NYC music

NYC music

Mattel has unveiled a Stevie Nicks Barbie doll, joining a line of Barbie tributes to musicians.

The Nicks doll's outfit was inspired by her look on the cover of Fleetwood Mac's 1977 album Rumours. [ more ]

Rod Wave's album Nostalgia remains at No. 1 on Billboard's album chart with 88,000 sales.

Rod Wave's album had 125 million streams and only a few hundred purchases as a complete unit.

Doja Cat's Scarlet debuts at No. 4 on the album chart with 72,000 sales and 88 million streams. [ more ]

Taylor Swift's presence at events causes a surge in attendance and ticket sales.

Fans were excited to see Taylor Swift at the football game and took photos of her during the game. [ more ]

The concert featuring star violinist Joshua Bell had unusual number of empty seats due to bad weather.

The Philharmonic's music director, Jaap van Zweden, has not made a strong impression during his tenure. [ more ]

Las Vegas' simulacrum of glamour renders the extraordinary as mundane.

U2 inaugurates Sphere, a hyperstimulating new performance venue in Vegas. [ more ]

Bradley Cooper approached the New York Philharmonic for help with his film on Leonard Bernstein.

Cooper immersed himself in classical music to portray Bernstein accurately. [ more ]

Aerosmith has postponed all remaining shows on their farewell tour until 2024.

Steven Tyler suffered a vocal injury, involving a fractured larynx. [ more ]

Becky G embraces regional Mexican music on her new album Esquinas.

Debby Friday collaborates with Darcy Baylis on a new single about obsession.

PinkPantheress releases a sugary confection with a gothic edge. [ more ]

Gram Parsons sought to bridge the divide between counterculture and country-music establishment.

Parsons made his vision of cosmic American music a reality with groups like the International Submarine Band and the Flying Burrito Brothers. [ more ]

Zach Bryan's self-titled album reached the top of the Billboard album chart, and his duet with Kacey Musgraves topped the Hot 100.

Bryan's recent EP, Boys of Faith, features collaborations with Bon Iver and Noah Kahan. [ more ]

Flora and Son is a demimusical from John Carney, now available in select theaters and on Apple TV+.

The Frick Madison is hosting an exhibition of Barkley L. Hendricks' portraits through Jan. 7. [ more ]

The Sphinx Virtuosi's album promotes the work of the Sphinx Organization in increasing racial diversity in classical music.

The album features spirited playing by young Black and Latino musicians on pieces by various composers. [ more ]

Carlos Santana's fusion of Latin rock and blues has been regarded as transcendent.

The documentary Carlos provides a soulful personal history of Santana's life and career.

The film does not delve into Santana's political stances or provide a critical analysis of his legacy. [ more ]

Gram Parsons was a country-rock pioneer who tragically died 50 years ago.

Parsons was a prodigious drinker and drug user, and died of a morphine overdose in Joshua Tree National Park. [ more ]

Taylor Swift's appearance at a Chiefs game with Travis Kelce sparked interest in his outfit and the brand KidSuper.

The designer of KidSuper, Colm Dillane, saw the opportunity for exposure and quickly added a Taylor Swift reference to the product names.

The brand changed the name of the Bedroom Painting denim set to the 1989 Bedroom Painting denim set to reference Swift's album. [ more ]

Beyonce asked fans to dress in silver for her Renaissance World Tour, creating a shimmering human disco ball.

The effect was massive, with the town of Las Vegas glimmering with anticipation and everyone participating in the silver dress code. [ more ]

Bruce Springsteen has postponed the remaining dates of his tour this year due to his ongoing recovery from peptic ulcer disease.

In total, Springsteen has postponed 22 shows because of his illness.

The postponed shows will be rescheduled for next year. [ more ]

Christian Thielemann has been appointed as the new general music director of the Berlin State Opera.

Thielemann is praised for his musical talent and considered a logical successor to Daniel Barenboim. [ more ]

Terry Kirkman, founder of the 1960s pop group the Association, has died at age 83.

