Nashville mayor Megan Barry named Jack White to a new Council on Gender Equality during an executive order-signing event Wednesday. The role of the 45-member Council will be to study gender equality in the Nashville metro area and report back their findings to the mayor. The rocker, who previously served on former…
Flashback: See Dolly Parton and Barbara Mandrell’s Campy Beatles Cover
As two of the most influential female artists of the late Seventies, Dolly Parton and Barbara Mandrell both broke new ground in — and outside of — country music. While Parton made the successful crossover to pop music and starred with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the blockbuster 1980…
Steve Young, of M/A/R/R/S’ ‘Pump Up the Volume’ Fame, Dead
Steve Young, a founding member of influential acid-house trendsetters M/A/R/R/S and electro-pop group Colourbox, has died. Record label 4AD, which put out recordings by both groups, confirmed the news. “One of the label’s true pioneers, Steven leaves behind an incredible legacy and will forever be in our hearts,” the announcement reads….
Watch Elle King Zap Ghosts in New ‘Good Girls’ Video
Elle King has unveiled the video for “Good Girls,” her song contribution to Ghostbusters: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. In the video, King sings her rousing, blues-tipped tune in a ghost-filled laundromat and also at a rowdy bar. “I do what the good girls don’t,” she grittily sings. “I do what the good…
El-P Selects Winner of Pokemon Freestyle Remix Contest
El-P has a complicated relationship with the Pokémon community. Over the weekend, he issued a series of tweets making fun of Pokémon Go players. Then he apologized with a half-hearted “freestyle” that professed his love of the franchise and challenged fans to a remix contest – with the winner earning a free…
Songs of Black Lives Matter: 22 New Protest Anthems
Two years after the death of Eric Garner at the hands of NYPD officers, “I can’t breathe” remains perhaps the most disturbing phrase in modern American history. Which makes it all the more courageous that Ellisha and Steven Flagg, Garner’s siblings, refuse to let the tragic day they lost their brother…
Andrew W.K. Celebrates ‘Power of Partying’ on 50-State Speaking Tour
From the beginning, Andrew W.K. has followed one mission: to party as hard as possible, as much as possible. Now the rocker is spreading that message across all 50 American states with his “Power of Partying” speaking tour. Presented by his anti-political party, the Party Party, the trek will launch September…
Kool & the Gang Return With Funky New Song ‘Sexy’
Kool & the Gang have released their new track “Sexy (Where’d You Get Yours),” the funk-soul legends’ first new single in nearly a decade. “Sexy” signifies a modernization of Ronald and Robert “Kool” Bell and company’s unmistakable sound, right down to the dance floor-tailored bass grooves and the perfectly timed horns….
Hear Justice’s Psychedelic First Single in Five Years, ‘Safe and Sound’
French electronic duo Justice rev their funk engines with “Safe and Sound,” their first new song in five years. “Man up, hold tight, driving dark/ Head up, foot down, speed of sound,” voices chant on the track – a psychedelic disco epic built on finger snaps, synth-strings, spastic jazz-fusion synths…
Calvin Harris, Taylor Swift Song Co-Write: Questions We Still Have
Taylor Swift’s fans were right. The pop star was the infamous “Nils Sjoberg” named in the writing credits for Calvin Harris’ Rihanna collaboration “This Is What You Came For,” a representative for Swift confirmed. Harris, Swift’s ex, also confirmed that she wrote the lyrics and sang a bit on the song as well. However, the…
See Charles Kelley’s Smoldering ‘Lonely Girl’ Video
Charles Kelley’s song “Lonely Girl” deals with the relationship between heartbreak and listening to music, promising himself as a healing balm for someone in the middle of it. Appropriately, the first scene of the “Lonely Girl” is a hand dropping the needle on a spinning turntable with his record. Directed by…
Readers’ Poll: The 10 Best Aerosmith Deep Cuts
While nothing is definite at the moment, it seems quite likely that Aerosmith will be launching a farewell tour next year. They’re one of the few bands from their generation still touring with the complete classic lineup, and they want to end it all while everyone is still standing. Joe Perry’s health…
