“The beat box…was running fast, which means when you played the tape back, it came out slow. And that had an enormous amount to do with the sound of 'Nebraska'" - Bruce Springsteen said on his Apple Music radio series 'Letter to You Radio' talking to Eddie Vedder and Dave Grohl about the beginning of their music careers, CoS reports. He explained - "'Nebraska' in its entirety is slowed down from its actual recording pitch. When I brought the pitch up to where it should actually be, it brightened a record up and took away a lot of its mysteriousness. So 'Nebraska' was this totally haphazard, happy accident that occurred over a few weeks with just whatever equipment we had laying around and the whole record cost us, including the price of the tape, it cost us about a thousand dollars to make”. Springsteen releases his new album 'Letter To You' this week.

Chet “JR” White, the bassist and producer in US indie rock band Girls, has died aged 40, Pitchfork reports. As a teenager, White played in a punk group called the Willies, and in 2007 he formed Girls with Christopher Owens, releasing two critically acclaimed full-length albums - 2009’s 'Album' and 2011’s 'Father, Son, Holy Ghost'. After their split in 2012, Chet worked primarily as a producer.

Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher, Anthrax bassist Frank Bello, Korn drummer Ray Luzier, Men Without Hats keyboardist Ivan Doroschuk, and others have joined forces to cover Faith No More's 'We Care a Lot'. The collaboration was organized by Slaves on Dope members Jason Rockman and Kevin Jardine, who contribute vocals and guitar. Refused frontman Dennis Lyxzén handles the first verse, while other vocalists include Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of Run-DMC, Richard Patrick of Filter, Walter Schreifels of Quicksand, Kevin Sharp of Brutal Truth, rapper Esoteric of Czarface, and Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace. The performance was organized to support the Roadie Relief effort, benefitting concert crew members who have been out of work in the midst of the pandemic - buy the song via Bandcamp.

Global stars like Beyonce, Rihanna, and Nicki Minaj have spoken out against police brutality in Nigeria, which has also drawn attention of the Amnesty International who reported about - "excessive use of force occasioning deaths of protesters at Lekki toll gate in Lagos". Nigerian musicians like Burna Boy, Davido, WizKid, Tiwa Savage, and Mr. Eazi have lent their voices to the #EndSARS movement, The Fader reports. SARS, or the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, was the name of Nigeria's notoriously cruel police unit, which was reportedly dissolved earlier this month.

Sigur Rós are facing a trial in Icelandic court for tax evasion, one the current and former band members say could leave them financially ruined and even jailed, Guardian reports. The band says the trial is a breach of European double jeopardy laws, since they were already tried for the same case, and the court is likely to impose a fine of at least 200% of the tax evaded. Bassist Georg “Goggi” Holm, former keyboardist Kjartan “Kjarri” Sveinsson, and former drummer Orri Páll Dýrason all say they are thinking about leaving the country, following in the footsteps of singer and guitarist Jónsi Birgisson, now based in Los Angeles. The band says they have already paid back the money in the same case (151m Icelandic krona, £840,000).

California rapper Nuke Bizzle - real name Fontrell Antonio Baines - was arrested for unemployment fraud after rapping about - committing unemployment fraud, The New York Times reports. Baines applied for unemployment benefits using stolen identities and was issued more than $1.2 million in fraudulently obtained benefits through at least 92 different debit cards, of which he cashed in more than $704,000 of them. He obtained them through a federal program that extended unemployment benefits to workers who are self-employed or independent contractors during the pandemic. He rapped about his actions in the music video for a song featuring Fat Wizza called 'EDD' in which he bragged about getting “rich off EDD” and having “swagger for EDD”, all while holding envelopes from the Employment Development Department. He faces up to 22 years in prison.

The Quietus made a great collection of the latest French music, going from hip-hop and chansons, to French and North African folk, as well as power techno. There's also a band of children, Les Loustics, with members aged 7, 9, and 12. Listen to the October mix - here.

Chineke! Orchestra has created a composition inspired by the encouraging moment from the London Black Lives Matter protests in June when anti-racism protester Patrick Hutchinson carried to safety an injured counter-protester, BBC reports. The piece, composed by James B. Wilson and including powerful poetry by Yomi Sode, is performed by Chineke! Orchestra, the first professional orchestra in Europe to be made up of majority black, Asian and ethnically diverse musicians.

José Padilla, the Spanish DJ who created the hugely successful Café del Mar compilation series in the 1990s, has died aged 64 from colon cancer, El Pais reports. Padilla moved to Ibiza in 1976 and began DJing in the island’s clubs, making his name as resident DJ at Café del Mar, the San Antonio bar that became famous for pairing relaxed music with sunset vistas. He also made his own music.

"The Griselda philosophy is rap about what you know, sound like who you are, and let the world find you" - Music Redef writes in their new thread on Griselda Records, an underground hip-hop label and crew from Buffalo, New York. At the foundation of Griselda, there are Conway the Machine, his brother Westside Gunn, and their cousin Benny the Butcher, all of whom have released notable albums in the past five weeks as the label continues to edge its way into hip-hop's spotlight.

