music
The Dalai Lama Goes No. 1 With Debut Album Inner World
Leave it to His Holiness to make an entrance. The Dalai Lama’s newly released debut album, Inner World, hit the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s New Age album chart. Successfully moving 2,000 units in just its first week, the record also scored impressive placements on the World Albums chart (No. 8) and Album Sales chart (No. 98), as Billboard reports. Inner World pairs the Tibetan spiritual leader’s mantras and chants alongside ethereal, new age music composed by New Zealand artists Junelle and Abraham Kunin. The origins of the album date back to 2015, when Junelle delivered a handwritten letter to one of The Dalai Lama’s assistants, pitching His Holiness on the idea of coupling his teachings with original musical arrangements. Recalling their time together in the recording studio, Jun...
Pop Smoke Hits No. 1 With Posthumous Debut Album Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon
Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke was shot and killed in Los Angeles in February, but by May, talk of a posthumously released debut album was all but confirmed. And on July 3, that album indeed arrived as Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, executive-produced by Smoke’s idol 50 Cent and featuring guest appearances by 50 himself along with Lil Baby, Quavo, DaBaby, Roddy Ricch, Lil Tjay, and more. The sheer force of the album, as well as Smoke’s legacy, is strong — on Monday (July 13), it hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the rapper’s first time at the top of the charts. His earlier mixtapes, Meet the Woo and Meet the Woo 2, had reached 105 and 7, respectively. His label head, Steven Victor, commemorated the album’s release by sharing behind-the-scenes clips of...
Alice Cooper Is Getting His Own … Chocolate Milk
Alice Cooper has been delivering shock-rock creepiness for 50 years, beheading himself thousands of times onstage along the way. Now, he’s ready to take a slice out of the chocolate milk business. That’s right, Alice Cooper is getting his own chocolate milk, and it’s all for a good cause. Proceeds from the sale of the chocolate milk will benefit the rocker’s nonprofit Solid Rock. The organization operates the Rock Teen Center in Phoenix, Arizona, providing free instruction in music and other creative arts to local teenagers. The rock legend is teaming up with Danzeisen Dairy to produce the chocolate milk, which bears Coopers’ image on the bottle. The milk will be sold at retailers and via home delivery across Arizona beginning this fall. The Solid Rock organization also mentioned in a Face...
How to Capture Opeth’s Guitar Sound
Opeth have become one of the most revered bands in modern metal due to an unceasing artistic drive. Chief songwriter and frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt has steered the band through many styles and iterations over a highly successful career, rarely content to settle on any one genre or blanket sound. The death metal of Opeth’s early work gave way to more acoustic, expansive arrangements in latter years. Åkerfeldt would trade his death growls for the beautiful tenor that his new songs demanded. Whether metal or prog, there is always a sense of grandiosity to their performances and albums, a massive theatrical sound encompassing the music, artwork, and universe of Opeth. Opeth are foremost practitioners of sound design, a concept that takes a macro view of the musical whole, each instrument and so...
Stay Safe and Don’t Be Dull with This Face Mask Combo Pack
As the pandemic churns on, there are signs of certain regions getting better, and others getting worse. People are under a lot of stress, but this is no time to overlook the real dangers outside. Be a naysayer in the fight against anti-maskers by snagging the latest variety pack of specialty designed face masks from Consequence of Sound. We’re packaging together two of our dreamiest, best-selling designs from our first capsules of face masks. Made in the USA using recycled plastic bottles, reusable and washable, these masks feature a new adjustable over-ear loop that makes them the perfect fit for anyone looking to be a caretaker for not only themselves, but their community. Available in a 4-pack and, for a limited time, a 2-pack, these combo bundles are being offered at a 25%-30% discount...
Rob Halford, Dave Grohl, Jack Black, and More Honor Ronnie James Dio in Video Marking Late Singer’s Birthday
Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler, Jack Black and several more artists are featured in a new compilation video honoring singer Ronnie James Dio. The late metal icon would have turned 78 years on Friday (July 10th). Many of the testimonials in the video are taken from the red carpet of various Dio-related charity events over the years, but it’s bookended by newly filmed clips from Halford and Butler paying respect to their fellow metal legend. “We connect all the time with [Ronnie’s] unbelievable voice and music,” says Halford in the video. “He was and always will be my friend, my mentor, and my hero.” Grohl calls Dio “one of the greatest singers of all time” and remembers watching him perform on TV as a kid. He recalls being so inspired by ...