Shooter Jennings Readies ‘Black Ribbons’ for Election Day Re-Release
In 2010, Shooter Jennings veered away from the country and Southern-rock sound that defined his first three albums and released Black Ribbons, a sprawling hard-edged concept record depicting a totalitarian government where free speech — and even music — is outlawed. In between the tracks, Stephen King plays a freedom-fighting…
Taylor Swift Co-Wrote Calvin Harris’ Smash Hit ‘This Is What You Came For’
Taylor Swift co-wrote Calvin Harris and Rihanna’s “This Is What You Came For,” a representative for Swift confirmed to Rolling Stone. The singer-songwriter used the pseudonym Nils Sjoberg for the song. TMZ initially reported that Swift had penned the EDM hit, having been revealed by sources connected to the singer. Swift and Harris co-penned…
Beastie Boys’ Mike D on Beats 1 Radio Show, ‘Licensed to Ill’ at 30
When Mike D phones up Rolling Stone on a Tuesday afternoon he gives a one-word answer as to what he’s been up to: writing. “I’m taking a break to call you,” he says. The MC is deep in the process of crafting a long-promised Beastie Boys memoir with co-founder Adam…
Watch YG Dance, Spray Graffiti in Trippy ‘Still Brazy’ Video
YG dances and sprays graffiti in his trippy video for “Still Brazy,” the title-track from his second LP. “I gotta keep guns with me/ Shit real, I ain’t tryna be pretty,” the rapper admits on the synth-propelled track. “Paranoia got this Henny in my kidney/ Cause I don’t know if…
Garth Brooks on Songwriting & Sentiment of New Album: The Ram Report
The first episode of Garth Brooks’ new Inside Studio G social media video series will include a look inside what will be only the third photo shoot he’s ever done with wife of 11 years, Trisha Yearwood. The pair will pose for the cover art to their upcoming Christmas duets…
Hit Reset
When feminist punk patron saint Kathleen Hanna launched her newest project, The Julie Ruin, in 2010 – after years spent out of the spotlight due to late stage lyme disease – expectations were high. Thankfully, the group’s 2013 debut album Run Fast was triumphant, filled with the same searing energy and lo-fi DIY ethos…
Joey Bada$$ Talks ‘Mr. Robot’ Role, Missing Out on Obama Biopic
When we left Sam Esmail’s Golden Globe-winning dystopian thriller Mr. Robot last August, brilliant-yet-schizophrenic computer programmer Elliot Alderson and the hacktivist group fsociety had engineered a meltdown of the global financial system. At the beginning of Season Two, which debuts tonight, Elliot has retreated to a computer-free exile in Brooklyn,…
Hear Ramones’ Rare Live ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ From 1976
A few months after Ramones put out their debut album, they played a couple of sets at West Hollywood’s famed outpost the Roxy. An energetic, never-before-released live version of “Blitzkrieg Bop,” recorded at the second set of a two-gig night there on August 12th, 1976, shows how the group would…
Tenors Fire ‘All Lives Matter’ Singer at MLB All-Star Game
The Tenors, a Canadian vocal group, caused an uproar at Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game in San Diego after one “lone wolf” member inserted the lyrics “All lives matter” into their pregame rendition of “O Canada.” Following a firestorm of criticism, the group announced late Tuesday that they would not be…
America’s Underground Prank-Call King Speaks
When Rolling Stone e-mailed the address on Longmont Potion Castle’s website, it wasn’t clear whether anyone would actually reply. And meeting the underground prank-call legend in person seemed entirely out of the question. But there we were a week later, in front of a cheesy, semi-chain sports bar in Westminster, Colorado. A man…
Watch Lin-Manuel Miranda, J. Lo’s Dazzling Orlando Tribute on ‘Fallon’
Jennifer Lopez and Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda delivered the late-night debut of “Love Make the World Go Round,” their tribute to the victims of the Orlando massacre, on Tuesday’s Tonight Show. Backed by the Roots and a pair of backing vocalists, Lopez crooned the track’s message of hope and resiliency while wearing…
Flashback: VH1 Fails in Doomed Effort to Reunite the Smiths
