music
Louisiana Man Who Burned Down Churches to Raise His “Black Metal Profile” Gets 25-Year Prison Sentence
Holden Matthews, who set fire to three churches last year to “raise his profile as a black-metal musician”, was sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison. The 23-year-old Louisiana man was also ordered to pay $2.6 million in damages to the affected churches. As previously reported, Matthews, who played bass in the band Vodka Vultures, faced between 10 and 70 years in prison for burning three predominantly Black churches in the spring of 2019. According to a statement on the sentencing from U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook, “Matthews admitted to setting the fires because of the religious character of these buildings, in an effort to raise his profile as a ‘Black Metal’ musician by copying similar crimes committed in Norway in the 1990s.” Matthews’ actions came just a few months after the relea...
Eddie Vedder on Losing Chris Cornell: “I Still Haven’t Quite Dealt With It”
Howard Stern can get anyone to talk — anyone — and Eddie Vedder was no exception. On Monday, the Pearl Jam frontman joined the veteran broadcaster for a spirited three-hour conversation chock full of stories both humorous and heartwarming. Things took a turn, however, when their dialogue shifted to the tragic passing of friend and colleague Chris Cornell. “I’ve had to be somewhat in denial,” Vedder explained. “One way I was even able to do it, and I don’t think I had a choice. It’s just like, I was terrified of where I would go if I allowed myself to feel what I needed to feel or what I instinctively wanted to feel or how dark I felt. Because I didn’t see him that often in the last 10 years, probably only like four, five times and usually at a gig or something, I just kind of–I still haven...
Patti Smith Busks “People Have the Power” for NYC Voters: Watch
During the last few hours before Election Day, Patti Smith took to the streets of New York City to busk for those in line for early voting. The punk legend aptly delivered an impromptu yet still wholly inspiring performance of “People Have the Power”, while accompanied by longtime collaborator and friend Lenny Kaye. Standing on a Sixth Avenue street corner in Manhattan, Smith drew a sizable crowd on Monday. Some even knew the lyrics of Smith’s 1988 single and fervently sang along with the veteran rocker. Smith, who briefly took off her mask to sing, made sure to keep a safe distance from those around her, but the passion in her body language was readily apparent. The 73-year-old became especially fired up during the song’s rousing end. “The power to dream to rule/ To wrestle the world...
Grammys Rename Best World Music Category Due to “Connotations of Colonialism”
In a continued push towards cultural sensitivity, the Grammys have changed the name of the Best World Music Album category to Best Global Music Album. The move comes a little under five months after the Recording Academy dropped “Urban” from what are now the Best Progressive R&B Album and Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album categories. (They still use the word in the Best Latin Pop or Urban Album category, for some reason.) It also echoes a change over at the Oscars, where Best Foreign Language Film is now known as Best International Feature Film. In a statement, the Recording Academy said the decision reflects a desire to “embrace a truly global mindset.” They continued (via Billboard), “Over the summer we held discussions with artists, ethnomusicologists, and linguists from around t...
Spotify Offering to Boost Artists’ Algorithm Placement in Exchange for Reduced Royalties
Just days after the Musician Workers Union launched their “Justice at Spotify” campaign to demand better royalty rates, the music streamer has announced a way to take more money from artists. Spotify has begun testing a new product called “Discovery Mode” that would boost a song’s algorithmic placement in exchange for lower royalties. Spotify has a pretty decent track record of recommendation through its Autoplay and Radio features, which automatically play music it thinks listeners may like based on a number of “signals” (time of day, tempo, song length, etc). Discovery Mode adds in the element of money, giving artists a chance to give an extra push to “music that’s a priority for them.” The trade off is a “promotional” (read: reduced) royalty rate. Essentially, when an artist has a song ...
Kanye West Concedes 2020 Presidential Election
The results of the 2020 presidential election are still to be decided, but one thing is for sure: Kanye West will not be residing in the Oval Office come January 20th, 2021. The rapper-turned-presidential candidate formally ended his campaign shortly after midnight on Wednesday. He tweeted simply, “WELP”, alongside a map of the United States shaded in with the evening’s winners. However, Kanye is seemingly keeping the door open for a 2024 campaign: WELP KANYE 2024 🕊 pic.twitter.com/tJOZcxdArb — ye (@kanyewest) November 4, 2020 Related You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sha...
