The 73rd annual Emmy nominations were announced this morning, with ever-shifting and expanding categories adding plenty of chaos to the sorting, categorization, and, yes, also honoring of TV shows across a truly daunting number of channels and platforms. A process that once enacted dull annual routines, as shows like Frasier and NYPD Blue notched nom after nom after nom, has at least become less predictable and more eclectic — though that doesn’t mean it lacks for frustrations and controversies in addition to the pleasant surprises. Let’s review some of those surprises, snubs, and overall trends in this year’s nominees. (View the full list of nominations here.) SNL Goes For the Gold: Current Saturday Night Live cast members have become fixtures among nominees in recent years — but most oft...
“It’s daunting because you’re starting over every time,” says The Wallflowers’ Jakob Dylan. “You check in and ask yourself, ‘Am I ready to do this?’ It’s not a matter of success or not. It’s another record that I have to write and turn myself inside out for — and then, hopefully, make the record, and then talk about it and tour it.” Seated in the lobby of a Santa Monica hotel, the singer-songwriter is drinking an iced black coffee on a sweltering hot June day. He’s here to discuss Exit Wounds, his band’s soon-to-be-released seventh record — and The Wallflowers’ first in nine years. Dylan’s distinctive bright blue eyes are accentuated by his denim button-down shirt. His sleeves are rolled up, as are the bottoms of his loose-fitting jeans, with the only color deviation being his yellow ...
10 years ago, a game-changing performance was uploaded to YouTube by none other than Madeon. He was only 17 years old at the time, but already making a name for himself via stellar remixes of Pendulum’s “The Island (Pt. 1),” deadmau5’s “Raise Your Weapon,” and Yelle’s “Que veux-tu,” among others. However, when Madeon revealed his mind-blowing mashup of 39 tracks called “Pop Culture,” he catapulted himself into the spotlight of the EDM community and hasn’t looked back. By implementing a multitude of samples from each song and making them flow together seamlessly, “Pop Culture” became a timeless work of art and a harbinger of a future superstar. A young Madeon performing in Brussels on April 4th, 2015. Guilla...
On this day in 1979, a fun MLB promotional event quickly devolved into the most infamous and controversial event in disco history. In the late 70s, dance-oriented disco was one of the most popular musical genres in the United States. Seminal films such as Saturday Night Fever and Disco Godfather greatly influenced the music scene, while artists like the Bee Gees, ABBA, KC and the Sunshine Band, and Donna Summer became repeated record plays for many. While disco provided a fun, novel outlet and style of dress to many people, it sparked major backlash from fans of rock music. Critics at the time often feared that the rise of the disco would quickly lead to a decay in rock after disco albums dominated the 21st Grammy Awards in 1978. When Chicago’s WDAI-FM switched from rock to disc...
There’s not much that Willow Smith hasn’t done. Actor? Check. Talk show host? Check. Artist? Check. But at 20, the artist who goes simply by WILLOW, is ready to try something new: being a rock star. But her foray into the genre is nothing less than authentic. Even since the release of her debut single “Whip My Hair” in 2010 — a catchy ode to individualism — her message has been the same: “Be yourself, do it, unapologetically and inspire other people to do it, too,” WILLOW tells SPIN over the phone from an undisclosed location in Malibu. And that has remained as her entire foundation for making music. If you’re surprised by WILLOW’s pivot to punk-rock, you haven’t been paying attention. Truthfully, rock has run in her family. In the early 2000s, WILLOW’s mother, actress Jada Pinkett-Smith, ...
“Waiting For You” Ft. wilo wilde – QUIET BISON Coming to Ultra Music to share the second single off his forthcoming debut album Dawn with “Waiting For You,” QUIET BISON once again proves why he is one of the most exciting emerging producers to follow right now. Including wilo wilde on the vocals, “Waiting For You” takes listeners on an exciting sonic journey driven by lush guitar chords and sharp synths with experimental undertones. “Dark Lies” Ft. Britt Lari – EQRIC Emerging house star EQRIC just shared his debut solo-produced EP with Dark Lies. The title track alongside Britt Lari perfectly showcases the young Canadian’s tasteful sound, filled with radio-ready vocals, lush ambiances and rumbling basslines. “Only For A Night” – French Original Breakout act Fr...
Things in Japan aren’t looking great. With the Tokyo Olympics set to start in just over two weeks, the country’s exponential rise in COVID-19 cases has led to an extended state of emergency across the capital and three other major districts. Earlier this year foreign spectators were ruled out from attending the games as a result of the ongoing pandemic, but now reports suggest the Japanese government has banned spectators completely. While the issues caused by COVID-19 continue to be a major cause for concern, a flurry of recent events have raised further concerns around the games and those who run it — leading some to ask: even if they go ahead, is it time we “cancel” the Olympic Games? Last week, American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was controversially handed a one-month ban after test...
Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist. For our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Courtney Barnett sheds light on the special details in everyday experiences. Courtney Barnett sings like she’s talking to an old friend. This doesn’t just apply to her rambling, folksy delivery that recalls Bob Dylan, but to her lyrics, too, telling stories that feel familiar despite the inclusion of specific details. Five years ago, Barnett was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys, and in those years since, she’s continued to develop her authentic repertoire, with “Rae Street” as the latest addition. Ahead of her recently...
Vince Staples is home again — and while that home of Long Beach, California might look the same to him in a lot of ways, there’s no denying that the rapper is the one who’s changed. Vince Staples, the ten-track self-titled LP, is the artist’s fourth studio album and feels like more of an evolution than a departure from his earlier work. Remarkably slight at just over 20 minutes, Vince Staples swims in a world separate from 2017’s stylish, avant-garde Big Fish Theory or 2018’s bigger, feature-heavy FM!. Instead, the album is a bit of a slow burn, simmering and sitting in a lower, smoother groove than much of Staples’ discography to date. (Kenny Beats produced the entire album.) The result is incredibly cohesive, though, and if Staples was interested in telling his own story in his own way, ...