photo by Raymond Boyd

Ariana Grande Cancels Tour After Manchester Attack On Monday, Ariana Grande’s concert at Manchester Arena in England ended with explosions, later revealed to be the result of a terrorist attack that killed 22 people. What makes the crime particularly heinous, besides the fact that no one should ever feel in danger just because they want to see live music, is that a majority of the audience was young girls. Grande has since returned home to Florida and canceled her tour, though she's pledged to return to Manchester to hold a benefit concert for the victims. Read more about the situation here.
Nandi Rose Plunkett Responds To Sexist Comments How tiring must it be to just be known as “The Girl In The Band?” Nandi Rose Plunkett, the musician behind Half Waif and member of Pinegrove, posted a statement about dealing with fans’ remarks that praise her appearance yet downplay her musical role. “These sentiments are the literal heart of what makes women afraid to shine, what discourages us from even trying,” she wrote. Read the whole thing here.

Bed Stuy Will Get To Keep Biggie Smalls Mural A three-story homage to the late, great Notorious B.I.G. recently came under threat of removal when the building's landlord proposed adding windows to the facade featuring the "King of NY" mural. However, after a petition and local outcry, Samuel Berkowitz said he would keep the mural (though he initially proposed that the artists who painted it pay a $1,250 month fee to keep it). When artists Naoufal Alaoui and Scott Zimmerman explained the rapper’s importance to the borough, Berkowitz simply changed his mind. Isn't it refreshing to read a story that doesn't end with artists getting screwed over by landlords?
Other Highlights A modern take on “Feelin Groovy,” a new album by Amber Coffman, a "lost" Neil Young album is coming, Nicki Minaj also funded a village, Pitchfork announces Beats > Bullets project, Deerhoof announce new albums, are the Migos homophobic? & man, the Twin Peaks soundtrack is awesome.

NEWS ROUNDUPTragedy In Manchester, Biggie Mural Saved and More

ARTIST OF THE MONTHEpoch Failure