Tag Archives: music-features

Page McConnell has been Phish’s keyboard wizard for the past 37 years. Today, however, his job is a little different. “I was teaching common denominators to my nine-year-old daughter,” he says. “I’ve been the math instructor, and music appreciation.” McConnell is checking in from his Burlington, Vermont, home, where he’s …

Four years ago, when Sophie Allison set out on the journey that’s made her one of indie rock’s brightest stars, she did it simply: just a quiet voice in a small room, singing melodies you couldn’t ignore. She’s come a long way since then, as you can hear on her …

In their own not-at-all-quiet way, Archers of Loaf were one of the best bands of the Nineties. They made a tuneful ruckus: craggy riffs, croaked vocals, and hooks you didn’t know were there till the 10th listen, all in service of songs as heartfelt and sticky as those of acts …

Almost 57 years later, James Herndon can still remember the first time he appeared on TV. On June 9th, 1963, the singer-pianist made his television debut on Chicago’s Jubilee Showcase as a member of influential gospel group the Caravans. Many artists of that era can say the same thing: The …

Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X were the twin superheroes of Grammy Night 2020, with her green hair and his pink cowboy hat as signs of electric youth. Billie swept the top prizes. It was so poetic to see her accept the Best New Artist award from Alicia Keys — …

Right from the start, Norman Greenbaum had a good feeling about “Spirit in the Sky.” “At first the record company said, ‘Gee, they don’t play anything like this on Top 20,’” the singer-songwriter tells Rolling Stone of his immortal boogie-rock anthem. “But obviously they were wrong. We always knew it …

The antiques-packed barn on Sheryl Crow‘s 50-acre Nashville property is home to both horse stables and the gorgeously appointed upstairs studio where she recorded her last three albums, including 2019’s Threads. She recently sat down in that barn (where Kacey Musgraves also recorded Golden Hour) for a revealing, in-depth conversation …

It’s been a comfortable year for the major record companies – but alarm bells may be starting to ring in the distance. Rolling Stone first reported in October that streaming revenue growth is slowing down this year at the world’s biggest music rights company, Universal Music Group. Now, further number …

With today’s unveiling of the 2020 Grammy nominations, high-profile snubs like Taylor Swift and BTS have attracted the most attention. But there’s plenty more to look for among the field of nominees. Here are 12 noteworthy takeaways. 1. Two artists racked up nominations in the four major categories — a …

In early 1966, Neil Young was riding in a 1953 Pontiac hearse with Buffalo Springfield bandmate Bruce Palmer when he crossed the U.S. border illegally for the first time. “I made up my mind that someday I was going to sneak in,” he wrote in his 2012 memoir Waging Heavy …