Music

The 1964 song that made Rick Rubin fall in love with music: “Proof of the existence of God”

• The Beatles’ ‘Rock and Roll Music’ sparked Rubin’s early love of music.
• He first heard the 1964 recording at about four years old.
• Rubin regards The Beatles as uniquely transcendent.

Rick Rubin said hearing The Beatles’ 1964 cover of Chuck Berry’s ‘Rock and Roll Music’ as a small child made him fall in love with music. The producer described the experience as electrifying and said it helped inspire the lifelong musical sensibility behind his work across hip-hop, rock…

It’s been 29½ years since ‘Another 9½ Weeks’ was released

The article text provided consists only of website navigation elements (menu links for Music, Film, Travel, Art, News, Shop, Mailing List) and a “Cover Story” tag for the band Yard Act, with no actual article content included. Based solely on the headline, the piece appears to mark the…

Bazooka Fest 2026 adds Destroyer and Stephin Merritt to bill

• Bazooka Fest 2026's full lineup is now confirmed and finalised.
• Stephin Merritt and Destroyer's Dan Bejar co-headline Sunday's solo sets.
• Runs 22-23 August in Brooklyn, with Cloud Nothings/Times New Viking on Saturday.

Brooklyn's Bazooka Fest has confirmed the finalised lineup for its 2026 edition, adding co-headliners Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields and Destroyer's Dan Bejar, both performing solo sets, to a bill already topped by Cloud Nothings and the reunited Times New Viking. The festival is the work of…

Vince Gill Proved He’s “One of the Best Guitar Pickers in the World” With This George Jones Tribute Performance

• Vince Gill's 1993 hit honoured George Jones's wild reputation
• "One More Last Chance" topped US and Canadian country charts
• Song was based on a real 1966 Jones tractor escape story

American Songwriter revisits Vince Gill's 1993 country hit "One More Last Chance," a song he co-wrote with Gary Nicholson that was inspired by the legendary George Jones rather than by Gill's own life. The piece highlights how the track, praised by fans for showcasing Gill's guitar skill, became…

Gracie Abrams Reacts to ‘Daughter From Hell’ Becoming Her First Billboard 200 No. 1 Album: ‘This Is Nuts’

• Gracie Abrams' "Daughter From Hell" hits No. 1 on Billboard 200, her first.
• Album sold 124,000 equivalent units in its opening week.
• Abrams starts an arena tour in December across North America and Europe.

Gracie Abrams has scored her first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with her third studio album, Daughter From Hell, a milestone she greeted with astonished thanks on Instagram. The achievement marks a significant step up for the singer-songwriter, who had previously peaked at No. 52 with…

Carly Simon’s ‘You’re So Vain’ rewrote the rules for women in pop in 1972

• ‘You’re So Vain’ made Carly Simon a defining pop voice.
• The 1972 hit challenged gender expectations in songwriting.
• Its disputed subject remains part of its lasting appeal.

Carly Simon’s 1972 hit ‘You’re So Vain’ is presented as a landmark song that challenged expectations of women in popular music. Its sharp, self-assured portrayal of an egotistical former lover gave Simon unusual authority as both narrator and songwriter, while its enduring mystery over the man’s identity helped…

Venice Chief Alberto Barbera Under Fire for Lack of Female Directors in Competition: ‘It Is a One-Dimensional Selection’

• Only one woman-directed film features in Venice's 20-title competition this year.
• Italian film bodies say quality judgments, not talent, are to blame.
• Sharp drop from last year's 29% female-directed competition films.

Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera has come under criticism from several Italian film organisations, including Women in Film Television and Media Italia, after this year's competition line-up featured only one female-directed film out of 20 titles. In an open letter published in La Repubblica, the groups…

3 Acoustic Songs From the 1960s With Melodies That Still Echo Decades Later

• Article lists three enduring acoustic songs from the 1960s
• Features Simon & Garfunkel, The Byrds and The Beatles
• "Yesterday" is one of the most-covered songs in history

American Songwriter has published a short feature highlighting three acoustic songs from the 1960s whose melodies remain influential and widely loved decades on. The list celebrates the songwriting craft and harmony work of the era, framing these tracks as enduring examples of how acoustic-driven music can stand the…

Songer Embraces His Truth On New Album ‘WHAT IF I SAY NO?’

• Songer releases new album 'WHAT IF I SAY NO?' in full.
• Follows 2024 breakthrough 'The Price Of Therapy'.
• UK tour this autumn ends at O2 Academy Brixton.

Reading rapper Songer has released his new album 'WHAT IF I SAY NO?' in full, following on from his 2024 breakthrough project 'The Price Of Therapy', which helped move him from underground acclaim to wider recognition. The release matters as a showcase of his all-round musicianship, since he…

Snapchat now lets users share and save Spotify songs via Snap Map, used by 450m people a month

• Snapchat's Now Playing lets users share Spotify listening via Snap Map.
• Feature reaches Snap Map's 450 million monthly users, Spotify first.
• Part of wider trend of social music-sharing features across Spotify, TikTok.

Snap has launched a feature called Now Playing on Snap Map, allowing Snapchat users to share the music they're listening to with friends in real time, with Spotify as the first supported streaming service. The move deepens the integration between social platforms and music streaming, following similar sharing…