music
R.I.P. Pamela Hutchinson, The Emotions Singer Dies at 61
Pamela Hutchinson, a member of the famed R&B trio The Emotions, died Friday (September 18th) at the age of 61. A post on The Emotions’ Facebook page confirmed the news on Sunday. “In loving memory, we are saddened to announce the passing of our sister, Pamela Rose Hutchinson,” read the posting. “Pam succumbed to health challenges that she’d been battling for several years. Now our beautiful sister will sing amongst the angels in heaven in perfect peace.” Hutchinson’s sisters Wanda, Jeanette, and Sheila began performing gospel music as the Hutchinson Sunbeams in the early ’60s. By the end of the decade, though, they’d pivoted to making soul and disco music as The Emotions, releasing their Isaac Hayes/David Porter-produced debut in 1969. The Chicago-based girl group found relative fame i...
BTS Bring Fall-Ready ’70s Disco Threads To Intimate Tiny Desk Concert
Last month, ahead of their staggering set of wins at the 2020 VMAs, BTS broke down their latest smash, “Dynamite,” to MTV News. “It’s a really fun disco-pop track about doing what we can do, even when things don’t work out as planned,” RM said. But even as 2020 has been the year of things not quite working out they way we planned them, BTS has continued to thrive. “Dynamite” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The group picked up four VMAs, including one for Best Pop. And now, even if they can’t rock stadiums with their live spectacle, the group is still making it happen: Their latest performance for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert series is proof. The group brought “Dynamite” to life to kick things off, seated in...
Dawes Share the Origins of New Single “Didn’t Fix Me”: Stream
Our new music feature Origins gives artists the challenge of digging into the various influences behind their latest tracks. Today, Dawes reveal the things that “Didn’t Fix Me”. Now more than ever, we’re all on our own journeys to try and feel just a little bit better. Of course, the double-edged sword of it all is no matter how good a place we find ourselves in, this year has made it ever more clear that such harmony is frail. But as anyone with any experience giving or receiving mental health advice will tell you, that’s normal. Feeling 100% all the time is an unfeasible expectation — and that’s okay. If you ever need a reminder of that, Dawes have delivered what could be the perfect musical hug with their new song “Didn’t Fix Me”. Taken from the band’s forthcoming Good Luck with Whateve...
The Song Exploder Podcast Is Becoming a Netflix Series
Hrishikesh Hirway’s popular podcast Song Exploder has been adapted into a new Netflix series by Hirway and documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville. The show will investigate the creative process one song at a time, and it’s available beginning October 2nd. Upon the launch of Song Exploder in 2014, Hirway carved out a niche by restricting his interviews to a single individual song. In the process, he’s unearthed stories of inspiration, frustration, and triumph which have now been downloaded over 60 million times. The Netflix adaptation adds a visual dimension to the same conceit while retaining Hirway as host. Season 1 features Alicia Keys talking about “3 Hour Drive”, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s perspective on the Hamilton tune “Wait for It”, R.E.M.‘s memories of the career-altering t...
Neil Young Details Archives Vol. 2 Box Set
Neil Young has officially detailed his long-awaited Archives Vol. 2 box set. Arriving just in time for the holiday season on November 20th, the collection contains 10 discs chock-full of recordings from 1972 through 1976. According to a post on his Neil Young Archives website, twelve of these tracks have never been released in any format. There are also 50 alternate, previously unreleased versions of Young originals. The first four discs are taken from the period of 1972 and 1973. Disc 1, titled Everybody’s Alone, boasts the most goodies, as it features four never-before-released tracks: “Letter From ‘Nam”, “Come Along and Say You Will”, “Goodbye Christmas on the Shore”, and “Sweet Joni”. Disc 3, Tonight’s the Night, also contains a recently unearthed cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Raised ...
Sunflower Bean Share New Single “Moment in the Sun”: Stream
Sunflower Bean are back with their first new music in 2020. The former Artists of the Month have shared a new track called “Moment in the Sun”, along with a wondrous accompanying music video. Sonically, “Moment in the Sun” is quite a departure from the glammy ’70s rock of their Twentytwo in Blue sophomore record or last year’s King of the Dudes EP. It’s firmly in the indie pop sphere, modern synth intersplicing jangly ’80s pop guitar lines on the chorus. “All that other noise is just a waste of time/ You’re the only music on my mind,” sings Julia Cumming on the hook. “I don’t need money, I don’t need to be cool/ I’d trade it for a moment in the sun with you.” It’s that focus on spending time with loved ones that makes 202 the perfect time for Sunflower Bea to share “Moment in the Sun”...
