Music

Jake Blount captured the bluegrass world's attention with his 2020 album Spider Tales, a deeply somber album of instrumentals and unearthly songs that cements the work of Black artists in the old-time canon. Today, The Boot is excited to share the exclusive premiere of Blount's latest recording.Blount is as inquisitive as he is a fierce advocate for Black artists in Americana, so it is no surprise that his new single "The Man Was Burning" is as radical a change in sound as the lyrics' message.Fans of Blount's foreboding string band sound will...

R. Kelly and his new lawyer Jennifer Bonjean filed motions late Thursday, which ask he be acquitted, or at the very least, for him to be given a new trial after the singer’s conviction in New York federal court of racketeering, sexual exploitation of a child and kidnapping in September. The notice of motion for a new trial, filed in the United States District Court of Eastern District of New York and obtained by Rolling Stone, claims Kelly was denied his Sixth Amendment rights. (The Sixth Amendment guarantees the rights...

The first trailer for Elvis — the long-awaited biopic based on the life of rock 'n' roll icon — has arrived. Directed by Baz Luhrmann, the film features burgeoning actor Austin Butler taking on the challenging lead role as Elvis Presley.Tom Hanks plays Col. Tom Parker, the mysterious man who first discovered Presley's talent and later became his manager.According to a press release, Elvis "delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America."Breakout...

Holly G was trying to find a way to reconcile her love of country music with one disconcerting fact: She rarely saw anyone who looked like her at a country concert. It was always a sea of white faces and the unshakeable feeling that she wasn’t welcome. “I actually bought tickets to see country music concerts a few times. And I would look on social media and see the other people that were going; it just makes you feel unsafe,” Holly says. “The type of person that mainstream country music...

Adele's sudden postponement of her Las Vegas residency led to additional Keith Urban dates at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.The country singer has had a rotating residency at the venue for several years and already had planned shows for Memorial Day weekend 2022. Adele's residency was set to begin in January, but one day before opening night, she announced it would be postponed — leaving fans confused and angry.Shortly after, Urban's phone rang."We got a very panicked call one night, asking if we could fill in a bunch of shows and...

Health have tapped metal heavy-hitters Lamb of God for “Cold Blood,” the latest single from the Los Angeles noise rock outfit’s upcoming LP, Disco4 :: Part II, out April 8. The thunderous track, accompanied by an atmospheric animated video by Łukasz Rusinek, follows Health’s recent collaborations with industrial titans Nine Inch Nails and resident pop weirdo Poppy — both of which are also slated to appear on Disco4 :: Part II. Also featured on the album are joint tracks with artists including Zambian-Canadian rapper Backxwash and teenage post-punker Ekkstacy. Disco4 ::...

Joe Nichols and Blake Shelton have been friends long enough that they can look back on some of their rowdier behavior and laugh. Well, Joe can, at least.Shelton joins Nichols for a song called "I Got Friends That Do" on the latter's new Good Day for Living album. It's an easy, pure country collaboration that finds the men appreciating the kind of friends you can count on for help and a good time. This is to say, it fits their relationship — a relationship that goes back nearly 25 years —...

Exclusive releases from Taylor Swift, Foo Fighters, U2, Kacey Musgraves, and the Rolling Stones headline this year’s Record Store Day, invading independent shops nationwide on April 23. Swift — who serves as this year’s Record Store Day Global Ambassador — has a pair of releases planned: In addition to her previously announced contribution to the limited edition Portraits of Her compilation, Swift will also press a seven-inch single of her song “The Lakes” backed by the original version of the Folklore bonus track. Foo Fighters have planned a seven-inch single...

Congratulations are in order for country newcomer Adam Doleac and his fiancée, MacKinnon Morrissey.After almost five years of dating, the "Whiskey's Fine" singer, 33, popped the question to Morrissey, 29, on Feb. 9 at the renowned Franklin Theatre in Franklin, Tenn. How it happened was very much a fairytale made possible by Doleac and their loved ones."I was definitely feeling a little nervous waiting on her to get to the theater, but the best kind of nervous," the singer tells People. "I had been planning this night for months. I was just...

Spoon showcased their unique brand of high-octane indie rock on Jimmy Kimmel Live with a performance of “The Hardest Cut,” the lead single from the band’s newest album, Lucifer on the Sofa. The record, which Rolling Stone‘s Jon Dolan proclaimed “the best thing ever done,” marks a return to the long-standing Texas band’s roots — a wild, guitar-driven affair filled with “killer choruses” and “crafty rock-history updates.” It’s the group’s first release since 2017’s Hot Thoughts. In an interview with Rolling Stone in Sept. 2020, Spoon frontman Britt Daniel detailed the struggles of recording an...

The Stagecoach Festival and Coachella Music & Arts Festival have both dropped their COVID-19 restrictions for 2022.Stagecoach revealed the news in a post to Twitter on Tuesday (Feb. 15), writing, "Festival Admission Update: As we prepare to spend an incredible weekend in the desert together we are announcing that there will be no vaccination, testing or masking requirements at Stagecoach 2022, in accordance with local guidelines."Both Stagecoach and Coachella have updated their official websites to reflect the changes in protocol. Though the festivals will currently not require masks, a negative...

Lizzo and Beck have been tapped to be keynote speakers at this year’s South by Southwest, taking place March 11 through 20 in Austin, Texas. (P-MRC — the joint venture between Rolling Stone’s publisher, PMC, and MRC — owns a 50 percent stake in SXSW.) The two musicians were added to the keynote lineup alongside bestselling author Neal Stephenson, whose books include Snow Crash and Termination Shock. Filmmaker Celine Tricart, who’s won several film festival awards for her immersive virtual reality work, will also deliver a keynote. Lizzo’s keynote will...

Jimmie Allen will be a mentor on the upcoming new season of American Idol. He shared the news on Tuesday (Feb. 15) from Disney's Aulani Resort & Spa in Hawaii, where he filmed a video with Minnie Mouse waving from the background."Cannot wait for you guys to see the talent they have in store for you," Allen says in the clip.On Twitter, Idol also also shared the news, explaining that Allen will split the mentor gig with pop superstar and Florida Georgia Line "Meant to Be" collaborator Bebe Rexha.The role has previously been filled...