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“I tried to write the heaviest thing I could think of”: From Enter Sandman to Nothing Else Matters, the stories behind every song on Metallica’s Black Album
The article marks 35 years since Metallica’s 1991 self-titled Black Album, presenting a track-by-track account of how its 12 songs helped turn the band from leading thrash metal artists into global stadium headliners. – The Black Album reached number one in nine countries and has been certified 16 times Platinum in the United States. -…
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Eurovision Song Contest changes rules for countries at war
Eurovision organisers have changed the contest rules so that a country involved in armed conflict, or facing a sensitive geopolitical situation affecting regional security, cannot host the following year’s event if it wins. The move formalises a process previously used when Ukraine won in 2022, and is widely seen as addressing concerns about Israel potentially…
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Alan Jackson Is Now One of the 10 Best-Selling Country Artists in US History—and He’s Got the Hardware to Show for It
Alan Jackson has entered the top 10 best-selling country artists in US history after surpassing 85.5 million certified units sold, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The milestone was recognised at the finale of his Last Call: One More For the Road tour in Nashville, marking a major commercial achievement as he…
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Born 99 Years Ago Today, “The Thin Man From West Plains” Who Became a Nashville Country Legend and Helped Launch Dolly Parton to Stardom
Porter Wagoner, the influential American country singer and television host known as the “Thin Man From West Plains”, was born on 12 August 1927. The article recalls his rise from local radio and regional touring to national prominence, and stresses his importance in helping introduce Dolly Parton to a mass audience, shaping one of country…
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Fatboi Sharif & ELUCID Release New EP Invasion Body Camera
Experimental rappers Fatboi Sharif and ELUCID have released a collaborative EP, Invasion Body Camera, via Fused Arrow. The release is presented on streaming services as one continuous 12-minute track despite comprising six songs, an unconventional format that reinforces its deliberately challenging, non-playlist-oriented approach. Fatboi Sharif provides nearly all of the vocals, with one guest appearance…
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Kathleen Hanna and Ad-Rock release ICE benefit cover
Kathleen Hanna and Ad-Rock have released a cover of Justin Bieber and DJ Snake’s “Let Me Love You” as the first single from Contra-ICE Vol. 1: ICE OUT, a benefit compilation due on 2 October. The project is intended to support frontline organisations, amplify immigrant voices and oppose what its organisers describe as inhumane treatment…
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Steve Lacy Lines Up North American Tour
Steve Lacy has announced the Oh Yeah? Tour, a 27-city North American run beginning in Minneapolis on 27 September and ending in Vancouver on 30 November. The tour supports his new album Oh Yeah?, marking his first full tour in four years and his first album since 2022’s Gemini Rights. The itinerary includes major dates…
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The “brilliant” singer Jimmy Page called absolutely perfect: “He does it in one take”
Not one note out of place. The post The “brilliant” singer Jimmy Page called absolutely perfect: “He does it in one take” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.
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3 Acoustic Folk Songs From the 1950s With Melodies That Still Echo Decades Later
American Songwriter highlights three acoustic folk recordings from the 1950s whose melodies and influence it argues have endured for decades. – Odetta’s 1956 version of the traditional song “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” is praised for combining religious feeling, gospel depth and American folk tradition. – Harry Belafonte’s “Jamaica Farewell”, from his…
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Jon Hassell’s First Posthumous Album to Arrive This Fall
Jon Hassell’s label, Ndeya, will release his first posthumous album of new music, Music Is Invisible (Pentimento Volume Three), on 2 October. The release completes a trilogy begun with 2018’s Listening to Pictures and 2020’s Seeing Through Sound, offering a final document of the influential composer’s late-career work. The four-track album comes from Hassell’s last…