For two wonderful years in the mid-2000s, VH1’s Bands Reunited set out to reform half-forgotten 1980s bands like ABC, Dramarama, Haircut One Hundred, Romeo Void and Klymaxx – and mostly succeeded. After all, these sorts of bands weren’t getting many offers for their own VH1 specials. A Vixen Behind The…
Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney Lead Country Music’s Highest Paid Singers
The numbers are in and Garth Brooks is once again the highest paid artist in country music. According to Forbes’ annual Celebrity 100 list — the 100 highest-paid celebrity entertainers, authors, athletes and models in the world — the G-man has raked in $70 million in the last year to land…
Jon Pardi Shares Ultimate Road Trip Playlist
Road tripping is one of summer’s grand traditions, and every sunny journey requires the proper soundtrack. Singer-songwriter Jon Pardi spends a large chunk of his time every year on the road, so he’s had a little time to work on perfecting the road trip playlist, which he shares with us…
See Gucci Mane, Young Thug Throw Pool Party to Celebrate ‘Guwop Home’
Following a two-year prison stint, Gucci Mane returns July 22nd with his post-incarceration LP Everybody Looking, his first non-mixtape in five years. Featured on the “homecoming” album is “Guwop Home,” Gucci’s collaboration with Young Thug, the most high profile rapper to emerge out of Atlanta while Gucci was behind bars. The two…
Nick Cave, Warren Ellis Score Upcoming Jeff Bridges Western
Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds and Grinderman bandmate, Warren Ellis, have scored the upcoming contemporary western, Hell or High Water, starring Jeff Bridges and Chris Pine. Directed by David Mackenzie, Hell or High Water tells the story of Toby (Pine), a divorced father who plots a series of bank heists with his…
AlunaGeorge Do Not Mince Words on ‘Mean What I Mean’
British dance-pop duo AlunaGeorge debuted their latest sultry summer single, “Mean What I Mean,” on Annie Mac’s BBC Radio 1 show Tuesday. The track finds the pair partnering with budding MCs Dreezy and Leikeli47, both of whom deliver quick, vicious verses over George Reid’s rapturous pop house production. Singer Aluna Francis, meanwhile, offers another engrossing…
‘American Idol’ Winner Trent Harmon Defends Country Cred
Trent Harmon rewrites the ending to a real-life heartbreak story with his first country single, “There’s a Girl.” The American Idol winner once did just what the song says, going to great lengths – including driving hundreds of miles – to impress a woman, only to be rejected. But when…
Watch Banks’ Defiant ‘F–k With Myself’ Video
Banks is back with a titillating performance in the new video for “Fuck With Myself,” the first offering from her new, as-yet-untitled album. The video finds the pop singer taking the theme of the song to surreal extremes, exploring both self-love and self-hate as she sings to a life-like bust of her head. She caresses, hits, smears…
Kaskade Remembers Fan Who Fell to Death at Grand Canyon
Colleen Burns, the 35-year-old Orlando, Florida tourist who fell to her death at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona on Friday July 8th, was mourned by her musical hero Kaskade. The DJ-producer posted an Instagram photo of him and Burns with a lengthy caption about what her early support meant to him. “Colleen showed up…
Flashback: See Jason Aldean’s Stunning Stage Entrance at Fenway Park
On July 12th, 2013, Jason Aldean earned himself a little piece of history by becoming the first country artist to perform at Boston’s famed Fenway Park, normally the home of the Red Sox. The singer’s Night Train tour, named for his third full-length album, also included shows at Chicago’s Wrigley…
See Scotty McCreery Cover Haggard, Cash and Alabama in Surprise Medley
During Scotty McCreery’s career-breaking run on American Idol, the country singer kept things contemporary, singing songs by 21st century artists like Josh Turner, Thompson Square and John Michael Montgomery. He’s been turning back the clock this summer, though, crooning a medley of country classics during a string of headlining shows. Above,…
10 Great Music Movies That Rock
When The Blackboard Jungle hit movie theaters in 1955, teenagers reportedly showed up in droves just to dance in the aisles to the opening credits, which were set to Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock.” Some cinemas cut out the song, terrified that these hordes of gyrating adolescents were going…
