Music Blogs

The Austin, Texas, musicfest South by Southwest—or “SXSW,” as it is often affectionately/lazily nicknamed—started off in 1987 as a springboard for unsigned acts, an industry convention where music’s next big thing could be discovered while busking on Sixth Street. (For years, this possibility was sort of the rock ‘n’ roll equivalent of Lana Turner getting scouted at Schwab’s.) But my, how things have changed: Last year’s headliners included mega-names like Bruce Springsteen, Jay-Z, 50 Cent with Eminem, and Jack White, and this year’s SXSW will also draw many huge acts who are more accustomed to playing stadiums than Stubb’s.

If you’re heading to SXSW—the music portion of which begins Tuesday, March 12—in hopes of seeing some Texas-sized headliners, here’s who you should check out...

Read More »from The 10 Biggest Shows Of SXSW 2013

Patrick Stump (Photo: Astrid Stawiarz)Do you hate Nickelback? Okay. Ever stopped to wonder—why exactly do you hate them? What did they ever do to you, anyway?

That’s the question Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump posted on his personal blog Tuesday, with an extended lament on how society seems to be so darn critical in general these days.

"We derive our own identities from the act of hating,” Stump pointed out, adding, “We’re so busy broadcasting our latest cultural disdain that we scantly notice anything we enjoy.”

He noted that “everyone’s a critic” and it’s actually starting to affect art today as a whole. “’Oh man, this Rebecca Black kid is terrible! Let’s laugh at her!’ has become more culturally relevant than ‘I really love this new Bilal record.”

“Criticizing art and the artists that make it is a lazier pass time than creating or appreciating it,” Stump wrote.

Read More »from Fall Out Boy Frontman Poses Question to Haters: What’s So Bad About Nickelback?

Perhaps not since the "Simpsons" characters joined musical forces for "Sending Our Love Down The Well," or the cast of "30 Rock" belted out "Kidney Now!" with Clay Aiken and the Beastie Boys, or Pulp hired a bunch of celebrity impersonators to spoof "Do You They Know It's Christmas" has there been a faux charity-single singalong as utterly awesome as "Can I Get An Amen."

And this one is actually not faux at all, since sales of the bizarre song, available now on iTunes, will benefit a very worthy organization: the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center.

Read More »from Great Musical Moments In Reality TV: RuPaul’s “Can I Get An Amen”

Michael Jackson (Photo: Junko Kimura)It’s been nearly five years since Michael Jackson died, but his family is still seeking answers as to the cause of his demise. A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the King of Pop’s children and mother is set to go to trial next month--and newly unearthed emails supposedly contain a "smoking gun."

Among the legal documents unsealed this week was an email allegedly suggesting Jackson’s tour promoter, AEG Live, was pressuring Jackson’s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, to get the singer ready for his This Is It comeback concerts in London.

CNN reports that the communications between AEG and Murray indicate the promoters were concerned about Jackson missing rehearsals, and were urging Murray to keep him in shape for daily practice--regardless of his health.

Read More »from Is There a ‘Smoking Gun’ in Michael Jackson’s Wrongful Death Suit?

The Fray guitarist and songwriter Joe King is going solo (for a while, at least).

King’s first single “Need a Woman By Friday” hits iTunes today, and he talked with yahoo! music about his solo debut and what this means for the beloved band.

“I wrote the song last year on my birthday,” King told his, calling from the set of his music video shoot in New Orleans. “I had a birthday party coming up and I just had this sinking feeling of needing and wanting a woman at the party there waiting for me. The lyric popped into my head right before I left for the party.”

Read More »from The Fray Guitarist Joe King Drops New Single, Talks Future of the Band

Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen performs at the o2 Arena in east London, Monday, March 4, 2013. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP)There’s no maybe about it: Carly Rae Jepsen is willing to take a stand for something she believes in.

The 27-year-old “Kiss” singer has backed out of being one of the headliners for the Boy Scouts of America’s National Scouting Jamboree in West Virginia in July. The reason? She can’t support a group with an anti-gay agenda.

The national organization has a ban on gay members.

“As an artist who believes in equality for all people, I will not be participating in the Boy Scouts of America Jamboree this summer,” she said via Twitter. “I always have and will continue to support the LGBT community on a global level … and stay informed on the ever changing landscape in the ongoing battle for gay rights in this country and across the globe.”

The other headliner for the event, Train, announced Monday that they were not yet dropping off the bill for the annual event, but that they would if the ban isn’t overturned at a meeting to vote on the matter in May.

Read More »from Carly Rae Jepsen Won’t Play Boy Scouts Concert – But for Good Reasons