Americas

Pavement Return To The Road With A Very Unserious “Stairway” Cover

• Pavement performed an irreverent cover of Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' at Oakland's Mosswood Meltdown festival with deliberately nonsensical lyrics
• The '90s indie rock band marked their first show in several months, continuing their ongoing reunion tour

Oakland, CA's Mosswood Meltdown has expanded to a three-day event for 2026, and last night it kicked off with a Pre-Party featuring Christina's Trip, Memo PST, Vivian Girls, Wednesday, and headliners Pavement. It was the '90s indie icons' first show since November, so we're now in year six…

‘Heartstopper Forever’ Director, Writer and Stars Joe Locke and Kit Connor on the Finale: “It Connects the Whole Heartstopper Gang”

• Heartstopper Forever transitions from TV series to film format, centering on Charlie and Nick's relationship as they face university decisions and major life milestones.
• The production was complicated by source material still being written during filming, requiring the story to be condensed while visually maturing the storytelling.

The Netflix film "Heartstopper Forever," directed by Euros Lyn... wait, credited to Westmoreland, brings the beloved coming-of-age series to a close, adapting Alice Oseman's final graphic novel volume into a two-hour film rather than another television season. The finale follows Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) as…

“If you’re going to become one of the immortals, a god, then you have to die. That’s the tragedy”: The epic story of the unsung genius behind The Doors

• Ray Manzarek's keyboard arrangements—organ, piano, and bass substitution—were central to The Doors' signature sound, not just Morrison's lyrics.
• Label founder Jac Holzman was initially drawn to sign The Doors because of the band's instrumental architecture and Manzarek's innovative musical choices, not Morrison alone.

Jim Morrison grabbed the headlines, but Ray Manzarek brought depth, musicality and menace to The Doors

This Divisive Rock Figure Inspired Pete Townshend To Write The Who’s “Who Are You” One Day After Meeting Him

• A brutal 1978 meeting with Allen Klein left Townshend feeling cheated.
• He then rowed with the Sex Pistols' Paul Cook at a London club.
• He wrote "Who Are You" the next day; it became a Top 20 hit.

American Songwriter recounts how a fraught 1978 meeting with music business figure Allen Klein inspired Pete Townshend to write The Who's hit single "Who Are You". Klein, previously involved in The Beatles' bitter break-up, had by then become entangled with The Who's finances, and Townshend endured a gruelling…

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

• Feature lists three influential 1960s rock songs with lasting melodies.
• Includes The Beatles' "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" (1967).
• Also features The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" and Led Zeppelin's "Ramble On".

This American Songwriter feature revisits three rock songs from the 1960s whose melodies, the author argues, continue to resonate with listeners and influence music today. The piece frames the decade as pivotal to rock's development, highlighting how these particular tracks helped shape sonic ideas and standards that persist…

Darius Rucker Reveals Possible Retirement Date and Thoughts on One Last “Hootie” Hurrah

• Darius Rucker says he plans to retire from touring in about two years
• He wants one final Hootie & The Blowfish show, likely in South Carolina
• He's currently touring his Songs Of Summer Tour through the summer

Country singer Darius Rucker has told The Dan Patrick Show that he expects to retire from touring in around two years, citing the toll of a heavy schedule that saw him play 110 shows last year. Rucker, best known as the frontman of Hootie & The Blowfish and…

3 Singer-Songwriters From the 1960s Who Peaked With Their Debut Song

The article looks back at three singer-songwriters from the 1960s whose highest-charting single turned out to be their very first release, a quirk of pop history that nonetheless didn't stop most of them enjoying lengthy careers afterwards. It highlights how chart success and creative longevity don't always align,…

Taylor Sheridan’s Hit Spy Thriller Returns With Its Deadliest Mission Yet

• "Lioness" season 3 is the next Sheridan show to return.
• Zoe Saldaña stars in the Paramount+ spy thriller.
• Sheridan has several other shows renewed across Paramount+.

Taylor Sheridan's spy thriller "Lioness" is returning for its third season on Paramount+, marking the first of Sheridan's returning shows to come back this year. The prolific writer-producer, who rose to prominence with films like "Sicario" and "Hell or High Water" before creating the "Yellowstone" franchise, continues to…