music
David Byrne Apologizes for Wearing Blackface in 1984 Stop Making Sense Promo Video
As the entertainment world continues to confront its ugly history of racism, another prominent artist has come forward to apologize for wearing blackface. In a series of tweets posted Tuesday, David Byrne expressed remorse for wearing black and brown face in a 1984 promotional video for the Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense concert film. In the clip in question, Byrne portrays various characters that interview Byrne proper — and some of those are people of color. “To watch myself in the various characters, including black and brown face, I acknowledge it was a major mistake in judgement that showed a lack of real understanding,” the British-American musician wrote on Twitter this afternoon. “It’s like looking in a mirror and seeing someone else- you’re not, or were not, the person you thoug...
Nashville’s Famed Ryman Auditorium to Reopen for Limited Capacity Concerts Beginning This Week
In lieu of traditional shows, Nashville’s iconic Ryman Auditorium has been regularly livestreaming a concert series called Live at the Ryman. Today, the venue announced that it will reopen its doors for the first time since March to allow a limited audience to physically attend these events. The exciting news comes as Music City continues to ease its coronavirus restrictions. Per Mayor John Cooper’s four-phase reopening plan, event spaces can now operate at a third of their capacity or 125 people maximum, as long as social distancing and mask-wearing are enforced. For the Ryman, that means it will be able to host 125 ticketed guests at each of its Live at the Ryman indoor showing, with concertgoers seated safely apart from another. Other health guidelines, including masks for attendee...
Arab Strap Return with “The Turning of Our Bones”, First New Song in 15 Years: Stream
It’s been 15 long years since Arab Strap dropped new material. That changes today with “The Turning of Our Bones”, their first release since the 2005 album The Last Romance. “WE’RE BACK FROM THE GRAVE AND READY TO RAVE,” the Scottish outfit announced on Instagram on Tuesday. And they weren’t kidding about the rave part. Arab Strap’s music, composed by primary members Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton, helped define the sadcore genre in the late ’90s and early 2000s. However, “The Turning of Our Bones” represents a striking evolution in their sound, as the two musicians now employ electronic drums, disco strings, and bongos that take on a more urgent tone. In a press release, Moffat said the song is an “incantation, a voodoo spell to raise the dead. Inspired by the Famadihana ritual o...
R.I.P. Erick Morillo, “I Like to Move It” DJ Dead at 49
Colombian-American DJ and producer Erick Morillo has died at the age of 49. TMZ reports that Morillo’s body was found on Tuesday morning (Sept. 1st) in Miami Beach, Florida. The circumstances surrounding his death are currently under investigation, according to Miami Beach police. Morillo was arrested in August after being accused of sexual battery by a woman who says Morillo made unwanted advances on her following a private DJ gig last December. Morillo denied the allegations, however after an examination tested positive for his DNA, he turned himself in to authorities (via Variety). He was due to appear in court this coming Friday. Morillo was born in New York City, but spent the early years of his life living in Colombia. His family eventually returned to the US and resided in...
Actress Announces New Album Karma & Desire, Shares Sampha Collaboration “Walking Flames”: Stream
This past spring, electronic music producer Actress shared a mixtape called 88. Proving he’s not quite done with 2020, the English artist has now announced a new full-length album: Karma & Desire is expected to arrive next month through Ninja Tune. According to a cryptic statement, the upcoming LP is “a romantic tragedy set between the heavens and the underworld.” Its 17 songs are said to carefully examine “the same sort of things that I like to talk about – love, death, technology, the questioning of one’s being.” The producer born Darren J. Cunningham is assisted on the album by Zsela and Aura T-09. Mercury Prize-winning R&B crooner Sampha also appears, contributing to lead single “Walking Flames”. A meditative number featuring strings and mellow, muted percussion, today’s offeri...
SuperM Unleashes The ‘Tiger Inside’ In Roaring New Video
SuperM is back with the second single off their forthcoming first full-length album, Super One. The roaring “Tiger Inside” follows the release of the energetic “100” earlier this month, the first drop from the South Korean mega-group since the arrival of their eponymous EP in October 2019, which snatched the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200. Back then, SuperM made waves with their boisterous debut single, “Jopping,” and the release of their first mini-album was followed by the international We Are the Future Live tour, which ended at Madison Square Garden in New York. The group is composed of seven key members from parent company SM Entertainment’s biggest groups: SHINee’s Taemin, EXO’s Baekhyun and Kai, NCT...
