“It was really important to have everyone live in the room together, rather than a studio session, since it’s the difference between talking to a mirror versus talking to people, and I prefer people. They are the source of all my creativity.” Ibrahim Maalouf Spreads His Father’s Legacy:

Ibrahim Maalouf Spreads His Father’s Legacy

For the past 20 years, Ibrahim Maalouf has been on tour. Traveling the world with his celebratory jazz and Arabic-inspired music, the 45-year-old Lebanese-French artist has been on a mission to spread the sound of his unique instrument: a…

downbeat.com

In this clip from The Tonearm Podcast, Chris Molanphy points to "Tiny Dancer," which peaked at number 41 and was never counted down by Casey Kasem, as the case against treating a song's peak position as its stamp for all time. Don't miss this full episode: podcast.thetonearm.com/chris-molanp...

“The core of my work seems to be sadism . . . I have wondered if it was all some sort of revenge for the brutality I suffered away at primary school, but maybe I’m just cruel.” Tim Pope on his riotous videos for the Cure, Bowie, Queen, Soft Cell and more:

‘I put a raging dent in Neil Young’s forehead!’ Tim Pope on his riotous videos for the Cure, Bowie, Queen, Soft Cell and more

He dressed Freddie Mercury as a prawn, got Paul Weller to wear lipstick, locked the Cure in a flooded wardrobe and created a 75ft penis for Hall & Oates. Pope looks back on is wild adventures with titans of music

theguardian.com

“In this version of ‘A Rainbow in Curved Air’, guitarist Gyan Riley shreds with the Bang on a Can All-Stars, the six-member amplified ensemble who freely cross the boundaries between classical, jazz, rock, world, and experimental musics.” Gyan Riley and Bang On A Can All-Stars Play Terry Riley:

#5016, NSL: Gyan Riley and Bang On A Can All-Stars Play Terry Riley | WNYC

The Bang on a Can All-Stars and guitarist Gyan Riley mark minimalist composer Terry Riley's 90th birthday from a May 2025 concert at Pioneer Works, part of the New Sounds Live concerts. 

wnyc.org

Settled in the Berlin district of Lichtenrade after more than a decade of constant movement, hackedepicciotto discuss the making of 'Lichtung' — the German lyrics, the piano de Picciotto avoided, and Hacke's return to teenage experiments. hackedepicciotto Find Their Clearing in Lichtenrade:

hackedepicciotto Find Their Clearing in Lichtenrade

Settled in the Berlin district of Lichtenrade after more than a decade of constant movement, hackedepicciotto discuss the making of 'Lichtung' — the German lyrics, the piano de Picciotto avoided, Hacke's return to teenage experiments, and "Draussen," a storm song with a home at its center.

thetonearm.com

“Sunken Cages takes on a darker narrative where a cage, which was holding something captive, is now immersed underwater due to rising waters.” 5 Questions to Ravish Momin (drummer, producer):

5 Questions to Ravish Momin (drummer, producer)

Michelle Hromin chats with Ravish Momin, who talks about his New Music USA award and newest album, "Neram Pularumbol" (Mahorka, Aug. 7)

icareifyoulisten.com

The Whimbrels' debut album features a triple-guitar assault that turns volume into art. Arad Evans + Norman Westberg discuss their band's obsession with alternate tunings, cheap guitars, and making audiences feel the floor move. Banging + Jangling with The Whimbrels:

Banging and Jangling with the Whimbrels | The Tonearm

The Whimbrels' debut album features a triple-guitar assault that turns volume into art. Arad Evans and Norman Westberg discuss their new band's obsession with alternate tunings, cheap guitars, and making audiences feel the floor bounce.

thetonearm.com

“'You call it chaos,' he once admonished me, when I asked about his rapidly advancing state of dissolution. 'I don’t regard it as chaos. I regard it as natural living.' For too long, though, it was anything but." The genius of Shane MacGowan:

‘Chaos? This is natural living!’ The genius of Shane MacGowan | Sean O’Hagan

Our writer pays tribute to the fiercely authentic Pogues frontman he first met selling records in the 1970s

theguardian.com

On 'Heaven 2,' Lala Lala traces the slow, unsentimental work of releasing control and learning to trust what gets left behind. The Tonearm's Arina Korenyu looks to the sky. More Will Be Revealed — Lala Lala's Long Way to Stillness:

More Will Be Revealed — Lala Lala's 'Heaven 2'

On 'Heaven 2,' Lala Lala traces the slow, unsentimental work of releasing control and learning to trust what gets left behind.

thetonearm.com

"Every now and then, out of the bedazzled masses of bro-country peddlers and American Idol castoffs, a savior emerges, someone sent to wash away our Hot Country sins, purify our palettes, and singlehandedly remold the genre into what was originally intended." Does Country Music Really Need Saving?:

