On Thursday, Noname released a new Madlib-produced track called ‘Song 33’, seemingly in response to J. Cole’s latest single, ‘Snow on Tha Bluff’. “Little did I know all my reading would be a bother/ It’s trans women being murdered and this is all he can offer?” she rapped. Yesterday, she took to Twitter to issue an apology for responding in the song.
“i’ve been thinking a lot about it and i am not proud of myself for responding with song 33,” she wrote. “i tried to use it as a moment to draw attention back to the issues i care about but i didn’t have to respond. my ego got the best of me. i apologize for any further distraction this caused.”
She explained that she doesn’t plan to take the song down, but will donate her share of the earnings to mutual aid funds. “madlib killed that beat and i see there’s a lot of people that resonate with the words so i’m leaving it up but i’ll be donating my portion of the songs earnings to various mutual aid funds. black radical unity.”
Neither Cole nor Noname explicitly name each other on their tracks. Recently, Cole wrote on Twitter: “She has done and is doing the reading and the listening and the learning on the path that she truly believes is the correct one for our people. We may not agree with each other but we gotta be gentle with each other.”
madlib killed that beat and i see there’s a lot of people that resonate with the words so i’m leaving it up but i’ll be donating my portion of the songs earnings to various mutual aid funds. black radical unity ✊🏾
Kurt Cobain’s guitar from Nirvana’s legendary MTV Unplugged performance was sold at a charity auction on Saturday for a record $6 million (£4.8m).
Sold as part of the ‘Music Icons’ sale at Julien’s Auctions on June 19 and 20, the 1959 Martin D-18E used in the band’s 1993 performance was originally expected to sell for between $1 and 2 million, with opening bids at $1 million. The sale went on to break several world records, including the most expensive guitar ever sold and the most expensive piece of band memorabilia ever sold. After a total of seven bids, the guitar was sold to Peter Freedman, founder of RØDE Microphones, who plans to display the guitar in a worldwide exhibition tour. All proceeds will be donated to performing arts organizations to help struggling artists.
“It’s a big deal,” Freedman said. “I didn’t even buy it for me. I paid for it but I’m going to use it to highlight the plight of artists worldwide by touring it around and then I’m going to sell it and use the dough for that as well, later.”
The guitar, which Cobain bought at Los Angeles’ Voltage Guitars before having it customized, also came with its original hard-shell case which he had decorated with a flyer for Poison Idea’s 1990 album Feel the Darkness, three baggage claim ticket stubs, and an Alaska Airlines sticker, as well as a half-used pack of guitar strings, three picks, and a “suede ‘stash’ bag” with a small silver spoon, fork, and knife.
Auction house CEO Darren Julien said in May: “This important guitar has earned its rightful place in rock & roll history as the instrument played by one of rock’s most influential musicians and icons in one of the greatest and most memorable live performances of all time.”
But there has been quite a lot of controversy over the years regarding the guitar’s ownership. Cobain’s daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, and wife Courtney Love have long been involved in a legal tug-of-war trying to retrieve the guitar from Frances’ ex-husband, Isaiah Silva, who claims it was given to him as a wedding present. While it appears that Silva is the one auctioning the item, a representative for the auction house said the seller wishes to keep their identity anonymous.
The 1959 Martin D-18E guitar wasn’t the only piece of memorabilia that was sold at the auction. Other MTV Unplugged performance items included included Curt Kirkwood’s handwritten lyrics for the Meat Puppets’ ‘Oh, Me’, a typed setlist, typed-out lyrics for David Bowie’s ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ and the Meat Puppets’ ‘Lake of Fire’, as well as a letter to Cobain from Nirvana’s management company regarding the setlist for the show.
At the same auction a day earlier, a custom guitar played by Prince at the height of his stardom in the 1980s and 1990s, the Blue Angel Cloud 2, was also sold for $563,500.
Last year, the green cardigan Cobain wore at the Unplugged performance was also sold at Julien’s Auctions for $334,000, breaking yet another record.
Check out our deep dive into Nirvana’s ‘All Apologies’ here.
According to Finder.com, 78.2% of British adults have succumbed to impulsive buying, meaning that the majority of us are affected by it. The sustainable fashion movement argues against the production of throw-away clothes; it’s needless, wasteful and exploitative. Before choosing to buy any clothes, researching the brand and the process of how they are made can be crucial when it comes to supporting sustainable fashion. It also is essential to consider other factors like your financial situation. To help out, we have made a short checklist to use before buying new clothes, especially online.
Did you want it before?
It may seem simple, but sometimes we get struck by an impulse. Big bright sales can look fantastic and appealing. But is it something we need and did you want that jacket before the sale came on?
I would say this is the first question you should ask yourself in any situation when it comes to buying, no matter if you are buying clothes, a car, or even just a decoration for your house.
Is is ethically made?
