The Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out” hit Number One the week before the writer of the September issue’s cover story, Rob Sheffield, and I were born (in early February 1966). The group was just past the midpoint in its brief but magnificent, tumultuous, world-changing decade of existence, and the …
Read More »Chika Drops 'My Power' From Netflix Film 'Project Power'
Chika has released “My Power,” her new single featured in the Netflix film Project Power, out now on the streaming platform. Over a confident beat, Chika celebrates self-perseverance in the song’s lyrics. “Dare you to try and mess with me/I’m better as your friend and not an enemy/Disintegrate your clique cuz …
Read More »Blink-182 Curse Lockdown and COVID in New Song 'Quarantine'
Blink-182 have released a new two-minute ripper about life in lockdown aptly titled “Quarantine.” The track boasts a rugged, chugging verse that opens up into a big sing-along chorus. Lyrically, there’s plenty of vintage Blink-182 snark, with Mark Hoppus opening the song with, “I guess I’m blessed to be so …
Read More »Watch Roger Waters Perform Socially Distanced 'The Wall' Deep Cuts
Roger Waters and his band have recorded socially distanced performances of two deep cuts from Pink Floyd‘s The Wall: “Vera” and “Bring the Boys Back Home,” which both come before “Comfortably Numb” on the double-album. The renditions are quieter than the Pink Floyd originals, with Waters singing almost mournfully about …
Read More »Tim Heidecker Ponders Mortality With Weyes Blood on 'Fear of Death'
Tim Heidecker has released a new song, “Fear of Death,” the title track from his upcoming album, which the comedian made with a band featuring Weyes Blood’s Natalie Mering, the Lemon Twigs’ Brian and Michael D’Addario and more. Fear of Death arrives September 25th on Spacebomb Records. “Fear of Death” …
Read More »Taylor Swift Has Been Working Toward 'Folklore' All Along
“I’m on some new shit,” Taylor Swift sings in the opening lines of Folklore, announcing with a smile and a wink that the many Taylor Swifts of her previous seven albums — even the not-quite-year-old Taylor of Lover — can’t come to the phone right now. Swift has always conceived …
Read More »The War & Treaty Channel Seventies Soul in New Song 'Five More Minutes'
This fall, the Nashville-based duo the War & Treaty will be returning with their self-produced second album Hearts Town, the follow-up to the band’s 2018 debut Healing Tide. That album, which was produced by Buddy Miller, earned the War & Treaty gigs opening for Al Green and resulted in the …
Read More »Katy Perry Clowns Around in 'Smile' Video
UPDATE (7/28): Katy Perry’s new album Smile has been pushed to August 28th. *** Katy Perry gives the whole big-top shebang in her new video for “Smile,” the second single and title track from her upcoming album. Dressed as a clown, Perry is shown in miniature throughout the colorful visual, …
Read More »Anitta Throws a Sexy Quarantine Party in New 'Tócame' Video
Brazilian pop star Anitta has dropped a new single and video, “Tócame,” featuring the comeback of reggaeton duo Arcángel and De La Ghetto. Written by the three collaborators, and produced by Ryan Tedder, the fiery new single comes with a video directed by Giovanni Bianco, filmed in Rio de Janeiro …
Read More »Doves Return With First Album in 11 Years, 'The Universal Want'
U.K. rock trio Doves will return from their decade-long hiatus on September 11th with a new album titled The Universal Want, the band’s first LP since 2009’s Kingdoms of Rust. Doves’ Jimi Goodwin and brothers Andy and Jez Williams shared “Prisoners” from their upcoming album on Thursday. “It’s about continually …
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