The Association had a string of hits in the late 1960s, including 'Cherish' and 'Along Comes Mary'. [ more ]

Usher will headline the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show.

Yeah! by Usher is one of the most successful songs featuring the word 'yeah'. [ more ]

Mountain View, Arkansas is home to the Ozark Folk Center and a passion for music.

The region's strong Ozark heritage is due in part to its remote location. [ more ]

The Maison Gainsbourg, the Left Bank home of Serge Gainsbourg, has opened to the public, along with a nearby museum.

The house has been preserved exactly how it was on the day Gainsbourg died in 1991.

Gainsbourg's daughter, Charlotte, was responsible for preserving the house as a way to refuse the fact that her father was dead. [ more ]

Tangerine Dream is touring the U.S. and Canada for the first time since the death of their leader, Edgar Froese.

The new lineup of Tangerine Dream is receiving positive feedback and connecting with fans of the old lineup. [ more ]

Schubert's Schwanengesang was transformed into a wartime narrative in the production Doppelganger.

The performance featured a soldier in a military hospital accompanied by nurses and dancers. [ more ]

Many children quit playing instruments after starting in school, which has negative impacts on self-expression, education, and personal development.

Playing an instrument has been shown to improve performance in other academic subjects and contribute to overall well-being and character traits such as conscientiousness. [ more ]

John Cage was deeply influenced by Japanese philosophy, religion, and aesthetics.

Cage's visit to Japan in 1962 had a significant impact on Japanese composers, leading to a broadening of their style. [ more ]

John Zorn continues to showcase his energetic and irrepressible musical style at 70.

His recent recordings and live performances demonstrate his stylistic versatility and trademark ferocity.

Zorn's music combines barreling riffs, jazz tunes, extreme rock, and a supple new approach to beauty. [ more ]

The album Tim by the Replacements has been released with a new mix called Tim: The Let It Bleed Edition.

The new mix of Tim allows listeners to hear the importance of mixing and compare different production styles.

Tim is considered one of the greatest American rock records of the 1980s. [ more ]

Zach Bryan collaborates with Bon Iver on new EP

Holly Humberstone showcases sincere yearning in latest single

Troye Sivan explores the thrill of new crush in his new song

Landon Barker releases pop-punk debut single with help from his father Travis Barker [ more ]

A former wardrobe designer has filed a lawsuit against Lizzo and tour management, alleging a hostile work environment.

Lizzo's lawyer plans to countersue and called the latest suit an absurd publicity stunt. [ more ]

Jimmy Buffett turned his hit song 'Margaritaville' into a profitable business empire.

Buffett's music goes beyond just being a lifestyle soundtrack, delving into emotional and political themes. [ more ]

Indie-rock singer Sufjan Stevens is recovering from Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological condition.

Stevens was hospitalized for several weeks but is expected to recover.

He is undergoing intensive physical therapy and is determined to get better. [ more ]

Claus Guth's staging of Schubert's Schwanengesang, called Doppelganger, premieres at the Park Avenue Armory in New York.

The production features star tenor Jonas Kaufmann and will be Guth's New York debut.

The staging takes place in the Armory's vast drill hall amid an installation of hospital beds occupied by wounded soldiers. [ more ]

Jann Wenner, cofounder of Rolling Stone magazine, has written two books about his time at the publication.

His second book, The Masters, features interviews with rock legends and will be released on September 26th. [ more ]

Doja Cat will release her fourth album Scarlet featuring the No. 1 hit "Paint the Town Red".

Red is a color that signifies love, anger, passion, danger, blood, and roses.

The playlist features artists from different genres and includes a sample of Dionne Warwick and a Prince song. [ more ]

Fringe festivals are places for experimentation and exploration

The Philadelphia Fringe has refocused on local artists

Three out of the four shows seen at the festival were about appetite and the mess it can make [ more ]

British singer Roger Whittaker passed away at 87.

Whittaker had a four-decade-long career and touched the hearts of older fans across Europe and America. [ more ]

Mexican-American musician Edgar Barrera leads with 13 Latin Grammy nominations, including nods in the record, album, and song of the year categories.

