As the spread of COVID-19 isolates more and more Americans in their homes, many thought that they would be coping by streaming more music — and, in turn, helping to soften the inevitably catastrophic blow that the pandemic will have on the music industry. But that doesn’t seem to be …
Read More »Kenny Rogers, Country Music's 'The Gambler,' Dead at 81
From bold psychedelic rockers and cinematic story songs to sentimental country pop, Kenny Rogers covered considerable musical turf throughout six decades of recording and performing, using his gravel-tinged vocals to dramatic effect. Along the way, he also became a globally recognized actor, photographer, businessman, and philanthropist. When Rogers announced his …
Read More »Support Musicians Directly by Buying These Albums on Bandcamp
Musicians everywhere are suffering right now, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten their livelihoods by forcing tour and festival cancellations. One way for fans to help out is to buy music and merchandise directly from those artists — and Bandcamp, the online music store that has become a key …
Read More »How Nashville's Play-for-Tips Musicians Are Adapting in the Age of Social Distancing
Joshua Hedley has played Robert’s Western World, the famous Nashville honky-tonk known for its old-school country music and fried bologna sandwiches, thousands of times since 2005, but until this past Tuesday night, he had never performed there to an empty dance floor. After bars and honky-tonks shut down in Nashville’s …
Read More »Former Prosecutor Sues Netflix, Ava DuVernay Over Central Park Five Miniseries
Former prosecutor Linda Fairstein took aim at Netflix and Ava DuVernay Wednesday when she filed a lawsuit against the streaming service, director and DuVerney’s co-writer Attica Locke claiming that their miniseries, When They See Us, defamed her. The four-part series, which premiered on Netflix in May of 2019, “portrays Ms. …
Read More »Deerhoof Drummer's Full-Album Voivod Cover Is a Fitting Tribute to an Overlooked Classic
Musicians are responding to the coronavirus pandemic in a variety of ways. Some are livestreaming shows from empty venues, some are playing for fans from the comfort of their homes, some are creating surprisingly poignant soundtracks for cat videos, and others — like Deerhoof drummer Greg Saunier — are passing …
Read More »Billie Eilish Postpones Tour, Urges Fans to Take Coronavirus Seriously
Billie Eilish expressed her thoughts on the coronavirus pandemic on Monday, telling her Instagram followers, “Don’t panic, but don’t be stupid.” “It is a really big deal right now, and it is not a joke,” she said. “I know because a lot of us haven’t seen it with our eyes …
Read More »Watch Lizzo Lead a Group Meditation to 'Promote Healing' on Instagram
Over the weekend Lizzo took to Instagram Live to encourage her fans to find some calm in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The singer led a meditation, complete with crystals and flute music, and later posted the entire video on her Instagram page for future guidance. The video, …
Read More »Women Shaping the Future: Uzo Aduba on Finding Validation in Hollywood
On March 4th, Rolling Stone hosted its second annual Women Shaping the Future event, celebrating, raising, and honoring the influential female voices in culture. The event was the first to take place at the new Edge venue in Hudson Yards, which overlooks New York City. To kick of the intimate …
Read More »Unable to Deport the Coronavirus, Trump Tries a Ban
When President Trump authorized his first travel ban only weeks after his inauguration, he was selective with its targets. The purported goal was to mitigate foreign terrorism, but even if such an action were to work, Trump excluded the nations that produced the 9/11 hijackers. Instead, he targeted seven predominantly …
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