I heard the news today…* Donny McCaslin and Kevin Armstrong release new albums; Carlos Alomar announces a Low and The Idiot 50th anniversary event; Lexi Jones shares an “accidental” recreation of the Heroes cover; Bowie photographers reunite at Lightroom; Con Chrisoulis on young Bowie; Canary covers “Life on Mars?” plus features, profiles, lists AND MORE!
Welcome to my weekly roundup of Bowie news! Read on for summaries of Bowie-related stories that posted this past week, and click on the bolded story names to link to the original articles (except where update is identified as exclusive content)…
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News Briefs
McCaslin Announces New McCaslin Dahle Album MXD. Donny McCaslin, a key collaborator on Bowie’s Blackstar, announced the release of MXD, a new collaborative album with Ryan Dahle that was recorded across Brooklyn, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Canada’s Gulf Islands. McCaslin said the project had been years in the making and features contributions from several notable musicians including Blackstar alumni Tim Lefebvre, Jason Lindner, and Mark Guiliana. I’ve heard the album — its terrific. I’m hoping to have Donny back on my YouTube show soon to discuss. (Exclusive content)
Kevin Armstrong releases new album. Bowie collaborator Kevin Armstrong recorded his second solo album, Orphans, between 2019 and 2026 with contributions from Thomas Dolby, Karl Wallinger and others, while emphasizing that the album was created entirely without the use of AI. I’ve ordered the album and am hoping to have Kevin return to my YouTube show to discuss it once I’ve had a chance to hear it.
Alomar Announces Château d’Hérouville Low and The Idiot 50th Anniversary Event. Carlos Alomar revealed that the original Château d’Hérouville studio in France will reopen June 5–7, 2026 for exclusive listening sessions and anniversary events celebrating the recordings of Bowie’s Low and Iggy Pop’s The Idiot, including exhibitions, film screenings, collectors’ presentations, and special guests. Alomar, who will participate alongside author and photographer Philippe Auliac, emphasized the importance of the D.A.M. Trio — Dennis Davis, George Murray, and himself — in transforming the conceptual ideas of Bowie, Brian Eno, and Tony Visconti into the sound and emotional character of Low. (Exclusive content)
Lexi Shares Uncanny Unintentional Recreation of Bowie’s Heroes Cover. Lexi Jones, Bowie’s daughter, shared a decade-old photograph that unintentionally mirrors the pose from the Heroes album cover, saying she had never seen the artwork or seriously listened to Bowie’s music when the picture was taken. Jones described the discovery years later as a “bizarre coincidence” that genuinely frightened her because of how closely the image resembled the iconic cover. I’m not saying that I don’t believe her, but she claimed the picture was from 2016– its hard to imagine that she lived with Bowie her entire life, mostly in New York (where its hard not to run into the image walking down the street) and never came across the album, especially since The Next Day was released three years prior. I’m guessing she might have forgotten that she had seen it. (Exclusive content)
Bowie Photographers Reunite at Lightroom for “Behind the Lens” Event. Photographers including Geoff MacCormack, Denis O’Regan, Kevin Cummins, Richard Young, Tony McGee and Chris Duffy gathered at Lightroom for the “Bowie Nights: Behind the Lens” event, sharing stories and technical insights about photographing Bowie while reflecting on his collaborative instincts, visual intelligence, humor and role in shaping his own iconic imagery across multiple eras.
Jim Henson’s Creature Shop opens for tours. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop now offers public tours of its Queens workshop, where visitors can see the artisans behind the Muppets and other creations, including craftspeople inspired by Henson’s Labyrinth starring Bowie and Jennifer Connelly.
Thousands attend international ‘Mullet Cup’ in Belgium. About 1,000 people from across Europe gathered in a border-town village to celebrate the mullet hairstyle, whose iconic 1970s–1990s popularity was boosted by figures including Bowie, Bono, André Agassi, and MacGyver.
