Since the pandemic, NPR’s Tiny Desk (Home) concerts have taken on all kinds of forms. But for hers, Lucy Dacus took us back to her high school in Richmond, Virginia — where she went with two members of her band, guitarist Jacob Blizard and audio engineer, Collin Pastore. The band played four songs from Dacus’s recently-released […]
In 1996, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers provided the soundtrack for the John Mahoney and Jennifer Anniston-starring rom-com, She’s the One. But in Saturday Night Fever-fashion, the film was instantly dwarfed by the songs — many of which came from the prolific period when Petty was recording his solo folk-rock masterpiece, Wildflowers, with producer Rick […]
Jeff LaBar, the guitarist best known for his work in the glam metal band Cinderella, has died at the age of 58. He died in his apartment in Nashville. LaBar’s publicist confirmed the news in a statement following an Instagram post by LaBar’s son, Tantric guitarist Sebastian LaBar. “My father, my hero, my idol, passed […]
“I’m ready to move on to the next thing,” Bartees Strange tells SPIN. It’s a logical impulse, especially since his debut LP, 2020’s Live Forever, restlessly shuffles through genres — indie-rock, folk, emo, hip-hop, soul — like playing cards. October also wasn’t the most optimal time for a life-changing career move: With COVID-19 grinding live […]
“Canaries” is the guitar-pounding new single by Los Angeles-based post-punk band, Cuffed Up, led by their Fender-slinging vocalist, Sapphire Jewell. The music video, which she directed, is grainy and off-kilter — just like the song. [embedded content] “The nature of the beast, you choose to say the least,” Jewell sings tremulously over the crooked chaos […]
In an early glimpse at a forthcoming Velvet Underground tribute album, indie rockers Kurt Vile and the Violators released their souped-up rendition of “Run Run Run,” the 1967 song Lou Reed penned on the back of a napkin. The song is a personal favorite of Vile’s, who mimicked Reed’s needling guitar solo in the song […]
If you somehow don’t know alt-rock Blood Lemon, here are some quick facts. They are singer/guitarist Lisa Simpson, singer/bassist Melanie Radford and percussionist Lindsey Lloyd. Boise, Idaho-based. Formed in 2018. 90s-Riot-Grrrl inspired. Not afraid of heavy riffs (or getting political). Their self-titled debut came out a few months ago, and it’s a powerhouse of an […]
Carl Craig is nothing short of legendary, and there’s no question he’s earned that title fair and square. Being in the scene for over 30 years, specifically in the underground electronic scene, has cemented Carl Craig as a household name and leader for those in the house/techno subspheres. A symbol for non-conformity, he’s created a […]
Pat Flynn knows the nightmare of being in a full-time band. He’s lived on the road and in studios. He’s depended on album sales to pay his bills. And he’s watched as the need for commercial viability and stable income helped to tear apart his 2000s hardcore band Have Heart after they’d finally risen out […]
Faye Webster is one of the best singer-songwriters on the planet. The Atlanta native, 24, seamlessly channels anxiety and humor with a candidness that makes her music relatable. This is most apparent on her latest album, I Know I’m Funny haha. Written and recorded prior to the pandemic, it’s earned universal plaudits and captured the […]