Together, the musical duo transformed the classic national anthem into the ultimate guitar shred moment.

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Because Metallica reside in San Francisco, it’s no surprise that Hammett and Hetfield were part of the Golden State Warriors‘ NBA game this week. Although the Warriors went on to lose to the Lakers 128 to 97, Hammett and Hetfield gave the iconic performance just before tip-off.

Alongside two black monitors with “Strength in Numbers,” the Warriors logo and Metallica’s symbol across the front, Hammett and Hetfield’s guitar playing controlled the entire performance. Similar to their previous national anthem performances, Hammett took over the lead, playing the main melodies of the “Star-Spangled Banner.”

Meanwhile, Hetfield overlaid numerous rhythmic notes, giving the patriotic song a powerful metal-inspired sound. Eventually, Hetfield ended the performance with a salute before Stephen Curry and LeBron James went head-to-head for the Lakers vs. Warriors game.

More on Metallica

Of course, this recent NBA appearance isn’t the first time Hammett and Hetfield have performed the U.S. national anthem. Back in 2013, Metallica held their first-ever Metallica Night at AT&T Park which is now called Oracle Park. Since then, the event has become an annual occurrence for San Francisco Giants fans.

Along with Hammett and Hetfield’s national anthem performances, Lars Ulrich throws the ceremonial first pitch during the events. The band also sign autographs for MLB fans, give interviews and release special merchandise for Metallica Night.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic changed things last year. Although the annual Metallica Night couldn’t happen, the band still supported the Giants. In September, Hammett and Hetfield played their iconic rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” while Robert Trujillo virtually threw the first pitch of the Giants vs. Colorado Rockies game.

Tonight’s National Anthem: @Metallica

Thank you, James Hetfield & @KirkHammett ? #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/5ImaghsZcE

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) September 24, 2020

Robert Trujillo swapped out his bass for a baseball, virtually throwing out tonight’s ceremonial first pitch for the @SFGiants/@Rockies game. #SFGiants #MetallicaNight pic.twitter.com/YmnDRw17R1

— Metallica (@Metallica) September 24, 2020

Along with San Francisco Giants, Metallica have performed the “Star-Spangled Banner” for other sports teams and events. In June 2015, Hammett and Hetfield played before the official X Games in Austin, Texas. Then, in 2016, the duo opened up the final game of the NHL‘s Stanley Cup against the San Jose Sharks and Pittsburgh Penguins.

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As for the Golden State Warriors, Hammett and Hetfield first performed for one of the team’s games in 2015. After the Golden State Warriors took the NBA Western Conference title, they faced the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA finals. To help keep spirits high, Hammett and Hetfield performed the anthem just before game 5’s tip-off. In the end, the Warriors went on to win that game and the NBA title that year.

More recently, Hammett and Hetfield showed their hometown pride again in 2019. The duo performed before game 3 of the 2019 NBA finals where the Warriors faced the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors eventually won the game and their first NBA league title.

Hammett and Hetfield’s latest U.S. national anthem performance arrives shortly after Metallica celebrated the 35th anniversary of Master Of Puppets. For the milestone, the band played the album’s explosive opener “Battery” on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

Last month, the band also performed “Enter Sandman” as part of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert‘s Super Bowl LV special.

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Lately, Trujillo has been in the studio with Ozzy Osbourne and a few other familiar faces. Trujillo, Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins and the Red Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith are all featured on Osbourne‘s upcoming album. Back in December, producer Andrew Watt revealed that the iconic musicians are part of the studio band recording Osbourne’s new music.

Previously, Watt produced Osbourne’s Ordinary Man, which was released in 2020. In fact, Watt’s work on the album helped him win the 2021 Grammy for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical.

“There’s a bunch of people involved,” Watt told Guitar World. “I can’t say for sure until the end. But I started doing a bunch of basic tracks with Chad and Robert Trujillo, who used to play in Ozzy’s band. And Taylor Hawkins also came in and played a bunch on the record as well, which adds a different flair. It kind of harkened back to Ozzy’s ’80s era, in a great way. And I think it’s so cool for a rock fan to be able to listen to half an album with Chad Smith on drums, and then you flip it over and you get to hear Taylor Hawkins.”

Before uniting with Metallica in 2003, Trujillo joined Osbourne’s band in the mid-’90s where he both toured and recorded in the studio. Along with performing on Osbourne’s 2001 LP Down To Earth, he also co-wrote “That I Never Heard,” “Junkie” and “Can You Hear Them?” on the album.

