When it comes to guitar-based rock, Tom Morello says he’s “raging against the dying of the light.” The Rage Against the Machine guitarist touches on the fraught future of his chosen instrument, among many other topics, in a recent interview captured in both our Rolling Stone Music Now podcast and …
Read More »Amigo the Devil's Cover of Carrie Underwood's 'Before He Cheats' Is Haunted Folk Music
The first time Danny Kiranos heard Carrie Underwood’s 2005 hit “Before He Cheats,” he knew he’d found his go-to karaoke jam. Kiranos, who records and performs as Amigo the Devil, recalls getting a feeling of “pure joy” from the experience. “I remember hearing it for the first time and just …
Read More »'Dark End of the Street' Songwriter Dan Penn Cranks Up the Horns in 'Edge of Love'
Songwriter Dan Penn doesn’t put out albums under his name very often. The celebrated co-writer behind numerous Memphis/Muscle Shoals-era soul hits, including “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” “Dark End of the Street,” “I’m Your Puppet,” and “Cry Like a Baby” has released only a handful of studio recordings since …
Read More »Return of the Caribbean King: How Billy Ocean Found His Way Back to Music
In November 1984, Billy Ocean’s “Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)” dethroned Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You” to take the Number One spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was a brash fusion of soul, reggae, R&B, and pop unlike anything that …
Read More »BTS Reveal Playful 'B-Side' Video for New Single 'Dynamite'
Following the release of their first English-language single “Dynamite,” pop phenomenon BTS have released a playful “B-side” version of the video. The video broke records when it dropped last Friday, becoming the platform’s biggest live premiere of all time with three million peak concurrents. The alternate take of “Dynamite” doesn’t …
Read More »BTS' New Song 'Dynamite' Is a Contender for Song of the Summer
Global superstars BTS are back with a bright and breezy new track that makes them instant contenders for “Song of the Summer” honors. The boy band unveiled their new song “Dynamite” Friday, marking the K-pop group’s first all-English release. The shimmery, disco-lite track bounces and grooves with an infectious beat …
Read More »Quiet Riot's Frankie Banali Dead at 68
Frankie Banali, who played drums on Quiet Riot‘s best-selling albums and kept the band going for nearly four decades, died Thursday at the age of 68. He had been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer last April. The band’s agent, Mark Hyman, confirmed the news to Rolling Stone. Banali joined …
Read More »The Dead Milkmen Drop Punchy Cover of Heaven 17's '(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang'
Philadelphia punk outfit the Dead Milkmen have released their cover of Heaven 17’s 1981 song, “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang,” which will appear on a new seven-inch record out Friday, August 21st, via the Giving Groove. The Dead Milkmen’s take on “Fascist Groove Thang” finds them expertly channeling …
Read More »Steve Martin Banjo Prize Will Return This Fall
Steve Martin will be bringing back his annual Banjo Prize this fall with a new mission statement and two new partners. Originally conceived in 2010, the Banjo Prize awards $50,000 annually to a master bluegrass or old-time banjo player, with past winners including Rhiannon Giddens, Noam Pikelny, Jens Kruger and …
Read More »Bruce Springsteen, Bob Weir, Lucinda Williams Set for Joe Strummer Tribute Livestream
UPDATE:Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy has been added to the A Song for Joe livestream lineup. ** Bruce Springsteen, Bob Weir and Lucinda Williams will help celebrate Joe Strummer’s birthday during a special livestream tribute/charity event August 21st, starting at 3 p.m. ET. A Song for Joe: Celebrating the Life of Joe …
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