Does Country Music Really Need Saving? | Holler

The same notion arises every decade or so; the idea that country music needs to be saved.

holler.country

Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera discusses his memoir 'Revolución to Roxy,' his lifelong immersion in Latin music + culture, the family secrets unearthed along the way, and a career built in close collaboration with everyone from Brian Eno to Enrique Bunbury. Latin Roots in the Art Rock Canopy:

Phil Manzanera — Latin Roots in the Art Rock Canopy

The Roxy Music guitarist discusses his memoir 'Revolución to Roxy,' his lifelong immersion in Latin music and culture, the family secrets unearthed along the way, and a career built in close collaboration with everyone from Brian Eno to Enrique Bunbury.

thetonearm.com

“Archival videos of the performance serve as a reminder of just how ready, willing, and able Irish crowds were for batshit local sounds once they were given the place to hear them. It’s an idea that’s worth holding onto, and running with, three decades later.” Revisiting The Fourth Dimension:

Revisiting The Fourth Dimension

Some unearthed words on '90s Kerry's answer to The Prodigy

anoisosard.substack.com

“Famed record producer and Jazz at the Philharmonic impresario Norman Granz had no qualms about pairing Swing Era giants like Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins and Gene Krupa with beboppers like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.” Odd Couples — Musical Pairings We Might or Might Not Have Needed:

Odd Couples: Musical Pairings We Might or Might Not Have Needed - JazzTimes

F amed record producer and Jazz at the Philharmonic impresario Norman Granz had no qualms about pairing Swing Era giants like Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins … Read More "Odd Couples: Musical Pairings We Might or Might Not Have Needed"

jazztimes.com

“Tomorrow we embark on a great adventure. We travel into communist China with George and Andrew — ‘Apostles of the New Materialism.’” Careless whispers — what really happened between George Michael and Lindsay Anderson:

Careless whispers: what really happened between George Michael and Lindsay Anderson? The Wham! movie producer reveals all

How did the pioneering director get involved – then fall out – with the 80s’ poppiest band? How are Sam Peckinpah and Michael Jackson’s Thriller involved? Prepare for a tale of ambition, deception and shuttlecock-stuffed shorts

theguardian.com

“The relationship was dysfunctional to the extent one executive at Columbia told Springsteen his music was ‘unreleasable’ while Springsteen’s manager responded by sending executives a lump of coal for Christmas.” Before Born To Run, Bruce Springsteen was on the brink of failure:

Before Born To Run, Bruce Springsteen was on the brink of failure - UNCUT

Springsteen staked everything on Born To Run. Battling self-doubt, politics and his own perfectionism to the album that changed rock history

uncut.co.uk

"I love playing with these people; they do things that I could never possibly imagine, that I could never write." Don't miss Bill Kopp's conversation with M. Geddes Gengras on The Tonearm:

The Company of Others — M. Geddes Gengras and 'Guest List'

On his fourth album for Hausu Mountain, and his first on vinyl, the restless synthesist talks improvisation, the burden of the solo record, and the surprises that arrived in the mail.

thetonearm.com

“We discovered the Grateful Dead on our own … We had a friend that dragged us to a show when we were like 18, and it changed my life. Jerry saved my life. In this community you can just be free, be yourself.” For Deadheads across the country, the music never stops: www.npr.org/sections/the...

Roland Orzabal from Tears for Fears has written an “astrological memoir” — I reviewed it for @lareviewofbooks.bsky.social lareviewofbooks.org/article/rola...

Sowing the Seeds of Apology | Los Angeles Review of Books

Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears makes amends in his new ‘astrological memoir.’

lareviewofbooks.org

“The beat his family had carried as a joke was waiting for him inside the canon. He had not learned it. He had inherited it, and Blakey showed him what he already owned.” ‘I Thought I Composed That’ — Terence Blanchard and the Inheritance of Jazz:

‘I Thought I Composed That’: Terence Blanchard and the Inheritance of Jazz – Terence Blanchard | Interview | All About Jazz

Read ‘I Thought I Composed That’: Terence Blanchard and the Inheritance of Jazz by Kofi Adjepong-Boateng on All About Jazz. Discover in-depth jazz Interview coverage, artist features, and expert writing since 1995.

allaboutjazz.com

"They were aesthetes of the culture they loved, which was B-movie culture, rockabilly, psychedelic records … We could say ‘kitschy,’ but I think the Cramps would bristle at the word ‘kitsch’ because it was just stuff they loved." Two Punk Legends Help Revive a Cult Band’s Archive (gift link):

Two Punk Legends Help Revive a Cult Band’s Archive (Gift Article)

The Cramps introduced the world to “psychobilly” and turned Henry Rollins and Ian MacKaye into fans. Now the duo is part of an effort to bring the music back.

nytimes.com

In this excerpt from the new episode of The Tonearm Podcast, Chris Molanphy talks about how he chooses who to feature on his Hit Parade podcast and why he did an episode grouping Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, and Graham Parker. Listen to the full conversation: podcast.thetonearm.com/chris-molanp...

