When Kanye West released Jesus Is King at the end of October, there was only one musician credited on ten different tracks other than West himself: The Argentine-born, jazz-trained pianist Federico Vindver. Roughly a month later, Coldplay put out a new double album, Everyday Life, and there was Vindver again, …
Read More »Def Leppard's Joe Elliott Wants to Bring a 'Mini-Festival' to Stadium Tour With Mötley Crüe
On any other day, Joe Elliott would be exhausted. He flew to Los Angeles from Dublin overnight, participated in a press conference where he announced the Stadium Tour — a supersized summit of Def Leppard, Poison, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and the newly reunited Mötley Crüe that will hit …
Read More »The Black Keys: The Rolling Stone Interview
The Black Keys sit down with Rolling Stone senior editor Patrick Doyle in Nashville to discuss their three-year break, hatred of mainstream pop and “misunderstanding” with Jack White. They also confirm a 2020 tour in our “The Rolling Stone Interview” video series, presented by Dodge. After Doyle arrives at Keys …
Read More »Can Kanye West Save Gospel Choirs?
Last month, Donald Lawrence, an acclaimed gospel veteran with a half-dozen hits, attended a preview party for Kanye West‘s Jesus Is King album at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. “He did a song called ‘Selah’ that was rap and choir,” Lawrence recalls. “When they got to the hook, it was …
Read More »Ari Lennox's Rejection-Paved Road to 'Shea Butter Baby'
Ari Lennox wonders what her life would be like if her parents had listened to Korn. “I just got into Korn a couple years ago,” she explains. “My life would’ve been so different if my parents listened to Korn. That would’ve been fire!” Instead, Lennox grew up on ballad singers …
Read More »Why Ric Ocasek Was the Ultimate New Wave Voice
Ric Ocasek was one of the all-time great American songwriters: the spirit of Buddy Holly in the body and mind of Mr. Spock, a new wave eccentric who always wanted to brush your rock & roll hair. That’s why the world is in mourning at the news of his death …
Read More »'Nobody Is Scrutinizing This': How Labels Pay to Get Songs on the Radio
Last year, “Luke,” a music-industry veteran who oversees label radio campaigns, received a dispiriting message: A onetime “starter station” — a radio outlet willing to give a song a chance before it’s a proven hit — was now working with an independent promoter. The new relationship meant that the independent …
Read More »Queen Keyboardist Spike Edney on Live Aid, What Freddie Mercury Was Really Like
It’s almost impossible to spot Spike Edney in the video of Queen’s legendary set at Live Aid, but if you pause the footage near the end of “Hammer to Fall” at the 12:22 mark you can just about see him in the background. He’s the dark-haired fellow playing guitar next …
Read More »Hear Untold Stories of the Rise of Migos, Lil Baby and More
When Quality Control co-founders Pee and Coach K watched the new Showtime documentary Hitsville, which tracks the rise of Motown Records, they were struck by the similarities to their own story. Over the last few years, they’ve proved it’s still possible for a little record label to shake the culture, …
Read More »Fetus Jars and Werewolves: Ozzy Osbourne Looks Back Ahead of Box Set Release
When Ozzy Osbourne launched his solo career with his 1980 debut album Blizzard of Ozz,he didn’t have the same support he had as a member of Black Sabbath. “That was in a warehouse in London,” Osbourne says of the album sleeve featuring him in a cape holding a cross with …
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