Doctor Who Star’s Recent 97% RT Series Continues to Dominate on Streaming. Rivals Season 2, starring David Tennant, became a streaming success on Disney+ and Hulu with strong critical reviews praising its retro aesthetic and soundtrack featuring artists including Bowie, despite a far more divided audience response.
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FEATURES AND REFLECTIONS
“Lazarus”: The Devil’s Interval Is Why It Sounds Like a Farewell That Never Resolves. The haunting and unresolved atmosphere of “Lazarus” comes from Bowie’s use of the tritone and unstable harmonic movement, which mirror the song’s themes of death, uncertainty, and existing between resolution and oblivion.
Book Preview: Starman: The Cosmic Voyage of David Bowie. Author Matthew Cordell presents Bowie as a constantly reinventing and creatively fearless artist whose life and music are explored through expressive illustrations, reflective questions, and a curated overview of his artistic evolution. Aimed at younger readers.
Humanoids hit catwalk in Seoul. A Seoul fashion show paired human models with humanoid robots wearing matching outfits, including space-age trousers inspired by those worn by Bowie in the 1970s, to explore how humans and robots might coexist.
The Man Who Fell To Earth at 50. Bowie’s first major film role in The Man Who Fell to Earth cast him as an alien whose isolation, outsider status and eventual corruption by human society closely mirrored themes in his music and remains widely regarded as one of his finest screen performances.
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PROFLIES
Denis O’Regan. Bowie’s trust in Denis O’Regan gave the photographer unusual access that allowed him to capture not only Bowie’s public performances but also the person behind them.
Satori Circus. Detroit-based ensemble Lads Insane, led by performance artist Satori Circus and featuring musicians from across Detroit’s rock and performance-art scene, has re-formed to perform Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust in full alongside additional selections from Bowie’s 1970s catalog.
The Human League. Bowie viewed the Human League’s electronic, synth-driven sound and futuristic image as the future of pop music, took a strong personal interest in the band because of their connection to the musical territory explored by Kraftwerk, predicted their influence on the MTV era and later synth pop, frequently attended their shows, and helped support their early career by connecting them with Iggy Pop for a 1979 European tour.
Ali Louis Bourzgui. Ali Louis Bourzgui drew inspiration from Bowie, Tim Curry and Sam Reid in developing his Tony-nominated performance as the vampire rock star David in Broadway’s The Lost Boys, citing Bowie’s gender ambiguity and eerie charisma in Labyrinth as key influences on the role.
Nicholas Cage. Nicolas Cage said Bowie inspired his approach to reinvention by advising him to never become comfortable with what he was doing, a mindset Cage applied while taking on the role of John Madden in Madden.
David Torn. Heathen marked Bowie’s critically acclaimed artistic resurgence through spiritually themed, richly produced songs created with collaborators including Tony Visconti and experimental guitarist David Torn, who recalled Bowie unexpectedly embracing Woodstock during the album’s recording process.
Grio and the Architects. More Love blends soul, jazz, Afrobeat, and R&B influences from artists including Bowie into a warm and emotionally rich album whose songs move between intimacy, heartbreak, healing, and uplift while maintaining a deeply human sense of sincerity.
Red Hot Chili Peppers. The Red Hot Chili Peppers became one of the best-selling artists of all time with a cultural reputation rooted in ubiquity rather than reevaluation, achieving greater commercial success than Bowie, Bob Dylan, the Doors, and Prince while largely avoiding the intense cultural backlash or canonization experienced by many of their contemporaries.
Robin Trower. Robin Trower’s Live! and its newly released complete 1975 Stockholm concert capture the power of Trower’s definitive trio lineup and evoke the immersive atmosphere associated with classic live albums such as Bowie’s Stage and other major 1970s rock recordings.
Cherie Currie and Essex. Cherie Currie and Chicago artist Essex collaborated on a new cover of “When You’re Young” that blends classic new wave and contemporary rock influences, with Essex drawing inspiration from artists including Bowie, Billy Idol, Marc Bolan, and James Brown.
