Music

Michael Fonfara, the keyboardist best known for his work with Lou Reed and the Downchild Blues Band, has died, CBC News reports and Pitchfork can confirm. Fonfara died January 8 in a Toronto hospital following a two-year battle with cancer, as Fonfara’s publicist confirmed in a statement sent to Pitchfork. Fonfara was 74 years old.

Aesop Rock and Homeboy Sandman, who rap together as Lice, have shared a new song in tribute to the late MF DOOM. For their track, called “Ask Anyone,” Aes and Sandman rap over “Datura Stramonium,” an instrumental from DOOM’s Special Herbs 9 & 0. “Roses for the OG MF,” Aes raps to begin the song.

The Mountain Goats appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to perform their song “Get Famous,” from the group’s most recent album Getting into Knives. The in-studio performance was filmed remotely; check it out below. The Mountain Goats released two albums in 2020: April’s Songs for Pierre Chuvin, which Darnielle recorded alone on his

Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus is now the most-certified song in RIAA history. The viral rap star shared on Twitter that the single, released in 2019, had gone 14x Platinum, displacing “All of Me” by John Legend and “Despacito” by Daddy Yankee, Luis Fonsi, and Justin Bieber, which are both

Jazmine Sullivan performed a “Tiny Desk (Home) Concert” for NPR. She sang four songs from her newly released project Heaux Tales—“Bodies (Intro),” “The Other Side,” “Lost One,” and the H.E.R. collaboration “Girl Like Me”—in addition to “Let It Burn,” which appeared on her 2015 album Reality Show. Check out the full set below. Ahead of

Ariel Pink has been dropped by his record label Mexican Summer. The label tweeted that it has “decided to end [its] working relationship” with the artist “moving forward.” Mexican Summer had been set to release Odditties Sodomies Vol. 1, Sit n’ Spin, Odditties Sodomies Vol. 3, and Scared Famous/FF>> on January 29 as the final

WizKid and Burna Boy have shared the music video for their Made in Lagos collaboration “Ginger.” Directed by Meji Alabi, who previously helmed videos for Burna Boy’s “Pull Up” and “On the Low,” the video finds the two artists in a sparse warehouse, surrounded by minimal set dressing. At one point, they play mancala with

British record label BBE Music has announced a new David Bowie tribute album. Modern Love arrives May 28, and features covers from across Bowie’s catalog by Helado Negro, Khruangbin, Jeff Parker, We Are KING, Meshell Ndegeocello, and more. Today, on what would have been Bowie’s 74th birthday (and the fifth anniversary of Blackstar), BBE shared

100 gecs have released a new remix of “One Step Closer,” the lead single from Linkin Park’s 2000 debut album Hybrid Theory, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. It’s the first remix from a forthcoming series of Hybrid Theory remixes. Listen to “One Step Closer (100 gecs Reanimation)” below. “Part of the spirit of

This song is a perfect description of how I feel about my daughter. Love usually feels like a concept, sometimes invisible, but with her it’s so tangible because she’s right there. I’m so obsessed with her that if she wasn’t around me, I wouldn’t be OK, I guess that’s what antidote is, a cure, a

Montreal’s Bell Orchestre—the group including Arcade Fire’s Sarah Neufeld and Richard Reed Parry—have announced their first studio album in over a decade. House Music arrives March 19 via Erased Tapes. Today, Bell Orchestre have shared the lead single, “V: Movement,” along with a music video directed by band member Kaveh Nabatian. Watch them perform in

As part of her ongoing reissue series, PJ Harvey has announced a vinyl reissue of her fifth album, 2000’s Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea. It will be released alongside Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea: Demos, a collection of unreleased demos of every track on the album. Both sets arrive

Bill Callahan and Bonnie “Prince” Billy have shared yet another cover song. For their version of Johnnie Frierson’s “Miracles,” the Bills recruited fellow Drag City artist Ty Segall. Check out the new “Miracles” video, directed by Sai Selvarajan, below. Bill and Bonnie kicked off 2021 with a cover of Lou Reed’s “Rooftop Garden.” Last year,

Alice Glass has shared a video for her new song “SUFFER AND SWALLOW.” The stop-motion animated visual was created by Lucas David. Check it out below. Last summer, Glass released “NIGHTMARES,” a Jupiter Keyes–produced track that appeared on a Sermon 3 Recordings’ anniversary compilation. In 2018 she shared the song “I Trusted You” as part

