Detroit Today, Detroit punk rock pioneers MC5 have released Can’t Be Found (feat. Vernon Reid, Dennis Thompson), the second single from their upcoming album Heavy Lifting, dropping on 18th October. This track showcases the album’s funky heavy rock fusion with electrifying guitar riffs, highlighting the soul of founding member Wayne Kramer. Kramer, alongside original MC5 drummer Dennis Thompson and Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid, deliver a refreshing signature anthem, setting the stage for the album’s release.
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Emerging from the gritty streets of Detroit in the mid-60s, MC5 revolutionised rock’n’roll with their blistering fusion of garage rock, blues, soul, free jazz, and proto-punk. Infamous for incendiary live performances and a radical left-wing stance, their status as pioneers of punk and protest rock has inspired many musicians like Ramones, The Clash, Rage Against The Machine, The White Stripes, Slash, and countless others and continues to shape the sound of punk and alternative rock for generations to come.
MC50 @ The O2 Arena
earMUSIC will release the first new music from MC5 in over 50 years (following 1971’s High Time) with Heavy Lifting – one day prior to the band’s induction into 2024’s Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame when they will receive the Musical Excellence Award.
Listen to Can’t Be Found below:
The new LP features guitar and vocals by late founding MC5 member Wayne Kramer, who also co-wrote 12 of the album’s 13 songs together with Oakland singer/songwriter Brad Brooks. Prolific for five decades, Kramer was the last remaining active member of MC5. He passed away suddenly in February, followed by the death of drummer Dennis ‘Machine Gun’ Thompson in May. It is Thompson’s final studio recording. In an interview with UNCUT in November 2023, Kramer discussed the album and said: “Live long and stay creative is my attitude. This album continues from where High Time left off, in that I think it’s an artist’s responsibility to reflect the times they’re going through. We made an album that is in sync with the challenges we’re facing today, and that carries a positive message.”
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Heavy Lifting was recorded with iconic producer Bob Ezrin (Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, KISS) and features an all-star lineup of Kramer’s friends and musical colleagues including Slash, Tom Morello, William DuVall (Alice in Chains), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Don Was, and Tim McIlrath (Rise Against), allowing for a collaborative effort that bridges the gap between generations of musicians inspired by MC5’s fearless approach to music and activism.
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The breadth of MC5’s impact can be heard by all the album’s players, including Vicki Randle (Aretha Franklin), Stevie Salas (Parliament Funkadelic, Rod Stewart), Abe Laboriel Jr. (Paul McCartney), Winston Watson Jr. (Bob Dylan), and Joe Berry (M83). Far more than a trip down memory lane, Heavy Lifting is a resounding affirmation that the spirit of punk endures.
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