Steve Albini, legendary producer for Nirvana, the Pixies and an alternative rock pioneer, dies at 61

Steve Albini, an alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer who shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more, has died. He was 61. Brian Fox, an engineer at Albini’s studio, Electrical Audio Recording, said Wednesday that Albini died after a heart attack Tuesday night. In addition to his … Read more

Fans are following Taylor Swift to Europe after finding Eras Tour tickets less costly there

LONDON — Thousands of ride-or-die Taylor Swift fans who missed out on her U.S. concert tour last year or didn’t want to buy exorbitantly priced tickets to see her again found an out-of-the-way solution: Fly to Europe. The pop star is scheduled to kick off the 18-city Europe leg of her record-setting Eras Tour in … Read more

The Eurovision Song Contest is kicking off with pop and protests as the war in Gaza casts a shadow

MALMO, Sweden — Competition in the 68th Eurovision Song Contest kicks off Tuesday in Sweden, with the war in Gaza casting a shadow over the sequin-spangled pop extravaganza. Performers representing countries across Europe and beyond will take the stage in the first of two semifinals in the Swedish city of Malmo. It and a second … Read more

Musi Won Over Millions. Is the Free Music Streaming App Too Good to Be True?

Musi has faced objections to its business practices before. In October 2019, the company filed suit against an online ad network, alleging that it had withheld payments owed for ads that ran within the Musi app. In November that year, the ad network filed a counter-complaint alleging that it stopped payments after discovering Musi’s business … Read more

Inside the Met Gala: A fairytale forest, woodland creatures, and some starstuck first-timers

NEW YORK — Sauntering through the hallways of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the way to cocktails, James Corden spread his arms out comically, like he owned the place. “Let me know if you want me to talk you through any of this,” he said, pointing to the precious art on the walls, joking … Read more

Twyla Tharp dance will open 700-seat amphitheater at New York’s Little Island park in June

NEW YORK — The 700-seat amphitheater at Little Island, a park in Manhattan built above the Hudson River on a series of tulip-shaped concrete columns, will open June 6 with Twyla Tharp’s “How Long Blues” in the choreographer’s first full-length work in a decade. Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo will sing all the major roles in … Read more

With help from AI, Randy Travis got his voice back. Here’s how his first song post-stroke came to be

With some help from artificial intelligence, country music star Randy Travis, celebrated for his timeless hits like “Forever and Ever, Amen” and “I Told You So,” has his voice back. In July 2013, Travis was hospitalized with viral cardiomyopathy, a virus that attacks the heart, and later suffered a stroke. The Country Music Hall of … Read more

Civil rights leader Daisy Bates and singer Johnny Cash to replace Arkansas statues at the US Capitol

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — When Arkansas lawmakers decided five years ago to replace the statues representing the state at the U.S. Capitol, there was little objection to getting rid of the existing sculptures. The statues that had stood there for more than 100 years were obscure figures in the state’s history. “I remember giving tours … Read more

Madonna Attracts 1.6 Million Fans To Free Concert In Rio De Janeiro

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro’s vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans. It was the last show of The Celebration Tour, her first retrospective, which kicked off in October in London. … Read more

Madonna’s biggest-ever concert transforms Rio’s Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor

RIO DE JANEIRO — Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro’s vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans. It was the last show of The Celebration Tour, her first retrospective, which kicked off in October in London. The … Read more