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This past year, Metallica’s music has been involved in various other projects. Last December, their legendary song “Enter Sandman” was covered by blink-182‘s Travis Barker, Elise Trouw, Carey Watkins and American Sign Language performer Paul Raci. The cover was created for Amazon Prime Video‘s new film Sound Of Metal, which has been nominated for numerous awards at the Oscars this year. The movie stars Raci and Riz Ahmed who are nominated in the acting categories at the 2021 Academy Awards.

As well, Miley Cyrus is currently working on a Metallica’s covers album. Prior to the release of her new album Plastic Hearts, Cyrus revealed that Metallica are one of the bands that inspired the sound on her new rock record. In October, she then told Interview Magazine that she is officially recording a collection of Metallica covers.

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Finally, in January, Cyrus revealed that she is teaming up with Elton John, Smith and Yo-Yo Ma for the Watt-produced covers LP.

“I did a Metallica cover of ‘Nothing Else Matters’ featuring Elton John on piano,” she told Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp. “I’ve got Yo-Yo Ma, Chad Smith; so many all-stars. I’m so excited about this collaboration. I love when ingredients don’t quite fit.”

So far, Cyrus has not confirmed when her Metallica covers album will be released.

What are your reactions to Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield’s latest U.S. national anthem performance? Let us know in the comments below.

Now, Eilish has offered another sneak peek of the intimate documentary. During a recent interview on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Eilish debuted an exclusive clip from The World’s A Little Blurry. The brief video shows the unexpected way Eilish learned about their historic 2020 Grammy nominations.

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Billie Eilish and FINNEAS kicked off 2020 on a high note. Eilish became the first woman to ever sweep the Grammys’ major categories – Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best New Artist and Song of the Year. She also took home the award for Best Pop Vocal Album.

As it turns out, however, Eilish found out about her Grammy nominations in a very unexpected way. On the morning of the nominations, her parents actually woke her up in bed. While still laying under the covers, Eilish’s mom read out all of the categories WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE WE DO GO? was nominated for.

This week, Eilish shared the intimate clip during her interview with Stephen Colbert. The moment was captured for The World’s A Little Blurry which premieres on Apple TV+ this Friday, Feb. 26.

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For Eilish, the documentary is so personal, she didn’t want to watch the first screening with her family.

“We were in my living room,” she said. “I was like, ‘Nope, nobody’s allowed to see it – not my family – nobody’s allowed to see it until I’ve seen it, cos I knew there was some stuff in there that I was gonna be mortified by.’”

Ahead of the documentary’s release on Friday, Eilish is hosting a The World’s A Little Blurry livestream event on Thursday, Feb. 25. The virtual event, which is hosted by Apple Music and Zane Lowe, will include an exclusive live performance from Eilish. As well, both the film’s director R.J. Cutler and Eilish will be sitting down for some new tell-all interviews.

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Elsewhere in the Late Show interview, Eilish also opens up about her forthcoming album. Late last year, Eilish confirmed that her new music era is starting after the release of The World’s A Little Blurry. After her world tour was postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Eilish and FINNEAS ended up starting work on her sophomore album. As it turns out, the pandemic ended up inspiring her album in a big way.

“I don’t think I would’ve made the same album, or even the album at all, if it weren’t for COVID,” she says. “That doesn’t mean it’s about COVID at all, it’s just that, when things are different in your life, you’re different. That’s just how it is. So, I have to thank COVID for that, and that’s about it.”

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So far, Eilish has unveiled a few previews of her new music. Back in July, she debuted her emotional single “my future” along with an animated video. Then, in November, she treated fans to her carefree video for “Therefore I Am.”

More recently, she dropped her highly-anticipated collaboration with Rosalía “Lo Vas A Olvidar” which premiered during a new episode of Euphoria. The tracks follow up 2019’s “everything i wanted” as well as her James Bond theme “No Time To Die.” Earlier this month, she also seemingly confirmed exactly how many songs are on her sophomore LP.

Carey recorded the album, titled Someone’s Ugly Daughter, in coordination with her former roommate, Clarissa Dane, under the moniker Chick.

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In a tweet posted Sunday, Carey revealed that she’d recorded the album while working on Daydream. Along with the announcement, she included a video with a track sample and an excerpt from her memoir, The Meaning Of Mariah Carey.