Camilo, Karol G, and Shakira are tied with reggaeton composer Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno with seven nominations each.

The Latin Grammy Awards showcase the commercial success and artistic vitality of music in Spanish and Portuguese, as well as the extensive collaboration and dominance of Latin music in the industry. [ more ]

Mexican American hitmaker Edgar Barrera leads the nominations for the Latin Grammy Awards with 13 total nominations.

Shakira, Karol G, Camilo, and Bad Bunny are among the most nominated artists with 7 nominations each.

Collaboration and commercial dominance for music sung in Spanish and Portuguese is at its peak. [ more ]

Os Tincoas, a group from Brazil revered for its vocal harmonies and songs about Yoruba mythology, is being rediscovered by Brazilian audiences and a new generation of artists.

Canto Coral Afrobrasileiro, an album recorded 40 years ago, has finally been released. [ more ]

Streaming services offer access to large music libraries at little to no cost.

Streaming provides a slower way for musicians to earn money than other methods.

Owning a music collection that doesn't rely on streaming is becoming less common among younger generations. [ more ]

The Perelman Performing Arts Center is opening with a series of concerts titled Refuge: A Concert Series to Welcome the World, offering different themes such as Home, Faith, School, Family, and Memory.

The series features a diverse lineup of musicians, including Grammy-winning artists Angelique Kidjo, Common, and Jose Feliciano, as well as lesser-known musicians dedicated to preserving deep-rooted traditions.

The Perelman's mission is described as civic healing and aims to honor the trauma and resilience of the September 11 attack by welcoming artists and audiences from diverse backgrounds into the center. [ more ]

Olivia Rodrigo's new album, Guts, debuts at No. 1 on Billboard's chart.

Guts is Rodrigo's second No. 1 album and had the fourth-biggest opening of any album this year so far. [ more ]

Irish Grinstead, member of R&B trio 702, has died at age 43.

Cause of death has not been revealed.

Fans are paying tribute to Grinstead on social media. [ more ]

El nuevo disco de The Rolling Stones, Hackney Diamonds, se lanzará el 20 de octubre.

La banda recuperó un sentido de urgencia al grabar el nuevo disco. [ more ]

Melissa Etheridge's autobiographical show, 'My Window,' will have its Broadway opening on Sept. 28.

Etheridge shares her cultural essentials, including her love for Lululemon sweatpants and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Etheridge reflects on losing her son to a drug overdose and the lessons she's learned about addiction and guilt. [ more ]

Bob Boilen, creator of Tiny Desk concert series, is retiring from NPR after 35 years.

Boilen's innovations and contributions to NPR Music were highlighted by executives in the note to staff. [ more ]

Peso Pluma's concerts in the US were postponed due to threats from a major drug cartel.

The threats were written on banners posted publicly in Tijuana and are being investigated for credibility.

Peso Pluma specializes in corridos tumbados, a modern form of narcocorridos, combining regional Mexican styles with influences from rap. [ more ]

Mitski's seventh studio album, The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, is out today.

The Land Is Inhospitable is a departure from Mitski's previous pop-oriented direction.

Mitski's songs are polished, self-contained, and potent. [ more ]

Maren Morris releases a powerful song about breaking free from a bad relationship.

Mitski's new album showcases her luminous warmth and easy confidence in her music.

Cat Power will release a live album of her performance recreating Bob Dylan's 1966 concert.

Chris Stapleton pays homage to 1970s Memphis soul in his new song.

Inmates at Mississippi's Parchman Farm prison sing at weekly church services. [ more ]

Lise Davidsen is a rare and exceptional dramatic soprano.

Her voice is powerful and resonant, with a beautiful timbre and impressive range.

The Metropolitan Opera rarely invites solo artists for recital debuts, making Davidsen's performance even more significant. [ more ]

Corinne Bailey Rae's new album, Black Rainbows, explores the scars and triumphs of Black culture.

The album abandons pop structures and R&B smoothness, embracing noise, delicacy, and genre-bending.

