Robert Northern, the jazz artist, French horn master, and bandleader known as Brother Ah, has died, The New York Times reports. According to the Times, Northern died on May 31 in Washington D.C. following a year-long battle with a respiratory illness. He was 86 years old. Throughout his six-decade recording career, Northern played in-studio with
Music
Earlier today (June 8), a number of artists, managers, and music industry professionals signed an open letter urging New York state to repeal statute 50-A—a law that conceals police officers’ personnel and disciplinary records from public view, as Billboard reports. The letter was signed by the likes of Rihanna, Nas, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Migos,
The staff of Pitchfork listens to a lot of new music. A lot of it. On any given day our writers, editors, and contributors go through an imposing number of new releases, giving recommendations to each other and discovering new favorites along the way. Each Monday, with our Pitchfork Selects playlist, we’re sharing what our
Francina Armengol, the president of the Balearic Islands region in Spain, has issued a decree ordering discotheques and nightclubs to remain closed through the beginning of phase three of Spain’s reemergence from coronavirus-related lockdown, published in the Official Bulletin of the Balearic Islands (BOIB). The Balearic Islands contain the resort island of Ibiza, the international
Beyoncé was among the speakers for Barack and Michelle Obama’s YouTube “Dear Class of 2020” virtual graduation ceremony today. During her commencement address, she discussed the protests surrounding the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Watch her entire speech below. “Thank you for using your collective voice and letting the worlds know
NNAMDÏ has released a new EP titled Black Plight. The Chicago-based artist and multi-instrumentalist recorded the three-song release over the past week. All of the proceeds from the EP will be split between eatChicago, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting post-incarcerated and marginalized people in the city, and the grassroots political activist organization Assata’s Daughters. NNAMDÏ’s
With so much good music being released all the time, it can be hard to determine what to listen to first. Every week, Pitchfork offers a run-down of significant new releases available on streaming services. This week’s batch includes new albums, projects, and EPs from Run the Jewels, Armand Hammer, Drakeo the Ruler and JoogSZN,
Shabazz Palaces has released “MEGA CHURCH,” a new single featuring former THEESatisfaction member Stas THEE Boss. The track has been released as a pay-what-you-want single via Sub Pop. You can check it out on Bandcamp below. (Today, June 5, Bandcamp will waive its revenue share. Sub Pop is passing through 100% of its digital sales
South African rapper Nasty C and T.I. have shared a new song called “They Don’t.” Proceeds from the single go to Until Freedom and Solidarity Fund. On the track, the rappers address racism and injustice, with T.I. referencing the death of George Floyd: “How you supposed to serve and protect/With your knee on my neck?”
In November 2019, rapper Kodak Black was charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in Miami, Florida. Now, those charges have been dismissed, the Blast reports and Pitchfork can confirm via Kodak Black’s attorney Bradford Cohen. According to the Blast, Kodak’s attorney and Fernandez worked out a deal that
Robert “Rocky” Ford Jr. has died. The hip-hop journalist and producer, who served as a mentor to a young Russell Simmons at the beginning of the music mogul’s career, passed away on May 19, according to an Instagram post from Simmons and The New York Times. “In a world where ripping off artists or overreaching
London artist Shygirl has teamed up with Arca for a new single called “unconditional.” The song is available solely on Bandcamp, either as a free download or in exchange for a donation. Proceeds will go to Black Lives Matter and Inquest UK. Listen to “unconditional” below. Of the new song, Shygirl said in a press
Elvis Costello has shared a new song. It’s called “No Flag.” Give it a listen below. Costello recorded “No Flag” earlier this year in Helsinki’s Suomenlinnan Studio. When asked about the choice of recording location, Costello, explained: “I wanted to go somewhere nobody knew me. So, this is ‘The Helsinki Sound.’” Last year, Costello and
Back in February, TOOL announced a slate of North American tour dates for spring and summer behind their comeback album Fear Inoculum. Following postponement due to the spread of COVID-19, the group have now outright canceled the tour so that fans can get full refunds for their tickets. “In our opinion, tying up our fans’
The Weeknd, Lizzo, and John Legend have signed an open letter to defund the police, Variety and Rolling Stone report. The letter was launched by activist Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter and a founding member of the Movement 4 Black Lives (M4BL), and is part of a week of action led by
