Tragedy struck the legendary roots reggae act Mighty Diamonds this week as two founding members — lead singer Donald “Tabby” Shaw and longtime band mate Fitzroy “Bunny” Simpson — both died within days of each other. On Tuesday, March 29, Shaw was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in …
Read More »Jon Hassell, Avant-Garde Composer and Trumpet Player, Dead at 84
Jon Hassell, the avant-garde composer and trumpet player who collaborated with artists like Talking Heads, Brian Eno and Ry Cooder in addition to his explorations into “Fourth World” music, died Saturday at the age of 84. “After a little more than a year of fighting through health complications, Jon died …
Read More »Reggae Icon Bunny Wailer — Founding Member of the Wailers — Dead at 73
Bunny Wailer, a founding member of the Wailers and a reggae music giant whose career spanned seven decades, has died at the age of 73. Wailer’s manager, Maxine Stowe, confirmed that Wailer died on Tuesday at the Medical Associates Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica (via the Jamaica Observer). No cause of …
Read More »Rolling Stone's Top Longreads of 2020
Each year we publish tens of thousands of stories, covering music news and trends, political analysis, how culture is constantly shifting, and critical takes on our entertainment landscape. So we realize some may get lost in the shuffle — especially in a year when it seemed we were consuming more …
Read More »Todd Nance, Widespread Panic Founding Drummer, Dead at 57
Todd Nance, founding drummer and 30-year member of the Southern rock jam band Widespread Panic, has died at the age of 57. The group and Nance’s family confirmed the drummer’s death Wednesday, adding that Nance died in Athens, Georgia, following “sudden and unexpectedly severe complications of a chronic illness.” “With …
Read More »Marianne Faithfull Released From Hospital After Three-Week Coronavirus Stay
Marianne Faithfull was discharged from a London hospital Wednesday, more than three weeks after the singer tested positive for the coronavirus. “We are really happy to say that Marianne has been discharged from hospital today, 22 days after being admitted suffering from the symptoms of Covid-19. She will continue to …
Read More »Direct Message: How Oasis, Blur, and More Are Bringing 'Twitter Listening Parties' to Fans
Tim Burgess is on Twitter a lot, even when there’s not a global pandemic that’s keeping him and everyone else indoors. The lead vocalist of British alt band the Charlatans spends an inordinate amount of time on the social platform, tweeting dozens of times a day on just about everything …
Read More »Universal Music Group Details Plan to Help Artists During Coronavirus Outbreak
Universal Music Group outlined its plan to help artists, songwriters, and other members of the wider music community who have been hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. As the virus has spread in the United States, the music industry has been uniquely affected. First and foremost, the need to eliminate …
Read More »Gang of Four Honor Andy Gill's Legacy With Reworked 'The Dying Rays' From New EP
Just prior to Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill’s death on February 1st, the post-punk pioneer okayed the final mixes – from his hospital bed – on a trio of rerecorded Gang of Four tracks that the band’s latest incarnation had been working on in recent months. Three weeks later, …
Read More »