The songs on Black Rainbows are inspired by artifacts from the Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago. [ more ]

Musician Akio Sakurai, also known as Mr. Jimmy, has devoted decades to recreating Jimmy Page's guitar playing.

Sakurai's obsession with replicating Page's onstage work led him to join a Led Zeppelin tribute band in Los Angeles.

The film Mr. Jimmy focuses on Sakurai's career travails in the States before finding success with a Spinal Tap-redolent happy ending. [ more ]

The Rolling Stones are releasing a new album called 'Hackney Diamonds' on October 20th.

The album is a loud and unrepentant collection of new songs that reflect the band's refusal to mellow with age.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards found a way to realign their songwriting partnership for the new album. [ more ]

French pianist Alexandre Kantorow wins $300,000 Gilmore Artist Award, a prestigious prize in classical music.

The Gilmore Artist Award is given every four years and is not awarded as part of a competition.

The selection process for the award involves a small, anonymous jury attending concerts and evaluating the potential impact of the artists. [ more ]

Len Chandler, folk musician and civil rights activist, has passed away at the age of 88.

He was known for his performances alongside Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez.

Chandler was a classically trained oboist who became a regular at the Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village. [ more ]

Gannett, the largest newspaper chain in the US, is hiring a reporter to cover Taylor Swift.

Swift's cultural resonance and growing legacy make her a significant figure in the music and business worlds.

The job posting has received mixed reactions, with praise for reaching a new audience and criticism over layoffs of local journalists. [ more ]

Key Moment: 'N Sync members present Taylor Swift with a Moon Person trophy.

Anitta delivers a solid one-liner and impressive performances at the VMAs.

Doja Cat's high-concept performance stands out, while Olivia Rodrigo's Vampire video sparks controversy. [ more ]

Olivia Rodrigo's second album, Guts, is an extension of her debut album, Sour.

She explores similar musical approaches while also evolving as an artist.

She has deepened her songwriting and reflects on her rapid rise to fame. [ more ]

Curtis Fowlkes, founder of Jazz Passengers, died at 73.

Jazz Passengers achieved critical acclaim despite modest commercial success. [ more ]

Julia Bullock loves Kurt Weill's music for its ability to spin the personal into the universal.

Bullock's recital at the Park Avenue Armory showcased the shared DNA of different types of music, including lieder, blues, avant-garde, Broadway, radio hits, and spirituals. [ more ]

Sean Combs, also known as Diddy, is preparing for his return to music with the release of his first solo studio album in 17 years.

Combs bought Kerry James Marshall's painting 'Past Times' for $21.1 million in 2018.

Combs wants to connect with his fans and create excitement around his upcoming album. [ more ]

Desmond Child, famous songwriter, discusses his key contributions being misunderstood or downplayed by collaborators.

Child's new memoir, Livin' on a Prayer: Big Songs Big Life, provides an insider's guide to the music business.

The book also delves into the broader dramas in Child's life, including growing up with a Cuban-born mother and navigating the music industry as a gay man. [ more ]

Remixes played a significant role in Black gay culture in the 1990s.

Remixes helped to create a sense of community and affirmation for Black gay individuals. [ more ]

The most in-demand screening at the Toronto International Film Festival was for the 39-year-old concert film Stop Making Sense.

A24 has restored the film ahead of its theatrical and IMAX rerelease later this month. [ more ]

Zach Bryan's album holds the No. 1 spot on the Billboard chart for the second week.

Jimmy Buffett's compilation album jumps to No. 4 following his death. [ more ]

Jamila Woods achieves a synthesis between her voices as a poet and as a songwriter on her new album.

Woods's music is imbued with a literary sensibility and every lyric on her album has weight.

Woods departs from her previous work by focusing on herself as the subject of her lyrics. [ more ]

Richard Davis, a highly regarded bassist, passed away at the age of 93.

Davis was known for his versatility, playing with jazz, classical, pop, and rock musicians.

He was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master and appeared on over 600 albums. [ more ]

Stop Making Sense, the Talking Heads concert documentary, is still relevant after four decades.

