music
Ronnie Spector Issues Statement on Death of Abusive Ex-Husband Phil Spector
Ronnie Spector has issued a statement addressing the death of her ex-husband, record producer and convicted murderer Phil Spector. The statement was posted to Ronnie’s Instagram page and reads: It’s a sad day for music and a sad day for me When I was working with Phil Spector, watching him create in the recording studio, I knew I was working with the very best. He was in complete control, directing everyone. So much to love about those days. Meeting him and falling in love was like a fairytale. The magical music we were able to make together, was inspired by our love. I loved him madly, and gave my heart and soul to him. As I said many times while he was alive, he was a brilliant producer, but a lousy husband. Unfortunately Phil was not able to live and function outside of the recording st...
Marianne Faithfull Says She Lost Her Singing Voice from COVID-19
Marianne Faithfull was one of the lucky musicians who recovered from COVID-19 after contracting the virus last year, but that doesn’t mean she was left unharmed by it. In a new interview, the “As Tears Go By” singer revealed that her battle with coronavirus stripped her of her singing voice and it’s unclear if she will ever get it back. Last April, Faithfull was hospitalized in London after testing positive for COVID-19. She bounced back relatively quickly considering she was 73 years old at the time, and was prescribed “palliative care only” following the end of her 22-day stay in the hospital. Initially it seemed like a miracle because Faithfull wasn’t expected to survive. But now, she’s dealing with the downsides of overcoming it — terrible permanent effects like intense fatigue, short-...
King Crimson’s Robert Fripp and Wife Toyah Unveil Cheerleader Rendition of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell”: Watch
A week after going viral with an eye-catching cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”, King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his singer wife Toyah are back with an equally fun rendition of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell”. The couple have been putting an eccentric spin on rock classics as part of their “Sunday Lunch” quarantine series for a few months now, but last weekend’s cover of the iconic Metallica tune completely blew up, garnering nearly 3 million views to date. Judging by the pun-filled comments on YouTube and social media, it was Toyah’s revealing choice of attire that made the clip a whopping sensation, even more so than the quirkiness of her singing the iconic metal song while riding an exercise bike. Now, the playful pair take on Billy Idol’s sing-along anthem “Rebel Yell”, with Toyah d...
Phil Spector Dead at 81 From COVID-19
Phil Spector, the trailblazing record producer and creator of pop’s “wall of sound”, whose career was later tarnished when he was convicted of murdering actress Lana Clarkson, has died at the age of 81. According to TMZ, Spector died on Saturday from COVID-19 related complications. Spector is widely considered one of the most influential producers in music history. In 1961, at the age of 22, Spector co-founded Phillies Records. Over the next several years, the label would release a number of No. 10 singles all helmed by Spector — including Darlene Love’s “He’s a Rebel”, The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby”, and The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” and “Unchained Melody”. In 1966, Spector signed Ike and Ina Turner to Phillies Records’ roster, but after the duo’s ...
Song of the Week: Danny L Harle Urges Us to Dance and Heal with “On a Mountain”
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. It feels significant that British producer Danny L Harle chose to file his latest banger, “On a Mountain”, under his DJ Danny alias. Because, let’s face it: DJs need a win right now. Yes, our favorite spinners have found ways to keep busy behind the scenes over the course of the pandemic. Harle, himself, aside from prepping his upcoming solo album, Harlecore, has remixed no less than Georgia and 100 gecs and produced for 2020 standouts Charli XCX and Rina Sawayama in addition to longtime collaborator Caroline Polachek. That’s damn-good work ...
The War on Drugs Perform “Arms Like Boulders” on Colbert: Watch
Live shows may temporarily be on pause, but they’ve hardly been forgotten. In fact, The War on Drugs recently released a live album titled LIVE DRUGS comprised of concert recordings from throughout their career. (The 10-track effort was reportedly “culled from over 40 hard drives,” so you can be sure the concert nostalgia was intense.) On Friday, The War on Drugs supported their new effort by playing “Arms Like Boulders” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The remote performance saw Adam Granduciel, David Hartley, Robbie Bennett, Charlie Hall, Anthony LaMarca all play along on guitar, while Jon Natchez handled a mandolin. Replay the performance down below. Editors’ Picks “Arms Like Boulders” originally appeared on The War on Drugs’ debut album, Wagonwheel Blues, as well as th...
