“You better watch your step, you shouldn’t place your bet,” singer-bassist Graham Lewis sings serenely on the chorus of Wire‘s new single “Cactused,” which will appear on their upcoming album, Mind Hive. Lewis’ lines are like the polar opposite of singer-guitarist Colin Newman, who sings upbeat, Dada-like verses about “the …

Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali has revealed that he has been battling stage-four pancreatic cancer since this past April. Since the 2007 death of singer Kevin DuBrow, Banali has been the only member of the band’s classic lineup to continue to play with the band. He’s also been the group’s …

PJ Harvey has shared her piano demo version of “The Sandman,” one of the two new songs with vocals that she penned for the London stage adaptation of All About Eve. In the play, actresses Gillian Anderson and Lily James sing Harvey’s “The Sandman” and “The Moth,” respectively. However, the …

With civic arts support low on American capitalism’s to-do list, orchestras and composers are canoodling more frequently with rock and pop acts — who of course have their own struggles, wringing pennies from streaming platforms et al. When the outcome isn’t just simpleminded hits-with-strings reheats or half-cooked vanity concertos, it’s …

UPDATE (10/18):Stephen King has shared more information about the archive and retreat on Facebook. “We are in the very beginning of planning the writers’ retreat at the house next door, providing housing for up to five writers in residence at a time,” he wrote. “The zoning change getting press coverage …

On Tuesday, WNYC Studios and Radiolab‘s Jad Abumrad launched the first episode of Dolly Parton‘s America, a new podcast examining the life, art, and cultural influence of one of country music’s most beloved figures. Beginning with a look into the East Tennessee native’s music, or “Sad Ass Songs,” as this …

In 1980, Dolly Parton’s big-screen debut in 9 to 5 went on to become the highest-grossing comedy film of the year, also earning Parton an Oscar nomination and a pair of Grammy awards for the now-classic theme song. Co-starring Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda as co-workers who decide to …

Lin-Manuel Miranda portrayed Democratic hopeful Julian Castro and Woody Harrelson returned as Joe Biden in a Saturday Night Live cold open sketch that tackled this week’s CNN Equality Town Hall. With Pose star Billy Porter serving as emcee, the candidates – including Chris Redd’s Cory Booker and Colin Jost’s Pete …

Last month, Samthing Soweto quietly struck a blow for local music in an increasingly globalized world. “Akulaleki,” with generous, cascading vocal lines skipping next to hiccups of percussion, was the top song on Apple Music’s South African singles chart. At the same time, Isphithiphithi, an album full of similarly beguiling …

WASHINGTON —The scandal-ridden campaign led by Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani to convince the Ukrainian government to investigate Joe Biden, a scheme that triggered a full-blown impeachment investigation of the president, just took its strangest twist yet. And it’s about to make Trump and Giuliani’s lives even more miserable. Two businessmen …