“Fun fact: I did an alternative album while I was making Daydream,” She said, “Just for laughs, but it got me through some dark days.”

Now, in an interview with Stephen Colbert on The Late Show Monday, Carey is diving into the context surrounding the album’s release.

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“It was for laughs. I did it for laughs and because it was such a popular genre at the time,” she explains. “I was like, ‘Well, I have a full band here. Let’s just do something, and I’ll just make up some nonsense and sing it.’”

However, Columbia Records wasn’t too thrilled with her decision to take on the side project. So, to disguise the sound of her voice, she enlisted Dane to layer her own vocals.

“I worked with my friend Clarissa, who came in and did vocals on top of what I had laid out. Because the label was like, “You can’t do this! What are you talking about?” It was a big deal! So she came in and laid her vocals, and then she wrote a song, as well. She had been someone who was really nice to me before I had a record deal. She let me live with her. She was a very sweet, very kind person to me when not many people were.”

As it turns out, Carey had even filmed a music video in disguise but was barred from releasing it. 

Read More: Billie Eilish’s ‘The World’s A Little Blurry’ documentary is officially on its way

“I did a video, and I wanted it to be released so bad. My plan was I was going to dress up in a costume and make a video and be unrecognizable and just release it and see what happened. But that got stifled by certain people at the label.”

While we would’ve loved to see Carey grunged up to the point of being unrecognizable, the videos that did get released are undoubtedly cool.

Carey’s memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, is available now. Give it a read to see what other stories the diva has for us and let us know what you think of Chick in the comments below.

The band were the musical guests on The Late Show Monday night, where they performed “Frail State of Mind.” The song was released in October and marks the third track fans have heard from the upcoming album.

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Frontman Matty Healy is seen sporting a puffy North Face jacket, complete with a skirt and high-top Converse. You can watch the electrifying performance below.

Fans quickly took to Twitter to rave over the performance.

https://twitter.com/BertrandRustles/status/1196721611933704192

The 1975 are currently on tour in the states. They gave “Frail State of Mind” its live debut over the weekend at the BB&T Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey on Saturday.  

Fans began screaming as soon as the track started before the crowd sang every word back to Healy as if they’d know the song for years. You can watch a clip of the performance below.

Read more: The 1975 wake up “People” with electric first single

The 1975 released a self-titled track in July, as well as “People” the following month. Both songs are to appear on the new album Notes From A Conditional Form. 

Healy’s signature vocals can not but heard in “The 1975.” The track consists of teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg’s 2018 speech at the World Economic Forum over soft, melodic music. You can check out the song below.

The band followed it up with a futuristic video for the single “People” back in August, showcasing a different sound. You can check out the video below, just be careful watching it, as it does include an epilepsy warning.

Read more: The 1975 share melodic new track featuring teen climate activist

The 1975 will continue to be on tour in the United States through mid-December, before hitting most of the world in 2020. You can grab your tickets here and check out the list of dates below. You can also preorder the new album Notes On A Conditional Form here.

The 1975 North American Dates:

11/16 – Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion
11/17 – Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion
11/19 – Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
11/20 – Greenville, SC @ Bon Secours Wellness Arena
11/22- Orlando, FL @ Orlando Amphitheater
11/23 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Riptide Music Festival
11/24 – Tampa, FL @ MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre
11/26 – New Orleans, LA @ Kiefer University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena
11/27 – Grand Praire, TX @ The Theatre at Grand Prairie
11/ 29 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
12/01 – Broomfield, CO @ 1STBANK Center
12/02 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
12/03 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
12/05 – San Diego, CA @Pechanga Arena San Diego
12/06 – Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
12/07- San Jose, CA @ SAP Centre at San Jose
12/10 – Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater
12/12 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
12/13 – Indianapolis, IN @ Indiana Farmers Coliseum

Read more: Matty Healy says the 1975 are punk because he’d “go to jail” for beliefs

The 1975 New Zealand and Australia dates:

01/21- Auckland, New Zealand @ Laneway Festival
02/01 – Brisbane, Australia @ Laneway
02/02 – Sydney, Australia @ Laneway Festival
02/07 – Port Adelaide, Australia @ Laneway Festival Adelaide
02/08 – Melbourne, Australia @ Laneway Festival
02/09 – Fremantle, Australia @ Laneway Festival

The 1975 Europe dates:

