Photo Credit: Dan Martensen Ed Sheeran’s debut album + (Plus) – which boasted four Top 10 hits in the singer-songwriter’s home country of the UK – made him an easy target for critics; who saw him as a banal, guy-next-door writing forgettable by-the-numbers love songs. For the most part, however, Sheeran’s debut album has aged surprisingly well;… Read more
In the rock era alone, there have been many, many cover versions recorded and released. From live-only interpretations to deep album cuts, to #1 hits (even the Beatles, who we’ll get back to in a minute, started as a cover band). In some cases, artists’ cover songs are well-known just because the original already proved… Read more
Photo Credit: Gregg Kemp Earlier this year, Elton John and Lil Nas X came together to collaborate on the song “One of Me” (they also came together to record an ad for Uber Eats; a disappointing exercise in corporatism by two stars who’ve become known for subversion, but that’s beside the point). The collaboration –… Read more
Photo Credit: MTV VMAs This year’s MTV Video Music Awards (which aired live on September 12th) tell us pretty much all we need to know about how the state of rock ‘n’ roll is 2021. Actually, we can even go all the way back to 1997: The award category that had once been “Best Heavy… Read more
Photo Credit: Adrian Nieto Following up a massively successful debut album is no easy feat, and Claire Cottrill, professionally known as Clairo, has stepped up to the plate with her sophomore album, Sling. Produced by Jack Antonoff, Sling takes a more low-key approach than the bedroom pop of Immunity. Maintaining that intimate feel, Clairo brings listeners into a world… Read more
Photo Credit: Mark Seliger What day is today? Let’s consider just how the world is feeling about John Mayer, because that answer may change by tomorrow (and back just as quickly). In terms of just commercial success, Mayer sold fourteen million albums between 2001 and 2009, a period in which physical album sales were rapidly… Read more
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Ringer illustration It doesn’t even take a million streams on Spotify or three sold out nights at Madison Square Garden to be labeled a “sellout”. Virtually any commercial success in music will inevitably invite claims that an artist has “sold out” and ironically enough, this label is most likely not to come… Read more
Photo Credit: Wex & Alex Maroon 5 has become well-known for their singles, but virtually forgotten when it comes to their deep tracks. Songs like “Moves Like Jagger” and “Payphone” dominated the airwaves due to their generic pop sound and easy-to-sing-along lyrics. None of their songs would be out of place in 2012 or 2021…. Read more
Our 10 Most Anticipated Albums of 2021 #10. Migos – ‘Culture 3’ (TBA) Photo Credit: Prince Williams/WireImage Just a couple of years ago Migos sat atop the hip-hop throne, but over the last year, my favorite current rap group has not released a great deal of music for various reasons. The trio has been teasing… Read more
Photo Credit: Drew Le Fore Escriva HAIM is an American pop rock all-female group. The band is made up of three sisters: Este Haim (vocals and bass guitar), Danielle Haim (vocals, guitar, and drums), and Alana Haim (guitar, keyboards, and vocals). The women grew up in San Fernando Valley, California. At an early age, the… Read more