Almost exactly one year ago, Rhye gave us his eight-track project Spirit The alternative R&B artist also known as Mike Milosh is back today with his first release of 2020, “Beautiful”. Plenty has changed in the last 12 months, and anxieties are at an all-time high, but Rhye is intent on finding and relishing the brightest spots in his life. One of those is his partner, whom he highlights throughout the soothing “Beautiful”: “Oh I feel so good inside/ Oh I feel so free/ With you by my side/ Beautiful, woman, oh babe/ Spend some time with me.” In a press statement, Rhye explained how his partner has been helping him cope with the pandemic. “As we all share in this collective crazy moment that is quarantine, there are many ways to deal with the isolation, many ways we can ...
Some health experts warn that live music shouldn’t return until a COVID-19 vaccine is readily available — something which could take until fall 2021. Ultimately, though, the decision rests in the hands of individuals like Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino, whose company is responsible for staging thousands of concert tours across the globe. During a call with investors on Thursday (via Variety), Rapino said Live Nation plans to resume concerts, albeit in a limited and scaled-down capacity, over the next six months, with the goal of getting back to “full scale” at the start of 2021. In the short-term, Rapino said Live Nation will be “starting slow and small,” experimenting with fan-less or reduced-capacity shows. Rapino mentioned several different scenarios, including indoor concerts without f...
Between the nonstop COVID-19 news cycle and Trump’s daily buffoonery, one could certainly use a little distraction from reality. The Growlers are here to provide just that with their new song “Dream World”. On the track, the Southern California garage rockers invite listeners to imagine an alternate universe that’s safe, secure, and rich in hope. It’s in this better place where frontman Brooks Nielsen is “not as scared as I was before” and “not afraid of love anymore.” Over jaunty and buoyant piano, he later assures that “You can find love in the middle of a war.” Listen to “Dream World” down below, which was co-produced and co-written by Nielsen and the band’s guitarist Matt Taylor. The track is The Growlers’ first release since their Natural Affair album from 2019. Editors’ Picks [...
Christine and the Queens has spent the global lockdown perfecting the art of the intimate at-home performance. Last night, she showcased all she’s learned by singing “People, I’ve been sad” on Colbert. Perched on a windowsill in her Paris abode, Chris sang the track off the La Vita Nuova EP while golden-hour light cracked through the clouds on the other side of the glass. Even sitting still, her foot propped up against the frame, she proved to be one of the most emotive and graceful artists working in pop. Watch the replay below. If Christine and the Queens seems particularly comfortable with these sort of isolated performances, it’s likely because she’s been regularly delivering livestream performances for fans. Included in the streams have been covers of The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights”, T...
A David Bowie live album capturing performances from his 1997 “Earthling Tour” will soon receive its first-ever public release. Entitled LiveAndWell.com, the 2000 album was originally available in limited quantities to subscribers of Bowie’s early aughts dial-up internet subscription service BowieNet. Now, on May 15th, Parlophone Records will give LiveAndWell.com its firs proper commercial release with two bonus tracks. The tracklist features songs from Bowie’s Outside and Earthling as performed in New York, Amsterdam, Rio De Janeiro, and at the UK’s Phoenix Festival. The two bonus tracks are of “Pallas Athena” and “V-2 Schneider”, the latter of which is named after Kraftwerk’s Florian Schneider, who died this week at the age of 73 Editors’ Picks Below, listen to Bowie...
Glen E. Friedman, photo by Glen E. Friedman The new punk supergroup Fake Names — featuring singer Dennis Lyxzén (Refused), guitarist Brian Baker (Bad Religion, Minor Threat), and more — have unleashed their self-titled debut album via Epitaph Records, and its available to stream now. The band’s lineup also includes guitarist-singer Michael Hampton (S.O.A., Embrace, One Last Wish) and bassist Johnny Temple (Girls Against Boys, Soulside). The genesis of Fake Names began when Hampton and Baker started hashing out new music together back in 2016. With Temple added to the lineup, Hampton and Baker approached Lyxzén at Chicago’s Riot Fest, and he immediately jumped at the chance to join the group. The self-titled debut features the previously released lead single “Brick” along with nine other tr...
