Before Ariana Grande provides the charts with so much-needed resuscitation, the Billboard 200 sunk to yet another low as a Boogie Wit Da Hoodie reclaimed Number One despite less than 1,000 copies on traditional sales. Hoodie SZN, which previously spent two weeks atop the Billboard 200 despite historically low physical …
Read More »Hear Todd Snider's Understated New Song 'Like a Force of Nature'
Todd Snider has released a new song from his upcoming acoustic LP, Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3. Titled “Like a Force of Nature,” the track features Jason Isbell and was originally written for his rootsy jam band Hard Working Americans. As with “Just Like Overnight,” the previous song to be …
Read More »Pentatonix Plot North American Tour
A capella outfit Pentatonix will embark on a massive 45-date North American tour this summer. Singer-songwriter Rachel Platten will serve as the group’s special guest throughout the trek. The first leg of the tour gets underway May 11th at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California and wraps July 7th at …
Read More »Grammys 2019: The Major Awards — Who Ya Got?
Will Kendrick finally win Album of the Year? Is Ariana the new queen of pop? Will Taylor go home empty-handed? Record of the Year “I Like It” Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin “The Joke” Brandi Carlile “This Is America” Childish Gambino “God’s Plan” Drake “Shallow” Lady Gaga and …
Read More »Superchunk, Destroyer, Mountain Goats Set for Merge Records 30th Birthday Bash
It’s a tough time for indie music labels, but Merge Records seems to doing OK. The North Carolina label – started by Superchunk in 1989, which released breakthroughs by Arcade Fire, Neutral Milk Hotel and others –just started a vinyl subscription service, and it will celebrate its 30th anniversary with …
Read More »Mary Gauthier, Brandi Carlile Are Top Winners at U.K. Americana Awards
The Americana Music Association U.K. (AMA-UK), a self-described “little sister” of the Nashville-based AMA, recently held their annual conference in London, with last weekend’s U.K. Americana Awards ceremony the centerpiece. At the gala, staged at Hackney Empire in East London, Mary Gauthier was named International Artist of the Year, while …
Read More »Flashback: Don McLean Plays a Stirring 'American Pie' in 1972
A long, long time ago — 60 years ago today, to be exact — Buddy Holly, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson and Richie Valens plummeted to their deaths as their plane crashed in the fields of Clear Lake, Iowa. Eleven years later, a singer-songwriter in Cold Springs, New York, poignantly …
Read More »YouTube Aims to Bring Suspense Back to Music Videos With Premiere Feature
Music videos seem to become more important every year: On-demand video streams increased by 24.3 percent to 274.9 billion in 2018, accelerating further after a 21.9 percent jump in 2017, according to data from the analytics company BuzzAngle. “[YouTube]’s the best way to reach young fans,” Jeff Vaughn, an A&R …
Read More »Hear Pete Townshend on the Who's Past and Future
A recent episode of Rolling Stone Music Now spotlights lengthy segments of Andy Greene’s brand-new interview with the Who‘s Pete Townshend, conducted in the rock legend’s London home. Townshend explains why he’s recorded demos for the first Who album since 2006’s Endless Wire,details the band’s plans for an orchestral tour …
Read More »Better Oblivion Community Center Reveal Spring Tour Dates, 'Dylan Thomas' Video
Singer-songwriters Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers announced an extensive spring tour in support of their debut self-titled album as Better Oblivion Community Center (BOCC). The tour includes a six-week U.S. leg, beginning in March, before they head to Europe in May. Coinciding with the announcement, BOCC released a music video …
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