02/15 – Nottingham, UK @ Motorpoint Arena
02/16 – Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK @ Utilita Arena
02/17 – Leeds, UK @ First Direct Arena
02/19 – Bournemouth, UK @ Bournemouth International Centre
02/21 – London, UK @ The O2
02/22- London, UK @ The O2
02/23 – Cardiff, UK @ Motorpoint Arena Cardiff
02/25 – Birmingham, UK @ Birmingham Arena
02/26 – Liverpool, UK @ M&S Bank Arena
02/28 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Arena
02/29 – Aberdeen, UK @ P&J Live
03/01 – Glasgow, UK @ SSE Hydro
03/03 – Dublin, Ireland @ 3Arena
03/07 – Lisbo, Portugal @ Alice Arena
03/09 – Barcelona, Spain @ Sant Jordi Club
03/10 – Madrid, Spain @ Wizink Center
03/13 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Annexet

Read more: The 1975 tackle topic of anxiety in new track “Frail State of Mind”

03/14 – Oslo, Norway @ Oslo Spektrum Arena
03/17 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
03/19 – Munchen, Germany @ Zenith
03/20 – Dusseldorf, Germany @ Mitsubishi Electric Halle
03/ 23 – Frankfurt am Main, Germany @ Jahrhunderthalle
03/24 – Antwerp, Belgium @ Lotto Arena
03/26 – Berlin, Germany @ Velodrom
03/28 – Milano, Italy @ Fabrique
03/29 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Halle 622
06/18 – Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic @ Rock for People Festival
07/09 – Stavern, Norway @ Stavernfestivalen AS
07/10- Stavern, Norway @ Stavernfestivalen AS
07/11 – Stavern, Norway @ Stavernfestivalen AS

What’s your favorite song from the 1975’s new album so far? Let us know in the comments!

See more: 10 pop-punk shows we wish we could have gone to

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Earlier this month, the duo dropped the cinematic music video, which features both vocalists playing off each other’s energy in a deserted junkyard. Taking an unexpected turn, YUNGBLUD and Reynolds continue to cheat death, offering up the perfect metaphor for getting back up every time you’re knocked down.

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Filmed in Las Vegas, the music video was directed by award-winning filmmaker Jordan Bahat, who previously worked with twenty one pilots on “Holding On To You.” The director also has credits with Meg Myers (“Desire”) and fun. (“Why Am I The One”).

Last night, the duo debuted their first performance of the track together on The Late Show stage. Channeling that same energy, a car sits dead center of the stage, calling back to the original video.

Ahead of the performance, YUNGBLUD shared a behind-the-scenes moment with Reynolds as they prepped for the song’s TV debut with face masks.

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Check out the full performance at The Late Show below.

More on YUNGBLUD

YUNGBLUD recently chatted exclusively with AltPress about his latest EP in a track-by-track. The musician specifically opened up about being in New Orleans during the call—the same place Reynolds had reached out to him a few months back.

“Yo, I made a song with Dan Reynolds from Imagine Dragons. What the fuck? [Laughs.]” YUNGBLUD says. “I’m at Leeds Fest, five years ago, and I’m just fucking in awe of him, and now I made a record with him. It’s fucking crazy. That song is about embracing the part that you don’t like about yourself because your biggest superpower—the superpower you’ve got—is to be originally yourself. You are different [than] every other human on this planet. And fucking embrace that because that is a wonderful thing.

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“It’s so crazy that I’m in New Orleans because the last time I was [here] about three months ago for a day off—same shit—Dan Reynolds calls me. [He’s] like, “Dude, I love what you’re doing. I love [that] you’re an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community”—because he is. Have you seen his documentary about fucking Mormon society, [Believer]? When we were getting the song set up, he said to me, “The world ain’t ready for you yet. I want to fucking help you. Let’s do a record together.” I was like, “Fuck man, you’re Dan Reynolds from Imagine Dragons. This is crazy.” We get in the studio, and we’re both fucking mental. We’re both crazy energetic, and we just let loose, and it feels like a pretty fuckin’ magic song.’”

Check out the full interview here.

the underrated youth EP is available now here. Check out the “original me” video and EP tracklist below.

the underrated youth tracklist:

1. “braindead!”
2. “parents”
3. “original me” (feat. Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons)
4. “casual sabotage”
5. “hope for the underrated youth”
6. “waiting on the weekend”

YUNGBLUD just wrapped up his Twisted Tales of The Ritalin Club tour—a name inspired by his graphic novel—with Missio as support. Check out other upcoming dates—including the Intimate As Fuck tour—here.

