As I greet Rob Thomas on our video call, he asks me if I’m getting any of “the weather” that they’re experiencing in the New York City area, where he lives. Unaware of the torrential storms that were, at the time of our call, getting ready to pound his region and leaving it in a […]
When Jens Lekman released “If You Ever Need A Stranger (To Sing at Your Wedding)” in 2004, it wasn’t meant to be a literal invitation. “Wedding singers are these seasoned, tough, hardworking, amazing musicians and singers who can perform for hours. They know every song in the world. I did that for a little while […]
Ian Astbury is a true believer. As the singer for the Cult, he’s been immersed in the ritual of rock ‘n roll, of sweeping riffs and full-throated vocals, for four decades. He’s been fueled by a lifetime of art and music, shamanic and indigenous influences, spirituality and mysticism—all of it in service of a night […]
The Discover Weekly playlist that lands this Monday in my Spotify deck jolts me, packed as it is with jack-yo-body, hi-NRG-style club tomfoolery. Top of the 30 tunes that Spotify’s AI has selected for me is Marek Mela’s “Bring It” (“bring it bring it bring it bring it bring it”) followed by Christian Fletcher’s “Your […]
After taking 2025 off due to issues related to its lineup, the hard rock festival extravaganza Sick New World will be back with two editions next year. The first will be held at the event’s customary home of Las Vegas Festival Grounds on April 25, while an inaugural Texas version is set for Oct. 24 […]
Tame Impala unveils three songs from its just-released album, Deadbeat, as part of the first installment of the new live video series Sound Check at Cherry Lane Theatre. Filmed at the A24-owned New York venue, the episode sports the live debut of album opener “My Old Ways” plus the pre-release singles “Dracula” and “Loser.” With […]
Rosalía will make a grand re-entry next month with her fourth album, LUX, which is due Nov. 7 from Columbia. The project was unveiled last night (Oct. 20) around Madrid’s Gran Via, where the lights were turned off and on while revealing the official album artwork (see below). LUX was recorded with the London Symphonic […]
Maynard James Keenan’s Puscifer project will return early next year with its first album in five years, Normal Isn’t, which will arrive Feb. 6 from Puscifer Entertainment/Alchemy Recordings/BMG. The lead track, “Self Evident,” is out now in tandem with a video filmed at a special album preview event at Exchange L.A. in August. “Instead of […]
As his music suggests, the Canadian experimentalist known as JayWood (real name Jeremy Haywood-Smith) is the type of guy who enjoys thought-provoking conversation about topics like manifestation, astrology, and mysticism—not in a blind follower kind of way, but in a loose and curious, self-reflective way. He offers glimpses of these ideas throughout his new release […]
Every year, I’m relieved not to be attending Coachella. I went for the festival’s first 10 years, then limited myself to the surrounding parties. My last trip was in 2013, when the lineup looked like I had personally curated it, and I had such a miserable time that I swore off the desert for good. […]