The Weekly Rewind: Alabama Shakes, Alison Krauss and more prep new music, remembering Marianne Faithfull and more

Welcome back to The Weekly Rewind, our regular rundown of the biggest music news stories out there. Here’s what caught our ear this week.

Alabama Shakes reunites

In-studio pictures of Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, and bassist Zac Cockrell appeared on Alabama Shakes’ Instagram this week with the caption “Working on some exciting stuff!” What exactly this new stuff is remains to be seen, but if it’s a new song, it’ll be their first in eight years, and if it’s a full record, it’ll be their first in a decade, since the breakout Sound And Colour. They also announced a concert — Minnesota Yacht Club Festival in St Paul, where they share the bill with Hozier, Fall Out Boy, Weezer, Green Day, and more. (Read more at NME)

Marianne Faithfull, RIP

Vocalist, actress, and cultural icon Marianne Faithfull sadly passed away this week at age 78. Faithfull’s musical work spanned pop to rock and roll — as the New York Times’ obituary noted, she was “muse and girlfriend” to The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger — to cabaret, and even adventurous takes on electronic pop (“Broken English” from the album of the same name is a trip). Her work in film was equally varied, from period pieces (she appeared in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antionette) to crime drama (90s films like Midnight and Shopping) to provocative independent cinema (in 1967 she was the first person to use the F-bomb onscreen in the British comedy I’ll Never Forget What’s’isname). She struggled with addiction at times over the years, but creatively rebounded to leave a robust and daring legacy behind. (Read more at New York Times)

Alison Krauss & Union Station prep their first album in 14 years

On the reunion train, folk revival icons Alison Krauss & Union Station announced Arcadia, their first new album since 2011’s Paper Airplane. It comes out March 28 via the Down The Road label, and a new single called “Looks Like the End of the Road” is out now. (Read more at Pitchfork)

Charley Crockett has a new label home and music on the way

Country singer-songwriter and favorite of WXPN midday host Mike Vasilikos, Charley Crockett announced some big news this week. He’s now on the roster of the major label Island Records, which will release his Shooter Jennings co-produced third album Lonesome Drifter on March 14th. A trailer for the record is out now, as is a North American tour that (sadly) does not come to Philly. (More at Brooklyn Vegan)

Timothée Chalamet covered three Dylan songs on SNL

Newly Oscar-nominated for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, actor Timothée Chalamet was last weekend’s host and musical guest on SNL, performing three deeper Dylan selections for the late night crowd: “Tomorrow Is a Long Time” and a medley of “Outlaw Blues” and “Three Angels” (Read more at NYTimes)

Lady Gaga’s LG7 is real, and coming soon

If last year’s Gaga Chromatica Ball concert film had you eager to see Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta live and in person again, that may be in the cards in the not-too-distant-future. Lady Gaga’s long-rumored seventh album, heretofore known as LG7, has a name — Mayhem — and a release date — March 7th on Interscope Records. She compared the album to “reassembling a shattered mirror: Even if you can’t put the pieces back together perfectly, you can create something beautiful and whole in its own new way.” A new song is slated to debut this Sunday, February 2nd. (Read more via Pitchfork)

L.A. still needs help and artists are doing their part

As the city of Los Angeles continues to recover from the impact of this winter’s wildfire devastation, musicians are doing their part to help the city back on its feet. Previously on The Weekly Rewind we mentioned various artist GoFundMe’s as well as other places to donate. Now, there’s a festival — G*ve a F*ck LA — taking place February 5th at the legendary Hollywood Palladium. The lineup includes Hayley Williams of Paramore, Lucy Dacus, St. Vincent, Courtney Barnett, Jenny Lewis, Kevin Morby and much more, benefitting orgs Altadena Girls, Friends in Deed, One Voice, and Pasadena Humane Society. This comes in the wake of this past Thursday’s FireAid with Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, and more. Livestream tickets for GAFLA are also available, and for those looking to support via their Bandcamp Friday purchases, the Super Bloom compilation featuring demos, live tracks, and rarities by Jim James, Jenny Lewis, The War on Drugs, Rosali and more is available now. (Read more via The Fader and Bandcamp)

TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe announces solo album

Thee Black Boltz is the name of the first solo outing by TV On The Radio lead vocalist (and Skeleton Crew actor) Tunde Adebimpe. In a press release, he calls the experience of making music without the support structure of his longtime bandmates “terrifying and exhilarating.” The record is out April 18th via Sub Pop. (Read more via Brooklyn Vegan)

Sunflower Bean bounces back in a big way

This week, Stylish Brooklynites and XPNFest standouts Sunflower Bean announced their fourth LP, Mortal Primetimes, out April 25th via indie label Lucky Numbers. “This song came after a period that felt like rock bottom for the band,” says the band’s Julia Cumming about its lead single, “Champagne Taste.” “It is about feeling beaten down but still driving forward, to keep faith, to grow and to continue to create on our own terms.” Their North American tour comes to Johnny Brenda’s on May 16th. (Read more at Brooklyn Vegan.)

Peter, Bjorn, & John is taking Writer’s Block on an anniversary run

If you were an indie rocker in your mid-20s in the early 00s, the Swedish outfit Peter, Bjorn, & John’s sophomore album Writer’s Block hit you in a big way. Certainly, the impact came from the infectious and wistful whistle-led “Young Folks” single, which seemed to speak to a generation trying to find its voice and place in a confusing world. But the impeccably-produced album as a whole followed similar journeys to the center of self-discovery, from the yearning “Objects of My Affection” to the playful “Amsterdam” and the softly cathartic “Up Against The Wall.” The band is celebrating the album’s 19th anniversary (an odd milestone, but okay) with a short run of North American dates; none are in Philly, but NYC’s Irving Plaza is only a short drive away on May 21st. (Read more at Pitchfork)