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Lady A, Formerly Lady Antebellum, Sue Black Singer Lady A Over Rights to Her Name [Updated]
Well, here’s a story that keeps getting worse. Lady A, formerly known as Lady Antebellum, is now suing Anita “Lady A” White, a Black blues singer who has been performing under the name for over 20 years, over the rights to her name. To recap, the country trio Lady A dropped the “ntebellum” from their name in June in response to the country’s ongoing reckoning with institutionalized and ingrained racism. Beyond the fact that the “A” essentially still stands for America’s pre-Civil War era, the switch drew criticism when it was revealed that White had been already been using the moniker for years. “For them to not even reach out is pure privilege,” the 61-year-old artist said at the time. A few days later, the band Lady A tweeted a picture of their video chat with the singer Lady A. “We are ...
Kanye West Drops New Song “Donda” in Honor of Late Mother: Stream
Kanye West has unveiled a new song in honor of his late mother, Donda West, on what would have been her 71st birthday. Simply titled “Donda”, the track begins with audio of Kanye’s mother reciting lyrics to KRS-One’s “Sound Of Da Police”. Kanye himself takes over around the 1:28 mark. Listen below. Donda West died on November 10th, 2017, one day after undergoing a plastic surgery procedure. A coroner later determined she passed from coronary artery disease and “multiple post-operative factors.” Last month, Kanye released “Wash Us in the Blood”, a collaboration with Travis Scott that serves as the first preview of Kanye’s upcoming album, God’s Country. He also recently announced his intention to run for president in 2020, though he has yet to file the proper paperwork and some family and fr...
Neighbors Called the Cops on the Birthday Party for Cardi B and Offset’s 2-Year-Old Daughter
On Saturday, June 11th, Cardi B and Offset (but mostly Cardi B) threw their adorable two-year-old daughter Kulture a lavish birthday party. While the kids vaulted around ornate bouncy castles, adults sipped on themed cocktails. Both groups were apparently having such a good time that the neighbors felt compelled to call the cops. Cardi B filmed police officers entering her home, and the noise complaint was apparently resolved quickly and amicably. As noted by The Daily Mail and on social media, Cardi B posted the video as an Instagram Story with the caption, “We was too loud I guess.” The short clip showed the rap star staring deadpan at the camera, sucking down a martini, while a mask-wearing police officer loomed behind her. A man’s voice is heard greeting the cop, saying “How ...
Kid Cudi and Eminem Release New Collaborative Single “The Adventures of Moon Man and Slim Shady”: Stream
Kid Cudi and Eminem have released their very first collaboration, “The Adventures of Moon Man and Slim Shady”. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. For a high-definition listening experience, you can sign up for a 60-day free trial of TIDAL HiFi. The joint single was initially announced Wednesday afternoon by Cudi’s own young daughter, Vada Wamwene Mescudi. “Hi! It’s Vada, I’m here to say that my daddy’s new single, ‘The Adventures of Moon Man and Slim Shady,’ is coming on Friday! Check it out!” she adorably revealed in a video posted to Twitter. It’s not clear whether the new song is just a one-off release or taken from a larger project, such as Cudi’s promised Entergalactic album. The track’s title, of course, is a reference to the two rappers: in 2009, Cudi released a t...
Sufjan Stevens Unveils New Song “My Rajneesh”: Stream
Last week, Sufjan Stevens shared a magnificent 12-minute epic called “America”. Now he’s back with the B-side, and it’s a gorgeous song about a strange moment in American history: “My Rajneesh”. The Rajneesh movement was a cult in the 1970s and ’80s led by the Indian mystic Baghwan Shree Rajneesh. He founded a controversial sect of Hinduism that emphasized materialism and fornication. After getting run out of India, Rajneesh established a utopian community in the American state of Oregon. Thousands of followers flocked to the compound, and the Rajneesh community took over entire Oregon towns, which they then renamed after their charismatic leader. They also patrolled their territory with Uzis, which did not sit well with the Oregonian government. As tension escalated, Rajneesh cultists gre...
100 gecs Drop New Remix Album 1000 gecs & The Tree of Clues: Stream
100 gecs have shared their new remix album, 1000 gecs & The Tree of Clues. Take a listen below via Apple Music or Spotify. For a high-definition listening experience, you can sign up for a 60-day free trial of TIDAL HiFi. The new collection of music sees Dylan Brady and Laura Les reworking songs off 1000 gecs, their acclaimed 2019 debut album. They didn’t go at it alone, though, as the experimental duo called on friends and past collaborators for assistance, including Charli XCX, Rico Nasty, and Kero Kero Bonito (“ringtone” remix), Dorian Electra (“gec 2 Ü” remix), A. G. Cook (“money machine” remix), and GFOTY and Count Baldor (“stupid horse” remix). There’s also a reimagined version of “hand crushed by a mallet” featuring veteran pop punk/emo acts Fall Out Boy and Craig Owens of Chiod...