The Welsh guitarist was the driving force behind The Spencer Davis Group, who scored transatlantic hits with 'Keep On Running' and 'Somebody Help Me'. Inspired by blues and skiffle, Spencer Davis formed a band called The Saints with Bill Wyman, later a member of the Rolling Stones; and performed folk music with Christine Perfect - who, as Christine McVie, became a core member of Fleetwood Mac's classic line-up. After line-up changes, the band changed their name to The Spencer Davis Group, featuring also a teenage Stevie Winwood. Along with a number of other early British pop groups, they helped popularise the sound of US blues and R&B in the UK. The band toured with The Who and The Rolling Stones in the 60s. Guardian reflects on his career.

Avant-garde rapper Backxwash has won the 2020 Polaris Music Prize for her album 'God Has Nothing to Do With This Leave Him Out of It'. Backxwash, the stage name of performer Ashanti Mutinta, blends gothic elements of rap and metal music with her own personal experiences with faith, family and her queer identity. Also nominated were Caribou, Junia-T, Kaytranada, nêhiyawak, Pantayo, Lido Pimienta, Jessie Reyez, U.S. Girls, and Witch Prophet.

Vice published a great text about the lack of live music, and what really we are missing (not the sounds coming out of speakers): "It’s the one thing, besides sports, that provides community when no one else gives a shit. The impact that has on opportunity and quality of life, even – in fact especially – in the context of financial hardship, is huge. So it’s baffling, although does not surprise me in the slightest, that when it comes to making 'necessary cuts' to 'save' the economy, cultural and social services are always the first against the wall. People rarely consider things they don’t need, and no one needs fun less than rich people".

Three 6 Mafia announced what they claim will be the first arena show in the US since the pandemic began, WTVQ reports. The Dec. 11 show at RUPP ARENA in Lexington will be reduced from a capacity of 21,017 to 15 percent, which amounts to 3,152 concert-goers and event staff. The attendees will be required to wear masks and to have their temperature checked upon entry. The audience will be located in pods of 4 people or less to ensure social distancing. Tickets go for $42 to $153.

Award-winning music journalist and analyst shared some advice with Compound Writing on how to stand out, in any business really:

1. You don’t need to beat the industry titans at their own game

2. Whatever the press release says the story is probably isn't - dig deeper

3. People are drowning in information - connect the dots for them

4. Record labels make most of their money from their back catalog of classics - writers should do the same

5. Avoid the temptation to reach everybody - you win by reaching the right people

An awesome performance by the Run The Jewels who did their first live performance since releasing their latest album 'RTJ4'. Killer Mike, El-P, and DJ Trackstar performed the new album in full, and they were joined virtually by several of the album's guests on the big screen behind them - including Zack de la Rocha, Josh Homme, Mavis Staples, Pharrell, 2 Chainz, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, and Cochemea, and in person by Gangsta Boo and Greg Nice. They did the performance in an empty venue with a full light show.

Apart from Twitch, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, the Guardian presents several start-ups that are getting into live-streaming. Dice TV launched with a performance by Scottish superstar Lewis Capaldi who charged £5 per person. Live show production company We Are Sound is launching DIUO later in October - it will stream one-off concerts on a pay-per-view basis, as well as allow acts to set up their own subscription-based channels to host regular events; the first 100 bands who stream with DIUO will get 10% portion of the company. Oda is offering festival-style curated programming whereby fans enjoy live performances beamed directly to Oda’s bespoke connected speakers, sold for $299 and supplemented by a $79 (£60) subscription fee every three months.

English electronic musician the Caretaker started releasing his six-part album 'Everywhere At The End Of Time' in 2016 and finished releasing it in 2019, ending with six-and-a-half-hour album. There was a concept - each of the six parts disintegrated in sound to mirror the loss of memory and identity that comes with the progression of dementia. In 2020, the album has become an unlikely viral hit on TikTok - users of the service have been challenging each other to listen to the entire record, and documenting their response to the experience. The Quietus talked to its author. Listen to the album in full at Bandcamp.

When she was a teenager, Baby Rose was ostracised because of the way she talked, but then she "realised that I was a pariah and I was different from the rest of the pack, but that was OK because eventually it would be something that I could make my thing". And she did - she started making music, including "one of the most impressive vocal performances in recent memory", as NME has heard her album 'To Myself'. She gets comparisons to Amy Winehouse - “it’s awesome for me because she’s a vocal anomaly, I know that I’m a vocal anomaly too and I love that. But the message has always been at the forefront for me, the music is just a conduit to get the point across of who I am”. Deluxe edition of 'To Myself' is out now.

Beastie Boys have allowed one of their songs to be used in a commercial, for the first time ever, Variety reports. They licensed their biggest hit 'Sabotage' for a new official ad for Joe Biden for President campaign. It is about the dire situation music venues in America are currently in due to COVID-19. Beastie Boys can be heard in the ad next to the Pixies and others.

