I.C.Y.M.I.: Dave Grohl Shares 'True Short Stories' in Self-Quarantine, Pearl Jam Releases 'Gigaton,' And More

Greetings, fellow pop culture aficionados, and welcome to week seven of our I.C.Y.M.I. (In Case You Missed It) blog series. Our museum may be temporarily closed to visitors based on guidance from public health officials to slow the spread of coronavirus, but we're still here to recap a handful of trending tidbits from the past week in popular culture, in case you missed them.

Last Friday, with much of the world committing to social distancing, we shared a handful of virtual concerts, new movies, and co-op video games to help occupy you at home. This week, we begin in the music world, where a socially distant Dave Grohl has the internet abuzz. Let's get down to it!

Dave Grohl Joins Instagram, Shares 'True Short Stories'

Dave Grohl is looking for work, so the former Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters frontman is having a bit of fun on social media. His band recently announced the postponement of its 25th anniversary tour because of the cornavirus pandemic, so Grohl launched an Instagram account this past week titled 'davestruestories.' On the platform, Grohl says he plans to "pass the time by writing true short stories that will make people smile." 

"My mother was a brilliant English teacher, my father, a wicked speechwriter," Grohl adds. "So I decided to rebel by not paying attention to grammar and/or punctuation in school. (That, and cranking death metal 24/7 from my bedroom stereo) So... Have mercy. Not going for a Nobel Prize in Literature here."

Followers will find "some of the more ridiculous moments" of Grohl's life on display, which are apparent in the first short story he shares about his love for fireworks.

"Years of roaming around the country on tour, I found myself pulling over and stopping at any local fireworks merchant/stand/wholesaler I could find. Possessed by a love of all things explosive, I simply couldn't resist! Little ones. Big ones. Ones that fly. Ones that zip around on the ground. Smoke bombs. Snakes. Rockets. Roman Candles.... You name it. (Most of which were illegal in my hometown....Perhaps the sweetest allure)"

You can check out the full fireworks entry right here, and if you're bored at home this weekend, give Grohl's account a follow. It's bound to put a smile on your face.

Pearl Jam Releases New Album, Gigaton

The wait is over. Pearl Jam released Gigaton on Friday, marking the band's first album in six-and-a-half years, the longest stretch ever between albums for the Seattle rockers. The group's 11th studio album features 12 songs, including three previously-released singles in "Dance of the Clairvoyants," "Superblood Wolfmoon," and "Quick Escape."

"Making this record was a long journey," Pearl Jam lead guitarist Mike McCready says of Gigaton in a press release. "It was emotionally dark and confusing at times, but also an exciting and experimental road map to musical redemption. Collaborating with my bandmates on Gigaton ultimately gave me greater love, awareness and knowledge of the need for human connection in these times."

You can also hear from Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament, who recently joined the Bill Simmons podcast to discuss the album. Listen to Gigaton in full using the YouTube playlist embedded above.

More Music News You Can Use

• A couple weeks back, some of you may have caught wind of new music from Donald Glover, which was released—and fairly quickly removed—at donaldgloverpresents.com. This week, Childish Gambino made the album official, making 3.15.20 available for good.
• Nine Inch Nails surprise-released a pair of albums this week, dropping Ghosts V: Together and Ghosts VI: Locusts.
• Head over to Spotify for new music from Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Conan Gray.
• If you're feeling creative, a generous group of software developers and soundware designers have made a handful of music-making products available for free.

What'd We Miss?

Now that we've filled you in on a few things, what do you feel we failed to mention? Let us know in the comments, or hit us up with a suggestion on Twitter @MoPOPSeattle. We'll look to include your ideas in our next edition of 'I.C.Y.M.I.' 

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