Some forms of self-expression are inherently collaborative, and others are clearly a solo effort. How many photographs or paintings were made by more than one person? But music is usually, to a greater or lesser degree, a team effort. Even artists who compose and arrange alone usually then work with a producer and engineer, or […]
Dave Stewart still vividly recalls the day he found out Eurythmics went to No. 1 in the U.S. with their 1983 single “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).” He and Annie Lennox were in a hotel room in San Francisco, preparing to play a show, and received a phone call from their record label rep […]
After a 17-year hiatus from making records, British-born singer-songwriter Leona Naess, recently released her highly anticipated fourth record, Brood X, produced by Max Cooke (Ellie Goulding/Winona Oak). Recorded in several countries including Italy, Switzerland and England, Brood X, despite its international landscape, comprises an intimate, personal and sweetly tuneful collection of synth-infused alternative-indie-pop songs. As […]
MTV Unplugged performances, at least during its 1989-2001 heyday, were among the most watched and influential events in music programming. If you were on Unplugged, you made it. Though its influence has waned as artists have moved away from traditional television as a whole, the show’s legacy remains firmly intact. Now a quarterly event, MTV […]
Kam Franklin isn’t afraid to say her piece. As the singer for The Suffers, a Houston-based seven-piece soul group, she’s shared the stage with Chaka Khan, toured with My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, and received advice from Mavis Staples. But when she’s spoken up about the inequalities of the music business, it hasn’t gone over […]
Lydia Night is raging against the machine. And the machine drinks a warm cup of lemon water first thing in the morning. “Seeing all these people that are doing so well, drinking lemon water, and going on a run at 5 am and they’re so happy because of that,” said Night. The 21-year-old singer and […]
A decade of tireless advocacy from unofficial street teamers, emo “best of” lists, Twitter threads and worshipful bands shaped in the image of “Spit Fountain” has finally willed an Algernon Cadwallader reunion tour into existence. But it’s the intrepid and typically unsung YouTube cover artists that will ensure that these shows might actually happen. “I’m […]
In case you missed it, last week Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner celebrated a career milestone. No, we’re not talking about performing on Saturday Night Live, we’re talking about throwing out the first pitch at the Phillies vs. Mets game at Citi Field. On Saturday, we caught up with Zauner backstage at Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival […]
Saba was overwhelmed with memories in the glare of a thousand fans’ phone screens. The 27-year-old rapper shouted “We was 16, in the library!” as he introduced members of his band on stage at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom earlier this month, reminiscing about the teenaged studio sessions that led him to headline in his hometown a […]
Just as they intended, and never once doubted, 5 Seconds of Summer has lasted significantly longer than five seconds. In the over-300 million seconds since they formed in 2011, the Australian pop-rock quartet’s output has left fans with four albums, two live records, seven EPs, and enough tour dates to see this world from top […]