Folk
Beth Orton Announces Fall 2022 Tour Dates, Shares “Friday Night”: Stream
Beth Orton is gearing up to release a new album called Weather Alive. To support the release, she’s announced a Fall 2022 tour. She’s also shared a new single from the album called “Friday Night.” Hot off a run of European dates opening for Alanis Morissette, Orton’s upcoming tour marks her first string of headlining US shows in five years. She’ll first perform across the UK in August and October before heading over to North America in November, where she’ll perform in cities like Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles. The tour wraps up November 22nd in Vancouver, and tickets go on sale Friday, August 19th via Ticketmaster. Orton recorded new single “Friday Night” with The Smile drummer Tom Skinner, multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily, and The Invisible bassist Tom Herbert. In a sta...
Andrew Bird and Iron & Wine Perform NPR Tiny Desk Concert: Watch
Andrew Bird and Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam have found freedom on the other side of peak popularity: past branding, past pretense, where all that’s left is joy in making music. The newfound friends took a break from touring the country together to perform a joint Tiny Desk Concert, and their set was as casual and exuberant as if they were noodling around on the porch on a Saturday night. The pair have an easy chemistry, with Bird playing the handsome straight man and Beam the class clown. “We started learning each other’s songs,” Bird said. “I love Sam’s writing” — at which time Beam interrupted: “I love your handwriting.” They opened with “Make a Picture” from Bird’s 2022 album Inside Problems, before moving on to the 2007 Iron & Wine favorite, “Flightless Bird, Ame...
R.I.P. Judith Durham, The Seekers Singer Dead at 79
Judith Durham, singer of the Australian pop band The Seekers, has died at age 79. According to Universal Music Australia, Durham’s cause of death was chronic lung disease. “Our lives are changed forever losing our treasured lifelong friend and shining star,” the company said in a statement. “Her struggle was intense and heroic — never complaining of her destiny and fully accepting its conclusion. Her magnificent musical legacy Keith, Bruce and I are so blessed to share.” Born July 3rd, 1943 in Essendon, Victoria, Judith Mavis Cock studied classical piano at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium. Also a classically trained vocalist, she performed blues, gospel, and jazz pieces before cutting her eponymous debut EP in 1963. Advertisement Related Video Soon after, Durham joined Atho...
Bob Dylan Accuser Drops Sexual Assault Lawsuit Following Allegations of Destroyed Evidence
An anonymous woman who accused Bob Dylan of sexually assaulting her as a child has dropped her lawsuit against him after being being accused of destroying evidence, Billboard reports. Last year, a woman identified only as J.C. accused Dylan of sexually abusing her over a six-week period in 1965, claims the artist called “false, malicious, reckless and defamatory.” The woman’s case first came under scrutiny after her timeline of events failed to match up with records of Dylan’s 1965 touring schedule. Then, at a hearing on July 28th, she asked the federal judge overseeing the case to dismiss it “with prejudice,” meaning it will be permanently closed and cannot be refiled. J.C.’s request to end the lawsuit came after she failed to turn over texts and emails pertinent to the case pri...
Joni Mitchell Announces The Asylum Albums (1972-1975) Archival Box Set
The Joni-ssance is coming, and right on cue, Joni Mitchell will soon share another collection in her ongoing archival box set series. Up next is The Asylum Albums (1972-1975), out on September 23rd via Rhino/Elektra. The 5xLP set includes remastered versions of 1972’s For the Roses, 1974’s Court and Spark, the 1974 live double-album Miles of Aisles, and 1975’s The Hissing of Summer Lawns. As a preview, you can hear the remastered version of Mitchell’s already-perfect For the Roses highlight “You Turn Me On I’m a Radio” today. The Asylum Albums is the third in Mitchell’s archival series, following 2020’s The Early Years (1963-1967) and last year’s The Reprise Albums (1968-1971). This go around, iconic the singer-songwriter tapped Bernie...
Joni Mitchell Plays Surprise Newport Folk Festival Set With Special Guests
Folk icon Joni Mitchell wowed the crowd at the Newport Folk Festival on Sunday (July 24) when the “Big Yellow Taxi” singer took the stage for her first full-length live set in more than 20 years. In her first appearance at the annual gathering since 1969, the reclusive Mitchell held court on a gilded chair for a 13-song set that included a parade of special guests paying tribute to the 78-year-old singer who has struggled with health issues and rarely appeared in public since suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Rolling Stone reported that Mitchell was supported by a group that included newly solo singer Marcus Mumford, Brandi Carlile, Blake Mills, Lucius, Taylor Goldsmith, Wynonna and more as they pitched in on s...
