Music
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Love of My Life: Freddie Mercury’s Death, 20 Years Later
On Monday, Nov. 25, 1991, my mother woke me up with a knock on the door. “What’s the name of that singer you love so much?” she asked, cigarette and coffee in hand. “Because he’s on the news.” I was…
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The Rumpus Interview with Dar Williams
I discovered Dar Williams back in high school when I was, misguidedly, trying to be a singer-songwriter.
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Albums of Our Lives: Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Show Your Bones
1. Love Letter I experienced my first categorically bisexual three-way—a completely unexpected yet unforgettable coming-of-age story—when I was 15.
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The Rumpus Interview with John Wesley Harding
Well as a singer-songwriter you kind of have a right to hijack bands. I’ve never really had my own band for too long.
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Rumpus Sound Takes: The Eleanor Friedberger Solo Theme Park
Eleanor Friedberger Last Summer (Merge) Last Summer, the first solo release from Eleanor Friedberger, half of the Brooklyn duo The Fiery Furnaces, is, for better or for worse, a summer record.
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Rumpus Sound Takes: Seattle Continues Moving the Music World Forward
Shabazz Palaces Black Up (Sub Pop) Shabazz Palaces’ new album, Black Up, reminds us that even though all art builds upon everything that comes before it, it still needs to be mindful of influencing the future.
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Albums of Our Lives: The-Dream’s Love vs. Money
Of the many adjectives one would use to describe me—some might even be positive—sexy would not be one of them.
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R.E.M., Todd, and Me
I’ve been wondering if R.E.M. purposefully scheduled their break-up announcement for autumn.
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Come Celebrate the Release of Humblebees!
Morning Coffee’s Dan Weiss’s band The Yellow Dress is releasing a new album tomorrow! You can pick up a digital copy of the album online, or if you live in San Francisco, celebrate with them at The Complex-sf. Starting at…
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“No Fucking Around”
“Pitchfork: Is the car generally a place to write for you? TW: A good one. You’re enclosed, you’re alone, you’re quiet. Perfect. There’s a feeling of a vanishing point. And you’re moving, like a song moves as it’s going through…
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Swinging Modern Sounds #32: An Interview with Mike Doughty
Mike Doughty is a singer-songwriter of a particularly urban sort, whose compositions, though guitar-based and often not terribly far from the ideal of the busker, are, nonetheless, cross-pollinated by just about everything audible in New York City…