Jamie Lidell Previews New Album With Stirring Song ‘Walk Right Back’
Jamie Lidell has released a sparse, soulful new song, “Walk Right Back,” the first from his upcoming album, Building a Beginning, out October 14th via the British musician’s own Jajulin Records. “Walk Right Back” is available on Spotify and iTunes, and finds Lidell deftly guiding a song that seems moments from stumbling away…
Garth Brooks Previews Unprecedented New Video Series
“The cool thing about social media is getting to share the life you’ve given me right back with you,” Garth Brooks told hundreds of thousands of fans Monday night via a Facebook Live chat. The country superstar, who joined Facebook, Twitter and Instagram less than two years ago, is making up…
Fat Joe, Remy Ma on Their Surprise Throwback Hit
The favored contender for New York City’s 2016 summer anthem is “Panda,” the first hit by 19-year-old Brooklyn rapper Desiigner. Surprisingly, his principal competition comes from Fat Joe and Remy Ma, veterans who joined forces on “All the Way Up.” Though their song is conscious of NYC’s rap history, it’s…
New Doc Delves Into Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’
A new documentary will explore the making of Marvin Gaye’s seminal 1971 album, What’s Going On, Variety reports. Marvin, What’s Going On? goes into production this year and will include contributions from Gaye’s three children and former wife, Janis. The film marks the first time the late singer’s family has lent their support to…
Time Jumpers Honor Late Dawn Sears on New Album ‘Kid Sister’
When Dawn Sears lost her fight with lung cancer in December 2014, her death left a major void in the Nashville live music scene. The vocalist was a key member of the Time Jumpers, the Western swing and old-school country group that performs every Monday at club 3rd and Lindsley. Still,…
Eli Young Band on New Album’s Wide-Open Doors
Eli Young Band members faced a welcomed dilemma when making their upcoming album: “We were writing some of the best stuff we’ve ever written and were being sent some of the best stuff we’ve ever been sent,” lead singer Mike Eli tells Rolling Stone Country. “It really felt good because…
10 Major Moments in Rock the Vote History
In a presidential race as baffling as this, it’s hard to imagine not voting come November. But surely many people will do just that — fewer than 54 percent of Americans turned up at the polls in 2012. Voter turnout for presidential elections was even more abysmal in the late Eighties…
Watch Blink-182 Bring Rousing ‘Bored to Death’ to ‘Colbert’
Blink-182 cut through the malaise with a bombastic performance of “Bored to Death” on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Monday. The retooled pop-punk trio — with Matt Skiba on guitar and vocals — surged through the California track, moving nimbly between its fraught post-punk verse and deafening, dazzling, stadium-sized chorus. Despite the new…
VH1 Hip-Hop Honors 2016: 10 Best and Worst Moments
After a six-year hiatus, VH1’s Hip-Hop Honors returned on Monday night with a program dedicated entirely to female rappers. Since the show debuted in 2004, it has done much to pay tribute to hip-hop innovators, but males have dominated the proceedings. The eighth Honors, aptly dubbed “All Hail the Queens,”…
Cypress Hill to Reissue Debut LP as ’25th Anniversary Skull’
Cypress Hill will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their sublimely funky 1991 debut with what might be the most outrageous special edition packaging in hip-hop history. The “25th Anniversary Skull” is black resin sculpture of the group’s skull logo limited to 1,991 copies. Fans who purchase one can peel the skull’s…
See Shawn Mendes Promise to ‘Treat You Better’ on ‘Fallon’
Shawn Mendes returned to The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon to deliver a scorching, raw performance of his single “Treat You Better.” The upbeat, longing track will appear on his upcoming sophomore album Illuminate, set for release on September 23rd. With an electric guitar in hand, the 17-year-old singer-songwriter belted out the…
Hear St. Vincent Turn ‘Golden Girls’ Theme Into Eerie Dirge
