Somebody asked Roger Miller one time, 'Why don’t you co-write?' He said, ‘Did Picasso co-paint?'
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Whitney Houston at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, November 1987.
(Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Friday - July 06, 2018 Fri - 07/06/18
rantnrave:// It's supposed to be north of 100 degrees in Los Angeles this weekend—my phone as of this writing is suggesting it's going to hit 111 today and I didn't even know my vintage IPHONE 6 could count that high—so don't mind me if I'm fantasizing about air-conditioned movie theaters... KEVIN MACDONALD's documentary WHITNEY opens today, which makes this a good time, first of all, to remember the purity and perfection of that voice. Nothing matters more than that, and no amount of not-so-far-behind-the-music drama involving one of this country's greatest musical families can take away from it. But let's also be thankful for the chance to better understand the difficult, complicated life behind that voice, courtesy of a documentary for which the extended Houston family cooperated without having any creative control, which is as rare as it is refreshing. Many of the film's biggest revelations have already been amply discussed, but if you're looking for some background, this LA TIMES piece is a good look at what the film means to Houston's family and how they came onboard, and this essay on Houston's blackness by SORAYA NADIA MCDONALD may be the single best thing ever written about her. If the film is half as good, and helps us better navigate the paths between the glorious voice and the troubled soul for which it sang, that will be a gift... For smaller screens, NETFLIX has ordered 10 episodes of JOSH SAFRAN's romantic musical MIXTAPE, which, based on its elevator pitch, sounds awful, but it's a good title and I'll be rooting for it... YOUTUBE 1, rest of the music biz 0... SHIRLEY MANSON on cutting herself... BONO on the future of the free world... This free synth app for your IPAD may be the best free synth for your iPad you will ever use. (And no, this is not a paid ad. Just an amazing app)... It's FRIDAY and that means new music from RP BOO, YEARS & YEARS, FUTURE, MICHAEL BEHARIE & TEDDY RANKIN-PARKER, YUNGBLUD, MEEK MILL, BJØRN TORSKE, BODEGA, WEN, 77:78, DEVILDRIVER, TOM GRENNAN, IMMORTAL and the NUDE PARTY... RIP RICHARD SWIFT and HARRY M. MILLER.
- Matty Karas, curator
my love is your love
Los Angeles Times
How Instagram and YouTube help underground hip-hop artists and tastemakers find huge audiences
by Jeff Weiss
With the ever-increasing consolidation of urban radio, program directors appear increasingly wary to break below-the-radar local phenomena. Regional tastemakers have capitalized on the void, and they speak in memes.
The Undefeated
America created Whitney Houston and then it destroyed her. Her family created Nippy, then did the same
by Soraya Nadia McDonald
A new Whitney Houston documentary makes tragedy seem more inevitable than avoidable
Rolling Stone
Why You’re Hearing More Borrowed Lyrics and Melodies on Pop Radio
by Elias Leight
Anne-Marie’s “2002,” Portugal. The Man’s “Feel It Still” and more - inside the new wave of pop interpolation.
Inc.com
Why T.I. Decided to Save His Old Atlanta Neighborhood (and How He's Doing It)
by Sheila Marikar
Inside the rapper's strategy to bring new life to the community where he grew up.
The New York Times
The Big Business of Becoming Bhad Bhabie
by Jamie Lauren Keiles
How a troubled Florida teenager went from the “Dr. Phil” show to signing a major-label record deal as a rapper.
Billboard
Music Industry Bosses Decry 'Missed Opportunity' As European Union Rejects Copyright Bill
by Richard Smirke
Members of the European Parliament rejected new copyright legislation that, if passed, would have carried big implications for how YouTube operates.
Spotify for Artists
Greg Puciato: Why My Band Decided Not to Sign with a Label
by Greg Puciato
As his band The Black Queen preps its new album, the vocalist for The Dillinger Escape Plan writes about why he decided to self-release.
Afropunk
Women At Afropunk: The New (Old) Normal
by Judnick Mayard
At Brooklyn 2018, Afropunk will have more female performers than ever before. But as Judnick Mayard writes, this is not about a pat on the back, this is the way it should always be.
NME
ISIS pop is a real (and terrifying) genre -- meet the documentarians investigating it, and other very modern musical issues
by Mark Beaumont
It sounds like a kind of male, French Enya -- plush, ambient a capella tunes that could be the isolated vocal from a major Parisian boyband. But then you translate the lyrics and realise this is no "Get Lucky."
Guitar World
To Relic or Not to Relic? The Age-Old Debate Has Finally Reached the World of Acoustic Guitars
by Clifford Hall
“It’s purely an aesthetic choice--like a pre-ripped pair of jeans." We take a look at a fiery debate in the acoustic guitar world: to relic or not to relic?
i look to you
Village Voice
What Is the Most Nostalgic Song of All Time?
by Mikel Jollett
"A simple question, posed at eight o'clock on a Saturday night. I got five thousand comments back."
NPR Music
How 'The Battle Hymn Of The Republic' Became Everybody's Anthem
by Andrew Limbong
The refrain - "Glory, glory, hallelujah" - shows up at labor protests, conservative rallies, church services and football games. It turns out the song, originally a war march, is flexible by design.
BBC Radio 4
The Cult of Aphex Twin
by John Doran and Barney Rowntree
Music writer John Doran ventures into the strange world of Richard D James.
PopMatters
Here to Stay? The Neil Young Archives
by Robert Loss
Combining his punk ethos and tech savvy in this new online archive, Neil Young has to choose what archival releases add new understanding, new angles on the story, new points of emphasis in his own history -- and which do not.
NPR
Seeking Pay Equity, Female Flutist Sues Boston Symphony Orchestra
by Anastasia Tsioulcas
The orchestra's top flutist, Elizabeth Rowe, says that she is paid substantially less than her closest counterpart -- a man. Her suit may be the first filed under a new Massachusetts pay equity law.
The New York Times
Teddy Geiger Tried Teen Pop Fame. Now She's Back on Her Own Terms
by Joe Coscarelli
A producer and songwriter for Shawn Mendes and One Direction, Ms. Geiger has hit a new stride after coming out as a transgender woman.
Toronto Star
Price cap on ticket resales delayed by new Premier Doug Ford
by Marco Chown Oved and Robert Cribb
Ontario’s new anti-scalping law was recently changed to delay the highly anticipated 50-per-cent limit on ticket markups.
Los Angeles Times
Charlie Puth is headed out on tour -- and he wants to impress your dad
by Mikael Wood
Beneath Puth's bushy blond hairdo is a savant-level craftsman with perfect pitch and a thorough knowledge of the last half-century of funk and soul music.
The New Yorker
Going to Graceland
by Amanda Petrusich
The makers of the documentary “The King” turn to Elvis Presley with hopes of understanding something about the state of the country: what it’s been through, where it’s going.
Pitchfork
Why Richard Swift Was an Indie Rock Treasure
by Marc Hogan
Ten songs that speak to the strengths of the recently passed singer-songwriter and producer, the embodiment of a musician’s musician.
MUSIC OF THE DAY
YouTube
"Memories"
Material feat. Whitney Houston and Archie Shepp
“REDEF is dedicated to my mother, who nurtured and encouraged my interest in everything and slightly regrets the day she taught me to always ask ‘why?’”
@JasonHirschhorn


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