In February 2017, former Breitbart editor and right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos arrived on the UC Berkeley campus and attempted to deliver a speech that was met by more than 1,500 protestors. For Cole Becker, the lead singer of Oakland punk group Swmrs who was among the protestors, it was a …
Read More »English Beat, General Public's Ranking Roger Dead at 56
Ranking Roger, lead vocalist for British ska punk band the Beat – known as the English Beat in North America – and founding member of General Public, died on Tuesday. He was 56. The news was confirmed in a statement on the Beat’s official Facebook page. The cause of death …
Read More »Bloc Party Playing Full 'Silent Alarm' LP on Fall U.S. Tour
Bloc Party will perform their acclaimed debut LP, 2005’s Silent Alarm, in its entirety on an upcoming U.S. tour. The six-date fall trek launches September 16th in Washington D.C. and wraps November 20th in San Francisco, California. All shows go on sale Friday, March 29th at 10 a.m. local time …
Read More »CupcakKe Raps in Darkened Warehouse for Foreboding 'Bird Box' Video
CupcakKe hits a darkened warehouse-looking space, heightening her urgent, rapid-fire bars in her new video for “Bird Box.” It’s her second new single of the year, following the Chicago rapper’s previous released “Squidward Nose.” The minimalist new visual finds the rapper, alongside a silent friend as the two groove together, …
Read More »Flashback: The Temptations Stage a Very Fragile Reunion in 1982
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations – which chronicles the epic career of the legendary Motown vocal group – opens up on Broadway this week. It’s a musical based on the 1988 memoir of Temptations founder Otis Williams, the sole living member of the classic lineup. …
Read More »Lanco Return With Defiant New Song 'Rival'
Nashville country-rock band Lanco have returned with the intense new song “Rival,” the follow-up to their 2018 single “Born to Love You.” The new track is also the first release from the group’s upcoming second album. The easygoing acoustic groove that leads off “Rival” is something of a fake-out — …
Read More »Review: Ariana Grande Launches 'Sweetener' World Tour in Albany
When it comes to pop stardom, hits only get you so far if you don’t have an easily recognizable look. At the first date of Ariana Grande’s Sweetener World Tour in Albany on March 18th, it was clear that she has this part of the job covered. Never before has …
Read More »J. Cole Threatens Fans With Features if They Don't Stop Saying 'Platinum With No Features'
J. Cole has had it. After years of silence, he’s contemplating taking drastic measures to stop his fans from spreading one of the least funny memes in recent memory: “J. Cole went platinum with no features.” The joke/rallying cry’s genesis is simple. Cole’s last three albums — 2014 Forest Hills …
Read More »Flatbush Zombies, Joey Bada$$ Debut Beast Coast With New Song 'Left Hand'
Beast Coast, the new hip-hop supergroup featuring Flatbush Zombies, Pro Era and the Underachievers, have unveiled their sinister debut track, “Left Hand.” “Left Hand” is a relentless posse cut that boasts production from Tyler Dopps and Sam Wish, and verses from nine MCs, including Flatbush Zombies’ Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice …
Read More »Danny Elfman to Score 'Gary' Production on Broadway
Until recently, Taylor Mac was known for making epic avant-garde theater that crossed easy categorization. His groundbreaking art concert, A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, was Mac’s subjective history of the United States told through 246 songs — everything from World War I ditties to The Mikado to a mash-up …
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