The music of XXXTentacion, the 20-year-old Florida rapper who was fatally shot in a robbery last June, surged on the U.S. music charts after his untimely death. As a result, other often better-known rappers have appeared to capitalize on the late songwriter’s buzz with so-called “tributes.”Lil Pump’s “Arms Around You” …
Read More »Maxine Brown, Country Music Hall of Fame Singer, Dead at 87
Maxine Brown Russell, a member of the groundbreaking trio the Browns with siblings Jim Ed and Bonnie Brown, died Monday in hospice care in Little Rock, Arkansas, from complications of kidney and heart disease. She was 87. As one of the premier vocal groups bridging the gap of pop and …
Read More »Oscars 2019: Gillian Welch on 'Buster Scruggs' Best Song Nomination
Gillian Welch had a brush with the Academy Awards universe back in 2000, when the Coen Brothers‘ acclaimed O Brother, Where Art Thou? was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Cinematography. The blockbuster soundtrack, featuring contributions by Welch, largely consisted of rearranged old folk tunes, but didn’t net any …
Read More »Cardi B Fires Back at Conservative Critics After Shutdown Slam
After slamming the government shutdown on social media, Cardi B took aim at her conservative critics who questioned whether the rapper should be politically involved. Cardi B’s shutdown rant drew criticism from Trump supporters like Fox News host Tomi Lahren, who tweeted at the rapper, “Looks like @iamcardib is the …
Read More »'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' Recap: All-American Idiots
A review of “Hitchcock & Scully,” this week’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine, coming up just as soon as I see the bucket of male body butter… While Brooklyn Nine-Nine is pretty egalitarian about spotlighting different members of its deep ensemble, there’s still a pecking order. On one end of that, Jake is …
Read More »Death Cab for Cutie Extend Tour in Support of 'Thank You for Today'
Death Cab for Cutie will spend the summer on the road as the band continues to support their 2018 album Thank You for Today. After the band’s previously announced spring trek concludes with a two-night stand at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on April 15th and 16th, Death Cab for Cutie will …
Read More »Song You Need to Know: Mandolin Orange, 'The Wolves'
North Carolina-based acoustic duo Mandolin Orange have spent the past decade quietly releasing sturdy collections of originals that blend bluegrass, soft-rock, folk and country. The group’s latest single, “The Wolves” — a preview of their upcoming album Tides of a Teardrop — Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz offer a compelling tale of finding …
Read More »A Trump Nominee Leading the Interior Department's 'Huge' Overhaul Earned Big Oil Money
WASHINGTON — One year ago, seated between an American flag and a flickering fire, Ryan Zinke, the secretary of the Interior Department, announced the largest overhaul in the agency’s 168-year history. Zinke, who arrived for his first day of work riding a horse, said his plan would “transform” the Interior …
Read More »How the Beach Boys' Lost Late-Sixties Gems Got a Second Life
Late last month, with little notice, three Beach Boys compilations appeared on Spotify and other streaming platforms:Wake the World: The Friends Sessions; I Can Hear Music: The 20/20 Sessions;andOn Tour: 1968 (Live). Almost none of the recordings had been previously released. They include originals and covers, captured in live soundchecks, …
Read More »'Surviving R. Kelly': How Michelle Kramer Rescued Her Daughter From the Hotel
When Michelle Kramer moved to Country Club Hills, Illinois, she didn’t know much about R. Kelly — but soon, her youngdaughter, Dominique Gardner, became a superfan. In 2010, shortly after she graduated from high school, Gardner met the singer, who lived in the nearby Chicago suburb of Olympia Fields, through …
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