Whether it’s coming out of Nashville, New York, L.A., or points in between, there’s no shortage of fresh tunes, especially from artists who have yet to become household names.Rolling Stone Countryselects some of the best new music releases from country and Americana artists. Sammy Kay, “Better/Worse” Jersey-born, Bakersfield-based Sammy Kay …

Beck, Jeff Tweedy and Phoebe Bridgers were among the artists to participate in a Daniel Johnston tribute that aired Friday, September 11th on the website of Electric Lady Studios and Johnston’s new YouTube page. Friday marked the one-year anniversary of Johnston’s death. The tribute is titled, “Honey I Sure Miss …

Nigerian singer Mr. Eazi has linked up with Major Lazer, Nicki Minaj and U.K. singer K4MO for a new song, “Oh My Gawd.” The track boasts a booming groove of clanging percussion and thick bass swells, all of it topped with pulsing synths that give the song a grimy edge. …

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced new diversity and inclusion standards for Oscars Best Picture eligibility. For films to be considered for Best Picture, they must meet criteria that includes two of four standards: Standard A “Onscreen Representation, Themes and Narratives,” Standard B “Creative Leadership and …

Ronald “Khalis” Bell, the singer, songwriter and saxophonist whose group Kool & the Gang became one of the most celebrated and musically eclectic funk bands in the 1970s and beyond, died Wednesday at his U.S. Virgin Islands home at the age of 68, a rep confirmed toRolling Stone. A cause …

Actress and comedian Yvette Nicole Brown appeared onRolling Stone‘s The First Time to talk about her new role in the Audible fiction podcastVroom Vroom, opposite renowned voice actor John DiMaggio. “The first time I ever did voiceover work was in a show calledPound Puppies,” Brown said. “Hasbro had a network …

German punk and New Wave icon Nina Hagen recruited George Clinton for “Unity,” a new single inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. “Let’s all enjoy the unity in the community/There is no room for negativity,” Hagen sings over a dizzying reggae beat with whirling instrumentation. “Positive vibrations surround the …

Japanese Breakfast‘s Michelle Zauner and Crying’s Ryan Galloway have teamed up for Pop Songs 2020, a new EP made in quarantine. Released under the name Bumper, the four-track album is out Friday. The project was born when Zauner asked Galloway to write a guitar part for a song off her …

L ong after the music faded out, she can still hear the hateful words. The year was 1969, and Linda Martell hoped to become one of country music’s breakthrough acts. She had a single on the charts, an album on the way, and the backing of a Nashville industry player. …

British punks Idles delivered an explosive cover of the Beatles’ “Helter Skelter” during a recent livestream performance at Abbey Road Studios in London. The performance got off to an endearingly clunky start, with a few members of Idles flubbing their opening cues. But the band soon latched onto the relentless …