Experimental guitarist Annie Clark, who performs as St. Vincent, gave an eerie tribute to Golden Girls at a performance over the weekend by transforming the sitcom’s theme song (Cynthia Fee’s “Thank You For Being A Friend”) into a solemn dirge. Clark tweeted the clip with the hashtag #thankyouforbeingafriend. Further evidence proves that Blanche, Rose, Sophia…
Bad Boy Plots Packed 20th Anniversary Box Set
The Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy and Faith Evans will anchor a new five-disc, 80-track Bad Boy Entertainment 20th anniversary box set, out August 12th. The new collection was curated by Bad Boy President Harve Pierre and features hits like Biggie’s “Juicy” and “Hypnotize,” the Lox’s “Money, Power, Respect,” Diddy’s “I Need a Girl”…
See Kip Moore’s Powerful Message on Racism
Beyond the obligatory thoughts and prayers reaction posts, few country stars have made statements about the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile at the hands of police and the deadly attack on police a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas. But in typically outspoken fashion, singer-songwriter Kip Moore has…
Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson: Our Life in 15 Songs
It’s been more than 40 years since Heart recorded Dreamboat Annie, the debut album that launched the hard-rock act to stardom on the strength of hits like “Magic Man” and “Crazy on You.” And the Seattle-area band, still led by sisters Ann (vocals) and Nancy (guitar) Wilson, is showing no signs of…
Erykah Badu Donates Detroit Concert Proceeds to Rape Kit Project
Erykah Badu is lending a hand to help a Detroit organization identify rape victims and criminals. Partnering with event management company The Right Productions, Badu is donating some of the proceeds from her August 12th concert at Detroit’s Chene Park Amphitheater to the African American 490 Challenge. The initiative takes its name from the cost of completing a…
Craig Morgan’s Son Jerry Greer Dead at 19 in Boating Accident
The body of Jerry Greer, the 19-year-old son of country singer and outdoorsman Craig Morgan, was recovered Monday evening, July 11th, following a boating accident on Sunday. The recent high-school graduate went missing July 10th while tubing with friends on Kentucky Lake near Waverly, Tennessee. According to reports, Greer collided with…
DJ Snake Announces Debut LP ‘Encore,’ Drops Bizarre ‘Talk’ Video
Three years after dropping “Turn Down for What” with Lil Jon and a year after teaming with Major Lazer for “Lean On,” DJ Snake will finally release his own debut album, dubbed Encore, on August 5th, the French producer announced Monday. DJ Snake also unveiled the Emil Nava-directed video for the…
See Snoop Dogg Stumble on ‘Family Feud’ Marijuana Question
Snoop Dogg and his family squared off against boxer Sugar Ray Leonard and his brood on Sunday’s Celebrity Family Feud, where one of the questions aligned with one of the rapper’s areas of expertise: Marijuana. Unfortunately, the answers didn’t go Team Broadus’ way. Host Steve Harvey asked, “Name something grandma might do…
Watch Monsters of Folk Reunite at M. Ward’s Hollywood Bowl Set
M. Ward gave fans a good reason to show up early and catch his set opening for Brian Wilson Sunday night at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl as the singer/songwriter staged a surprise semi-reunion for Monsters of Folk, Ward’s supergroup with My Morning Jacket’s Jim James and Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst. The group…
The Glowing Man
The 14th album from New York art-bruisers Swans is the third thumbscrew twist in a series of roughly two-hour, two-CD epics, joining 2012’sThe Seer and 2014’s To Be Kind as another journey into transcendence or tedium, depending on your tolerance for expressionist rock marathons. It’s also the final album with…
Listen to ‘Rolling Stone Music Now’ Podcast: Noel Gallagher’s Life Lessons
The latest episode of Rolling Stone Music Now, our first-ever podcast, is now available. Listen and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify or check it out below. The Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher talks to Rolling Stone’s Andy Greene about the rules he lives by, his most embarrassing rock star purchase, the…
Hear Billy Ray Cyrus, Joe Perry Team for ‘Tulsa Time’
