827,000 vinyl albums were sold in the U.S. in the week of Record Store Day, a record for the Record Store Day week and the third-largest sales week for vinyl albums since Nielsen Music started tracking sales in 1991. The only two larger weeks for vinyl album sales overall were logged during the Christmas season […]
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary added Eminem's definition of the word "stan", a derivative of his 2000 song, Pitchfork reports. In Webster it appears as both a noun - "an extremely or excessively enthusiastic and devoted fan”, and a verb - “to exhibit fandom to an extreme or excessive degree” or “to be an extremely devoted and […]
Filmmaker and photographer Jerry Schatzberg published a handsome new photography book, 'Dylan By Schatzberg', which inspired Stereogum to reach out to a number of photographers who have worked with Dylan over the years to ask for the stories behind the images, from the iconic blurry one, to the unusual one where Dylan is - a-smiling...
“Blink182″ is among the most commonly used passwords, and thus most easily guessed by hackers, according to the first study of that kind conducted by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre. The most popular password is “123456,” followed by “123456789”, “qwerty”, “password”, “111111” and “12345678”, and the “blink182″ is the most common music-based password, perhaps […]
Brazilian trach-metal band Sepultura have been barred from performing in Beirut next week - officials called the Brazilian metal band "devil worshippers" intent on "insulting Christianity", al Bawaba reports. Apart from that, authorities said the band had previously played in Israel and filmed a video clip showing their support of Israel (their well known music […]
Kanye West made his Sunday Service public at Coachella on Sunday morning, featuring gospel versions of cover songs and his own original tracks. West set up a merchandise booth to sell his special Sunday Service “church clothes” - hoodies and t-shirts were emblazoned with religious words and phrases, such as “Holy Spirit”, “Trust God”, and […]
Guardian picked out the book Moon Shine by American photographer Rachel Boillot, where this Nashville professor explores musical heritage in America’s Appalachian region. It's an "underexplored music scene informed by tradition and religion", coming from "the mountain roads between Signal Mountain and Cumberland Gap, tracing Tennessee’s Cumberland Trail corridor".
It’s now necessary that artists take more political stances in their music, Damon Albarn said on BBC 6 Music, adding that's it's especially important now when it comes to Brexit, a landmark decision that Albarn considers “so depressing”. In opposition to political music he see "selfie music" which he considers "not sustainable". An important thing […]
Korean boy-band BTS captures its third No. 1 album in less than 12 months on the Billboard 200 chart, as 'Map of the Soul: Persona', debuts atop the list with 230,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. It's their third No. 1 album on Billboard in 11 months - 'Love Yourself: Tear' was on […]
Prince’s unfinished memoir, 'The Beautiful Ones', will be released in October, three years after his death. It covers his life from his childhood to his final days and it will contain Prince’s unfinished manuscript alongside photos from his personal collection, scrapbooks and lyrics, including his original handwritten treatment for his 1984 hit 'Purple Rain'. When […]
Studiocanal is releasing 'Amazing Grace' – the concert film of Aretha Franklin’s gospel album of the same name – on 10 May. That follows Taylor Swift’s 'Reputation', which came out on New Year’s Day, and the December 2018 release of Bruce Springsteen’s 'Springsteen on Broadway'. In January Netflix announced Martin Scorsese would direct a documentary […]
Stereogum picked out five songs that stand out this week. It's songs by hard-core band Fury, from Hit-Boy’s new surprise album with SOB X RBE, new song by Barcelona producer NOIA, Texan rapper Kevin Abstract, and Beyonce's remake of Frankie Beverly and Maze’s original 'Baby Boy'.