Bob Biggs, who founded Los Angeles independent label Slash Records, has died aged 74, Billboard reports. The label grew out of the Slash punk fanzine, where Biggs, a painter who lived next door to its offices, was a contributor in 1977. A year later, he founded Slash Records and put up $1000 to fund The Germs' 'Lexicon Devil' 7" and then released the band's classic debut album, 'GI', the next year. Biggs kept Slash Records, and the magazine, going after the other founders left and though the publication folded in 1980, the label stayed alive. While primarily known for L.A. bands -- their roster included Fear, Faith No More, Los Lobos, Dream Syndicate The Blasters, and Rank & File -- Slash widened its scope, releasing records by Violent Femmes, Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians, Misfits, BoDeans, Burning Spear, The Chills, and more. Bob ran Slash, which by the mid-'80s was distributed by Warner Brothers in the U.S. and London Records in the UK, until its dissolution in 1996.

Fleetwood Mac‘s seminal 1977 album ‘Rumours’ has re-entered the top 10 of the Billboard 200 after 42 years thanks to a recent surge in popularity, due to viral video on TikTok, Billboard reports. The album jumped from #13 to #7 this week, following its newfound popularity after TikToker 420doggface208 posted his viral video of him longboarding while listening to ‘Dreams’, one of the songs from the album. ‘Rumours’ had originally spent a staggering 31 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 across 1977 and 1978, which remains a record for an album by a duo or a band. The top of the Billboard 200 this week is reserved for Pop Smoke’s 'Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon' who returns to No. 1 for a second week with 67,000 equivalent album units earned. For the first time in over two months, there are no debuts in the top 10.

Dancer Dave Toole who appeared in the opening ceremony of the 2012 Paralympics Games in London, performing an aerial routine suspended high above the Olympic Stadium, has died at the age of 56, BBC reports. Mr Toole, who was born without the use of his legs, was a professional dancer for almost 30 years and toured the world in a number of productions. He was appointed OBE in January for services to dance and disabled people. Alan Lane, artistic director of the Slung Low theatre company, described Mr Toole as an "extraordinary talent", and his 2012 performance as "mighty, beautiful and with a grace utterly beyond the ordinary human".

Church of England now co-owns Whitney Houston's 'I'm Your Baby Tonight', Bobby Brown's 'Don't Be Cruel', Beyoncé's 'Single Ladies', and Eurythmics' 'Sweet Dreams', BBC reports. English church is one of hundreds of investors in Hipgnosis, a company that spent over $1bn buying popular songs with the aim of generating income by streaming. Hipgnosis founder Merck Mercuriadis says the music he's bought is "more valuable than gold or oil", and expects it to generate income for decades to come.

Super7 made a new ReAction figure of Judas Priest's Rob Halford - a 3 3/4" figure celebrating Priest's 50th anniversary. Action Halford comes with "his classic stage outfit, microphone, and whip". Super7 also unveiled ReAction figure of Motörhead founder Lemmy Kilmister. Lemmy stands 3 3/4" tall and comes with his bass.

Mixmag brings the story of Nazira, who went from being a molecular biologist working in an international company, to starting a DJ career in Kazakhstan, to the dismay of her family. She started the ZVUK ("sound") collective putting Kazakhstan's music scene on the world map and provided Kazakh artists with a unique opportunity to be heard outside their bedrooms. Nazira also kickstarted the Unsound Dislocation festival with international artists. In clubs, she managed to increase the average audience from 50 people by ten times and create a safe space for LGBTIQ people, for whom ZVUK is perhaps the only place where they can feel free.

Complex delves into the power of (non)streaming, with the prime example of Brooklyn rapper: "6ix9ine fully leaned into the idea that in today’s era, any attention is good attention. A hate-click is still a click. He knew that getting someone to stream his song out of pure curiosity would put just as much money in his pocket as a stream from an avid fan who actually enjoys the music... To keep operating as he was, 6ix9ine desperately needed revenue from streams. And to get streams, he needed attention, whether it was positive or negative. Getting flat-out ignored was his biggest fear".

Rock musician Jason Barnes started drumming at age 14, but lost his arm in an accident. He learned that he can continue drumming with drumsticks taped to his stump. With the help of Gil Weinberg, a Georgia Tech professor and inventor of musical robots, the pair utilized electromyography and ultrasound technology to make a bionic hand for Barnes. Now, the "super-able" Barnes holds the world record for most drumbeats in one minute (2400) using a drumstick prosthetic. Big Think brings the encouraging story.

Cherie Hu, one of the biggest authorities on music technology and music industry, predicts the future of music business and technology for Beats & Bytes blog. Hu sees futuristic brain-computer interface for music consumption, and the rise of "fake" artists like algorithms, holograms, vocaloids...

Google Search announced on Thursday that users can hum or whistle a song to their mobile devices, and Google Search will find its name and artist as well as relevant search results like music videos. The search might result in several different songs, with the percentage of probability of each song. It works like this: A user can tap the mic icon in Google’s search app or the Google search widget and either tap the “search a song” button or tap the mic button and say, “What’s this song?”. If using Google Assistant, they can say, “Hey, Google, what’s this song?” Then, the user just sings, hums, or whistles the tune for 10 to 15 seconds - and voilà.