Music is my passion and writing is how I express that passion. More a musician who writes rather than a traditional journalist, all my most profound connections to music — the ethereal and sacred artform that no one will ever see or touch — stem from the live space. From sitting in silence watching the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl to shredding the dancefloor at the most obscure underground rave, the visceral feeling music creates for me is what drives me forward. Engaging in the artform through writing expands that feeling by further understanding the intentions and the history behind it, and I hope reading my stories provides the same for you.
Laufey is nothing if not defiant, whether in genre, tradition, or expectation. She didn't succumb to the "sophomore slump" on 2023’s Bewitched, which garnered multiple chart-topping positions and billions of streams. At 24, the album made Laufey the youngest recipient of the GRAMMY Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. With her success solidified, Laufey had the creative foundation to…
Popular music includes many musical dynasties, from Bob Marley’s musical children (including Damian, Stephen, and Ziggy) to Jakob Nowell taking up the mantle of Sublime from his later father, Bradley and the generations-deep Cash-Carter clan. Yet very few dynasties are united like the Kutis, who for the past 50 years have carried the torch of Afrobeat and its burning battle…
"I hate to keep using the same word, 'bigger,'" Jono Grant tells GRAMMY.com as he sits alongside Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljamäki, his bandmates in the legendary dance music group Above & Beyond. The word "bigger" has been thrown around a lot during our conversation because the title of their new album, out July 18, is Bigger Than All Of…
Almost 50 years after forming amongst the black threads at Sex, Malcolm McLaren’s historic London clothing boutique, the Sex Pistols are still going strong (though maybe slightly less anarchistic). The legendary punk rockers will spend the summer on stage at a variety of European festivals before touching down stateside for a 15-date tour. Their '25 tour will see original members…
Not many artists come back to massive crowds after over two decades without a new album. Yet that's just what happened to legendary British rock band Pulp, who will release their first album since 2001, More, on June 6. After a series of massive gigs for their latest reunion, Pulp are releasing 11 sonically rangy songs, reflective of the band's…
Since EDM superstar Avicii died by suicide in 2018, his memory has never been far from the world. Numerous memorials have been produced to honor the indelible contributions from the two-time GRAMMY nominee, who was born Tim Bergling. There are now permanent fixtures in Bergling's hometown of Stockholm that will bear his name for decades to come. Globen, the spherical…
"It is what it is." The ultimate phrase of acceptance — acknowledging things as they are, without judgment or expectation. My Morning Jacket embraced that mindset on their new album, is, released March 21. After 10 albums and more than two decades together with their current lineup, the band isn't just accepting what is — they are incredibly grateful for…
TOKiMONSTA’s latest album, Eternal Reverie, is due March 7, but there was a moment when she thought it may never be released. Over the last year, the producer, DJ, and Young Art Records labelhead born Jennifer Lee experienced extreme personal difficulties: Her cat died; she watched her hometown of Los Angeles ravaged by wildfire; in October, she lost her best…
If you send BLOND:ISH a DM, there is a good chance she’ll respond. No matter how busy her schedule, the DJ, producer, nonprofit co-founder, and labelhead wants to provide support to her global fanbase. "Everything I do with music is to help people live their best lives. That's the whole point of this album," the artist born Vivie-Ann Bakos tells…
In the early months of 2020, before anyone could have imagined a global pandemic, Four Tet was DJing warehouses hidden in the industrial corners of Los Angeles. During his sets that often go on for six or more hours, he'd bring his musical mastery — swapping between high-energy techno, Motown deep cuts, modern hip-hop, and Indian raga — to crowds…
Halfway into my video call with Sara Landry, the electronic artist who has come to be known as "The High Priestess of Hard Techno," a lamp casting a subtle green glow within the frame of her iPhone begins flashing. Most people would consider this electrical surge a forgettable occurrence. But not her. "This light will flash at me sometimes, and…
Diamante Blackmon spent four years crafting his new musical identity, GORDO. In July, the artist unveiled the results of that journey with DIAMANTE, his debut album that merges his first name with his fresh music moniker. Blackmon was ready for a change long before he first transitioned from the aggressive rap and electronic music he performed as Carnage to the…
It’s been nine years since Jamie xx released his massively lauded debut solo album, In Colour. The 2015 release received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Album, hit No.1 on the U.S. Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart, and certified gold in the UK. Beyond its measurable success, In Colour's 11 tracks were essential in catalyzing the merger of underground dance and…
At 47 years old, Scott Hansen, who produces and performs under the name Tycho, is very conscious of his health. Not just for the sake of his own survival, but for his wife and young children; he is concerned with how his health affects the people around him, both at the moment and in the future. "Seeing these new lives…
Over the seven years between Foster the People's last album, 2017's Sacred Hearts Club, and their recently released Paradise State of Mind, everything changed for Mark Foster. He got sober in 2018, and married the following year. In 2021, the band's founding drummer Mark Pontius, left Foster the People during the thick of the pandemic. These profound changes encouraged Foster…
Over the last 50 years, hip-hop culture has shown it can catalyze trends in fashion and music across numerous styles and genres, from streetwear to classical music. On June 30, Nas took his place at Red Rocks Amphitheater in a full tuxedo, blending the worlds of hip-hop and Black Tie once again, with the help of Derrick Hodge. On this…
Back in 2011, the Parisian artist Charles de Boisseguin was making funky music by himself. But he knew that his music was too groovy to restrict to recordings. He wanted to do more than be a DJ; de Boisseguin wanted the chemistry of a full band. He formed L'Impératrice, a six-piece modern disco and funk project featuring de Boisseguin on…
“If you were able to go back and hang out or collaborate with your younger self, what would you say to them? What advice would you give them?” That question fueled Machinedrum’s new album, 3FOR82, out May 24. Unlike most people, the prominent electronic producer, real name Travis Stewart, has a direct line to his younger self through the music…
Curtis Jones is a dance music legend, whose multiple monikers only begin to demonstrate his deep and varied influence in the genre. Jones has been active as a producer and DJ for decades, and is among a cadre of dance music acts forging a connection between the genre's origins and its modern iterations. Crucially, he joined Chicago house legends Honey…
After 25 years, Coachella is like a live music holiday. Every year, thousands of people from all walks of life descend upon the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California to enjoy artists whose music is as diverse as the crowd assembled. No matter what style anyone prefers, an artist they love is playing at Coachella. This year alone, attendees can…