South Korean boyband BTS have landed their first ever UK number one album with 'Map of the Soul: Persona', becoming the first Korean act to score a chart-topping album in the UK. Billie Eilish's 'When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?' dropped to number two, while Chemical Brothers' ninth studio album 'No Geography' […]
Spin has combed through USA government documents and compiled a list of popular musicians who have donated this quarter to Democrats. Individual contributions are limited to 2,800 dollars to a candidate. Here's some donators: Norah Jones donated 2,500 dollars to "socialist" candidate Bernie Sanders, Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett gave him 1,000 dollars, Jackson Browne […]
During a recent show in Vienna, Austria, Bob Dylan paused when a fan broke his “no photos” rule, and said: “Take pictures or don’t take pictures. We can either play or we can pose. Okay”. He wasn't over - Dylan then bailed, and his band wrapped things up with an instrumental version of 'Just Like […]
Bandcamp is starting new vinyl pressing service, available to artists and labels later this year. Artisti will first create a vinyl campaign and begin taking orders with no up-front investment. Once they reach their minimum goal of orders, Bandcamp will press the records, print the packaging and ship to fans. Artists decide on the design […]
Rolling Stone has an awesome article about "choircore", a cultural platform from the 1960s in USA that "offered a bizarro alternative to sex, drugs and rock & roll, replacing it with chasteness, soda pop and show tunes". "With choircore, adults were able to pretend that the rock & roll revolution wasn’t really happening — or, […]
Actor C.J. Wallace, the son of rap legend Notorious B.I.G. and singer Faith Evans, is launching a marijuana brand Think BIG with bosses at Lowell Herb Co., with whom he will produce a variety of cannabis products, including pre-rolled joints, vapes, and gummies, as well as branded apparel and stationery. Wallace, 22, explains he was […]
This year's BBC Proms will be, partly at least, in the dark so people "can get away from the world by immersing themselves in meditative, mindful music". The London summer festival runs from 19 July to 14 September, it's mostly classical, but it will also feature hip-hop, the Clangers, and Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood playing - […]
Montreal’s city council unanimously adopted a declaration which states that Montreal is a “city of excellence” for heavy metal, Montreal Gazette reports. The declaration was proposed by councillor Craig Sauvé, who referenced Quebec-based metal bands including Kataklysm, Cryptopsy, Despised Icon, the Agonist, Necrotic Mutation, and Slaves on Dope in a presentation to city council. Unlike […]
Nipsey Hussle was remembered as a savvy businessman during his life - he owned all of his master recordings, his Marathon Clothing store, and he also set up multiple trust funds to make sure his kids - Emani and Kross Asghedom - would never have to rely on other people for money, TMZ reports.
Danny Boyle, the director of 'Trainspotting', will executive-produce a new movie 'Creation Stories' about the influential British label Creation, the home to My Bloody Valentine, Oasis, the Jesus & Mary Chain, Slowdive, Primal Scream, and dozens more artists. Irvine Welsh, the author of 'Trainspotting' book, and Dean Cavanagh are the screenwriters. Nick Moran, who has […]
Atlanta rap star 21 Savage is on Bank Account literacy Tour where he teaches students financial literacy, and how important it is to understand how to manage money properly. He offered a great incentive to get the kids interested in opening up a savings account - by offering up $100 to every college student who […]
Guardian talked to three Berlin bouncers who are subject of a new documentary that "pulls back the curtain to reveal the personal histories and artistic ambitions of these figures, and the realities of living and ageing in a city once again undergoing rapid change". While some people could view door policies in Berlin – which […]
Detroit techno pioneers Cybotron held their first ever concert last weekend in London's Barbican producing a show that was "as much about the eternal verities of the dancefloor as about high conceptualism or museum-piece reverence". Next to band's original member from the 1980s Juan Atkins, there were Laurens von Oswald, nephew of long-time collaborator the […]
American rapper and comedian Open Mike Eagle is teaming with comedian Baron Vaughn for a new Comedy Central variety show The New Negroes (it airs Friday, April 19th at 11:00 p.m. ET). The weekly series will feature multiple stand-up sets and close with a new original song and music video by OME in collaboration with […]
“Contemporary rock music no longer seems to have the fortitude to contend with enemies of the imagination, enemies of art – and in this present form perhaps rock music isn’t worth saving. The permafrost of puritanism could be the antidote for the weariness and nostalgia that grips it” - Nick Cave wrote in an answer […]
Rapper Jamal Knox was arrested by a pair of Pittsburgh police officers seven years ago on gun and drug charges. Knox, who goes by the stage name Mayhem Mal, later wrote a song called 'F*ck the Police', which mentioned those same two officers by name and featured lines “Let’s kill these cops cuz they don’t […]
American soul singer Aretha Franklin has been awarded a posthumous Pulitzer prize for her "her indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades". She becomes the 12th musician, and first female performer, to be given the special citation - joining the likes of Bob Dylan, Scott Joplin and John Coltrane. CNN...
Guardian picked out Bruce Hornsby of an example how to age well, especially coming from pop milieu. Hornsby started out as the "guy who wrote 'The Way It Is'", and now he's somewhere in between experimental and easy. “I’m in search of the chills. That leads me very far afield, ranging from old-time traditional music, […]
