FEATURES
30 Artists Reflect on Metallica’s Black Album Turning 30
These days, Metallica’s self-titled fifth LP (aka the Black Album) is hailed as a bona fide classic. Quite admirable, considering how upon its 1991 release date, diehard fans spread buyer’s remorse faster than COVID. In this writer’s tenure as a surly clerk for a mall-based record-store chain, he remembers the true believers complaining about everything from the shortened song lengths to James Hetfield’s lyrics to uber-producer Bob Rock’s framing of their heavy metal hellions. Back then, insufferable customers got their cash refunds while others continued to bitch like mad with the subtext that “maybe it would grow on me.” Now 30 years and approximately 35 million sales later, the Black Album is downright canonical. Sure, the Bay Area thrash-metal mavericks were indeed architects (alongsid...
Why Punk Rockers Run
There’s something so exceptionally liberating about running. No matter where you may be in the world, all you need is a decent pair of footwear and you are free to explore wherever the fuck your restless limbs and whims take you.There is also something that’s very punk rock about the sport/obsession as well. Maybe it’s that DIY attitude when navigating local streets, trails and/or alleyways, taking whichever corner or direction that pulls you in that moment. Or maybe it’s the empowering sovereignty to choose your own route and destiny, without any walls or shackles to keep you contained or hold you back. Maybe that’s why running has become the passion of many musicians who wave the punk flag, resonating with those who have experienced the natural buzz and benefits of this beautifully simpl...
56 Musicians Predict the 2021 NFL Season
Only a few things are certain in this world: death, taxes and the NFL dominating the fall (and winter). Last year’s weird season ended in the familiar fashion of Tom Brady winning the Super Bowl. Snore. This year, with fans returning to full capacity stadiums, it *should* feel like the NFL of recent memory for fans, players and coaches alike. Just like we have for the past two seasons, we’ve asked our expert panel of musicians how they think the season will unfold for their favorite teams. On top of the usual crew, we’ve added a bunch more who aren’t afraid to hit the mat in support of their favorite team. The one wrinkle that threw off a lot of those 8-8 predictions? The 17 game season. It will lead to more strange things and having an extra game to cheer or jeer will make the rest of the...
Sleigh Bells on Their Sixth Album Texis and “Breaking Old Patterns”
Sleigh Bells may have released their first album Treats over 10 years ago, but six releases later, they’re sounding as fresh and inspired as ever. With Texis, the NY-based duo’s new LP, Alexis Krauss and Derek E. Miller are taking bolder risks and crafting emotionally resonant music. A term they batted around while writing and recording Texis, out Friday (September 10th) was “nourishing,” which according to Miller “may not be a word that people associate with our band, but hopefully that will change when the record comes out.” Texis is an eclectic and charged collection of songs, full of grunge guitars and catchy melodies, all laid on top of frenetic drums and explosive synths. It’s both a quintessential Sleigh Bells record and a completely new look for the band — a dichotomy they seem to ...
Randall Poster on Dusting Off Woody Guthrie Songs, Soundtracking Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch and More
Acclaimed music supervisor Randall Poster had a busy year. The award-winning music supervisor has worked on projects such as Pretend It’s a City and Questlove’s documentary Summer of Soul, not to mention his latest collaboration with Wes Anderson for the upcoming The French Dispatch. What’s more, he’s nominated for an Outstanding Music Supervision Emmy for his work on The Queen’s Gambit. But one of his most ardent passion projects this year is Home In This World: Woody Guthrie’s Dust Bowl Ballads, a re-interpretation of Woody Guthrie’s classic 1940 album Dust Bowl Ballads — a set of (eventually) fourteen songs set amid the economic and spiritual hardships of the Great Depression. It’s typically considered one of the very first concept albums, and tracks like “I Ain’t Got No Home In Th...
Ibrahima Konaté on Football, Fans and Signing for Liverpool
It’s easy to overlook that Ibrahima Konaté is just 22. Already in his young career, the French defender has moved from France to Germany, where he played with RB Leipzig, before signing for Liverpool earlier this year. As well as taking his career to a new level, the move to Liverpool united him with Virgil Van Dijk, the club’s talismanic defender and a player Konaté has been likened to in the past. “Virgil is incredible,” Konaté tells HYPEBEAST. “I can’t wait to play alongside him and learn from him. He’s truly one of the best in the world in that position.“ Getting to link up with Van Dijk is the latest development of Konaté’s promising career, the pinnacle of which so far is his move to Liverpool. “When my brother told me, I didn’t believe him at first,” Konaté says of the moment he lea...