And it’s not just the Emmy Award-winning Walter White who assists talk show host Stephen Colbert with his faux Christmas flick. Actress Laura Linney, Last Week Tonight‘s John Oliver and Saturday Night Live alum Rachel Dratch all appear in the short that makes Miracle On 34th Street look something akin to Black Christmas meeting Bad Santa.

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The entire idea’s predicated on Colbert’s inside-out vision for kids’ Christmas films. And the host teams up with a group of youngsters to devise a “kid-approved Christmas movie” in the Late Show segment called “Kids Pitch.” But before the crack team lands on the pure gold that is Bryan Cranston as Kris Kringle’s goth brother, they have another idea:

Yep, Home Alone also gets a juvenile think-through from Colbert’s kids. And just thereafter, an evil Ms. Claus is dreamed up by the crew that eventually births the kid-scripted line spoken by Linney: “You’re not treating me well.”

It’s a far cry from both Linney and Cranston’s usual dramatic roles, even though the latter actor cut his teeth as the comical father on Fox’s classic Malcolm In The Middle. Linney just recently returned for Season 2 of Netflix’s thriller hit Ozark.

What do you think of the funny video starring Bryan Cranston as ol’ Santa Claus and his evil goth doppelganger? Have you been naughty or nice this year? Sound off down in the comments section with your take on Colbert’s hilarious video!

See more: 10 pop-punk shows we wish we could have gone to

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Awards shows have a long history of using the stage to make a political statement. While this used to be an uncommon choice, hosts and winners alike have pushed it toward the expected over the past year.

Read more: Here’s your full list of 2017 Emmy Award winners

Stephen Colbert and Chance The Rapper’s opening number

[GIF by: Giphy]

The 69th Emmy Primetime Awards continued that trend and kicked down any thought of subtext from the word “go.” Stephen Colbert securing the spot of host, while unsurprising given he’s the new late night top dog on CBS, showed how willing the network was to dive head-first into the political waters.

Colbert continued his musical partnership with Chance The Rapper, reminding viewers that while television is fun and it’s important to honor people who dedicate their lives to a craft that brings joy to millions, we can’t forget about the injustices claiming the lives of people every single day.

Colbert captured the reason for the turn toward politics during his monologue: “No matter how you feel about the president, and you do feel about the president, you can’t deny that every show was influenced by Donald Trump in some way,” he said. “All the late night shows obviously, House of Cards, the new season of American Horror Story, and, of course, next year’s Latin Grammys hosted by Sheriff Joe Arpaio.”

Politics has always been a difficult issue to broach with friends and family, but the current administration has made it necessary. Anyone who’s paid attention to their actions for even a moment can find something to worry about and fight against, and the stars of the Emmys weren’t about to shy away from that conversation.

Alec Baldwin’s shot at Trump

[GIF by: Giphy]

Trump has a long history with the Emmy awards, most recently brought up during one of the debates with Hillary Clinton. Alec Baldwin, who won his award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, didn’t miss his chance to fire another shot at the pride of the President.

“At long last Mr. President, here is your Emmy.”

Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin’s jab at Trump

The three stars from the 1980 comedy 9 to 5 took the plot of their movie, three secretaries who take their revenge on a sexist, tyrannical boss, and flipped it around to continue the Emmy’s political theme in full force.

The Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series category

[GIF by: Giphy]

This year’s nominees — Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Saturday Night Live — could be condensed down to the students from the schools of Lorne Michaels and Jon Stewart. Each show found mass appeal by focusing on and relentlessly attacking the political climate that consumes the world, and nearly every nominee in this category saw their overall ratings, as well as their YouTube viewership, make a significant jump.

On Sean Spicer’s appearance…

The political stance the show took didn’t always work. Sean Spicer, Donald Trump’s former press secretary best known for lying to the American public and hiding among but not in the bushes, is on a media tour to paint himself in a better light.

He doesn’t deserve the chance to step on stage in a recreation of Melissa McCarthy’s portrayal of him (on SNL) throughout his time as the sixth-shortest tenure serving press secretary in American history. He worked for an administration that publicly called Nazis and white supremacists “fine people.” He worked for a man who announced his candidacy for the nation’s highest office by calling Mexicans rapists, criminals and drug dealers. He spent 182 days lying to the press and to the world. Sean Spicer doesn’t deserve a redemption tour.