Gigi de Lana. Gigi de Lana’s transformation into a more mature and independent artist is described as a difficult “hard reboot” that alienated some fans, while Bowie is cited as the ultimate example of an artist whose continual reinvention ultimately became central to his legacy.
Love Islander Mica. New Love Island contestant Mica comes from a prominent Barbadian political family and is related to actress Eva Mottley, who appeared in Only Fools and Horses and dated Bowie for two years.
Rosamund Pike hails “inspiration to all” David Bowie. Rosamund Pike cited Bowie and the immersive “David Bowie: You’re Not Alone” exhibition at Lightroom as inspirations for artistic authenticity, experimentation and audience connection, praising Bowie’s refusal to conform, his continual search for new influences and his ability to break down barriers between performer and audience.
Vanilla Ice. Vanilla Ice rose to fame with “Ice Ice Baby,” which sampled Bowie and Queen’s “Under Pressure,” before reinventing himself through reality television, home renovation projects and nostalgia-driven live performances.
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THIS WEEK IN THIS BLOG
May 24: Last week’s news
May 25: David Bowie Cover of the Week: Canary covers “Life on Mars”
May 26: Drive-In Saturday Tuesday Movie Review: The Mandalorian and Grogu
May 27: Find Bowie game (updated again)
May 28: “Low” Points on the Journey
May 29: Con Chrisoulis Preview
May 30: David Bowie: Early Years with Con Chrisoulis
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LISTS
15 Best Singers of All Time. Bowie was ranked #14 among great singers for using songs such as “Heroes,” “Space Oddity,” “Life on Mars?,” “Changes,” “Let’s Dance,” and “Starman” to continually reinvent his voice, identity, and musical style while exploring themes of transformation, loneliness, fame, desire, and survival.
3 Rock Songs From 1983. Bowie maintained chart success across shifting musical eras by adapting his sound without losing his identity, exemplified by the globally successful “Let’s Dance,” which blended funk rock, new wave, and post-disco influences.
4 Folk Rock Songs That Sound Like They Could Be in a Wes Anderson Film. Bowie’s interest in spirituality, Buddhism, and the occult shaped “Quicksand,” which he described as an expression of the confusion and psychological disorientation he experienced while moving through places like New York and Hollywood in the early 1970s.
You should really know these 10 fantasy movies. Labyrinth remains a distinctive fantasy film built around Jim Henson’s imaginative world and creature design, with Bowie’s bizarre performance as the Goblin King Jareth standing out despite the film’s unsettling dynamic between Jareth and the underage Sarah.
Five British albums that debuted at the top of the US charts. Despite decades of acclaim and major albums including Station to Station, Let’s Dance, and The Next Day, Bowie never reached number one in the United States until Blackstar became his first US chart-topper immediately after his death, as listeners embraced the album as a farewell meditation on mortality.
5 Robert Fripp guest spots. Fripp’s dissonant, aggressive, and angular guitar work on Bowie’s “It’s No Game (No. 1)” from Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) perfectly complements Bowie’s unhinged vocal performance and stands among Fripp’s most extreme collaborations with Bowie.
17 Best Netflix Movies for Children. Labyrinth follows Sarah’s attempt to rescue her baby brother Toby from Bowie’s Goblin King Jareth by solving a dangerous labyrinth within thirteen hours, combining Jim Henson’s imaginative creatures and fantasy storytelling with a strange, unsettling atmosphere and an unforgettable creepy performance by Bowie.
5 Modern Bands That Sound Ripped From The Classic Rock Era. Many active 21st-century bands draw on a wide range of classic rock influences, including Bowie, while avoiding redundancy by representing different strands of the genre rather than multiple acts with similar sounds.
The 10 Best Classic Rock Songs of the 1970s. Bowie’s “Heroes” is often regarded as both his signature song and one of rock music’s greatest achievements, balancing triumph and heartbreak while standing as the defining centerpiece of an already iconic album.
12 brilliant rock albums you completely overlooked. Never Let Me Down and Queen’s Hot Space are ambitious, experimental albums whose strong songwriting, inventive musical ideas, and willingness to challenge expectations have been overshadowed by criticism of their production and stylistic departures, with “Under Pressure” featuring Bowie exemplifying that creative risk-taking.
