Singer-rapper Mykki Blanco teamed up with R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe for their latest single, “Family Ties.” “‘Family Ties’ is the first song where I sonically found my voice and I mean that in a very literal way,” Blanco said in a statement. “It’s the first song in my entire career where I am singing, I […]
While we wait for the upcoming first-ever reissue of R.E.M.‘s rare 1981 release “Radio Free Europe (Original Hib-Tone Single),” the b-side, the original Hib-Tone mix of “Sitting Still,” is available digitally today for the very first time. Listen to “Sitting Still” below. [embedded content] This track will be available on the upcoming “Radio Free Europe” seven-inch record, presented in […]
This article originally appeared in the April 1996 issue of SPIN. “Los Angeles is my favorite city in the world!” declares super foxy Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Dave Navarro, offering as proof of his conviction the city’s name tattooed on the back of his neck. “I would never live anywhere else.” Navarro, drummer Chad Smith, […]
An anniversary can be celebrated with champagne or a vacation but Michael Stipe and Mike Mills from R.E.M. decided to honor the 30th anniversary of Out of Time by looking back. The duo joined Matt Wilkinson on Apple Music Hits to reminisce about the writing, legacy and everything in between. Mills and Stipe spoke about the mega-hit “Losing […]
Patti Smith, Joan Baez, Michael Stipe, Cyndi Lauper, Stella McCartney, Tony Hawk, and Micah Nelson — along with dozens of artists and activists worldwide — recorded a socially distant version of “People Have the Power” to honor the sixth anniversary of non-profit group Pathway to Paris. The organization, co-founded by Smith’s daughter Jesse Paris Smith and […]
Since 2014, Hrishikesh Hirway has been sitting down with musicians to talk about how they imagined and created their biggest hits on the Song Exploder podcast. Now, Hirway and Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville have turned the podcast into a docuseries that will premiere on Netflix next month. In the trailer released today (Sept. 17), Alicia Keys will […]
Lyrics to a new song by R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe are part of an art installation that opens at New York City gallery Participation Inc. on Sept. 9. The song, “My Name is Ray,” is about the life and fraught love of married designers Charles and wife Ray Eames. The lyrics are part of a […]
Pearl Jam, R.E.M. Sia, Lorde and more have joined forces with the Artists Rights Alliance to demand that the political parties “establish clear policies requiring campaigns to seek the consent of featured recording artists, songwriters, and copyright owners before publicly using their music in a political or campaign setting,” the Artist Rights Alliance announce in […]
Iggy Pop, David Byrne and other artists are collaborating on a new art project by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. Titled Bedtime Stories, the digital art project asks each collaborator to read from their favorite book — whether it’s “a sentence, passage, chapter, or more.” Some contributors have read their favorite passages while others have shared something […]