Billy Ray Cyrus has recruited Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry for a new, bottom-heavy cover of Don Williams’ “Tulsa Time,” one of nearly a dozen collaborations on Cyrus’ upcoming album, Thin Line. “A couple of years ago, I started making an album that was a tip of the hat to my heroes:…
Blank Face LP
Schoolboy Q’s 2014 major-label debut, Oxymoron, marked him as the most street MC in L.A.’s Black Hippy rap collective. No less stressed or conflicted than that crew’s breakout star, Kendrick Lamar, he’s reporting from deeper within the fog of war on his follow-up. “I’ll trade the noise for a piece of…
Stevie Wonder: ‘Choose Love Over Hate, Right Over Wrong’
Stevie Wonder opened his concert Sunday night at London’s Hyde Park by preaching positivity after a pair of recent police-involved shootings as well as the violence targeted at officers patrolling a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas. “In this troubled time that we’re living in, I want to say to…
Hear RaeLynn Sing About Divorce on Plaintive ‘Love Triangle’
Raelynn has released her first song under her new agreement with Warner Music Nashville. Formerly rostered with Big Machine Music Group, the “God Made Girls” singer explores the topic of divorce on the new release, titled “Love Triangle.” She describes a scene that reveals more and more of the story with…
Hear My Morning Jacket’s Stirring Song About Gun Violence
My Morning Jacket condemn gun violence on their funk-oriented new song, “Magic Bullet,” posted on Soundcloud. “I don’t pretend to think that a song can fix or change the world instantly, and I don’t pretend to know the ins and outs of the political landscape and proper gun control legislation,” the…
See Trent Harmon’s Enamoring ‘There’s a Girl’ Video
Trent Harmon puts a high-speed silver lining on the cloud of a failed relationship with “There’s a Girl.” Related: ‘American Idol’: 15 Years of Best, Worst Moments The American Idol winner brings the autobiographical lyrics to his first country single to life in a new video premiering exclusively on Rolling Stone Country….
Go Behind the Scenes With DNCE’s ‘Revival’ Tour Photo Diary
On Friday, DNCE wrapped up their time on tour with Selena Gomez at Los Angeles’ Staples Center. The funk-pop band fronted by Joe Jonas has been the opening act for Jonas’ former Disney peer since May, playing songs off their debut EP Swaay, which includes their hit single “Cake by the Ocean.”…
AraabMuzik on Surviving NYC Shooting: ‘Luckily I Didn’t Die’
Abraham “AraabMuzik” Orellana is thrilled that his long-delayed second album, Dream World, has at last seen the light of day, but the acclaimed hip-hop producer has something far greater to be thankful for. “I was just fortunate to escape,” he says of surviving being shot during an attempted robbery that…
Supremes’ Mary Wilson: Police Violence Won’t ‘Change Overnight’
Former Supremes vocalist Mary Wilson told TMZ that race relations with law enforcement won’t improve overnight. “It’s one of those things where it takes time for things to evolve,” she said. “Things don’t change over night … things are bad before [they] get better.” The singer made these remarks following the police killings of Philandro…
Bobby Bones on Country Beefs, Death Threats and the State of Radio
Bobby Bones takes a seat behind his desk in the modest office he occupies in the iHeartMedia building on Nashville’s Music Row. Country radio’s most polarizing and outspoken DJ has just come off the air and, dressed in khaki jogging pants, a teal sweatshirt and his trademark Buddy Holly glasses,…
The Game Raising $50,000 Reward for Arkansas Police Officer
The Game and his oldest son are raising $50,000 for Little Rock police officer Tommy Norman, a white police officer serving the predominantly black community in the Arkansas city. The effort stems from a conversation the rapper had with his oldest son Harlem about the difference between “good cops and bad ones.” After the talk,…
De La Soul Record Playful New Song for ‘Angry Birds’ Movie
De La Soul have gone from hanging with Gorillaz to flying around with Angry Birds: The rap group has recorded an exclusive new track for Angry Birds Action!, an offshoot of the popular bird-flinging mobile game. Here a sliver of the song, titled “Action,” is at the tail end of the above…
Watch Jennifer Lopez, Lin-Manuel Miranda Perform ‘Love Make the World Go Round’
Be the first to comment on "See Bright Light Bright Light Talk Making Mixtapes for Elton John"