Oct 30, 2023 By Mark Redfern Web Exclusive

Being a child in a space generally meant for, and currently filled with, adults can be both an exciting and unnerving experience. My father was a music photographer who especially loved jazz (while also capturing many rock legends with his lens) and I would often be the only kid at Ronnie Scott’s, the famous London jazz club, or the lone under-ager in the photo pit at a music festival, sometimes helping my dad load his film in an era before digital cameras. More

Oct 23, 2023 By Austin Saalman

Perhaps it was David Bowie’s refusal to cooperate with director Todd Haynes which set the latter’s third feature film on its ultimate course toward greatness. Despite the efforts of believers Michael Stipe (himself among the film’s producers) and Kim Gordon to persuade Bowie otherwise, the rock icon ultimately declined to participate in the film’s production, denying Haynes the rights to such classic tracks as “Lady Stardust,” “All the Young Dudes,” and “Lady Grinning Soul,” and prompting him to explore more elaborate creative avenues. More

Sep 18, 2023 By Kaveh Jalinous Web Exclusive

This year, NYFF boasts a spectacular lineup, and working through the festival’s slate–which is divided into four sections (Main Slate, Currents, Spotlight and Revivals) can be overwhelming. To assist with the task, here are the 10 films we’re most excited to see. More

Sep 17, 2023 By Candace McDuffie Web Exclusive

Under the Radar’s Candace McDuffie took a historical music tour of Macon, Georgia - said to be the birthplace of rock and roll - and discovered a treasure trove of musical memorabilia. More

Sep 10, 2023 By Mark Redfern

Visions is akin to a mini SXSW or Great Escape, in which five different venues in the Hackney area of East London host an array of bands over the course of one day. A wristband allows you the freedom to wander in and out of the venues, which are all within easy walking distance of each other. The big draw on this year’s lineup was a headlining set from Spiritualized, but before that there were hours of other artists to see. More

Sep 06, 2023 By Austin Saalman

My dad likes to say that he earned his PhD (Parrot Head Degree) as an eighth grader in Tell City, Indiana, after purchasing a copy of Jimmy Buffett’s then-recently released eighth album Son of a Son of a Sailor at a local bait shop/record store. More

Aug 22, 2023 By Mark Redfern

Karen Gillan has come a long way since her two-and-a-half seasons playing Amy Pond, companion to Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor, in Doctor Who. Of all the actors to appear on the show over the last 60 years, the Scottish redhead has had the most successful Hollywood career since leaving Doctor Who. More

Jun 22, 2023 By Mark Lager

During seven weeks at Sawmills Studio on the River Fowey in Golant, Cornwall, four young men in the band Verve (singer Richard Ashcroft and guitarist Nick McCabe were only 21 years old) recorded their debut album with producer John Leckie, who had previously worked as an audio engineer for Pink Floyd in the 1970s. These seven weeks of recording resulted in 10 tracks that are deeply numinous and often oceanic. More

Jun 20, 2023 By Austin Saalman

In the hazy aftermath of 1995’s Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness—The Smashing Pumpkins’ bestselling, era-defining magnum opus once dubbed “The Wall for Gen X”—public expectations for the group either to replicate or surpass its now-fabled maximalist masterpiece were high. For the Pumpkins, such expectations would prove challenging to meet, as Mellon Collie had been a tremendous commercial and critical success for the influential Chicago-based alt rock idols. More