“Today, fully 13 years after the debut cassette, Topdown Dialectic’s self-contained universe sounds as strange and indecipherable as it did then. The secret of the artist’s identity may be out, but his music resists decoding.” Topdown Dialectic Is Real:

FR 183: Topdown Dialectic Is Real

A candid interview with the artist behind one of dub techno’s most cryptic entities.

futurismrestated.substack.com

“Fans paying the highest price to pre-order what is ostensibly the most desirable, collectible or elaborate edition of an album are instead receiving incomplete or unpolished versions of the music.” A pressing issue — why vinyl albums are becoming so different from their digital versions:

A pressing issue: why are vinyl albums becoming so different from their digital versions?

They’re expensive, elaborate – and may not contain all the music. After Olivia Rodrigo, Charli xcx and more sent out incomplete or unfinished vinyl versions, fans are feeling shortchanged

theguardian.com

The Berlin-based French producer discusses 'Bow and Arrow,' a record assembled from improvised cello and randomized sample slices, and the working life behind it, where every day at the computer is a straw pulled blind. Half Chance, Half Sculpture—arc rae on 'Bow and Arrow':

Half Chance, Half Sculpture—arc rae on 'Bow and Arrow'

The Berlin-based French producer discusses 'Bow and Arrow,' a record assembled from improvised cello and randomized sample slices, and the working life behind it, in which every day at the computer is a straw pulled blind and most of them come up short.

thetonearm.com

“Then disco dawned, dappling dancefloors with underground energy as Black, Brown, and queer people built a utopia apart from a world that gave them no room to dance.” Stayin’ Alive — the history of the disco ball:

Stayin’ Alive: the history of the disco ball

More than a century old and ubiquitous as ever, the mirrorball dates as far back as the 1890s. Embraced by jazz clubs in the 1920s before becoming the iconic symbol of ’70s disco, it continues to light up dancefloors like few other objects can, shining on in myriad ways and finding itself at home in the most unlikely of places. Here, Marke Bischke takes us on a twirl through the ever-evolving – and revolving – story of the disco ball

djmag.com

“Rather than dismissing jedag-jedug as a derivative clone of Western electronic music, it is far more productive to recognize it as an authentic form of vernacular musical modernity.” How ‘jedag-jedug’ subculture is shaping our electronic music scene:

How ‘jedag‑jedug’ subculture is shaping our electronic music scene - Academia - The Jakarta Post

What if Indonesia’s electronic music scene wasn’t born in clubs, but actually forged out of arranger keyboards, DIY sound systems, and the raw social energy of village life?

thejakartapost.com

The "Bruce Lee of Drumming" has spent decades perfecting his revolutionary "Ergo-drumming" philosophy, yet remains criminally underappreciated despite transforming metal, jazz, and hardcore through his work with Candiria and Fuel. Ken Schalk Smacks the Drums Like Nobody Else:

Ken Schalk Smacks the Drums Like Nobody Else

The "Bruce Lee of Drumming" has spent decades perfecting his revolutionary "Ergo-drumming" philosophy, yet remains criminally underappreciated despite transforming metal, jazz, and hardcore through his work with Candiria and Fuel.

thetonearm.com

"In 1979, my father Roy Ayers went on an extraordinary three-week tour with the Afrobeat pioneer amid extreme violence in Nigeria. Three band members recount the unforgettable trip." ‘Bass on one shoulder, bow and arrows on the other’ — life with Fela Kuti on history’s most dangerous tour:

‘Bass on one shoulder, bow and arrows on the other’: life with Fela Kuti on history’s most dangerous tour

In 1979, my father Roy Ayers went on an extraordinary three-week tour with the Afrobeat pioneer amid extreme violence in Nigeria. Three band members recount the unforgettable trip

theguardian.com

The Toronto saxophonist joins guitarist Dan Pitt and drummer Lowell Whitty on 'Words Underlined,' a live session cut in a beloved Toronto bookstore that became, almost accidentally, one of the year's most assured jazz records. #jazzsky Shelf-Worthy — Patrick Smith and His Technicians of Tone:

Patrick Smith and His Shelf-Worthy Technicians of Tone

The Toronto saxophonist joins guitarist Dan Pitt and drummer Lowell Whitty on 'Words Underlined,' a live session cut in a beloved Toronto bookstore that became, almost accidentally, one of the year's most assured jazz records.

thetonearm.com

"In this Jazz Night in America video, we shine a light on the artistry and activism of the pianist and singer, and the efforts to recover her legacy." 'Hello there, I'm Hazel Scott' — Jazz's unsung artist-activist: www.npr.org/2024/04/09/1...