Miley Cyrus Covers Billie Eilish’s “my future” for BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge Month: Watch
Miley Cyrus for BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge Month (photo by Vijat Mohindra) and Billie Eilish (Amy Price) Days after taking the virtual stage for the 2020 MTV VMAs, Miley Cyrus is back with another pandemic performance. Today, she helped launch the latest edition of BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge Month with a four-song set that included covers of Billie Eilish and Eagles. Cyrus and Eilish really couldn’t be more different as pop stars, with one known for delivering literal Bangerz and the other for her hushed, alternative pop structures. Perhaps it’s unsurprising, then, that Cyrus’ rendition of “my future” is far more full-throated than the original. Yes, it’s still a delicate piano ballad with a grooving break, but Cyrus ups the defiance in the vocals considerably. Speaking to Live Lounge ...
Lamb of God Announce Two Livestream Concerts, Featuring Full Album Performances
Lamb of God have announced two livestream concerts, taking place September 18th and 25th. The band will play its 2020 self-titled album and 2004’s Ashes of the Wake in their entirety during the respective shows, plus other favorites during the encores. The September 18th event will mark the “live” debut of Lamb of God’s acclaimed self-titled album, which came out amidst the pandemic on June 19th. The band would have embarked on a massive co-headlining tour with Megadeth in support of the album, but have postponed those dates until 2021. Instead, Lamb of God have turned to paid livestreams as physical concerts remain mostly on pause. The streams will begin at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT on their respective days, with on-demand viewing available through those weekends. Tickets are $15 per show or ...
Anjimile Reveals Mournful New Song “In Your Eyes”: Stream
Boston-based trans musician Anjimile is just weeks away from dropping his debut album, Giver Taker. A collection of songs about self-discovery, including reflections on his own transition, the LP is being previewed today with “In Your Eyes”. Although it shares a name with that one Peter Gabriel hit, today’s single is neither a cover, nor about “the light, the heat.” Instead, it’s about the indie songwriter’s encounters with prejudice and the way his mere existence is questioned regularly. “Getting right in your eyes/ Spitting right in your eyes/ Does my body divide? Was my body denied?” he sings in a soft coo à la Sufjan Stevens, but with a noticeable heaviness in his heart. “This is another song about grappling with homophobia and ultimately recognizing that I am what I am,” Anjimile...
Hundred Waters’ Trayer Tryon Shares “cul de sac” Featuring Jónsi and Moses Sumney: Stream
Trayer Tryon, producer and multi-instrumentalist for Hundred Waters, has shared his new solo single called “cul de sac”. It’s from Tyron’s upcoming album new forever, and features such well-loved collaborators as Jónsi and Alex Somers, Moses Sumney, Julianna Barwick, and even Nicole Miglis, vocalist of Hundred Waters. While his day gig with the Waters is informed by pop sensibilities, Tryon’s new solo efforts have been more abstract. That has somewhat to do with the way it was written; he composed “cul de sac” and the rest of new forever in bits and pieces while on the go. The whole project came about at the end of a six-year relationship. In a statement, he said he, “lived through a half-year mania, worked one-off oddjobs, fell feverishly in love, went without a home, hopped ar...
BTS Make K-Pop History with No. 1 Single “Dynamite”
Less than 24 hours after taking the MTV VMAs stage for the very first time, BTS have officially entered the K-pop music history books. Their explosive new “Dynamite” single has just topped the Billboard Hot 100 rankings, making BTS the first all-South Korean group to ever accomplish such a feat. The joyful and jubilant English-language track is also BTS’s first song to snag the Hot 100’s No. 1 spot. If that’s not enough excitement for the BTS ARMY, the beloved outfit has also shared “Ioniq: I’m On It”, a new jingle for Hyundai to help promote its new line of Ioniq electric and hybrid cars. Much like those vehicles, BTS’s tune is fun and sleek. .@BTS_twt‘s “Dynamite” officially debuts at No. 1 on this week’s #Hot100. They become the first all-South Korean group to hi...
Trivium Honor Riley Gale with Cover of Power Trip’s “Executioner’s Tax” During Livestream: Watch
Power Trip’s Riley Gale, photo by Jon Hadusek / Trivium’s Matt Heafy, via Roadrunner Records Trivium paid their respects to late Power Trip singer Riley Gale, covering the latter’s “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)” on a livestream over the weekend. Trivium played the cover on their “Deepest Cuts” livestream in honor of Gale, who tragically died last week at 34 from unspecified causes. Of all of Power Trip’s riff-laden thrash metal songs, “Executioner’s Tax” is arguably their signature anthem due to Gale’s chorus refrain — “Swing of the axe!” — which instantly went down in heavy metal lore when it was released on 2017’s Nightmare Logic. “Talking about love and talking about good times, we had the pleasure of touring with Power Trip on one of our greatest UK/European to...
