Metallica dropped a social distanced rendition of their song “Blackened” Friday, with each member of the band performing from their respective homes. “Here’s a little something we cooked up over the last few days,” the band said of the video. “Hope you’re all safe & sound. Have a great weekend.” …
Read More »Trump Praises Coronavirus Response as American Death Toll Eclipses That of Vietnam War
As the number of Americans who have died from complications arising from COVID-19 continues to climb, President Trump has relished spinning the nation’s struggle to contain the virus as a “war” against an “invisible enemy.” The same language has long been used to describe America’s ill-fated involvement in the Vietnam …
Read More »Meet Mindy Segal, the Chicago Chef Infusing Haute Gummies With Weed
On a recent pre-pandemic night in February, Mindy’s HotChocolate in Chicago was buzzing for a unique “Flavor Trip” tasting event. Industry folks and influencers mingled between exquisite stations, each offering a distinct, fruit-forward pairing. At the setup near the entrance, a rich black-cherry cobbler with fresh cream mirrored the burst …
Read More »Iggy Pop Pays Tribute to Punk Style Icon Jimmy Webb: 'Proust in Streetwear'
Iggy Pop paid tribute to Jimmy Webb — the punk style icon and New York City boutique owner beloved by rock royalty — in a statement to Rolling Stone following Webb’s death Tuesday at the age of 62. “Jimmy was a ragged ray of sunshine in a world that’s getting …
Read More »Watch Dolly Parton Sing Kenny Rogers' 'Sweet Music Man'
Country Music Hall of Fame legend Kenny Rogers was celebrated Wednesday night with the first broadcast of CMT Giants: Kenny Rogers, a benefit for the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. The special, which aired on CMT, featured intimate at-home performances of songs for which the pop-country singer was well-known, and included …
Read More »Social Distancing With Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson: Face Masks, Farming and Friendship
As the world fights a pandemic, we reached out to some of our favorite artists with three questions about these unprecedented times. Here’s what Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, who is currently in the midst of rescheduling tour dates, had to say. What are you doing with your unexpected time …
Read More »The Coronavirus is Not Good Television
Donald Trump is a president made for a time when Americans can no longer embrace one another. It is a strange coincidence that the most divisive and conspicuously bigoted president in decades will be known most for a lethal pandemic that separates us by fiat, preventing physical community in order …
Read More »John Prine Hospitalized With COVID-19 Symptoms: 'His Situation Is Critical'
John Prine has been hospitalized since Thursday after suffering from symptoms synonymous with the novel coronavirus. While Prine’s exact medical condition is unclear, “his situation is critical,” his family said in a statement Sunday. “After a sudden onset of COVID-19 symptoms, John was hospitalized on Thursday. He was intubated Saturday …
Read More »Big Cats, Cults and Murder: Inside the Making of Netflix's 'Tiger King'
At the beginning of the new Netflix documentary Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, a strip club proprietor tells the camera, “The big cat people are backstabbing pieces of shit.” The statement sounds both like nonsense and hyperbole. By the end of the seven-part series, it turns out to have …
Read More »40 Years of 'Mad Love': In Praise of Linda Ronstadt's Forgotten New Wave Album
Happy birthday to Linda Ronstadt’s New Wave album Mad Love, released 40 years ago, in March 1980. It’s the weirdest oddity in her catalog, with three Elvis Costello covers. Mad Love is forgotten by time, written out of her official history. Not even Linda has a kind word for this …
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