Percussionist Chris Fehn Drops Lawsuit Against Slipknot
Chris Fehn has dropped his lawsuit against Slipknot more than a year the longtime percussionist was ousted from the band. According to Rock Feed, Fehn’s attorneys filed a Notice of Voluntary Discontinuance with the New York Supreme Court last week, effectively ending Fehn’s case against his former band and other parties. He had claimed they withheld money and funneled it through Slipknot affiliated businesses setup by band members in different states. Fehn sued his bandmates over money matters when he was technically still in Slipknot, although he was dismissed from the group shortly thereafter. He wore the long-nosed mask in the band since 1998 and was one of its earliest members, vital to the band’s signature multi-percussionist format. “Chris knows why he is no longer a part of Slipknot...
Sharon Jones is Getting a Music Amphitheater Named After Her
A music venue in South Carolina will be officially renamed after Sharon Jones, the soul legend who died in 2016 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. On Monday, the city council of North Augusta unanimously voted to rechristen their local Riverside Village Amphitheater as the Sharon Jones Amphitheater. Jones was born in Augusta, Georgia, but spent most of her early years just across the Savannah River in North Augusta. Even after she moved to New York, the iconic singer often returned to visit and reconnect with family members still in the area. “She could be herself here,” Jones’ sister, Willia Stringer, told Rolling Stone. “She would come back and go fishing. She found that relaxation here.” Stringer, who was present for the city council’s vote, said that Jones “would be flabbergast...
Eddie Vedder Reveals the One Piece of Advice He Gave Bradley Cooper for A Star Is Born
To accurately portray his role as a rock star in A Star Is Born, Bradley Cooper spent a few days shadowing Eddie Vedder to learn the ins and outs of the lifestyle. As part of his tutelage, Vedder provided Cooper with a very important piece of advice. On Monday, the Pearl Jam frontman recounted his experience working with Cooper on the 2018 flick. He admitted that he was initially hesitant to lend a hand — not because he didn’t trust Cooper to put the proper time and energy into portraying a rock star, but because it’s so rare that a music-focused movie accurately represents the industry as it is in real life. “We just hung out for a couple of days, and he just asked me a few questions and I told him things like, you know, ‘Make sure your guitar covers your balls at all times,’” said ...
German COVID-19 Study Suggests Safe Indoor Concerts Are Theoretically (But Probably Not Actually) Possible *
Under conditions that may never be replicated in the real world, German scientists have found that safe indoor concerts are technically possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. First, the good news. In August, researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg held a concert at Leipzig’s Quarterback Immobilien Arena. Using contact tracing devices and computer modeling, the scientists studied a group of 1,400 volunteers for 10 hours across three different simulated scenarios. In the first, there was no social distancing (this went badly), the second involved moderate social distancing (checkerboard seating, which went much better), and in the third go-round, pairs of people were seated 1.5 meters apart from their nearest neighbors, which produced excellent results. Researchers used fog ...
Elvis Costello’s Aim Remains Remarkably True on Hey Clockface: Review
The Lowdown: English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello has about three dozen studio LPs under his belt (including collaborations), yet he’s never lost his inimitable knack for crafting scornful witticisms, tender ballads, catchy-as-hell rockers, and everything in-between. Likewise, his skill at working within multiple genres while both modernizing his sound and staying true to his distinguishing DNA is virtually unmatched by his peers or proteges. In other words, he’s always staked out his own path within the realm of popular music, and with Hey Clockface, he continues that legacy. It doesn’t rival his greatest LPs — not that anyone expects it to — but it’s a surprisingly wide-ranging and substantial venture that reveals how much creative spark and ability is still there after all these yea...
Moog Brings Back Budget-Friendly Werkstatt-01 Modular Synthesizer
Moog is bringing back its “most affordable” modular synthesizer, the Werkstatt-01, just in time for the holidays with a new low price. If you plan on spending less money and more time making music, it’s the perfect way to begin dabbling in Moog’s ever-growing world of modular synths. The Werkstatt-01 now goes for $199 (versus its original price of $379), and its simplicity and customization make it entry-level accessible for those who’ve never owned such an instrument. As Moog states in the press release, the Werkstatt can be used for “musical exploration and experimental education” as a standalone instrument or a workshop for patching and interconnectivity with other gear. It was designed specifically for the curious owner to open it up and tweak away, all while literally learning the ins...
