No artist deserves to be defined by their romantic failures, least of all Adele, whose catalog has provided solace to leagues of lovelorn listeners over the past decade-plus — a generational voice worth wailing along to on our lowest days. So in 10, 25 and 50 years, when anniversary retrospectives are written about the star’s […]
Red was already Taylor Swift’s greatest album, her bittersweet spot between the confessional heartache that defined the megastar’s earliest songwriting and the stadium-pop grandeur that would inform her next trio of colossal LPs (1989, Reputation and Lover). It was the ultimate millennial breakup album, a touchstone of lovelorn devastation, fury, hope and reflection for all […]
Mick Jenkins’ third studio album, Elephant in the Room, confronts the issues that haunt his relationships with others, wedging between him and the world. Across the album, the Chicago MC’s deft flows and cool delivery explore the unspoken barriers in his personal and professional life. At some points, Jenkins himself appears as the titular elephant […]
“Well this is nice, this is quaint,” Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl said, taking in the audience Thursday night at the House of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio. He tucked his mane behind both ears like a professor adjusting his reading glasses. It’s been a while since Grohl, 52, could recognize faces from the stage since […]
The chemistry between rapper Larry June and producer Cardo Got Wings feels built-in. The Bay Area MC’s unique style — which blends the laid-back grooves and storytelling of classic West Coast hip-hop with an eye for expensive home decor and Whole Foods smoothies — sounds effortless atop the St. Paul producer’s glossy G-funk inspired beats. […]
It would be easy for a band to ask for a mulligan, if not forgiveness, as they shake off the rust from nearly 18 months away from performing in front of a live audience. But, Bon Iver isn’t your average band. Opening up Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater (which sits adjacent to the massive SoFi Stadium […]
Blue has always been Lana Del Rey’s color. Since her 2012 debut Born to Die, it’s been the singer’s blanket descriptor for the literal (jeans, pills, skies and oceans) and the emotive: serenity, joy, melancholy and vulnerability. On Blue Banisters, Del Rey’s candid and captivating eighth studio LP — and her second album in seven […]
The controversy that surrounds the album Let It Be down the years makes it the most intriguing release by The Beatles. Many observers consider it ill-conceived, a slapdash affair and a sad ending to a great legacy. It is doubtful any band (of any longevity) had as much influence as The Beatles in their seven-year […]
There’s a line in Almost Famous where Stillwater’s manager (played by Jimmy Fallon) proclaimed: “If you think Mick Jagger will still be out there trying to be a rock star at age 50, then you are sadly, sadly mistaken.” I couldn’t help thinking about how unbelievably wrong that character’s prediction was last night, watching the three […]
A weary voice actor steps into a Hollywood studio soundbooth. Maybe it’s Will Arnett. It’s probably Will Arnett. Will Arnett sips his coffee, slides his headphones on and speaks into the microphone, addressing his producer: “Alright, Frankie, what are we hawking today? More Reese’s cups?” “No, Will, we’ve got something new for ya. It’s, it’s […]