The winter holidays tend to whiz by like a blur, and yet Januarys always seem to last forever. Because of this pandemic, the concept of time is again eluding those of us in lockdown, including The Streets mastermind Mike Skinner. Today, he voices his quarantine frustrations on the aptly titled “Where the F*ck Did April Go”. Skinner here takes a more ambient approach to his catharsis, his reflections quietly unfurled over cool and soft keyboard chords. In addition to tensions with a loved one, he laments the ruining of summer and how his “10,000 steps” have to all be done inside his flat. “I wrote this last week. It’s a weird time isn’t it,” The Streets rapper remarked in a statement. We were looking forward to the Summer just like everyone else, festivals and gigs all there, new music, new...
It’s pretty tough getting your daily dose of Vitamin D while stuck indoors, but Kim Petras is back to bring sunny California straight to her fans. Today, the German pop singer has released a summery new single called “Malibu”. Inspired by Baywatch and the beautiful beach city itself, the track is a “return to color, the feeling of being in love, and the escapism pop that I love the most,” Petras explained in a statement. She said that after breakup bop “Reminds Me” and last year’s Clarity project “I had cried all my tears and moved on, so this is a reflection of how I’ve been feeling.” The Ariana Grande and Charli XCX associate hopes her fans, too, are lifted up by the single — especially during this pandemic. “I just want ‘Malibu’ to be a fizzy, refreshing drink that comes to you dur...
Between lockdown, the pandemic death toll, and The White House’s endless foibles, it’s hard not to feel completely burnt out on reality. That’s the kind of energy producer Jacknife Lee is channeling on his latest single, “I’m Getting Tired”, featuring Beth Ditto and Earl St. Clair. With the help of his two collaborators, Lee turns all of his inner frustrations outward in the form of soulful chaos mixed with noise-rock and fiery jazz fusion and funk. The collision of genres may seem a little busy on paper, but Lee is a master of balancing everything out — after all, his production credits do include an array of artists, such as R.E.M., Taylor Swift, and The Killers, and Regina Spektor. And at the end of the day, it’s that clashing of feelings and sounds that ultimately provides the catharsi...
Brownsville, New York rapper Ka has released a new album called Descendants of Cain. It was initially only available for digital purchase via his website, but has now been released on digital streaming services. Listen below. Descendants of Cain follows his 2018 record Orpheus vs. The Sirens and it’s his seventh studio album overall. Technically, though, this is the rapper’s first full-length under the name Ka since he released Honor Killed the Samurai in 2016, notes Pitchfork. It will likely take multiple spins to catch on to everything Ka references on Descendants of Cain — an intentional move on his end. “Since I don’t depend on my music to eat, it’s given me the freedom to have fun and not expect anything from it,” he explains on his website. “I’m always surprised when p...
The surviving members of Soundgarden have countersued Chris Cornell’s widow, Vicky Cornell, alleging that she used funds from a 2019 benefit concert for her own “personal purposes.” They also contend that she has taken over the band’s social media accounts without permission, and have also formerly responded to her claims over rights to unreleased songs they say were intended for a new Soundgarden album. Back in December, Vicky sued the Soundgarden members, accusing them of falsely claiming ownership of seven unreleased songs and withholding royalties from her over the dispute. The band had insisted that the songs were meant for a new Soundgarden album, but Vicky claimed no formal agreement was made between Chris and his bandmates as to the intended destination of the tracks. In their coun...
Since the first allegation in 2017, Kevin Spacey has been accused by dozens of people of unwanted harassment, groping, assault, and pedophilia. He lost his job on House of Cards and his career as an A-list actor — but then, as he revoltingly points out in a recent video, haven’t so many of us lost employment in these troubled times? If you have been fired or furloughed during the coronavirus pandemic, Kevin Spacey claims to feels your pain — for is that really so different than being outed as a serial sexual predator? (We thought this would go without saying but yes, actually, fuck yes those things are different!) For reasons unknown, the German start-up conference Bits & Pretzels invited Spacey to give a virtual speech at the beginning of April. Spacey’s homemade ...