Jason Isbell asks Dr. Antohny Fauci questions about COVID-19 and safety protocols at live events. Fauci recommends outdoor concerts, since the danger of getting infected is dramatically higher in a closed space. Fauci suggests talking to people, giving them answers to valid questions. Fauci insists the work on the vaccine started two decades ago. Both also agree the audience should stop yelling out requests - "I know what you like, don't worry".

St. Vincent has redone Metallica's 'Sad But True', adding a ton of sexy and cool, making for a surprisingly good cover. Jason Isbell goes a step further with the same song - himself and the 400 Unit reimagined 'The Black Album' classic as a thrilling country rock barn stomper. Both songs appear on Metallica’s upcoming collection, 'The Metallica Blacklist', a companion album celebrating the 30th anniversary of 'The Black Album'. Set for release digitally on September 10th and physically on October 1st, 'The Metallica Blacklist' also boasts contributions from Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan, J Balvin, Phoebe Bridgers, My Morning Jacket, Weezer, Mac DeMarco, Cage the Elephant, Kamasi Washington, Portugal. the Man, IDLES, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and Moses Sumney.

Country rockers Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson are the latest to be cast for Martin Scorsese’s upcoming film 'Killers of the Flower Moon', Deadline reports. Jesse Plemons would take on the lead role, next to Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. 'Killers of the Flower Moon' follows FBI agent Tom White (Plemons) as he tries to solve the serial murders of members of the Osage Nation over oil rights. A prominent local cattleman named William Hale (De Niro) and his cousin Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio) were among those implicated in the murders. Isbell will make his feature film debut as Bill Smith, an adversary of Burkhart, while Simpson portrays the infamous rodeo champion and bootlegger Henry Grammer.

Jason Isbell has a great new album out, and he might be at the start of something new and big. So, next week (July 7, Tuesday), he'll stage a $100-per-ticket interactive livestream in which he and up to 150 fans will be able to watch each other, Tennessean reports. A company called Topeka is providing the tech. A taped replay is scheduled for July 23 for $25.

Jason Isbell and his wife/bandmate Amanda Shires celebrated the release of their new album 'Reunions' with a livestreamed release show from Brooklyn Bowl Nashville. The venue was empty, but the screens above the lanes in Brooklyn Bowl were showing fans watching, and they could be heard in-between songs. Fans were happy and excited to watch the two play, and the pair seemed touched by the warm acceptance by the audience. Everybody was apart, but they really were a collective for that one hour...

"With 'Reunions', Isbell unites the disparate aspects of his craft — soothing acoustic and fiercely electric; Hemingway's word economy dashed with Oscar Wilde-worthy asides, relatable details and otherworldly allusions" - Exclaim says in a review of alt-country singer-songwriter's new album. Glide Magazine says Isbell's reputation as “one of the best” and “the best singer-songwriter of his generation” today is well-earned. Paste Mag praises his inner strength - "he knows a little something about putting up a fight, even if it’s against his own worst impulses. His best impulses he keeps channeling into his music". PopMatters puts it simple: "an excellent album... It's already a candidate for one of 2020's best".

GQ has a big story about Jason Isbell - alt-country singer-songwriter talks getting and staying sober, his succession of good albums (three at least), going to the studio, being his own publisher. On rehab: "It's always about the process. You're playing the game; you're not playing an opponent. You're doing the work in order to do the work”. Going to the studio: “The last time was really hard because I was very, very focused on what I was doing and also I was feeling pressure and not admitting to myself that I was feeling that pressure because I thought that admitting to myself that I was feeling the pressure would take away part of my advantage against it. And that took a while to figure out”. It's great to own your record company: “When I sell 59,000 copies of that record, I've recouped, and that means that I start getting paid. Last album, I did it in 10 days"; he sees both the label's share and the artist's share of the royalties: “And those are not the same size. Not by a long shot. It's way more for the label. Because that's who owns the masters. The artists, if all you are is an artist, you don't own shit. You're an employee". His new album 'Reunions' is out in May.

Torres covered Portishead's 'Wandering Star', made quite a different song; string arrangements on Ladybug Transistor’s 'Giovanna Please' sound like open spaces and countryside; Brutus slowed down their metal on 'Sand', but keep the intensity and melody; Channel Tres' 'Weedman' is a funny song about a “notoriously unreliable” weed dealer; another funny one - Chai's 'No More Cake' about too much make-up; Bizou features former and current members of Light FM, Smashing Pumpkins and Glaare - their new single 'Crashing Sky' puts them between pop and dark; Htiekal is a music project by the actor Lakeith Stanfield, and 'Fast Life' is his step into leftfield pop; Jessie Reyez released a retro-soul song 'Coffin' featuring Eminem; 'Only Children' by Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit is a lovely sombre song.

A great alter-dance song 'I Was Gonna Fight Fascism' by Soccer96, a band by The Comet Is Coming members; Interpol frontman Paul Banks has formed a new band Muzz with Matt Barrick (of the Walkmen ) and Josh Kaufman (of Bonny Light Horseman) - shared a song 'Bad Feeling'; the other Walkmen member, Hamilton Leithauser has shared a song 'Isabella'; Berlin singer Sophie Hunger has a lovely new song 'Security Check'; Chromatics have shared a dark disco song 'Famous Monsters'; Courtney Marie Andrews shared a nice and pleasant song 'If I Told'; electronic producer Ital Tek got a child, moved to a barn and made a song ‘Deadhead’ about sleep deprivation; Bonnie “Prince” Billy got bouncy remixed on 'New Memory Box'; Dixie Chicks are back with 'Gaslighter', their first new song in 14 years; Jason Isbell released a great country rock single 'What've I Done to Help'; RMFTM have switched from electronics to post-punk on 'Eden In Reverse'; The Whitest Boy Alive by Kings of Convenience’s Erlend Øye released new single 'Serious', their first new music since 2009; Austra is back with an electro-pop smasher 'Anywayz'; Willie Nile vas visiting the family home when a line "a little bit of love goes a long, long way" hit him - 'A Little Bit of Love' was born; Gogo Penguin find the middle ground between post-rock, jazz and electronics on 'Atomised'; a great on-the-road song 'Late Jim's Lament' about being late by James Elkington; Osheyack has contributed original music to a new video installation by artist Shuang Li about mass-produced products as erotic objects; NY jazz group Onyx Collective got a hand (weel, actually voice) of art pop great Kelsey Lu for 'Where or When'; the title 'Come Back And Love Me<3' by the Hinds says it all; Butcher Brown's 'Tidal Wave' is about how jazz and rap came from the same soul.