the relationship between father-and-son owners George and Mark Rosenthal and the hotel’s evolution alongside Los Angeles’ changing music scene.

Following Friday’s screening, Hale recalled first arriving in Los Angeles with her band, stopping at the hotel’s famed bar and running into the late, great Amy Winehouse.

Saturday’s screening welcomed guests including Howie Mandel, followed by a Q&A in which Sharon Osbourne recalled the Osbourne family’s many stays at the Sunset Marquis, describing it as a place where Ozzy felt comfortable being himself. She also expanded on a story from the film about daughter Kelly Osbourne trying cocaine for the first time at the hotel, revealing that Courtney Love was the previously unnamed rock star who gave it to her. These stories offer just a glimpse into the countless tales brought to life throughout the documentary.

If These Walls Could Rock is a worthwhile watch for music fans interested in the stories behind one of Los Angeles’ most storied rock 'n' roll hotels - a place some rock stars still regularly call home while in town. The film is now playing in select theaters and is available to watch digitally on Apple TV and Prime Video.The post Sunset Marquis Hotel’s Legacy Recounted at Events with Lzzy Hale and Sharon Osbourne first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Robert Kyncl justifies Suno deal, as UMG and Sony press on with lawsuit: ‘In my opinion, you embrace it.’Kyncl appeared on Semafor's Mixed Signals podcast on Friday (August 14), where he discussed Suno – and why he'd start a music service at Netflix.
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Do What You Fear Most: The Top 5 Velvet Underground Albums

AROOJ AFTAB JOINS NORAH JONES FOR PODCAST PERFORMANCEArooj Aftab appeared on Norah Jones’ podcast Norah Jones Is Playing Along, where the two performed selections from their catalogs and a cover of Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?”

The episode highlights their musical chemistry and conversation, arriving as Aftab continues a series of collaborations and sets off to open select dates on St. Vincent’s orchestral tour.

The post AROOJ AFTAB JOINS NORAH JONES FOR PODCAST PERFORMANCE first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

From Suno’s BMG breakthrough to Live Nation’s counterfeit crackdown… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-upThe biggest headlines from the past few days...
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Suno launches Studio 2.0 with MIDI support, an AI chat bar… and no download limitSuno claims that "Grammy-winning artists" have used Suno Studio in the past to "make chart-topping hits"
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Moon Walker at the The Vera ProjectEclectic alternative people of varying ages could be found littered around Seattle Center on June 14th, all of whom were clearly residents of “Wasteland Country”, courtesy of Brooklyn-based band Moon Walker. Harry Springer, better known as the face and front man of the project Moon Walker, is known for weaponizing the short-form algorithm in his favor to promote his dystopian, politically charged indie rock. In an era where social media has a chokehold on the music industry, many artists are forced to become influencers in order to promote their art; Moon Walker, however, has been able to use this formula to push his artistic message of anti-capitalism and general political nihilism.

Arriving at notorious all-ages venue The Vera Project early was clearly the strategy, as the merch line spanned across the entire venue, right as doors opened. From New Order to Militaire Gun, band shirts could be seen all over the main ballroom on older crowd members, presumably those who hear older glam and psychedelic influences in the bands’ sound. While functioning primarily as an indie/rock group, Moon Walker has been cited as having influences all over the map, including blues, glam, garage, and psychedelic rock.

Super Cassette

Initial opening band Super Cassette gave the crowd a queer Californian pop-punk summer, as they chanted original songs about drugs, satan, and gender to a crowd hungry for whimsy. While still maintaining a core pop sound, the band could diversely channel Pansy Division-style pop-punk one minute and The Strokes-style indie melancholia the next. Chicago-based band Pretoria followed shortly after, making what can only be described as 2000s Disney Channel montage music, with a bit of subtextual jazzy surfy-ness.

Pretoria

After a quick coffee break at The Vera Projects' in-house cafe, it was time to be consumed by the bleak bright yellow world of Moon Walker’s fifth album, WASTELAND COUNTRY. Aesthetic consistency was on full display as the band arrived in matching jumpsuits, à la Devo. It was clear that the “Wasteland Country” concept ran far deeper than just the album, as the backtrack serenaded the crowd with a haunting orchestral melody before robotically announcing “Each day begins with a happy face”. The band quickly jumped into hits off the album such as “HAPPY FACE”, “SUPERNATIONALIST”, and “EVERYBODY GOES TO HEAVEN”. The tracks took

on a far darker and more blues-inspired tone when performed live as the raw guitar melted seamlessly with the deep, hollow bass notes.