Dr. Dre has been hospitalized after suffering a brain aneurysm, TMZ reports and Pitchfork has learned. According to TMZ, Dre is currently at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He reportedly suffered the aneurysm on Monday (January 4) and was driven to the intensive care unit at Cedars-Sinai immediately by ambulance. Dr. Dre is reportedly

The 2021 Grammy Awards have been postponed from the originally scheduled date of January 31, as Rolling Stone and Variety report. The Recording Academy has yet to announce the new date, but sources speaking to RS said that the organizers are aiming to hold the ceremony in March. Pitchfork has reached out to representatives for

Loretta Lynn has announced the new album Still Woman Enough, which arrives on March 19 via Legacy. Marking her 50th studio album, the 13-song collection celebrates women in country music and includes new compositions along with reinterpretations of songs from throughout Lynn’s catalog. The album also features appearances from Margo Price, Tanya Tucker, Reba McEntire,

Bobby Shmurda (a.k.a. Ackquille Pollard) will be eligible for release from prison next month, the New York State Department of Corrections told the New York Times. The Brooklyn rapper had been denied parole in September 2020, but a review by the New York State Department of Corrections restored his credit for good behavior. He will

Open Mike Eagle has posted a new freestyle in tribute to the late MF DOOM, whose death was announced on New Year’s Eve. Over a beat by Illingsworth, Eagle reflects on hearing KMD’s “Peachfuzz” in his youth, as well as working with DOOM on “Phantoms” and “Police Myself.” “Who the fuck ever gets to rock

Gerry Marsden, leader of the Merseybeat quartet Gerry & the Pacemakers, has died. Marsden’s friend Pete Price—a broadcaster based in Liverpool—broke the news on social media earlier today (January 3), stating that Marsden died following a short illness stemming from a heart infection. Marsden’s death was subsequently confirmed by the BBC. He was 78 years

Foo Fighters have shared their new song “No Son of Mine,” the second single from their forthcoming album Medicine at Midnight. Take a listen, and find a handwritten note from the Foos, below. “This is the kind of song that just resides in all of us and if it makes sense at the time, we

Enigmatic UK group the KLF have surfaced, officially releasing a selection of songs to streaming services for the first time. The eight-track compilation Solid State Logik 1 appeared without fanfare on the first day of 2021, nearly three decades after they delivered an outrageous performance at the 1992 BRIT Awards, fired machine-gun blanks into the

Bad Bunny has shared a new video for “Booker T,” the latest single from El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo. It’s named for the professional wrestling superstar, who appears in the video. Take a look below. Bad Bunny issued El Último Tour del Mundo at the end of November—his third album of 2020, following YHLQMDLG and

Harry Styles has shared the music video for his Fine Line song “Treat People With Kindness.” He stars in the clip alongside Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge. In the visual, Styles is performing at a nightclub where Waller-Bridge is in attendance; she then joins him on stage for a dance routine. Check out the video, directed

Eugene Wright, the jazz bassist known for his time with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, has died, Brubeck Family Legacy Records announced. A cause of death was not revealed. Eugene Wright was 97 years old. Eugene Wright was born in Chicago in 1923. Growing up, he played the cornet before he learned to play the upright

On January 8, Bee Gees’ Barry Gibb will release GREENFIELDS: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1—an album featuring new versions of songs from the Gibb family’s catalog. Ahead of the record’s release, he’s shared a new version of 1968’s “Words,” now featuring Dolly Parton. Take a listen to the duet below. The 12-track GREENFIELDS includes

Bill Callahan and Bonnie “Prince” Billy are continuing their covers series with a rendition of Lou Reed’s Legendary Hearts closer “Rooftop Garden.” The cover features Cretan lute player George Xylouris (of Xylouris White). Check out the accompanying music video, directed by Kris Rey, below. Bill Callahan and Bonnie “Prince” Billy began their covers series with

MF DOOM has died, his wife Jasmine Dumile revealed today (December 31). The elusive rapper died on October 31, according to Dumile. When reached by Pitchfork, a representative for Rhymesayers confirmed the legitimacy of the statement. A cause of death has not been revealed. MF DOOM was 49 years old. MF DOOM was born in

Jasmine Dumile, the wife of the iconic masked rapper MF DOOM, revealed today the shocking news that her husband died on October 31. Musicians and artists who loved the rapper are offering their tributes on social media. “All u ever needed in hip-hop was this record,” Flying Lotus tweeted, referring to Madvillainy. “Sorted. Done. Give