Sheer Mag Share New Song “Crushed Velvet”: Stream
Sheer Mag have shared “Crushed Velvet”, their first new music since 2019’s A Distant Call. The Philadelphia rockers’ latest singles comes from the soundtrack to Hulu’s new original film The Ultimate Playlist of Noise. Out now, the movie finds a teenager (Keean Johnson) traveling to New York City as he tries to experience as many unique sounds as possible before a tumor takes his hearing. That theme is perfect for Sheer Mag’s style, as “Crushed Velvet” trades on soaring guitar riffs, snarled vocals, and some growling background. It’s a smorgasbord of throwback rock sounds, and you can take a listen below. Editors’ Picks The Ultimate Playlist of Noise is streaming now on Hulu. You can sign up for free month of the streaming service here to watch the new movie now. Check out the trailer...
Baby Dancing to Tool’s “Invincible” Will Lift Your Spirits During These Dark Times: Watch
Dancing Tool Baby (via YouTube), Tool’s Maynard James Keenan (photo by Kevin RC Wilson) With a pandemic still plaguing the world and insurrectionists storming the U.S. Capitol, we need a bit of levity in these dark times. That’s where a new video of a baby dancing to Tool’s “Invincible” comes in, brightening our spirits with every one of his little stomps. We stumbled on this video in its infancy, and we’re not just talking about the baby’s age. Criminally, it only had 20 views since being uploaded just before Christmas by YouTube user Mom of Five. With the Fear Inoculum track “Invincible” playing on the family’s television, complete with a graphic of the album cover, the little Batman-pajama-wearing toddler seems to be drawn to the music. As he makes his way to the TV with his sippy...
Trailer Unveiled for Upcoming Serj Tankian Documentary Truth to Power: Watch
System of a Down singer Serj Tankian is the subject of a recently announced documentary film titled Truth to Power, which premieres on February 19th. The trailer and poster for the movie have now been unveiled. The new trailer offers a glimpse at what viewers can expect from the intimate documentary, which follows Tankian’s journey as a musician and longtime activist. The singer and his band continue to raise awareness for the crisis in Artsakh, an Armenian-adjacent state that was recently under siege by Azerbaijan and Turkey. In the past, they called for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. “[It’s] looking through my eyes at how message becomes reality through the arts,” Tankian said of Truth to Power in a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone. “Instead of focusing on me as an ar...
J.Lo At 20: Celebrating The Album That Made Jennifer Lopez An Icon
By Yasmine Shemesh When Jennifer Lopez began recording her sophomore album, J.Lo, in 2000, she was in the midst of an incredible career high. With a $1 million salary for 1997’s Selena, she’d become the highest-paid Latina actress in Hollywood history and had no less than three new movies in the works. “Waiting for Tonight,” her dance-infused 1999 single, had become an anthem for the new millennium and was nominated for a Grammy. And she was about to make fashion history, thanks to a certain plunging Versace dress. In hindsight, given how long she’s been a multihyphenate, Lopez’s early ambidextrousness wasn’t one bit surprising. In fact, as she told Rolling Stone the following year, she felt like she hadn’t even started yet. “I’m looking forward to the ninth album, the 30th movie...
Rage Against the Machine Release Killing in Thy Name Documentary About Race: Watch
The socio-political events of the past five years have been a too-fitting backdrop for Rage Against The Machine’s music. The legendary rock group weren’t able to tour the country last year as planned, but today they’re giving their artistic response to the reignited racial justice movement with a new documentary called Killing in Thy Name. The project is a collaboration with a collective of international artists called The Ummah Chroma (which translates to “communities of color”), and it seeks to be “a fire escape from the fiction known as whiteness and a spring for discovery.” The bulk of the 15-minute endeavor features footage of a teacher and some schoolchildren learning about the west’s dark history of slavery, manifest destiny, and the very concept of “whiteness” within the conte...
Dr. Dre Released from Hospital Following Brain Aneurysm Scare
Dr. Dre Dr. Dre has been released from the hospital today following a brain aneurysm earlier this month. The happy update comes from friend and fellow hip-hop veteran Ice-T, who tweeted Friday afternoon that Dr. Dre “just made it home. Safe and looking good.” The Chronic rap icon was initially rushed to the ICU of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on January 5th. By later that evening, his condition seemed to be under control, and he was described as “stable and lucid.” Dr. Dre himself even posted on Instagram that he was “doing great and getting excellent care,” and assured fans that he would be “out of the hospital and back home soon.” Update: Just FaceTimed with @drdre He just made it home. Safe and looking good. 🙏👊🏽 — ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) Janua...