Other tracks from the project's past, like “Regular People” and “Ban This Song,” were resurrected, alongside covers of Nirvana's “Heart Shaped Box” and Black Sabbath's “War Pigs”. The covers were, of course, given an apocalyptic sci-fi brutalist spin to fit the show's message. The band's presence left little to be desired as they maintained a rockstar-like swagger with a throughline of chaotic insurgence

Moon Walker is a project that is incredibly sure of itself; between the social media marketing and the visual direction of the latest releases, Springer knows he’s going places. These days it's sacrilege not to be self-deprecating and overtly humble, so this project feels like a breath of fresh air. It will be interesting to see what other stories the band has to tell us in the coming years through their albums and tours.

Moon WalkerThe post Moon Walker at the The Vera Project first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

The Day Roger Waters Quit Pink Floyd — And Why It Ended Up in Court

"CONFESSIONS II" by MadonnaWarner RecordsProducer: Stuart Price

The queen of pop returns to rule the dancefloor with CONFESSIONS II. The highly anticipated sequel to Confessions on a Dance Floor reunites Madonna with British producer Stuart Price. Like the 2005 release, all 16 songs of CONFESSIONS II blend together like a DJ set. Spoken word monologues are sprinkled throughout each song, bringing us closer to Madonna’s world. The album opener “I Feel So Free” reveals her struggles of being in the public eye and finding comfort in a crowded club.

The album is ultimately a love letter to the dance floor as she asserts, “The dance floor is not just a place/ It’s a threshold, a ritualistic space where movement replaces language” in the track “One Step Away.” The album delves deeper into her life as the French touch electronic song “Danceteria” is named after the New York club where she worked and got discovered by DJ Mark Kamins.

The latter half of the album takes a more somber tone as “Fragile” is a heartfelt nod to her late brother. She also duets with her daughter Lourdes “Lola” Leon in “The Test.” The raw track highlights their strained relationship and the pressures of living in the spotlight. The album perfectly captures and revitalizes Madonna’s signature sound. The post "CONFESSIONS II" by Madonna first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Anghami co-founder Eddy Maroun launches Arabic music IP platform IPNation, targeting $100m with backing from Influence Media PartnersIPNation describes itself as the first investment platform dedicated exclusively to Arabic music catalogs and entertainment IP.
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John Mellencamp at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CAJohn Mellencamp is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee (2008), Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductee (2018), 13-time GRAMMY nominee, and has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide. Mellencamp played the Hollywood Bowl last night (8/10) for a night of hits. 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of Mellencamp’s debut album, Chestnut Street Incident. It was in the ’80s that Mellencamp found major success with albums like his No. 1 American Fool and Top 10 albums Uh-Huh, Scarecrow, The Lonesome Jubilee, and Big Daddy. In the ’90s, Mellencamp had two Top 10 albums, Human Wheels and Mr. Happy Go Lucky, and continued that success in the 2000s with Freedom’s Road and Life, Death, Love and Freedom. In 2017 and 2018, Mellencamp had back-to-back No. 1 albums on the Folk chart with Sad Clowns & Hillbillies and Other People’s Stuff. Overall, Mellencamp has had 13 albums certified between Gold and 5x Platinum and 16 Top 25 albums.

At the Bowl, Mellencamp took the stage around 8:15 p.m. with no opening act, playing until almost 11 p.m. with a 15-minute intermission. Mellencamp last played the Hollywood Bowl in 2024 as part of Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival, and the year before played the Dolby Theatre down the street. Mellencamp played Phoenix the night before, where the show was delayed after just six songs due to thunderstorms.

Mellencamp’s band played an intro before walking out, leading into “Lawless Times.” The 24-song set had everything a fan would want, including “Small Town,” “Lonely Ol’ Night,” “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute to 60’s Rock),” “Jack and Diane” (acoustic), “Rain on the Scarecrow,” “Authority Song,” “Pink Houses,” “Crumblin’ Down,” “Cherry Bomb,” and the closing song, “Hurts So Good.”

Following the first half, Mellencamp said, “Now you've seen the first guy opening act. The next guy told me to tell you to get your dancing shoes on.”

Before “Rain on the Scarecrow,” Mellencamp talked about Farm Aid, which he formed with Nelson and Neil Young. Last year marked the 40th anniversary of their annual benefit concert supporting family-run farms.

Photos by Alex KluftThe post John Mellencamp at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Classical Reviews July 2026

A Song That Changed My Life: Frankie Muriel on Cal Tjader’s “Soul Sauce (Guachi Guaro)”The Artist: Frankie Muriel

The Storyteller: Frankie Muriel

The Song: Shimmery, nimble vibraphone lines and a montuno piano vamp open Cal Tjader’s 1960s classic “Soul Sauce (Guachi Guaro).” They lock into a rich intersection of classic son clave rhythms, while the glassy glissando runs of the vibraphone—the distinct, metal-bar-based pitched percussion instrument famously popularized by jazz pioneer Lionel Hampton—weave seamlessly throughout the entire track. A reinterpretation of jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo's "Guarachi Guaro," Tjader’s version mutates standard jazz progressions to create a distinct brand of cool, spacious, melodic froth.

