George Strait sings of one man’s dedication to police work in his contemplative “The Weight of the Badge.” The song appears on Strait’s forthcoming album Honky Tonk Time Machine. Penned by Strait with his son Bubba and longtime collaborator Dean Dillon, “The Weight of the Badge” grounds its message about …
Read More »Alicia Keys Details 'More Myself' Autobiography
Alicia Keys has announced she will be releasing a book that is “part autobiography, part narrative documentary” per its description, through Oprah Winfrey‘s publishing imprint. More Myself will hit shelves this fall. In a video featuring Keys and Winfrey announcing the tome, the singer said she didn’t want to describe …
Read More »Review: Stella Donnelly's Real-Talking Indie-Pop Gem 'Beware of the Dogs'
Stella Donnelly spools out the kind of cuddle-core guitar pop that traditionally goes best with cardigan sweaters and shy glances in the dustiest recesses of the local used bookstore. But the Australian singer-guitarist is hardly the retiring type. “Your personality traits don’t count/If you put your dick in someone’s face/And …
Read More »See Inna's Goofy 'Tu Manera' Video
Pop is now officially a global mishmash: K-pop groups collaborate with Latin artists; American rappers add verses to Brazilian baile funk hits; the electronic producer Marshmello made an entire video honoring Shah Rukh Khan, the Indian film star known as the “King of Bollywood.” In that context, it’s not as …
Read More »Song You Need to Know: Hand Habits, 'pacify'
The third track on Hand Habits’ great new album, placeholder, comes on like a folk song, with Meg Duffy finger-picking soft solo acoustic patterns. The effect is peaceful, calming, with a hint of something else underneath the surface. Then, about 40 seconds into “pacify,” Duffy begins singing, and the song …
Read More »Review: Ariana Grande's Starbucks Drink Is a Wild and Fluffy, But Ultimately Confusing Ride
Ariana Grande is the face of Starbuck’s “Cloud Macchiato.” It’s synergy made in marketing heaven: Grande loves cloud emojis, is one of the biggest pop stars on the planet and has millions of young fans who presumably love sugar and caffeine in equal measure. Starbucks is a multi-billion dollar company …
Read More »Hollywood Vampires Plot Spring Tour
Hollywood Vampires, the rock supergroup founded by Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp and Joe Perry, will embark on a short North American tour this spring. The seven-date trek kicks off May 10th at the Joint in Las Vegas, Nevada and includes stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Albuquerque, New Mexico …
Read More »We Got Her, Babe: Cher Stands Alone
At this point, Cher is more than just a pop star; she’s the one-woman embodiment of the whole gaudy story of pop music. She’s a myth so huge that the new Broadway musical The Cher Show takes three different Chers to encompass her — Babe Cher, Lady Cher and Star …
Read More »Bob Dylan, U2 and Elton John Prep Record Store Day Releases
Bob Dylan, the Flaming Lips and Elton John are among the dozens of artists prepping special releases for Record Store Day 2019. The annual event honoring independent, local record stores will be held on April 13th, 2019 around the globe. Bob Dylan is set to release a test pressing of …
Read More »Real Life Rock Top Ten: Elvis, 'Green Book' and More
“RealLife Rock Top Ten” is a monthly column by cultural critic and RS contributing editorGreil Marcus. 1. Nobody’s Baby, “Life of a Thousand Girls” (Bandcamp). “All the ingredients to an American classic, the Teenage Death Song,” says this San Francisco foursome of itself. “Noboby’s Baby formed around the idea of …
Read More »