Korean boy-band BTS is the first K-pop group, and Asian artist overall, to surpass 5 billion streams on Spotify. Their single 'Fake Love', was Spotify’s most-streamed K-pop track of 2018, and has been responsible for more than 219 million of BTS’ 5 billion streams (listen to it here). Billboard...
"I'm very attracted to moving into darkness and expressing that. But I want to do that in the context of catharsis and ultimately turn toward hope", Anoushka Shankar, one of the most recognizable names in world music, has told PopMatters in an interview about her new best-of collection 'Reflections', which chronicles her two decades as […]
There’s a multitude of talent from UK that’s come through in the last decade or so, in the process taking metal music to new places and onto the playlists of new listeners. From ethereal prog to the extremes of death metal, Loudwire lists 11 bands defining the U.K.’s metal scene in 2019. It's: Architects, Blood […]
Mark Ronson has shared new single 'Late Night Feelings', featuring Lykke Li, the title track from his forthcoming album. 'Late Night Feelings' (out June 21) is a self-proclaimed album of “sad bangers” that is slated to feature King Princess, Arkansas-based singer songwriter Yeeba, and more. Ronson’s Miley Cyrus collaboration 'Nothing Breaks Like a Heart' will […]
'Sicilian Crest' is the last song on Mountain Goats' album 'In League With Dragons', and it's kinda dramatic in a childish way. About the album, bandleader John Darnielle has said that he hopes it will kick off a whole new genre called “dragon noir" (Rolling Stone). Listen to the song here.
"Drummer T.J. Childers plays with terrifying intensity but also with the kind of rhythmic playfulness that lets you know he listens to jazz. Guitarists Trey Dalton and Steven Russell are more concerned with creating atmosphere than with showing off, but they know how to launch into blazing solos when the time is right... They’ve taken […]
The whole thing about deal/no-deal Brexit is ridiculous, so why not just - sing to it, which is exactly what The Guardian did. They made a list of 50 songs about Europe, ranked, offering Ella Fitzgerald, Sex Pistols, Jacques Brel, David Bowie, Kraftwerk and more. A charming list.
Major streets in South Los Angeles were closed thursday following the final services for rapper Nipsey Hussle. The rap star was remembered in a touching ceremony at The Staples Center, where 21,000 of his fans gathered, including Snoop Dogg, YG and DJ Mustard and even Barack Obama (via a letter) paid tribute to Nipsey. A […]
"'Disturbance' is precisely what the dark uncertainty of the present moment calls for: a primeval blending of ancient ambiance and modern tech, building fast and furious into a soundtrack that batters the fragile Quotidien present with a beautiful rage into which the listener yearns to hurl themselves, body and soul" - PopMatters really likes new […]
"I think we are in the process of creating a more fair and equal music industry than it’s ever been in the past," Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said in an expansive new interview with the Freakonomics Radio podcast. He claims that more recording artists can make a full-time living now than they could in the […]
