'Freebird' at 35: a Joke and a Classic

Will 'Pitchfork' keep Adele from taking the crown?

(NEWSER) - It’s the end of the year, which means a glut of music sites releasing “Best Of” lists. Indie-loving Pitchfork picks the top 100 tracks of the year; here are the top 10, which include some mainstream surprises:

1. M83, “Midnight City”
2. Bon Iver, “Holocene”
3. EMA, “California”
4. Nicki Minaj, “Super Bass”
5. Real Estate, “It’s Real”
6. Destroyer, “Kaputt”
7. Beyoncé, “Countdown"
8. Cass McCombs, “County Line”
9. Azealia Banks, “212”
10. DJ Khaled, “I’m On One” (Feat. Drake, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne)

John Cage piece will reach its conclusion in 2640

(NEWSER) - You can currently catch a performance of John Cage's "Organ²/ASLSP(As SLow aS Possible)" in Halberstadt, Germany—and your great-great-great-(OK, do that 15 more times)-grandchild will be able to catch the end of it. The Washington Post takes a look at the most unusual concert, currently in its 10th year and scheduled to end in 2640. Cage himself did not pick that end-date; 639 years is the length of time between the construction of the first church organ and the 2001 start of his performance, which coincided with Cage's 85th birthday. More»

Legend expected to sell out 8,000-seat venue

(NEWSER) - Decades after making his name with Vietnam-era antiwar songs, Bob Dylan is set to perform in Vietnam for the first time, the AP reports. He’ll play in an 8,000-seat university stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, and planners expect the show to sell out. “Bob Dylan is a very important legend of music and we think it's important that Vietnamese people, particularly the younger generation, are exposed to his legacy,” says a promoter. (Dylan also recently snagged his first China gigs .) More»

Female rockers don't get much action on tour, they say

(NEWSER) - Male rock stars are notorious for their groupie magnetism—but the same just isn’t true for female rockers, Salon finds. “Ladies in bands don’t get ANY action,” Neko Case tweeted last weekend, prompting a flurry of agreement from fellow women in rock. (Case made clear later she was not complaining, just stating a fact of the business.) “I have gotten laid exactly one time on tour, and it was an ex,” added a member of Crooked Fingers. So why the disparity? More»

Gold prices push the cost of 5 rings to $650

(NEWSER) - If your true love gives you everything from 12 drummers drumming to a partridge in a pear tree this year, he or she will have shelled out $96,824. That’s up 10.8% from last year, the AP reports. High gold prices pushed the cost of five gold rings up 30% to $649.95; nine ladies dancing now costs $6,294.03, up 15%; the price of feed and availability led to a 78.6% jump in the price of two turtle doves, to $100. More»