music

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John Hinckley Jr. Now a Struggling Musician

He claims he stands 'for peace' as concerts are canceled

(Newser) - Most musicians dream of name recognition. For John Hinckley Jr., it's the name recognition that's doing him in. The man who shot President Ronald Reagan and three others in a 1981 assassination attempt says he's a changed man but can't shake his poor reputation. "I...

Guess Who's Coming Back to Spotify?
Guess Who's
Coming Back
to Spotify?

Guess Who's Coming Back to Spotify?

Neil Young announces return to streaming platform, still complaining about 'low-res' files

(Newser) - More than two years ago, Neil Young yanked his songs off of Spotify, a protest against what Young said was COVID vaccine misinformation being circulated by podcaster Joe Rogan. Now the singer-songwriter has announced he's coming back to the streaming music platform, though the Consequence of Sound describes his...

'80s Group Had One Single. Now, a Record Deal

Zenana's 1986 single, 'Witches,' is finally getting traction after DJ found it in a UK record shop

(Newser) - A rare record-shop find has launched an obscure British '80s band into the spotlight. Zenana was formed in 1983 and released one single, "Witches," in 1986 (give it a listen here ). The synth-pop dance song never charted, the BBC reports, and the group disbanded the following...

Taylor Swift, Singapore Cut Deal and Neighbors Aren't Happy

Enter the growing industry of event tourism

(Newser) - We know Taylor Swift concerts generate billions in consumer spending . And now we know countries are willing to pay big for the advantage, at the cost of their neighbors missing out. Earlier this week, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong confirmed the country's tourism board paid an undisclosed sum—...

Ye Was Told Not to Sample Songs, Did It Anyway
Ye Was Told Not
to Sample Songs,
Did It Anyway
UPDATED

Ye Was Told Not to Sample Songs, Did It Anyway

Ozzy Osbourne, Donna Summer's estate allege copyright infringement

(Newser) - Donna Summer's estate is now suing Ye and Ty Dolla $ign over their collaboration "Good (Don't Die)," which the estate has accused of sampling Summer's "I Feel Love" without permission. The copyright infringement lawsuit filed by the husband of Summer, who died in 2012,...

Beyonce Goes Country, Swiftly Makes History
After Going Country,
Beyonce Keeps Conquering
UPDATED

After Going Country, Beyonce Keeps Conquering

'Texas Hold 'Em' reaches top of the Billboard Hot 100 after doing so on the country charts

(Newser) - First, Beyonce conquered the country charts in historic fashion with her single "Texas Hold 'Em." Now, she's reached No. 1 on the broader Billboard Hot 100 , reports Billboard . Beyonce earlier became the first Black woman atop the Hot Country Songs chart; now she's the first...

It's Time for a Post-Grammy Debate Over 'Cursive Singing'

Artists across genres are 'guilty' of the vocal trend, but really, it's been around for ages

(Newser) - Turn on the radio and you'll definitely hear it, but defining cursive singing, the vocal trend that's pervasive across genres, is a little harder. The Guardian takes a stab at this in an entertaining piece, noting that it occurs when singers tack on extra vowel sounds to syllables,...

Notes Finally Change in Organ Piece That's Played for 22 Years

Performance of John Cage's Organ2/ASLSP isn't slated to end until 2640

(Newser) - The late American avant-garde composer John Cage asked that his piece Organ2/ASLSP be played as its name instructs: That latter part is a nod to the phrase "as slowly and softly as possible," reports the Conversation . Cage, who died in 1992, never dictated just how slowly he meant,...

Nicki Minaj Fans Target Rival's Dead Mom

Security boosted at grave of Megan Thee Stallion's mom as former collaborators spar

(Newser) - Sometimes when rappers feud, even the dead need security. As Megan Thee Stallion trades barbs with arch-rival Nicki Minaj, a Texas cemetery has increased security to protect the grave of the former's mother, who died of brain cancer in 2019, TMZ reports. After Megan dropped a new track Thursday,...