This compelling fusion, built on a base of Latin grooves, became the signature sound that attracted a massive wave of new listeners, ultimately helping to bring this style of jazz to the forefront. That same vibraphone aesthetic, interwoven with a rolling mambo beat,  remains audible in the work of conga legend Poncho Sanchez as well as the dream-fused loops heard in modern heavyweights like Tyler, The Creator, who notably interpolated Tjader’s arrangement of "Invitation."

The Background: Possessing a keen awareness of music from a young age — taking note of the vibrant sounds of his father, Frank Muriel, an accomplished Latin jazz percussionist — Frankie Muriel the younger naturally developed a deep relationship with rhythm. Beyond the beat, he absorbed an innate knack for songwriting and showmanship, an inherited intuition that helped him to heed the call to entertain. This compulsion eventually steered him to front the funk-rock-flavored band KINGOFTHEHILL. With MTV heyday hits like “I Do U” becoming mainstream fixtures, Muriel learned the art of the larger-than-life performance.

While enjoying peak popularity, Muriel noted the unpredictable tides of musical tastes and industry trends. Observing these shifts, he recognized that longevity often required strategic pivoting as well as a strong dose of creative autonomy. Armed with this sharp survival instinct, he prepared to adapt, ensconcing himself in recording studios to learn the ins and outs of the production process while plotting a way to reinvent his career and re-emerge.This behind-the-scenes education proved to be both creatively liberating and highly profitable, ultimately paving the way for his return to lead the dance-rock juggernaut Dr. Zhivegas. The demanding live show marathon, filled with dynamic theatrics and spectacular staging, captured a massive following for nearly three decades. Yet, after years of relentless touring and sensing another sea change, Muriel course-corrected, moving away from the band formats of his past toward a solo endeavor. Beginning with the 2025 release I’m Still Standing, and continuing into his recent release, The Cabo Sessions, Muriel comes full circle, returning to the improvisational rhythms that first inspired him as a child.

The Story: Nights infused with syncopated percussive breaks and vibrant Latin melodies were a constant from an early age for Frankie Muriel. For him, music and memory became an inseparable tapestry of sights and sounds, with its selvage being Cal Tjader’s classic “Soul Sauce (Guachi Guaro).” Growing up under the immediate influence of his father, Frank Muriel, an accomplished percussionist, Frankie Muriel found himself immersed within the genre.

“It’s been a part of my life and part of my life’s soundtrack since I was a baby and I could hear music,” Muriel recalls. “It was a favorite of my father’s — and was also the kind of music that he played —  so it was always in our house, it was part of the soundtrack...”  Naturally, this constant exposure to such irresistible sounds also sparked an urge to dance. “I think as a child you feel that instinctive pulse and you start moving your body, and those are the great songs that [are always making you] move first,” he explains.

Beyond just the physical groove, the song carried a personal family connection, right down to "the rhythmic break to the song, how it starts off and the vocal break...” It was this specific section, and the distinct vocal call-out within the song, that Muriel connects with the most.

“It stayed with me because it sounded like my father’s voice. I always thought that it was his song because his band played it and it sounded like him singing the refrain,” Muriel shares. “Obviously, I was too young to understand what resonated with me, but it’s a core memory… Now it is in regular rotation in my home, so my daughter is growing up with this as part of her life’s soundtrack. To this day, I always hear him in it.”

These jazz arrangements inadvertently wired Muriel’s understanding of songwriting, teaching him how to decode a hook before setting foot onto the stage. “I think I learned about rhythm and melody from these types of songs way before I discovered rock and pop,” Muriel reflects. “These songs had a catchiness to them without lyrics, and the rhythm is just a hypnotic look into the groove, which I think is the hook that gets inside of you as you listen.”

The early childhood grooves stayed with him, shifting from a nostalgic background track into a major focus for his new music. While working on his latest material, those deeply embedded cadences resurfaced.“I grew up as a drummer and vibraphone player, which combines percussion and piano into one instrument, so that’s how I learned my melodies,” Muriel notes. The percussion and the congas have also taken on a more prominent role in his newest collection of songs.“As I was working on my new album, The Cabo Sessions, I realized the sounds from my youth had completely permeated into my writing. What started as a way to honor the memory of my father turned into understanding that these rhythms were in me the whole time. I’ve just let them out, and they’re creating textures and adding great energy into my new music.”

Photo Courtesy of Big Picture MediaThe post A Song That Changed My Life: Frankie Muriel on Cal Tjader’s “Soul Sauce (Guachi Guaro)” first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.