In downtown Portland, the graffiti splattered on the stone walls and plate glass of the federal courthouse lays bare the pain of a city not unlike Minneapolis: predominately white and liberal, yet policed by a force that is notoriously racist, and, in Portland’s case, under federal supervision for excessive use …
Read More »The Last Word: Lionel Richie on Meeting Mandela, the Pitfalls of Fame, and the Secret to a Perfect Moustache
When asked about turning 70 last year, Lionel Richie is jovial but resolute. “I don’t think anything about aging or getting older,” he tells Rolling Stonefrom his Los Angeles home. The four-time Grammy winner and seller of more than 90 million albums worldwide doesn’t have time to outline a memoir …
Read More »Perfume Genius Beautifully Maps His Desires on 'Set My Heart on Fire Immediately'
A pop savant whose vision keeps getting more all-encompassing as he keeps making records, Mike Hadreas (a.k.a. Perfume Genius) has delivered his most ambitious music yet on his fifth LP. Back at the dawn of the 2010s, he drew notice with music that had the muted, willful intensity of bedroom …
Read More »On TikTok, COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories Flourish Amid Viral Dances
To the tune of “Pew Pew Pew” by Auntie Hammy, a woman in scrubs dances as the words flash on screen: “People that were never tested are added to coronavirus death toll,” and “the virus is nowhere near as deadly as experts predicted.” Another TikTok features her in a leopard-print …
Read More »16 Great Little Richard Deep Cuts
Though best known for the Fifties classics that defined early rock & roll, Little Richard‘s career was full of fantastic lesser-known moments, as he responded to the arrival of British rock, Sixties soul and Seventies funk, at times returning to his gospel roots while always showing the elasticity of his …
Read More »'Half Truth': Ken Jennings, Richard Garfield Break Down Their New Game
Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings andMagic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield have teamed up to create a new trivia card game, Half Truth. In a conversation with Rolling Stone, the two explained that Garfield was inspired to design the game after reading Jennings’ best-selling bookBrainiac. “I love trivia games — nobody …
Read More »Flashback: Roger Waters Performs Side 1 of Pink Floyd's 'Animals' in 2000
Earlier this month, Roger Waters told Rolling Stone that he recently sat down for a “peace summit” with his ex–Pink Floyd bandmates David Gilmour and Nick Mason that ultimately went nowhere. “I wrote out a sort of a plan because we’d come to something of a … I don’t really …
Read More »Kobach and Trump's Spectacular Voter-Fraud Failure
Excerpted from “Unrigged: How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy,” by David Daley. Published by Liveright, a division of WW Norton and Co. Copyright 2020. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. Kris Kobach wears the aw-shucks smile of the star quarterback on prom night, naturally winning the approval of …
Read More »How Radiohead's Ed O'Brien Found a New Beginning
As a member of Radiohead since their founding 35 years ago, Ed O’Brien has seen more commercial success and critical acclaim than roughly 99 percent of people who have ever picked up a guitar. But when he finally gathered up the courage to start writing and recording music on his …
Read More »Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, John Legend Offer 'The Prayer' for 'Together at Home' Special
Lady Gaga, who helped curate Global Citizen’s One World: Together at Home special, brought together iconic vocalists Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli and John Legend to sing “The Prayer.” The song was originally released in 1999 as a duet between Dion and Bocelli. The singers were joined by famed pianist Lang …
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