#Jay Z

HIGH NOTES7 Songs About MDMA, Because It's MDMAzing

Madonna in an MDNA era shoot by fashion photographers Mert Alaş and Marcus Piggott. MDMA has long been closely intertwined with music. It's many festival and nightclub-goers' drug of choice, and for good reason: it has a way of making every song sound infectious and every flashing light look vivid...

Annie White

NEWS ROUNDUPPolitical Popstars, Return of the 2000s and More

Pussy Riot Political Popstars, Return of the 2000s and More By Jasmine Williams Pussy Riot Forever! Days after members of Pussy Riot were arrested for staging a protest during the World Cup, the Russian firebrands were awarded a settlement relating to their 2012 jail sentences for performing a “punk...

Jasmine Williams

ONLY NOISEBig Sister's Clothes

Who are the great musical influencers of our lives? Lovers, friends, parents, librarians. The people who were in close proximity when our cultural preferences were still small, squishy, and developing. Their impact on our taste was indispensable and unforgettable, as they passed down songs to us...

Madison Bloom

ARTIST OF THE MONTHEpoch Failure

Plans are made and changed, nary a certitude. At last, they both heard it: their track echoing behind Manning's words while confetti rained down in Levi's Stadium. And just like that, Epoch Failure (pronounced epic) turned over a new leaf.

Joanie Wolkoff

FLASHBACK FRIDAYCross-Genre Covers

In 2005, Ben Folds recorded an indie-rock cover of Dr. Dre's 1992 gangsta rap song "Bitches Ain't Shit." Although the recording was a half-joke, Folds' introspective take on the gruff, expletive-riddled track was such a massive success that he eventually got tired of playing the song and retired it...

Carena Liptak