music blog

Tom Waits has announced vinyl reissues of Alice and Blood Money, the twin albums he recorded and released in 2002. The 20th anniversary versions will come on translucent blue and red vinyl, respectively. Leading up to the October 7 release date, Waits is sharing a handful of live tracks, starting with “All the World Is Green,” from Blood Money, recorded in Milan, and stripped-down piano version of Alice’s “Fish and Bird,” recorded in London in 2004. Check them out below.  In the album’s original press materials, Waits said, “During the ‘70’s, too many of my songs were drowning in strings. I didn’t want to hear another blasted violin. So, we found string players who felt the same way about their instrument, formed an odd, skeletal chamber orchestra and tried to avoid all the old famili...

Nicki Minaj is the recipient of this year’s Video Vanguard Award at the MTV VMAs. She will also perform at the ceremony and accept the award, which honors artists for their contributions to the world of music videos. Past recipients include Beyoncé, Madonna, Rihanna, Missy Elliott, Kanye, Justin Timberlake, and Britney Spears. “Nicki has broken barriers for women in hip-hop with her versatility and creative artistry,” Bruce Gillmer—head of music and music talent, Viacom and chief content officer of music, Paramount+—said in a press release. “She has shifted the music industry and cemented her status as a global superstar with her crossover appeal, genre-defying style and continuing to be unapologetically ‘Nicki’.” This year’s VMAs take place on Sunday, August 28 at Newark, New Jersey’s Pru...

Jessie Ware has shared a video for “Free Yourself,” the single she released last month. Watch her stride into a regal hall to lead a freaky congregation in a ritual dance below. The song, co-written and produced by Clarence Coffee Jr. and Stuart Producer, is a taster of a new album, according to a press release. “‘Free Yourself’ is the beginning of a new era for me,” Ware said in press materials. “I’m so excited for people to have this song for the end of their summer; to dance, to feel no inhibitions, and to feel joyful because that’s how I’ve been feeling recently being able to tour again and being able to sing again. Enjoy yourself, Free Yourself!” Ware released What’s Your Pleasure? in 2020 and Platinum Pleasure Edition the following year. She supports Harry Styles on tour in the Unite...

Olivia Newton-John has died, according to a statement from her husband posted to her official Facebook and Instagram pages. The venerable Australian singer-songwriter and actor, whose decades-long career resulted in over 100 million albums sold, passed away at her ranch in Southern California on Monday morning (August 8). She died due to undisclosed causes. Newton-John was 73 years old. Newton-John’s death follows a battle with breast cancer. She was initially diagnosed with the disease in the early 1990s. She fought multiple rounds of the disease, which returned in 2013 and 2017, when Newton-John announced that it had also spread to her back and into her bones. Throughout, she remained active and outspoken about her illness, founding the Olivia Newton-John Cancer & Wellness Centr...