What It Means To Be An Independent Artist Today
The definition of what it means to be an independent musician is more complicated than one might think. It comes down to market share, ownership and so much more.
Music
What Does 'Born In The U.S.A.' Really Mean?
It's not enough to say the Bruce Springsteen hit is misunderstood. Its contrasts — between grim verses and a joyous chorus, damning facts and fierce pride — are what give it its anthemic power.
Critics Worry American Music College Will Be Shuttered After Proposed Sale
The newly disclosed sale agreement of Westminster Choir College to a conglomerate partly owned by the Chinese government appears to state that the prospective owners can close the school at any time.
New Mix: The Comet Is Coming, Radiator Hospital, Lee Perry, More
At 83, reggae king Lee "Scratch" Perry has just made a brilliant record. Hear that, plus the daydreamy music of Radiator Hospital, the astonishing sounds of The Comet Is Coming and more.
Lucie Silvas: Powerful Pipes And The Right People
Silvas couldn't believe the tight-knit community of supportive songwriters she found in Nashville. Those collaborators helped Silvas make her latest album, E.G.O.
Jesse Mac Cormack's 'Give A Chance' And The Ordeal Of Living
Jesse Mac Cormack's song "Give a Chance," follows humans making their way across the ordeals of life — with rope as a metaphor — towards that proverbial light that everyone tries to have in them.
Buddy & Julie Miller Return With New Album, Share Two New Songs
The beloved Americana duo is back with its first new album in a decade. Hear two early cuts from it, "War Child" and "Spittin' On Fire."
Scott Walker, Pop Idol Turned Avant Auteur, Dies At 76
The former member of The Walker Brothers and singer of "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" was also one of experimental music's most beloved composers.
Royal Mountain Records Makes Mental Health A Music Industry Priority
Label Founder Menno Versteeg explains why he feels that caring for artists' mental health is, at least in part, a record label's responsibility.
Robert Forster Gets Playful — And Intense — On 'Inferno'
The former co-leader of the Aussie band The Go-Betweens reflects on success and failure on his latest solo album. Critic Ken Tucker says Inferno is proof of Forster's credentials as a pop musician.