Scotland’s Chvrches Make An Enemy

Modern Rock

By Kristi Kates | March 24, 2018

Scottish synthesizer-popster band Chvrches (pictured) is set to release its third album this spring, sticking with Glassnote Records for its latest collection of tracks, Love is Dead, on May 25. The band produced the set along with Grammy winner Greg Kurstin (Adele/Sia) — the first time Chvrches worked with an outside producer on an album — and also welcomed in a guest collaborator, The National’s frontman/singer-slash-baritone, Matt Berninger, who joins Chvrches for first single, “My Enemy.” Those aren’t the only changes in the Chvrches camp: It has finally added a drummer to the lineup, so you can expect to see former The Kills drummer Jonny Scott with the trio on stage next time you catch them live …

Two more acts have been added to the list for the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park’s 2018 summer outdoor concert series (Blondie being the first). Also set to take the stage are Tedeschi Trucks Band (May 30), an outfit led by the husband/wife duo Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi (both are guitarists; Tedeschi also sings), who performed last at the venue in 2016. O.A.R. are next on the list. Currently on its Just Like Paradise tour, the band will head to Meijer Gardens Aug. 26, and will bring along special opening act singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson …

Composer Jeff Russo, best known his work on such series as CBS’ Star Trek: Discovery, FX’s Legion, and Starz’ Counterpart and Power, has added the much-anticipated upcoming Peter Berg action thriller, Mile 22, to his lengthy list of soundtrack work. The film, which stars Mark Wahlberg and John Malkovich, focuses on an elite intelligence officer who has to smuggle a police officer with important information from one country to another; Russo will contribute the dramatic score and opening theme. Mile 22 will hit theaters on July 20 …

Lana Del Rey will be one of many performers appearing on the new Unmasked: The Platinum Collection, a tribute album to the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Del Rey contributes a cover of Madonna’s piano ballad “You Must Love Me” (from Evita) to the collection, while additional tunes will feature Beyonce (singing “Learn to Be Lonely” from "The Phantom of the Opera"), Barbra Streisand (“With One Look” from "Sunset Boulevard"), and Gregory Porter (“Light at the End of the Tunnel” from "Starlight Express.") Unmasked arrives in stores and digital outlets this week … 

LINK OF THE WEEK
Heading east this summer? If you time it right, music fan, you can end up in NYC for the massive 2018 Panorama Festival, which just unveiled its triple-threat of headliners for this year: The Killers, The Weeknd, and the return of ’80s diva Janet Jackson. The three-day fest runs July 27–29, with a plethora of additional performers on the bill, including Father John Misty, The xx, David Byrne (Talking Heads), Fleet Foxes, and Dua Lipa. Get tickets and all the details at panorama.nyc … 

THE BUZZ
Imagine Dragons is kicking off its Evolve tour on June 5, and will cruise through the Midwest in mid-June, stopping in Detroit on June 21 and Indianapolis on June 22 …

Petoskey native-turned-Brooklyn indie musician Sufjan Stevens' track “Mystery of Love” is seeing an increase in sales after he performed the song at this year’s Academy Awards ceremonies in Los Angeles alongside St. Vincent and Moses Sumney …

Detroiter Jack White is on the lineup for this year’s Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis, Tennessee, which will take place May 4–6 and include performances from Vance Joy, The Flaming Lips, Logic, Tyler the Creator, Alanis Morissette, and more …

Rockers Evanescence and rockin’ violinist Lindsey Stirling are teaming up for a co-headlining tour this summer. The trek will include a performance in Detroit on July 9 at the DTE Energy Music Theater … and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.

Comments, questions, rants, raves, suggestions on this column? Send ’em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com.