Paul Simon Comes Out of Retirement to Play Surprise Set at Newport Folk Fest: Watch
Paul Simon made a surprise appearance at Newport Folk Festival on Saturday, sitting in with Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats for a set consisting entirely of Simon’s own songs. It marked Simon’s first-ever appearance at the storied festival, as well as a rare live performance for the veteran singer-songwriter, who previously announced his retirement from touring in 2018. With the backing of Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Simon first performed “Graceland.” He was then joined by Rhiannon Giddens to debut a new version of “American Tune,” featuring new lyrics penned by Simon. A performance of “The Boxer” followed, with Simon joined Lucius, Lukas Nelson, Natalie Merchant, Jerry Douglas, and others. Finally, he closed his set with “The Sound of Silence.” Prior to Simon taking the sta...
Joni Mitchell Takes the Stage for Rare Live Performance at Newport Folk Festival: Watch
Paul Simon wasn’t the only surprise guest at this weekend’s Newport Folk Festival. Joni Mitchell took the stage on Sunday for a rare live performance, joining Brandi Carlile to sing “A Case of You” and “Just Like This Train.” Mitchell has been largely retired from music since suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015. Earlier this year, she made a rare public appearance at the Grammy Awards, where she was honored as the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year and received a trophy for Best Historical Album for her retrospective album, Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol 1: The Early Years (1963-1967). At Newport, Mitchell appropriately performed while sitting on a throne. In addition to Carlile, she was backed by a number of other musicians, including Marcus Mumford, Lucius, Blake Mills, Taylor Goldsmith, and ...
Steven Spielberg Directs First-Ever Music Video for Marcus Mumford’s “Cannibal”: Watch
Marcus Mumford unveiled his first solo single, “Cannibal,” last week, but what he didn’t mention at the time was that the accompanying black-and-white visuals had been directed by none other than Steven Spielberg making his music video debut. “On Sunday 3rd July in a high school gym in New York, Steven Spielberg directed his first music video, in one shot, on his phone,” Mumford wrote on social media. He added that Kate Capshaw, who starred as Willie Scott in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and has played the role of Spielberg’s wife since 1991, served as “the almighty dolly grip.” Meanwhile, Mumford’s famous girlfriend Carey Mulligan worked as “Costumer/Sound.” The video itself was filmed with Spielberg holding his phone as Capshaw rolled him backwards on a swivel chai...
Regina Spektor Details 11:11 20th Anniversary Box Set, Shares Remastered “Love Affair”: Stream
Regina Spektor has set a release date for and detailed the upcoming 20th anniversary box set of her debut album 11:11. Out on August 26th, the self-released LP has long been unavailable in physical form since the singer-songwriter first dropped it back in July 2001. In addition to a remastered vinyl edition of 11:11 with its original tracklist, the reissue will include a collection of live performances of never-before-heard songs from the era recorded by Spektor’s father — aptly titled Papa’s Bootlegs. Check out the artwork and complete tracklist of the box set below. “For years I was relieved that this little record, made with friends while at university, got lost to time. It felt more like an old yearbook photo than something to be shared,” Spektor said in a statement. “Wh...
Brandi Carlile Taps Maren Morris, Sara Bareilles, Wynonna for Girls Just Wanna Weekend Festival 2023
Brandi Carlile’s Girls Just Wanna Weekend festival will return to the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico next year. Set for January 9th through 13th, 2023, the fourth installment of the women-fronted destination concert will feature Maren Morris, Sara Bareilles, Wynonna Judd, and more. Lucius, Yola, Allison Russell, Joy Oladokun, Ruby Amanfu, Natalie Hemby, Brandy Clark, and Brittney Spencer round off the Girls Just Wanna Weekend lineup. Carlile will, of course, headline the event. Guests will have the choice of staying at either the Hard Rock Hotel or the adults-only Barceló Maya Riviera Resort for the all-inclusive destination festival. Packages offer guests such perks as unlimited drinks and access to spas and fitness centers, while those who choose to stay at the Barceló Maya Rivi...
Crosby, Stills & Nash Return to Spotify Following Joe Rogan-Inspired Exodus
In February, Crosby, Stills & Nash joined their old bandmate Neil Young in removing their music from Spotify to protest the spread of COVID-19 misinformation on the platform. Now, five months later the musicians’ music is back on the platform. Young spurred a sort of Spotify Exodus earlier this year when he announced he was taking his music off the streaming service to protest the COVID-19 misinformation spread by Joe Rogan’s Spotify-exclusive podcast. Graham Nash followed suit first, removing his solo recordings from the streamer and announcing “I completely agree with and support my friend Neil Young.” Soon after, Crosby and Stills’ solo works, as well as all music recorded as CSNY, CSN, and CN, had been taken off Spotify. Now, Crosby, Stills & Nash are back on Spotify as a ...
