Music

Stars from country, Americana and beyond gathered at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena Tuesday night for Love Rising, a benefit concert for LGBTQ organizations in Tennessee. The event, a response to hateful rhetoric and a series of anti-LGBTQ laws passed in Tennessee and across the country over the last few months, was a nearly four-hour affair that showcased a stunning abundance of perspectives and musical styles.Holding the night together were Allison Russell and the Rainbow Coalition band, a diverse group made up of Elenna Canlas on keyboard, Ryan Madora on bass, Chauntee and Monique Ross...

I n case there’s any doubt, Ed Sheeran is well aware of the fact that he’s … Ed Sheeran. “I’m not an idiot,” he says, early in our acquaintance. “When you say in your office, ‘I’m gonna go and interview Ed Sheeran,’ you must get sneers. I’ve always been that guy.”  The state of being that guy, at the least the public version of him, is a paradoxical one. Sheeran is, on the one hand, unquestionably among the 21st century’s very biggest global pop superstars. That’s why he’s 11,000 miles...

Now a ‘90s country icon, Suzy Bogguss was only a wildly talented newcomer in 1989, when her major-label debut album, Somewhere Between, was released. With Bogguss’ powerful vocals, a title track penned by Merle Haggard and tons of vintage country influence, the 10-track record was destined to be country classic.From Bogguss’ take on Haggard’s “Somewhere Between” to the saucy “Take It Like a Man,” Somewhere Between is a must-listen. Keep reading for a song-by-song look at this stunning debut album:10"My Sweet Love Ain't Around"Influenced both vocally and instrumentally by icons of the genre, Bogguss shows off her...

Bobbi Kelly Ercoline, the blanketed woman who was featured with her then-boyfriend and later husband on the cover of Woodstock’s 1970 soundtrack album, died Saturday. Nick Ercoline, her husband of 54 years, confirmed her death on Facebook. “She lived her life well, and left this world in a much better place. If you knew her, you loved her. She lived by her saying, ‘Be kind,'” he wrote. Ercoline added, “She didn’t deserve this past years nightmare, but she isn’t suffering from the physical pain anymore and that brings some comfort...

Thirty years ago, on March 19, 1993, the folk guitarist, banjo player, and singer Karen Dalton died in Woodstock, New York at the age of fifty-five. She left behind two studio albums, dozens of poems and unfinished songs, and two children, but very few recorded performances or interviews. Details about Karen Dalton’s life are difficult to come by, and like many enigmatic musicians, mythology has risen up around her in their place. So long after her life and death, we still struggle to fully understand her. But what’s unquestionable is Dalton’s...

Nearly two years after the Weeknd was sued for copyright infringement over his 2018 track “Call Out My Name,” the singer has reached a settlement before the lawsuit could go to trial. Suniel Fox and Henry Strange, members of the electro duo Epikker, filed their lawsuit in Sept. 2021, allegedly that “Call Out My Name” — off the Weeknd’s 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy — plagiarized the vocal hook and lead guitar from their unreleased song “Vibeking.” “’Vibeking’ and ‘Call Out My Name’ contain quantitatively and qualitatively similar material in...

Country songs about winter and summer are everywhere; country songs about the arrival (or merits) of spring are more difficult to find, however. Sure, there's an abundance of tunes suitable for Spring Break — paging Luke Bryan! — but the season itself isn't as common an inspiration.The shortage is a puzzling thing: There's something poetic and profound about cold temperatures and dreary snow melting away in favor of blooming flowers and warmer weather. And even if you live in a place that doesn't get snow, the idea of new beginnings...

Serve it to You “I saw Meg playing the drums and thought she was the coolest person in the world. I still do,” drummer says Nandi Bushell is adding her name to a growing list of musicians who have come to the defense of Meg White and her talent after the White Stripes’ drummer was criticized earlier in the week by a journalist in a since-deleted tweet. On Sunday, Bushell shared a video in a Twitter thread of her covering “Seven Nation Army.” In the clip, she’s seen recently filmed...

With 25 studio albums released, 26 career Billboard Hot Country No. 1 singles, and over 150 major music industry awards to date, not many artists can beat the illustrious career of country superstar, Alan Jackson.Launching into the scene in 1989 with “Blue Blooded Woman” off his debut album Here in the Real World, it wasn’t until the release of his song “I’d Love You All Over Again” that his chart-topping career began. Since then, the Newnan, Ga. native’s music has transcended generations. With enduring classics like “Chattahoochee,” “Livin’ On Love,”...

Clarence “Fuzzy” Haskins, singer and original member of Parliament-Funkadelic and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, has died at the age of 81. P-Funk mastermind George Clinton announced Haskins’ death Saturday on social media. No cause of death was provided. “We are saddened to announce the passing of an original Parliament Funkadelic member Clarence Eugene “Fuzzy” Haskins (born June 8, 1941-March 17th, 2023),” Clinton wrote. Haskins’ former band mate Bootsy Collins tweeted, “Prayer’s going out to Clarence ‘Fuzzys’ Haskins family & friends. We lost his frequency today 3-17-...

Not quite everything Garth Brooks touches turns to gold. Twenty-three years ago today, on March 19, 2000, the singer wrapped up spring training with the New York Mets, without securing a spot on the team.In high school, Brooks played both football and baseball; he also ran track and field, and received a track scholarship to Oklahoma State University. After moving to Nashville and growing and growing his country music career to superstar level, Brooks signed with the San Diego Padres for spring training, in both 1998 and 1999. However, when the Padres didn't...

As major K-pop stars such as BTS and Blackpink continue to conquer the charts, a South Korean underground scene has been taking shape — and acts such as Balming Tiger are here to everything this scene truly encompasses. The eight-piece collective highlights K-pop’s multidimensional complexity extending outside pop and R&B with layers of punk and hip-hop. On March 15, Balming Tiger spearheaded Tiger Den at SXSW, the first full-day music event in the festival’s history to feature Asian artists exclusively. Two days later, thegroup took to Dr. Marten’s stage, where their...

Fifty-two years ago today, on March 18, 1971, Lynn Anderson's Rose Garden album landed at the top of the charts -- and stayed there for a staggering 14 weeks.Rose Garden's success was propelled in part by its title track, which was a No. 1 hit. However, the song, written by Joe South, was intended for a man.“It was popular because it touched on emotions,” Anderson told the Associated Press. “It was perfectly timed. It was out just as we came out of the Vietnam years, and a lot of people were trying to recover.Lynn...