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‘SNL’ parts ways with longtime music booker after nearly 30 years
Saturday Night Live has ended its relationship with Brian Siedlecki, the programme’s longtime music booker, after nearly 30 years. His departure matters because he helped shape one of television’s most prominent live-music platforms, securing performances from major artists and overseeing politically resonant moments. Siedlecki joined SNL as an intern in 1996 and booked his first…
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How a Massive Hollywood Scandal From 1973 Helped Inspire This Neil Young Deep Cut
Neil Young’s song “Pocahontas” was partly inspired by Marlon Brando’s controversial 1973 Oscars protest over the treatment of Native Americans. The episode, in which activist Sacheen Littlefeather declined Brando’s Best Actor award on his behalf, caused a sharp reaction in Hollywood and later influenced Young’s criticism of colonialism and American culture. Young also drew on…
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The Road To RALLY: Founders Giles Napier And Jonathan Edwards On Building A Grassroots Festival With Purpose
RALLY, a one-day festival in Southwark Park, is presented as an independent event focused on DIY culture, experimental music and grassroots talent. Founders Giles Napier and Jonathan Edwards say its 2026 theme, “Make Your Reality”, encourages people to sustain local creative spaces and form in-person connections amid widespread digital saturation. The festival matters because it…
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The Cure Plays the Hits — and Robert Smith Tears Up at ‘Just Like Heaven’ — in Nostalgic, Whimsical Øyafestivalen Set: Concert Review
The Cure headlined Øyafestivalen in Oslo with a nostalgic, hit-heavy set that showed Robert Smith in notably warm, playful spirits. The performance mattered as it contrasted with the more anxious tone of the band’s 2023 shows, while also underscoring the emotional pull of songs that have defined its long career. The two-and-a-half-hour concert opened with…
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Britain’s Record Summer Meets TV’s Final Emmy Showdown
Britain was experiencing an exceptionally hot summer on 13 August, with provisional Met Office figures indicating that 2026 was increasingly likely to become the UK’s warmest summer in records dating from 1884. The mean temperature from 1 June to 10 August was 16.48°C, 1.88°C above the 1991–2020 average; only relatively modest warmth over the rest…
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Sid Wilson introduces himself as still being “from Slipknot”
Sid Wilson has referred to himself as being “from the world famous Slipknot” while co-hosting the World Scratch Invitational, adding uncertainty to recent reports that he was permanently removed from the band. Neither Wilson nor Slipknot has formally addressed the claims, so his public introduction is notable but does not confirm his official status. TMZ…
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Kaonashi Unleash Vicious New Track ‘Typing….’
Kaonashi have released a new song, ‘Typing….’, marking the start of a new phase after the conclusion of their Lemon House High narrative. The track is described as a dark, increasingly intense piece that draws on early-2000s metalcore while retaining the band’s distinctive style. The Lemon House High saga shaped Kaonashi’s releases from 2018 to…
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Kenny Mason Is Still Pushing Boundaries
Kenny Mason discusses his album ‘BULLDAWG’, presenting it as his most personal work and a statement of self-acceptance. The Atlanta artist says the project reflects a shift away from seeking external validation, instead defining the music, identity and compromises he is willing to make on his own terms. The title draws on Mason’s Georgia upbringing…
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Watch Matthew McConaughey cover Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin Texas’ on ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’
Matthew McConaughey joined Jimmy Fallon for a live bluegrass rendition of Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ on The Tonight Show. The performance drew a positive reaction from Langley, underlining the actor’s longstanding connection to Texas and his willingness to venture into music-related appearances. McConaughey, who is from Austin, performed the song during the programme on 12…
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James: Getting Away With It review – hippies, hardnuts and dreamers unite
This documentary follows the Manchester indie band James from their early, accident-prone years to their breakthrough around the early-1990s baggy scene. The review finds it charming, funny and at times stirring, despite being an unusually insider-led portrait that gives limited attention to the band’s wider cultural setting or music. The film recounts how singer Tim…