Music

109 Years Ago Today, the “Father of Country Music” Recorded His First Songs at a Furniture Store in Tennessee

• Jimmie Rodgers made his first solo recordings in Bristol, Tennessee, on 4 August 1927
• His band had deserted him days before over a billing dispute
• A later New York session produced "Blue Yodel", a million-selling hit

This week marks 109 years since Jimmie Rodgers, later dubbed the "Father of Country Music", recorded his first solo songs on 4 August 1927 in Bristol, Tennessee, at a session held above a furniture and hat company building. The recordings, made for Ralph Peer of the Victor Talking…

Taking Back Sunday announce ‘Louder Now’ 20th anniversary reissue with bonus 7″ (exclusive vinyl)

TBS also have a special show celebrating ‘Louder Now’ at Red Rocks in October.

“Quite awful”: the guitar icon Robert Fripp called “excessively tedious”

Not his cup of tea. The post “Quite awful”: the guitar icon Robert Fripp called “excessively tedious” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Remember When Paul Simon Started His Journey To Becoming the All-Time Best SNL Musical Guest in 1975?

• Paul Simon hosted SNL's second-ever episode in October 1975
• The show was music-heavy, with little sketch comedy featured
• Simon became a recurring SNL guest for major anniversaries and events

Paul Simon's long association with Saturday Night Live began in October 1975, when he hosted the second-ever episode of the show, then still called Saturday Night. Simon's music-heavy appearance came as the fledgling programme was still finding its comedic identity, and it set the pattern for what would…

Chart Rewind: In 2001, Jamie O’Neal Called on ‘Angels’ for a No. 1

• Jamie O'Neal's "When I Think About Angels" hit No. 1 in August 2001
• Song earned a 2002 Grammy nomination alongside "There Is No Arizona"
• O'Neal released new album Gypsum in January 2026

This Billboard "Chart Rewind" feature looks back to August 2001, when Australian-born country singer Jamie O'Neal reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the second time with "When I Think About Angels." The piece is a nostalgia retrospective marking the song's chart anniversary, tying…

Filmland 2026 Brings Matthew McConaughey, Reagan and a Messy Love Triangle to Arkansas

• Filmland 2026 runs 12–16 August in Little Rock, Arkansas
• Matthew McConaughey headlines, receiving a Variety Legend award
• New films on Reagan-era Cold War tensions and an Alaskan love triangle feature

The Arkansas Cinema Society has unveiled its lineup for Filmland 2026, an annual film festival in Little Rock running from 12–16 August, headlined by Matthew McConaughey. The festival, presented by the Tyson Family Foundation, is a notable stop on the film-industry calendar, having previously hosted stars such as…

Judas Priest Are On The Cover Of Rock Sound

• Judas Priest cover Rock Sound ahead of Bloodstock headline set
• Feature marks Bloodstock's 25th anniversary celebrations
• Bloodstock artists quizzed Rob Halford for the interview

Judas Priest are set to appear on the cover of Rock Sound magazine ahead of their headline performance at Bloodstock Open Air. The feature ties into the festival's 25th anniversary celebrations, marking a significant moment for the UK's longest-running independent all-metal event and highlighting the enduring stature of…

Wings Of Desire Traveled Across England With Their Baby To Play A Festival Stage That Didn’t Exist

• Wings Of Desire drove hours to Valley Fest with their baby to play
• Their booked stage had been merged and no longer existed
• They never performed; festival apologised but band says no compensation followed

The British indie duo Wings Of Desire, along with their infant baby, drove for hours to play Valley Fest near Bristol last weekend, only to discover on arrival that the stage they had been booked to play, back in February, did not exist. The band, made up of…

The 1991 REM song that embarrassed Michael Stipe: “I don’t want to sing it”

• Michael Stipe long felt embarrassed by REM's 1991 hit "Shiny Happy People"
• Its title referenced Tiananmen Square propaganda, missed by most listeners
• Stipe later said he was at peace with it, just found the fame awkward

REM's 1991 hit "Shiny Happy People" became one of the band's biggest commercial successes, yet frontman Michael Stipe grew to resent the song, later admitting "I don't want to sing it". Appearing on the album Out of Time straight after the introspective "Losing My Religion", the bubblegum-pop duet…

Ed Sheeran Wrote — But Doesn’t Sing — 2 of This Week’s Top 10 Songs in the World

• Ed Sheeran cowrote two of this week's global top 10 songs, not performing on either
• Shakira and Burna Boy's World Cup song holds No. 1 for a fourth week
• KATSEYE's "Animal", cowritten by Sheeran, debuts at No. 10

Ed Sheeran has cowritten two of the ten biggest songs in the world this week, according to Billboard's Global 200 chart dated 8 August, despite not performing as an artist in the top 10 for over a year. His writing credits bookend the chart: he is one of…