The collaboration was featured on Colbert's Late Show.

Read more: Issues cover Pokémon theme song with Jacky Vincent (Cry Venom, ex-Falling In Reverse)

Marley originally created this rendition. Plus, according to Pitchfork, Chance The Rapper used to cover Arthur's theme song at his concerts and posted his own version on Soundcloud in the past.

Arthur is, of course, the timeless childhood cartoon that first aired in the late '90s and continues to air today on PBS.

There’s no question Colbert is up to filling Letterman’s shoes comedically—but what about on the musical front? AP can help with that. Let’s take a look at 10 acts Colbert should consider enlisting for his late-night stage immediately.

letlive.

The Los Angeles-based heavy punk band brings a live show to the table that’s a total unapologetic smack in the face. Each song Jason Aalon Butler and co. deliver during a performance oozes with raw energy that would make for one hell of a late-night performance. The real question remains: Is late-night television ready for something so masterfully chaotic?

The Wonder Years

The Wonder Years would jump kick through your television and straight into your living room with a performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Fresh off the release of No Closer to Heaven and an appearance on the cover of AP326, the band bring an element of pop-punk energy many try, but few rightfully capture. As the band’s evolved musically, it wouldn’t be out of place to see either a super-emotional ballad like “Cigarettes & Saints,” or new fan-favorite “Cardinals” in the same night. Or…we could just let Colbert and Wonder Years frontman Dan “Soupy” Campbell talk about the 2016 presidential election—that’d be an unforgettable interview.

Against Me!

Against Me! should appear on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for no other reason than any new late-night show deserves a heavy dose of punk rock ASAP. Laura Jane Grace and her band of heavy-hitting punks can bring songs like the utterly honest “True Trans Soul Rebel” or fan-favorite “I Was a Teenage Anarchist” to Colbert’s new stage—and totally kill it. 

Bring Me The Horizon

With the arrival of the new LP, That’s The Spirit, there’s been enough debate over the progression of Bring Me The Horizon’s sound. The new singles, “Happy Song” and “Throne,” mix modern metal with interesting plugs of industrial and electronic—making for something at a totally different sonic level of past releases. Needless to say, it’s a radio-ready sound that could take over the world…one of the stops down the path of world domination should be Colbert’s new stage.

The Dear Hunter

Earlier this year the Dear Hunter released the blissful tune “A Night On The Town.” The song sways through arrangements of horns, piano-driven verses and explosive choruses. The number isn’t as much a song as it is a life-changing experience. Let’s see The Dear Hunter bring “A Night On The Town” in all of its 9-minute glory to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert—simply because few other acts in the scene can make a 9-minute song so irresistible. 

FIDLAR

FIDLAR's version of punk rock is both abrasive and whimsical. It balances on a tightrope hanging between snooty and satirical, while not being either appalling or insincere. The band’s new record, Too, contains songs ready to steal the heart of punk and surf rock fans worldwide. Songs like “Leave Me Alone” and “West Coast” itch with the pose and moxy needed to pull off a great late-night performance. Let’s make it happen, Colbert.

Bad Books

Things have been quiet at the Bad Books camp for several months—so why not reappear from behind the curtain on national television? For those unaware: Bad Books is the alternative rock duo made up of Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra and Kevin Devine of Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band. The band’s 2013 release, II, translated into a collection of monstrous rockin’ tracks live that would explode from in front of a television camera.

PVRIS

Fresh off a summer of domination at the Vans Warped Tour, PVRIS is the type of band ready to transcend from fast-moving scene stardom into a fully-fledged household name. Every track on the band’s debut record, White Noise, contains a hook equally infectious as the track before it—and there’s no doubt this group could mystify the world with its music on late-night television.

The Front Bottoms

The indie-punk stylings of The Front Bottoms have already stolen hearts on live performance shows such as NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series, but this group’s collection of sassy sing-alongs would fit alongside Colbert’s satirical banter and engaging interviews nicely. Songs like the new single, “HELP,” would make for a flamboyant television appearance—with kids across the country singing along to the line, “This is what I want. Motherfucker, make it happen!”

Brand New

Colbert, this is a call to action from the entire scene: Bring Brand New on your show—and make them play some of that new music we’ve been hoping for. We’ll be here, waiting patiently, as you work your magic.