Ah, graduation. A day you toss your cap into the swirling wind that will carry you to your next chapter in life. While graduation ceremonies were forced to retreat to the murky cobwebs of the virtual space thanks to the bulldozer that is COVID-19, their momentous nature was not lost. Students still graduated and they should be proud. To celebrate both graduating seniors and the optimistic nature of the dance music community, we put together a list of the records that topped Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Albums chart in the month of June each year dating back to 2004. If you didn’t graduate in the month of June, you can check which album topped the chart on your exact date here. 2020 – Lady Gaga, The Fame 2019 – Marshmello, Fortnite Extended Set 2018 – The Chain...
They get a statuette, Wikipedia update and maybe even a legacy boost. But does being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall actually help artists financially? Particularly when a performer, while fully deserving of the honor, isn’t currently a stadium-level star? The Zombies, the English rockers known for haunting songs like 1968’s “Time of the Season,” were inducted into the Rock Hall in 2019 — after their fourth nomination in five years. “It’s going to give you a bump in activity on streaming and socials,” the band’s manager, Chris Tuthill, tells SPIN, “because people are talking about you and seeing you. But beyond that, it doesn’t automatically flip a switch. It doesn’t mean you’re going to draw more people to a show. It doesn’t mean the promoter’s going to pay you more, that you’re goin...
See all 8 photos But what if the Griswold’s road trip took place a decade later? Would the family still hit the road in a station wagon? Maybe. Then again, Clark might have decided to join the hoards of families embracing truck-based SUVs such as the still rather new Ford Explorer. For better or worse, such a vision of this alternate timeline exists and is pictured here. The rather unfortunate vehicle bears the name Cherokee Truckster. Presumably a tie-in between the fictional Wagon Queen brand and Ford, the 1994 Ford Explorer Cherokee Truckster proudly wears its Blue Oval and Explorer badges. However, the Cherokee Truckster kit adds an unmistakably Family Truckster-inspired style to Ford’s family SUV. Green paint? Check. (This is reportedly one of just three Explore...
“I hope I die before I get old,” sang Pete Townsend, never meaning that for a second — no right thinking person ever would! But rock magazines — and songs, albums, groups, videos, hairstyles and fashions — do get old, some very old, and, like the inevitably doomed nasties in The Raiders of the Lost Ark series, who age hundreds of years and their fleshless skeletons disintegrate to dust before our eyes, they do disappear into the ether. And rock magazines — both those words so gloriously anachronistic now! — really do age more in dog years than human ones. So, to be 35 years old now, is very old by canine and media measurement, and even by human is quite possibly older than you are. Ha! We’ve never felt better! Forgot to mention that we’re like Peter Pan. I’m not going to say we’re retarded...
The 1970 famed Monty Python Flying Circus sketch “Election Night Special” featured political parties ranging in silliness that ran against each other for local elections. The bit had two main parties: the sensible and the silly, but there were also other independents such as the slightly-silly and the very-silly. Full of ridiculously long candidate names and ludicrous costumes, the various parties may have parodied the UK elections, but are just as insightful when looking at the U.S. Over the last 35 years there have been many silly parties and candidates who have run for president of the United States and SPIN is taking you back through some of the absolute silliest! Election of 1988 – Mrs. Foggybottom, Cocktail Party CREDIT: Mrs Foggybottom campaign flyer In 1988, the elegant...
As part of our 35th-anniversary, we’re naming the most influential artists of the past 35 years. Today, we’re at #35. From Anaheim, California, here’s No Doubt. CREDIT: Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images Disneyland, the Angels, NAMM, Orange County — for most people, that’s all that came to mind when thinking of Anaheim, and even that was a stretch. Enter No Doubt. Though they’d been peripherally circling the L.A. major label scene for a few years, Gwen Stefani kicked past the Orange Curtain and picked up where Mike Ness and Social Distortion left off, bringing OC to the masses. Stefani introduced a new type of frontwoman that would be often replicated, but never duplicated, in the years to come. Beginning with their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom, No Doubt set the standard for ska-blending p...
