The dichotomy of 2023: we had an amazing year for music, in terms of listeners having access to seemingly endless troves of virtuosity and bangingness. We also had a depressing year for music, in terms of the environment in which that music is made. Following are eight of the worst developments over the year. 1. […]
Central Cee – “Entrapreneur”
UK drill rapper Central Cee engaged in a few collaborations this year, such as with Drake for an On The Radar freestyle, PinkPantheress for “Nice to meet you,” and, most importantly, Dave for the Split Decision EP, which contained the massive hit “Sprinter.” Today, with only a little over a week left until 2024, Central […]
Album Of The Week: Yfel Beneath The Mountain’s Vigil
One of my favorite movies of all time is Matewan, the 1987 historical drama directed by John Sayles. The film depicts the struggle of the coal miners of Matewan, West Virginia as they form a union, go on strike, and ultimately take up arms against the brutal tactics and hired goons of the Stone Mountain […]
They’ll Both Shorten Your Lifespan: Inside Heavy Metal’s Football Fandom
With the storytelling acumen of an NFL Films production, Erik Rutan recites the time his passions for football and playing metal crashed together harder than a safety hitting a wide receiver over the middle. It was 2004, and the acclaimed guitarist, who has logged stints in Ripping Corpse, Morbid Angel, and Cannibal Corpse, was touring […]
So You’ve Heard André 3000’s Flute Album — Now What?
Did you listen to André 3000’s 90-minute collection of semi-ambient flute jams, New Blue Sun? I did, and I… didn’t hate it! I mean, he stacked the deck by featuring some of the most interesting players in LA on it, including percussionist/multi-instrumentalist Carlos Niño, keyboardist Surya Botofasina, and others. (Niño has just released an album […]
Video: The Alchemist Ft. Curren$y “Paint Different”
It’s just different The Alchemist touches down this Friday morning with his new video “Paint Different” featuring Curren$y. Directed by Dexstr8dope, the producer and rapper puts work in the studio and is lounging in a plush lobby, while Curren$y’s posted outside in an alley by a vintange Mercedes-Benz. “The maestro on the balcony in the […]
We’ve Got A File On You: Evanescence’s Amy Lee
We’ve Got A File On You features interviews in which artists share the stories behind the extracurricular activities that dot their careers: acting gigs, guest appearances, random internet ephemera, etc. By almost any metric, Evanescence’s Fallen is one of the biggest albums of the 21st century. Its emotive hybrid of gothic rock and nü metal […]
Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler Sued By Second Woman For Sexual Assault In The ’70s
Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler has been sued by a second woman for sexual assault. As Rolling Stone reports, a lawsuit was filed in New York on Thursday by former teen model Jeanne Bellino, who alleges that she was assaulted by Tyler in 1975, when she was 17 and Tyler was around 27. Bellino says that her […]
Premature Evaluation: Blink-182 One More Time…
Pop-punk is the new classic rock. I guess this is growing up. One More Time… – the new album by scene elders Blink-182 – arrives at a moment when stock in the genre is at an all-time high, rising from an underdog insurgence on the alternative rock (and pop) charts into a steady dividend-earning period […]
We’ve Got A File On You: No I.D.
Dion “No I.D.” Wilson has made headline-grabbing music with some of the most famous rappers in the world, but you might not know who he is, and he’s fine with that. “I’ve always shunned a lot of things in my life as far as the limelight,” he says. As a Chicago hip-hop institution, he’s worked […]