The film has been restored from its original negatives and will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Stop Making Sense helped reshape pop concerts and its music touched on various themes like disinformation and environmental disaster. [ more ]

Mayor Eric Adams co-hosted a fashion party at Gracie Mansion, expressing his love for fashion.

Adams addressed the migrant crisis in a town hall, emphasizing the economic impact on New York City. [ more ]

Olivia Rodrigo's sophomore album, Guts, has been released and is receiving positive reviews.

Guts is seen as a thrilling fulfillment of potential, expanding Rodrigo's perspectives and ambitions.

Rodrigo's music pulls from male-dominated genres and offers a unique perspective as a young woman. [ more ]

Rolling Stones release new single with their classic sound.

Joni Mitchell's archive series unveils previously unreleased song.

Allison Russell's new album examines racism and African ancestry. [ more ]

Olivia Rodrigo takes a novel approach to pop stardom by showing the work and addressing the costs and compromises of fame.

Rodrigo's album Guts is a real-time reckoning with the maelstrom of new celebrity and explores themes of betrayal, regret, and self-flagellation.

Rodrigo's songwriting is characterized by purity and an unformed gut-kick of feeling. [ more ]

Two new recordings are bringing attention to the convergence of jazz and classical music in 1940s New York City.

These recordings are shedding light on the works of Black composers who faced resistance and disrespect.

The recordings include the world premiere recording of the one-act opera De Organizer and the first-ever studio recording of Mary Lou Williams's Zodiac Suite in its chamber orchestra version. [ more ]

Singer-songwriter Zach Bryan was arrested in rural Oklahoma and charged with obstruction of investigation.

Bryan apologized for his behavior and stated that he supports law enforcement.

Bryan described the incident as being disrespectful to the officer and acknowledged his wrongdoing. [ more ]

The president of Johnny & Associates, a prominent entertainment agency in Japan, resigned after an investigation confirmed allegations of sexual abuse against its founder, Johnny Kitagawa.

The allegations against Kitagawa had circulated for decades but were largely ignored by the media.

The investigation revealed hundreds of cases of abuse by Kitagawa over more than 50 years. [ more ]

Gary Wright, singer-songwriter known for hits like "Dream Weaver" and "Love Is Alive," has passed away at age 80.

Wright rose to prominence in the late 1960s and collaborated frequently with George Harrison.

His spiritual awakening inspired his album "The Dream Weaver" and the hit song of the same name. [ more ]

Freddie Mercury's Yamaha piano, on which 'Bohemian Rhapsody' was composed, sold for $2.2 million at a Sotheby's auction.

The collection included artworks, furniture, handwritten lyrics, stage costumes, and other personal effects.

The singer's lifelong friend Mary Austin sold the items, with less high-profile items being sold in subsequent auctions. [ more ]

Beyonce encouraged fans to wear silver to her concerts during Virgo season.

Fans panicked and small businesses saw a spike in sales of silver clothing and accessories. [ more ]

Romy Madley Croft of the xx has released her debut solo album, Mid Air.

She is the last member of the band to release a solo project.

Mid Air explores her identity as a queer woman and her love for pop club music. [ more ]

Tyler Childers is a country musician who has gained success by recontextualizing rural and Appalachian America in his music.

Childers has pushed the boundaries of country music and explored topics like racial inequality and LGBTQ+ love stories in his songs. [ more ]

Post Malone recently performed on NPR's Tiny Desk concert series with a larger ensemble, including a string quartet.

The Tiny Desk series has come to host some of the biggest names in music.

T-Pain's Tiny Desk performance helped to challenge the assumption that he lacked talent. [ more ]

Max Roach, along with Kenny Clarke and Art Blakey, helped pioneer bebop in the 1940s.

Roach's album We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite addressed racial and political issues in the United States. [ more ]

Fans of RBD dressed in early-2000s styles and renditions of prep school uniforms at their recent concerts.

RBD, a real-life pop group that evolved out of a fictional pop group, played two sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden. [ more ]