Bob Mould has announced a new album. It’s called Blue Hearts and it’s out September 25 via Merge. In a press release, Mould refers to the 14-track album as “the catchiest batch of protest songs I’ve ever written in one sitting.” He has also shared the first single, “American Crisis.” Check out the lyric video
Detroit rapper Teejayx6 has released a protest song titled “BLACK LIVES MATTER.” The track is produced by TM88 and pays tribute to George Floyd, whose death by Minneapolis police last week has given rise to protests against police brutality nationwide. Listen to “BLACK LIVES MATTER” below. Teejayx6 joins many artists who have released protest songs
Oh Sees mastermind John Dwyer has announced a new supergroup, Bent Arcana. The new band is “very much on the ECM / ’70s hard fusion / prog-kraut tip,” according to a statement from Dwyer. Joining Dwyer in Bent Arcana are: modular synthesist Kyp Malone (of TV on the Radio), drummer, percussionist, and vocalist Ryan Sawyer,
Terrace Martin has shared a new song with Denzel Curry, Kamasi Washington, G Perico, and Watts battle rapper Daylyt. The track, called “PIG FEET,” arrives amid nationwide protests against racism and police violence, following the death of George Floyd after former police officer Derek Chauvin, who’s been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, knelt
YG has shared a new song called “FTP,” which stands for “Fuck the Police.” The track is released amid nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd. Listen to “FTP” below. YG has released politically charged songs in the past. In 2016, he and Nipsey Hussle released the anthem “FDT,” which featured the repeated chorus
Tomorrow, June 2, many members of the music industry will engage in a “blackout” in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and other Black citizens by the police. A post about the action, which began circulating at the end of last week with the hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused, calls for “gatekeepers of
Yesterday (May 31), rapper Chika posted a lengthy Instagram video detailing her experience at a Los Angeles protest over the weekend. In the clip, Chika discusses her and her manager’s calm behavior at an event protesting the killing of George Floyd. She then recounts being handcuffed (with zip ties) and detained for seven hours without
Stand with Bandcamp to Support Racial Justice, Equality and Change The recent killings of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Sean Reed, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and the ongoing state-sanctioned violence against black people in the US and around the world are horrific tragedies. We stand with those rightfully demanding justice, equality, and change, and people of
CupcakKe has released another new song, her second this year. It’s called “Lemon Pepper,” and half the proceeds benefit the Minnesota Freedom Fund. Check it out below. In March, CupcakKe returned from a hiatus with the single “Lawd Jesus,” which she followed with a new video. She had said in September that she was quitting
In a press conference today, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he received a call last night from JAY-Z regarding George Floyd to amplify protesters’ demand that all officers involved in his murder face justice. JAY-Z later issued a statement about the call via Roc Nation’s official twitter account. In his statement, JAY-Z thanked Governor Walz
Faith Evans was arrested this week for felony domestic violence, TMZ reports. Law enforcement sources reportedly told TMZ that police were called to the home of Evans and producer Stevie J. Police claimed that when they arrived to the scene, Stevie J had “visible marks and scratches” on his face after a verbal confrontation turned
Lil Wayne has shared eight new songs in the deluxe edition of his Funeral LP. The extended album features appearances from Lil Uzi Vert (“Multiple Flows”), Doja Cat (“Shimmy”), Jessie Reyez (“Love You F*ck You”), and more. The new tracks have been added to the beginning of the record, with “Shimmy” opening disk one of
Back in February, Faith No More announced a joint tour with Korn. The trek would have marked Faith No More’s first American tour in five years. Now, the band has canceled the tour due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “It is with heavy hearts that we came to this decision out of an abundance of
On August 21, Eminem’s publishing company Eight Mile Style filed a lawsuit against Spotify, alleging that the streaming company had streamed his songs billions of songs without acquiring the proper licenses. The lawsuit also challenged the constitutionality of the Music Modernization Act passed by Congress in 2018, which makes it more difficult for artists to
Jamie xx and Georgia Ellery (of Jockstrap) have shared a new live session that they recorded for BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction while quarantining together. Listen to it here. The project is Jamie xx’s latest in a string of recent collaborations, including a DJ set with the Avalanches and the song “Smoke” with Headie One