The world’s most expensive cardigan is locked in a gun safe in rural Pennsylvania. It has a mysterious stain in one of its pockets — “some kind of brown, crunchy something in there,” according to the sweater’s owner, which he guesses could be chocolate, or vomit. There’s a missing button …
Read More »Pro Surfer Stephanie Gilmore: My Life in 15 Songs
Australian surfer and seven-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore is in good shape to qualify for the first Olympic surf team ever in 2020, but surfing’s not the only thing on her mind. In addition to hauling her board and other gear on tour, Gilmore travels with a guitar from her …
Read More »Micah Nelson on Particle Kid's Raw, Psychedelic New LP and How to Thrive as an Indie Rock Band in 2019
On his previous two albums as Particle Kid, Micah Nelson either recorded songs by himself, or invited a loose, rotating crew of friends into the studio to help. But after touring heavily with his rhythm section, drummer Tony Peluso and bassist Jeff Smith, Nelson decided to record an album with …
Read More »David Crosby Answers Your Questions About Open Marriages, Anti-Vaxxers and More
As David Crosby has proven time and time again, there’s no question he’s unwilling to answer. He’s also made more than his share of mistakes throughout his long life, which is why he was the perfect person to become Rolling Stone’s newest advice columnist. In his second “Ask Croz” column, …
Read More »How Duff McKagan Got Woke
Duff McKagan doesn’t consider himself much of an activist. “I give to charity,” he says, “but I do it in a silent way that I think is righteous.” Lately, he’s starting to feel more comfortable talking openly about how he makes a difference in the world. Recently, the Guns N’ …
Read More »'Tootsie' Composer David Yazbek Reveals His Lyrical and Musical Inspirations
“You know, I never thought I’d be doing this,” composer David Yazbek admits. “The fact that I’ve been translating cinematic works to the stage has just been a coincidence. … I’m still surprised. I used to feel like an outsider, like a recording artist who has a day job, but …
Read More »Is Streaming Music Dangerous to the Environment? One Researcher Is Sounding the Alarm
Around 2013, University of Oslo professor Kyle Devine was reading a lot about junk. He’d grown fascinated with a subset of media studies that grappled with the growing problem of e-waste — old cellphones, computers, printers, etc. — and wondered if the problem was also plaguing ostensibly intangible things like …
Read More »Hope Tala Made the Song of the Summer Morning
Hope Tala’s “Lovestained” is a hybrid as intrepid as it is airy: The guitar suggests Brazil in 1965, the steel drums add a springy touch of the Caribbean, and the bass seems plucked from an irresistible hit on American rap radio in 1998. “That’s what the vision is: Bringing together …
Read More »Mudhoney's Mark Arm: My Favorite 'Grungy' Albums
As the frontman of Green River, Mark Arm sang on the first record that Sub Pop marketed with the word “grunge.” When the band’s Dry as a Bone EP came out in 1987, the label described it as “ultra-loose grunge that destroyed the morals of a generation.” At the time, …
Read More »In a 'Restrictive' World, Leela James Sings Whatever She Wants
Leela James is one of the few southern soul singers who can still achieve a hit today. Her most recent example, “Don’t Want You Back,” is an exercise in classic form — a handsome, raspy “good riddance” with a guitar that studiously recreates the sound of Hi Records. But the …
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