The emotional climax of Paul McCartney’s tour opener in Palm Springs: right at the start, when he sang “Help!” It was his full show, after a short warm-up dress rehearsal last week in a small Santa Barbara venue. But he set the stakes high with “Help!,” John Lennon’s personal cry …
Read More »Sylvan Esso Drop First New Song in 3 Years 'WDID,' Pull Music From Spotify
Electro-pop duo Sylvan Esso have returned with their first new single in three years — which is being released on their new record label, Psychic Hotline — and announced their decision to pull their music from Spotify. The track, “WDID,” is an urgent, cutting blast of agit-pop filled with grinding …
Read More »Jade Marie Patek Delivers a Sultry Texas Come-On in 'Open Invitation'
Jade Marie Patek, the Texas singer-songwriter who combines soulful country with the harder side of Southern rock & roll, drops the video for her latest single “Open Invitation.” Like Patek herself, the clip is a playful, indie-minded depiction of that one promising opportunity in a sea of bad dates. Directed …
Read More »Sam Smith Will Bring Their 'To Be Free' Residency to San Francisco's Castro Theatre
The historic Castro Theatre in San Francisco is reopening next year —and they got a queer music icon to do the honors of inaugurating it. On Tuesday, Sam Smith announced that they will bring their To Be Free concert residency to San Francisco for a run of eight shows next …
Read More »Lainey Wilson to Host 2025 CMA Awards
Lainey Wilson has been tapped to return as host for the 59th annual Country Music Association Awards. This will be Wilson’s second time hosting the show, but first time helming it solo. Last year, the country star was part of a hosting trio that also included fellow musician Luke Bryan …
Read More »Jim James Finally Reveals Why He Named My Morning Jacket's Classic Album 'Z'
Jim James was going through a lot circa 2005, when he wrote the songs for what would become My Morning Jacket‘s classic fourth album, Z. Two of his close friends had taken their own lives, and James was drinking too much and grappling with depression. “I thought it would be …
Read More »Inside the Dreamy Fantasy World of Wisp, Alt-Rock's New Star
I t’s just past noon on a Wednesday in North Hollywood, and Wisp only has a few hours left to rehearse before she leaves for a global tour the next morning. Tucked inside an unassuming rehearsal space complete with a bustling coffee shop, 21-year-old singer-songwriter Natalie Lu admits she’s nervous. …
Read More »How Gabe 'Nandez and Preservation Built a Classic Collaboration
When I catch up with Gabe ‘Nandez and Preservation on Zoom, the former tells me he’s mulling whether he’s going to continue on billy woods’ national tour. He was set for certain dates (including a ruckus set at New York City’s Knockdown Center), but he may head out for a …
Read More »Gordon Lightfoot Read About a Shipwreck. Then He Wrote One of Music's Most Unusual Hit Singles
On the night of Nov. 10, 1975, Gordon Lightfoot was perched in the attic of his Toronto home, working on a song. By then, the 36-year-old was already one of the most successful figures of the singer-songwriter era, having penned coffeehouse standards like “If You Could Read My Mind” and …
Read More »Spotify's Daniel Ek Ditches CEO Title for 'More Hands On' Executive Chairman Role
Spotify co-founder Daniel Ek will step aside as CEO of the streaming platform and move up to a new role as executive chairman. Ek announced his decision in a letter shared with Spotify staff on Tuesday, Sept. 30. The corporate shuffle will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026, with Gustav …
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