Lars Ulrich Helps Settle Best All-Time Drummer Debate on Howard Stern Show
Neil Peart (via YouTube), Lars Ulrich (via Howard Stern), John Bonham (publicity) Howard Stern stirred up a debate on his SiriusXM show this week when he sought to determine the greatest drummer of all time. To settle the argument, he and his co-hosts called upon Metallica stickman Lars Ulrich to cast the deciding vote. Prior to Ulrich’s involvement, the Howard Stern Show personalities seemed to narrow it down to Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham and Rush’s Neil Peart. Stern himself appeared to settle on Bonham, but the most qualified person on the staff, Richard Christy, made a strong case for Peart. In addition to being a longtime writer and personality on The Howard Stern Show, Christy is a gifted drummer himself, having played in the bands Death, Iced Earth, and his current supergroup Charred...
Elton John Announces Enormous Career-Spanning Box Set, Shares Previously Unreleased “Sing Me No Sad Songs”: Stream
Elton John has announced a massive, career-spanning box set titled Elton: Jewel Box. Due out November 13th, the eight-disc collection was curated by John himself and boasts all sorts of rarities, B-sides, and fan favorites. As a preview, he’s sharing a previously unreleased track from 1969 called “Sing Me No Sad Songs”. The 148-song (!) set is split into four main sections, “Deep Cuts”, “B-Sides”, “Rarities”, and And This Is Me… The first two discs aptly feature deep cuts that are supposedly personal favorites of John’s, while the next three discs comprise of rarities categorized chronologically: Rarities Part One 1965-1968, Rarities Part Two 1968, and Rarities Part Three 1968-1971. That’s where the sprightly “Sing Me No Sad Songs” is pulled from, which you can take a l...
Win Ozzy Osbourne’s Massive See You on the Other Side Limited-Edition Box Set
In honor of the 40th anniversary of Ozzy Osbourne’s landmark debut solo album, Blizzard of Ozz, we’re giving away Ozzy’s See You on the Other Side box set, autographed by the Prince of Darkness himself. The incredible collection packs 16 of Ozzy’s studio albums, EPs, and live releases across 24 pieces of color-splattered vinyl. Along with all of his studio LPs from 1980’s Blizzard of Ozz through 2010’s Scream, the set touts the EPs Mr. Crowley and Just Say Ozzy, plus concert albums Live & Loud and Live at Budokan. In addition, a collection of rarities, Flippin’ The B Side, is included, along with a “See You On the Other Side (Demo)” 7-inch flexi-disc. If that’s not enough, you also get 10 full-sized 24″x36″ posters. The Blizzard of Ozz album, which was released on September 20th, ...
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Win Emmy for Watchmen, EGOT Within Reach
Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are closing in on EGOT status. During tonight’s Creative Emmy Awards, the duo took home the trophy for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series for their original score for HBO’s Watchmen. Reznor and Ross’ music from the first episode of Watchmen, “It’s Summer and We’re Running Out of Ice”, was up against the scores for Hollywood, Little Fires Everywhere, Mrs. America, and Unorthodox in that category. The duo’s soundtrack was released as a trilogy ripe with special cover songs and hidden Easter eggs. Needless to say, it’s definitely worthy of tonight’s win — and its additional nomination for Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics (which went to Euphoria composer Labrinth instead). And case you aren’t keeping count,...
Saba Unleashes New Songs “Mrs. Whoever” and “Something in the Water” Featuring Denzel Curry: Stream
Two years after the release of his excellent sophomore album Care for Me, Chicago rapper Saba has returned with a pair of new songs: “Mrs. Whoever” and “Something in the Water” featuring Denzel Curry. Our former Artist of the Month hasn’t been wholly idle since his last album; as the de facto leader of Pivot Gang, he was instrumental in the 2019 release You Can’t Sit with Us. But with apologies to his immensely talented collaborators, Saba has always stood out for his charisma and the intensity of his musical ideas. Somehow, his voice always sounds slightly different song to song, as he modulates his voice to better suit the beat. That instinct is on display in the contrasting new singles. Saba produced “Mrs. Whoever” himself, but the relaxed backing track is merel...
Sam Smith Announces New Album Love Goes, Shares “Diamonds”: Stream
Sam Smith has announced their new album. It’s called Love Goes and it’s due out October 30th via Capitol. To accompany the news, Smith has shared a dance-ready single called “Diamonds”, alongside an accompanying music video. Love Goes is Smith’s third studio album to date, following their 2014 debut In the Lonely Hour and 2017’s The Thrill of It All. They originally planned to call the new album To Die For, but scrapped the title and pushed back its release due to the pandemic. It seems in the time since then, Smith has tinkered with the album. Several of the previously released singles — including the Demi Lovato-aided “I’m Ready”, the Donnie Darko-sampling “To Die For”, and the Donna Summers cover “I Feel Love” — have been relegated to bonus track status. As such...
