A jack-o-lantern, Aaliyah, The CN Tower, Denzel Washington, a flaming skull, an emoji praying hands, a more realistic set of praying hands, Rihanna eating ice cream, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant — these tattoos represent only a smattering of the random, awkward, and symbolic ink, Drake has committed to his …
Read More »Why This Is a Golden Age for New Artists (So Long as They Keep Their Ambitions in Check)
What Is happening to streaming’s superstars? That was the big question asked in this very column two months ago. The answer, delivered by a myriad of game-changing stats: they’re getting squeezed. New data now shows that this trend isn’t going away – and is, in fact, calcifying. Industry monitor Nielsen …
Read More »Americana Godfather Jim Lauderdale Wants You to Listen More
Since Americana became an official radio format in 1995, myriad male artists have been proclaimed the godfather of the roots-based genre. But few deserve the title more than Jim Lauderdale, who, having released more than 30 albums over the past three decades, has worked in all of the elements that …
Read More »Jedd Hughes Dreams of Home in Wistful New Song 'Back to You'
Singer-songwriter-guitarist Jedd Hughes has released the new song “Back to You,” a wistful, acoustic guitar-driven number from his upcoming album West. Built around Hughes’ intricate fingerstyle progression, “Back to You” aims for atmosphere with light percussion and subtle shades of electric guitar, keys, and strings that drift through the mix. …
Read More »See Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana Praise Miles Davis in New Doc Trailer
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, a documentary on the life and music of the late jazz icon, will screen in New York and L.A. theaters this August. Directed by Stanley Nelson, who has also helmed docs on the Black Panthers and Jonestown, the film premiered at Sundance earlier this …
Read More »FloydFest 2019: 10 Best Things We Saw
With a Cheshire Cat grin, Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman stood in front of a microphone at FloydFest in the wee hours of Saturday morning, basking in the moment. “It ain’t anybody’s first rodeo around here,” the singer-guitarist chuckled to the roar of the hardcore crowd. Indeed, in its 19th installment, …
Read More »Aubrie Sellers Returns With Caustic New Song 'Drag You Down'
Aubrie Sellers kicks off the new track, “Drag You Down,” with a bone-chilling primal scream, offering a first sizzling taste of the long-awaited follow-up to her 2016 debut, New City Blues. Fusing country-music lyricism with grinding garage-rock guitar, Sellers sings, “I’m gonna drag you through the neighborhood right into the …
Read More »Meek Mill's 2008 Conviction Overturned, New Trial Granted
The Pennsylvania Superior Court has thrown out Meek Mill‘s 2008 conviction on drug and gun charges, granting the rapper a new trial and judge based on new evidence of alleged police corruption. “We conclude the after-discovered evidence is of such a strong nature and character that a different verdict will …
Read More »Oh Sees Blend Punk Noise, Random Stock Footage in 'Heartworm' Video
Oh Sees strike up gleeful absurdity in their new video for “Heartworm,” a noisy punk track from their upcoming double-LP, Face Stabber. Director Joel Kyack pairs the band’s ragged power chords with a parade of cheesy and bizarre stock footage — including laughing co-workers, digital oceans, robotic arms, grooming cats, …
Read More »See Kacey Musgraves' Mesmerizing 'Slow Burn' on 'Today'
This morning Kacey Musgraves appeared on NBC’s Todayfor a short concert featuring highlights from her Grammy-winning 2018 album Golden Hour. Performing at New York’s Rockefeller Plaza, Musgraves delivered note-perfect renditions of album cuts like “Slow Burn,” “Happy & Sad,” “Lonely Weekend,” and “Oh, What a World.” On Today, Musgraves also …
Read More »