Even though Halloween looked a bit different this year, EDM artists and fans have proved their dedication to spooky season via an outpouring of social media posts featuring everyone’s costumes of choice. From Valentino Khan and Alison Wonderland switching identities to REZZ and Lucii transforming into Edward Scissorhands and Kim Boggs, the creativity was flowing, and so were the laughs. To keep the Halloween spirit going just a bit longer, we’ve rounded up our favorite artist fits for all to enjoy, in no particular order. Beware, all ye who enter here—you might just find next year’s costume inspiration. Alison Wonderland and Valentino Khan REZZ and Lucii Sullivan King Subtronics and Level Up GG Magree and Vanessa Hudgens WHIPPED CREAM CRAY ILLENIUM Dillon Fran...
The reveal of the new GMC Hummer electric pickup had us digging through the archives for more Hummer stories. Here’s one of our favorites, a 1999 Death Valley torture test pitting the AM General Hummer (also known as the Hummer H1) up against the Ford Excursion, GMC Yukon XL, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Land Rover Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz ML430, and the Toyota Land Cruiser. Enjoy it; we sure did.—Ed. Our premise for this test is simple: Today’s mega-dollar, leather-swathed, SUVs are as prevalent as BMWs in Beverly Hills, but are they any good when the road turns to rocks and scorpions outnumbering Starbucks a million to none? Simply put, are luxury SUVs merely tarted-up wimps or the vehicular equivalent of James Bond outfitted in his best tux? To put seven pricey SUVs to a thorough ...
Employees across the world are concerned about the impact automation could have on them, brought into clear focus as the world navigates one of the greatest periods of uncertainty in history. Data shows that AI has the potential to create more jobs than it takes away, augmenting human ingenuity and removing many of the mundane tasks people don’t enjoy. However, organisations still need to be deliberate around how they address change management if they want their staff to embrace it. The question is what does an effective change management strategy look like? According to Microsoft’s AI Maturity in the Middle East and Africa report, regional leaders in AI have achieved success by focusing on three key areas: 1. An open culture reduces uncertainty /* custom css */ .tdi_3_199.td-a-rec-img{ te...
After more than 15 years on the market with only minor styling tweaks, the Nissan Frontier finally receives a notable revision for the 2021 model year. Despite its age, the midsize pickup‘s mechanical bits are due to carry over largely unchanged. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the Frontier’s frame is a stout piece that affords the Nissan truck class-competitive towing and payload figures . The 2021 Frontier’s new exterior and interior designs ought to fix the current model’s most egregious shortcomings. Adopting modern aesthetics and proven underpinnings is also the same basic strategy adopted by arch-competitor Toyota for its heavy redesign of the Tacoma for the 2016 model year. See all 21 photos 2021 Nissan Frontier: Lookin’ Truckin’ Good...
Although Paper Idol may not be a household name yet, he’s a rising talent that needs to be on everyone’s radar. In just two short years, the multifaceted Los Angeles-based artist has released a handful of excellent singles that have touched down on familiar labels like Lowly and Spinnin’ Records. Today, he has returned with his latest track “Clouds,” out via CloudKid. “Clouds” embodies Paper Idol’s feel-good attitude by hooking listeners with a groovy guitar riff and his smooth vocals. Though the build-up mellows the track out for a moment, the drop reels listeners back in with fluttering, raindrop-like plucks and a thick low end. “Clouds” feels like an extension of his previous releases, taking his funky sound design a...
Whether they’re bedazzling eggs with rhinestones, baking their own sourdough from scratch, or concocting absurd cocktails, those in the social media community at large have embraced their creativity during their time in quarantine. Harnessing that creativity and manifesting it into the dance music community, EDM.com’s Instagram Live interview series “Quarantini Chats” invites the brightest music producers and DJs in the game to join our platform and craft a custom cocktail as they sip and dive into a wide range of topics with our special guest hosts, The Hotel Lobby. Red-hot dance music duo Niiko x SWAE are joining EDM.com for the eighth episode of “Quarantini Chats.” Fresh off the release of their blistering bass house track “Can’t...