Vivian Girls Announce New Reunion Album and Tour Dates, Share New Song “Sick”

Jul 17, 2019 Christopher Roberts

Vivian Girls broke-up in 2014, but now they have reunited and announced their first new album in eight years, Memory, and shared its first single "Sick." They have also announced some fall tour dates and some reissues.

The End: Pixx

Jul 12, 2019 Web Exclusive

To end out the week, we ask Pixx (aka British musician Hannah Rodgers) some questions about endings and death.

Keeping Score – Carter Burwell on Branching Out with “Missing Link”

Jul 11, 2019 Web Exclusive

The great composer for human drama finds his way back to the world of animation.

Stella Donnelly on “Beware of the Dogs”

May 10, 2019 Web Exclusive

Gathering her voice between intermittent coughing fits and sniffles, Stella Donnelly apologizes for being sick for the interview, wishing that she were more readily able to express herself. 

25 of the Best Elton John Songs You’ve (Probably) Never Heard

Jun 10, 2019

Rocketman is here. And it's spectacular. As such, I've got Elton on the mind.

I didn't go to the church of Jesus Christ when I was a kid. I went to the church of Elton John. Still do. We had portraits of Elton and his lyricist Bernie Taupin framed, matted, and hanging in the hallway as if they were fuckin' family members. LOL. Mom took me to my first concert in 1994. I was 11. It was Elton and Ray Cooper at the Greek Theater in LA. In 7th grade, I had a picture of Elton on the front of my school folder and one of Taupin on the back. Caught a lot of shit for it too. It was middle school, it was the mid-'90s, I was a weirdo.

So I'm a mega-fan for sure.

When people ask me where to start with Elton's catalog, here's what I tell 'em: All the studio albums from the 1970 self-titled Elton John through 1976's Blue Moves are essential. That's 10 albums people. 10 ALBUMS IN 6 YEARS. All of them essential. And no, we're not gonna get into anything after Blue Moves. Don't have time. Too controversial. But do check out 1981's The Fox and 1983's Too Low for Zero if you have the appetite.

Those 10 studio albums aren't just essential because of their brain-scramblingly good singles, but also because the non-single album tracks are Just. Un. Real. To celebrate all that incredible music and the release of Rocketman, I've compiled 25 of the very best Elton John songs I reckon you've never heard.

What'd we miss? BRING IT.

 By Kenny S McGuane

Manic Street Preachers and Gwenno at De Montfort Hall, Leicester, UK

Jun 26, 2019 By Haydon Spenceley

I can remember distinctly an interview that James Dean Bradfield, the lead singer of Manic Street Preachers, gave what seems like many years ago now in which he opined quite strongly that he "couldn't imagine still doing this [fronting the Manic Street Preachers] when I'm 40."

PLAYlist 43: Bubble Tea

Jul 12, 2019 By Austin Trunick

Arrange colorful critter-characters into fancy tea drinks in the fast-paced dice game, Bubble Tea.