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Noah Kahan Gets a Fake Call From Congress Ordering Fans to Wear Diapers at Concerts
Noah Kahan jokingly told fans at his Washington, DC concert that Congress had ordered them to wear nappies after reports of people urinating and defecating on venue floors to avoid losing their places. The staged phone call highlighted an apparent concert-etiquette problem and the burden such behaviour places on venue staff. Kahan had already urged…
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Stephen Street: The man behind the sound of The Smiths, Blur and The Cranberries
Stephen Street is profiled as a defining British producer whose work helped shape the sound of The Smiths, Blur and The Cranberries. The article argues that his importance lies in translating distinctive bands’ identities into focused records, particularly through his long-running collaboration with Blur during Britpop’s rise. Street began as a studio engineer and worked…
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Charli xcx, Tyla, Morgan Wallen & More: New Music Friday Guide
Billboard’s New Music Friday guide highlights notable releases across pop, Afropop and country, led by Charli xcx’s new album Music, Fashion, Film. The selections reflect artists building on recent momentum, experimenting with genre, or releasing material ahead of major live appearances. – Charli xcx’s Music, Fashion, Film moves beyond dance-pop towards grungier guitar sounds, following…
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The Rolling Stones’ ‘Foreign Tongues’ Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales Chart
The Rolling Stones’ new studio album, Foreign Tongues, has debuted at number one on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, giving the band its first leader on the 35-year-old pure-sales ranking. The result also reinforces the group’s unusually long chart legacy, as the album enters the Billboard 200 at number seven and delivers their record-extending 39th…
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Listen to Orville Peck’s New Song “Too Little, Too Late”
Orville Peck has released “Too Little, Too Late”, a new preview from his forthcoming second album, *Mule*. The song follows the album’s earlier announced track “Prologue (Eulogy of a Man Turned Mule)”, which features Emmylou Harris, Noah Cyrus and Allison Russell, and signals Peck’s return after *Show Pony* and *Bronco*. *Mule* is due out on…
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“Puzzling, mould-breaking, occasionally very noisy and often terrifying.” Nine King Crimson albums to listen to and one to avoid
This buyer’s guide assesses nine King Crimson albums worth hearing and identifies one release to avoid, presenting the band as a restless and often challenging force in progressive rock. – The group formed in 1968 and repeatedly changed personnel and musical direction. – Guitarist Robert Fripp remained its only constant member across five decades. -…
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U2 and Martin Garrix release collaborative single Fireflies
U2 and Dutch DJ Martin Garrix have released “Fireflies”, a collaborative single that blends the band’s anthemic rock style with contemporary dance-pop production. It marks the first direct collaboration between Garrix and all four members of U2, and arrives as the band prepares to release a new album later in 2026. Garrix premiered the song…
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‘It’s more than backcombing a beehive!’ How tribute acts got massive – and put the live music scene back in the black
Tribute acts are thriving across the UK, filling festivals and music venues by offering audiences familiar songs at far lower prices than concerts by original artists. The trend is helping financially strained live-music venues and creating lucrative careers for performers, while also raising questions about the personal demands of impersonation and whether original musicians are…
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Charli XCX releases 11-track album Music, Fashion, Film
Charli XCX has released Music, Fashion, Film, her first album since the success of Brat. The 11-track record represents another intentional stylistic change for the singer, who has said she does not find it creatively rewarding to repeat herself. Running for just over 30 minutes, the album includes “Rock Music”, “SS26”, “Wink Wink” and “Camera”,…