Keith Richards’ scathing assessment of 10 classic rock bands. Keith Richards praised “Changes” but otherwise dismissed Bowie’s music and artistic persona as style over substance, believing Mick Jagger had far more to offer creatively.
Bizarre Rituals Performed by Rock Stars. Bowie allegedly based creative and logistical decisions on numerology and astrology, even delaying recording sessions and changing studios when he believed certain numbers or locations would interfere with the artistic outcome.
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CHURNALISM
This section separates genuine Bowie news and original writing from recycled “churnalism” stories with vague click-bait headlines that often repeat familiar information but may still be of interest if readers have not seen them before.
Churn of the Week: The David Bowie gig that broke Robert Smith’s heart. Robert Smith viewed Bowie as an almost impossible artistic ideal whose music, especially Low and the Ziggy Stardust era, profoundly shaped The Cure’s sound and inspired Smith’s determination to give audiences fuller and more satisfying performances than the surprisingly short Bowie concert he once saved up to attend. I have seen this or slightly different versions of this story many, many times. Its epitomizes how someone like Robert Smith said something once that gets repackaged over and over by outlets like Far Out to show up in searches. This is neither news nor core to the larger mythology of either Bowie or the Cure.
In 1975, David Bowie Nabbed His First No. 1 Hit In The US With Help From This Beatle. Similar to the above, one or more of these repackaging sites likes to slightly rewrite how John Lennon co-wrote “Fame” every couple of weeks or so.
The damning rejection David Bowie suffered at the hands of The Beatles. After Decca dropped Bowie following his poorly received 1967 debut album, Apple Records rejected him after a three-month delay that Kenneth Pitt viewed as amateurish and dismissive, a setback that ultimately fueled Bowie’s rise to superstardom without help from The Beatles.
The classic song that transformed Elton John into a global superstar. Elton John’s “Rocket Man” became a timeless classic by combining Bernie Taupin’s vision of ordinary intergalactic travel and emotional isolation with John’s melodic and production strengths, while differing from Bowie’s “Space Oddity” by emphasizing the astronaut’s humanity rather than cosmic detachment.
The greatest human being that Slash ever met. Slash viewed Bowie as one of the greatest people he ever met, but he especially admired Lemmy for embodying an authentic, unpretentious vision of rock and roll that contrasted with the artificiality and feuds surrounding much of the Los Angeles music scene.
Nick Cave on how David Bowie carried “a certain kind of immortality.” Nick Cave admires Bowie’s ability to continually reinvent himself while achieving mainstream success on his own terms, viewing him as an artist whose emotional depth, theatricality, unpredictability, and cultural impact give him a kind of immortality.
The most committed artist Brian Eno ever worked with. Brian Eno regarded Bowie as an exceptionally committed and meticulous artist whose creativity was rooted not in spontaneity but in carefully considered decisions and an unwavering attention to detail.
Bowie’s Masterful Mick Jagger Impression. Bowie’s 2002 appearance on Parkinson during the promotion of Heathen highlighted his humor, charm, and storytelling ability, revealing a playful side that continues to resonate with fans.
The 1981 Queen song that David Bowie took control of. During the recording of “Under Pressure,” Bowie disrupted Queen’s usual practice of letting a song’s writer direct its development by asserting creative control over John Deacon’s bass part despite Deacon having supplied the musical motif that anchored the song. This is yet another story that is repackaged seemly monthly.
Masterpiece war film starring David Bowie that Christopher Nolan named in top 10. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence stars Bowie as a rebellious British prisoner in a Japanese POW camp and explores the complex relationships and cultural tensions between captives and their captors during World War II.
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And with that, “we’ve finished our news…”*
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*“I’ve heard the news today” is Bowie’s adaptation of the Beatles lyric, which is heard in “Young Americans.” **“We’ve finished our news” is a line from, “Oh You Pretty Things”