Queen of Sheba, a new collaboration album by Angélique Kidjo and Ibrahim Maalouf, tackles some serious subjects in telling the ancient story of the mysterious African monarch’s visit to King Solomon. And their telling of it was spurred by a mutual drive for Benin-born singer-composer-activist Kidjo and Beirut-born trumpeter-composer Maalouf to trace the links between […]
How long until opportunity meets preparation? There’s no better time than the present, if you ask Sean Kingston, the Jamaican-bred pop mastermind behind one of the most instantly recognizable hit songs of the 2000s, “Beautiful Girls,” which ascended to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 while Kingston was just 16 years old. […]
Clem Burke, most well known as the drummer for Blondie, has truly lived it up. Even though he thought he’d be retired by 30, he’s still going, and living it up, with a soon-to-be-released memoir to boot. He has been the drummer for four different bands inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame—including […]
There was a time period, let’s call it 15th century Europe, where a select group of men made their bones in a variety of different occupations. Leonardo da Vinci, just to pull one name out of my hat, was not only a famous painter, but also a sculptor, scientist, philosopher, and mathematician. Apparently there’s some […]
Peter Shapiro has worked both on and off the stage with the biggest names in music history and has overseen some of the most beloved venues in the United States. But after more than 25 years in the business, he’s still a super-fan at heart who loves nothing more than rocking out with and talking […]
Fiona Sly remembers her dad’s playfulness the most. “He was extremely funny… extremely funny,” she says with a smile and some weight. “I miss having his humor.”Her father, Tony Sly, was the mellifluous voice of the Californian punk-rock band No Use for a Name. On July 31, it will be 10 years since the world […]
Name Johnny 3 Tears Best known for D list celebrity status (I knew Tom from MySpace). Current city L.A. Really want to be in Prague. I would be walking the streets and enjoying antiquity. Excited about New album dropping, our best yet in my opinion. My current music collection has a lot of Folk, been on a […]
When Midtown last released an album (2004’s Forget What You Know), Gabe Saporta was closing in on his 25th birthday and still very much a young rock star on the rise. “Give It Up” earned a spot on the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack; the band’s pop-punk fan base had grown since 2002’s acclaimed Living Well Is […]
On January 11, 1992, the gilded ramparts of the music establishment were certifiably leveled as Nirvana’s Nevermind knocked Michael Jackson’s Dangerous from the Billboard No. 1 album spot. Big-budget fashion also got grimy in ’92: Marc Jacobs unveiled a runway grunge collection, (painfully ironic considering the style is all about thrift store clothing). Kmart catalogs in Australia featured […]
Book Club is a new monthly series from Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupuis, exploring the literature that inspires some of our favorite musicians. Whether it’s a music biography that got them through the slog of tour, the poetry collection that eked into their most poignant lyrics, or the novel that sparked a rock opera, we’ll get […]