Aly & AJ Share the Origins of A Touch of the Beat… Deluxe Track “Get Over Here”: Exclusive
Our new music feature Origins gives artists the chance to offer insights into the creative process behind their latest release. Today, Aly & AJ talk about the inspiration behind “Get Over Here,” the first deluxe track from their 2021 album a touch of the beat gets you up on your feet gets you out and then into the sun. It’s been four months since Aly & AJ hit the bullseye (baby!) with their fourth studio album, a touch of the beat gets you up on your feet gets you out and then into the sun. As the band’s first full-length studio effort in almost a decade and a half, the 12-track collection found the eponymous sister act shrugging off the pulsating electro-pop that had inspired a pair of prior EPs (2017’s Ten Years and 2019’s Sanctuary) and string of recent singles in favor of a mor...
EDM.com Presents The Heat Check 008: NotLö, Killa Nova, Super Future and More
In modern bass, dubstep and trap music, listeners and tastemakers are always chasing the next big track to blow crowds away at a festival stage. EDM.com Presents The Heat Check is a list of the most ear-catching, incendiary, and ‘fire’ tracks that emerge from the bass and freeform scene. “Open Up” – Super Future Super Future’s style make him as versatile an artist as there is today in bass music. While his sound thrives on the hype energy, his Equilibria project with SSKWAN delivers ambient production backed by magnetic sounds that put the listener into the soundscape. “Hallucination Effect” – NotLö NotLö continues to grow as a producer and professional. As she simultaneously tours the country on her own one-off dates and B2B sets with VEIL, the Denver-native dropped her first ...
How Singapore’s Zouk Group Is Parlaying Decades of Success In Las Vegas—And Changing the Fabric of Sin City
Zouk Group has only just begun to reap the rewards of its labor from seeds planted decades ago. With the industry relationships and wealth of experience needed to facilitate their mission of international expansion, the brand is a global household name in waiting. But until recently, most Western audiences have never heard of it. Originally rooted in Singapore, Zouk is now amplifying its illustrious portfolio in the U.S. for the first time, testing the waters in none other than Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world. Zouk’s arrival, part of Sin City’s new $4.3 billion Resorts World complex, became a highly publicized endeavor overnight due to its affiliation with the first major development on the Las Vegas strip in over a decade. Zouk Group’s R...
In Lieu of ‘Roo: A Recap of Phoebe Bridgers, Brittany Howard, and Sylvan Esso in Nashville
Following the cancellation of Bonnaroo 2021, in which Hurricane Ida rendered the campgrounds and festival site unusable just days before kickoff, artists are seeking ways to still connect with fans. Among the acts already in middle Tennessee announcing last-minute shows are Leon Bridges, The Band Camino, and Zach Bryan. Saturday, September 4th featured one of the more stacked impromptu lineups of the weekend when Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville welcomed Sylvan Esso, Brittany Howard, and Phoebe Bridgers (with a negative COVID test or proof of vaccination required for entry). Stretching over four hours, the show allowed ample time onstage for all the artists. As Phoebe Bridgers put it, glancing at the nearly 7,000 people gathered in downtown Nashville, “Bonnaroo would’ve been tight…but this...
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EDM.com Playlist Picks: Armin van Buuren, SOFI TUKKER and The Glitch Mob [9/3/21]
The electronic music community is constantly evolving with new sounds every week, as artists become more innovative with their compositions. EDM.com’s weekly “Playlist Picks” series highlights the top releases in the genre, helping uncover the latest tracks that will soon dominate the dance music scene. EDM.com Top Hits Jonson’s Play – Armin van Buuren & Sander van Doorn Love Tonight (Robin Schulz Remix) – Shouse Free Woman (Rina Sawayama & Clarence ClaritRemix) – Lady Gaga Festival Hits 2021 Dimensions – JLV Time Capsule – AXMO & STVW Recommended Articles Take My Hand (Walker & Royce Remix) – LP Giobbi Electronic Avenue Wasted Love – Matt Nash Shadows (Xavi Remix) – Seven Lions & Wooli Know &...
Rap Song of the Week: Kanye West Goes “Off the Grid” with Fivio Foreign and Playboi Carti
Rap Song of the Week breaks down the rap and hip-hop song releases you need to hear each week. Check out the full playlist here. For our latest installment, Kanye West teams up with Fivio Foreign and Playboi Carti for “Off the Grid.” Following three public listening events and several missed release dates, Kanye West’s much-fabled Donda finally dropped on Sunday morning. With 27 tracks to choose from, picking a standout song was no easy task, but “Off the Grid” fits the bill because it sees the G.O.O.D. Music founder at his best. Sprinkling his own touch on Brooklyn drill, Kanye brings out a lyrical side of Fivio Foreign rarely seen before, while also sounding right at home over the wobbling bass and gothic synths. The track was reportedly first made as a solo track for Playboi Carti, who ...