Rage Against the Machine Won't Perform Live Again

Drummer Brad Wilk announces shows, initially planned for 2020, won't be rescheduled

(Newser) - Two months after the band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Rage Against the Machine is calling it quits ... again. "I don't want to string people or myself along any further," drummer Brad Wilk wrote Wednesday on Instagram. "I want to let...

From Sleeper Hit to 'Generational Anthem'

'New York Times' anoints 'Mr Brightside' by the Killers, now 20 years old

(Newser) - When "Mr. Brightside" came out in 2003, the world shrugged. But the song by the Killers has endured, and then some. More than a year after its release, it peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard charts, but it has kept right on enduring. By 2017, Vox declared the...

NYT Picks Its Best Albums of the Year
These Are the
Best Albums of 2023

These Are the Best Albums of 2023

SZA's 'SOS' is a favorite in 'NYT' critics' year-end rankings

(Newser) - It's that time of year when the "best of" lists emerge, and Jon Pareles, the longtime chief pop-music critic for the New York Times , offers up his own for best albums of 2023. "It was a year when many of the best songs came from looking inward:...

Composer 'Nearly Fell Over' at What He Found at Auschwitz

Composer Leo Geyer has re-created incomplete scores of music played by orchestra at Nazi camp

(Newser) - Music played amid the highs and very deep lows of Auschwitz will be heard again for the first time in 80 years. Leo Geyer, a composer and conductor pursuing a doctorate in music and composition at Oxford University, has re-created musical scores from sheets held in the archive of the...

Man Wanted to Open a Prince Museum, Holds Auction Instead

Pieces of late singer's wardrobe, other memorabilia are up for sale after museum idea is ditched

(Newser) - Fans of Prince, who was known nearly as much for his extravagant wardrobe as for his chart-topping hits, will have a chance to bid on some of the late musician's sartorial splendor in an online auction this week. The collection, including more than 200 lots up for sale, was...

Grammy Nominations Leader Isn't Taylor Swift

SZA leads the pack with 9 nominations

(Newser) - The new Grammy nominees are out, with artist SZA leading the way at nine nominations, per the AP . "Kill Bill," her revenge anthem cloaked in an R&B ballad, earned her nods for record of the year, song of the year, and best R&B performance. SOS is...

Tracy Chapman's 'Fast Car' Makes CMA History

She becomes first Black woman to win award as 35-year-old tune snags song of the year

(Newser) - Tracy Chapman just became the first Black woman to win a Country Music Association award—for a song she penned 35 years ago. "Fast Car," which was first released in 1988 but found new popularity this year through a cover by country star Luke Combs , won the first...

The Beatles' Last 'New' Song Is Coming Out Thursday

'Now and Then' features all Beatles members alive and dead, thanks to AI

(Newser) - Sixty years after the onset of Beatlemania and with two of the quartet now dead, artificial intelligence has enabled the release next week of what is promised to be the last "new" Beatles song . The track, called "Now And Then," will be available Thursday as part of...

DJing Days for This Goldman Sachs Bigwig Are Kaput

CEO David Solomon turned off the turntables on his side hustle over a year ago, per a spokesperson

(Newser) - If you've been to Lollapalooza or events in the Hamptons over the past few years, you may have been treated to the record-spinning skills of "DJ D-Sol"—the stage name of Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, who picked up the "unusual pastime for Wall Street" more...

10 Best Concert Films Ever
10 Best Concert Films Ever

10 Best Concert Films Ever

'Summer of Soul' tops the list of the 'Guardian'

(Newser) - The Taylor Swift phenomenon took a different turn this week with the release of a concert film based on her juggernaut Eras tour. (Just ask Beyonce .) Which prompted the Guardian to suss out the best concert films of all time. Tops on the list is a recent entry—the...

Could These Be the Best Soundtrack Albums Ever?

They are for Steve Hyden, Uproxx's cultural critic

(Newser) - If you've had your fill of this summer's tunes, and your other playlists are feeling kind of tired, revisiting movie soundtracks can be a fun way to keep the music going. Writing for Uproxx , cultural critic Steve Hyden has compiled his favorites in that genre. He lays out...

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