This one is a hard one to answer, as it is time-consuming to do the research. Big brands do get reviewed on things like re-investing and the process that involves their clothes being made. However, it’s worth considering such questions like do they pay fair wages to their workers?
To find out more about the ethics of a company, you can use Google to help you out. Make sure to read the information provided by third-party sources like charities and organisations outside the brand’s circle.
Is it sustainable?
The production of a material and the overall process that makes clothing happen is crucial to know when it comes to buying clothes. To understand better, identifying materials and where they come from will help you when it comes to buying sustainable clothing. Choosing organic cotton over regular cotton is excellent, but are you choosing denim that’s produced sustainably too? There are a lot of brands greenwashing to present themselves as ethical and sustainable; however, they are not taking any legitimate action to improve. Before buying, look into the brand and the transparency between them and you. If brands are creating sustainable clothing, they won’t hide it behind streams of wording.
Moreover, if you are buying vintage style clothes, charities can be a great option to look at. This way, you are not just helping the charities, saving yourself money, but also extending the life of clothing you are buying.
Can you afford it?
Quality tends to be priced higher, but it is not always the case. Some brands might release regular cotton clothing but may price it higher as it’s in a limited run.
Other brands use their brand image to price their clothes higher as it reflects a status. Marketing budgets can also drastically affect the pricing of clothing.
Ethical and sustainable fashion tends to be priced higher, as brands tend to invest more in the workers that make the clothing. If you cannot afford particular clothing, it’s worth thinking about setting up a saving fund to which you can add overtime and buy the high-quality clothing you want. It’s better to buy once than twice.
Will I want to wear this next year?
While it’s nice to buy fashionable clothing, a lot of clothing in the fast fashion world goes out of “date” pretty much as soon as you wear it. Constant changes in what influencers wear make these fast fashion labels adapt as quickly as possible. It is important to note, not all clothing made in high-end stores is for every season to come, so think before buying.
Thurston Moore has announced a new album called By the Fire, due on September 25 via his own Daydream Library Series label. The guitarist and former Sonic Youth co-leader also shared the first single, ‘Hashish’. Check it out below.
The album was recorded with Sonic Youth band mate Steve Shelley on drums, My Bloody Valentine’s Deb Googe on bass and backing vocals, and James Sedwards on guitar, all of whom are part of the Thurston Moore Group. It also features contributions from Negativland’s Jon Leidecker (aka Wobbly) on electronics and Jem Doulton on drums.
A press release describes the album as consisting of “love songs in a time where creativity is our dignity, our demonstration against the forces of oppression. By the Fire is a gathering, a party of peace — songs in the heat of the moment.” Moore called the first single “an ode to the narcotic of love in our shared responsibility to each other during isolation.”
The video for ‘Hashish’ combines footage from the band’s recent tour in Europe, “as well as clips from home during COVID lockdown safe in space with respect to the sacred healing truth of nature.”
Prior to the announcement of the album, Moore had been dropping previously unreleased songs via his Bandcamp. His last solo album under his own name was 2019’s Spirit Counsel.
By the Fire Tracklist:
01. Hashish
02. Cantaloupe
03. Breath
04. Siren
05. Calligraphy”
06. Locomotives
07. Dreamers Work
08. They Believe In Love (When They Look At You)
09. Venus
Kite are a Swedish electronic duo comprised of singer Nicklas Stenemo and keyboard player Christian Berg. Their music, both powerfully abrasive and wildly nostalgic, captures the kind of euphoric rush that’s accompanied by a feeling of slow disintegration, like the soundtrack to a world blissfully teetering on the edge of oblivion. It’s why their latest collaboration with Benjamin John Power, aptly called ‘Teenage Bliss’, hits so hard — a founding member of experimental electronic outfit F*ck Buttons also known as Blanck Mass, Power’s production gives the rapturous new track that darker edge that renders it so raucously exhilarating. With a throbbing beat and a transcendent synth line that sends the track soaring, ‘Teenage Bliss’ combines the aesthetics of 90s club music, 80s synth pop, and a touch of modern alternative. It’s one hell of a comeback after a few years of relative silence, and we can’t wait to hear more.
We caught up with Nicklas and Christian for this edition of our Artist Spotlight series, where we showcase up-and-coming artists and give them a chance to talk a bit about their music.
How did you form Kite?
N: Back in 2007 we were both working on some sort of solo projects, after being in bands since the early 90s. We met in a club when Christian told me he had some music that needed vocals. I tried, and it became our first song ‘My Girl & I’. It felt really good so we just kept on going from there.
C. We both realized that it was more fun and inspiring to work with someone else. Even if we don’t really have the same kind of influences and the same idea how to make music we realized that it worked really well to combine our ideas. It was a new way of working for both of us.
What are some of your inspirations, musical or not?
N. I’m unfortunately bad at keeping up with contemporary music. But I’ve been absorbing all kinds of great music since forever, so there is a lot to pull out from the heart when it’s time to be creative. I started in the early Swedish black metal scene, but in the mid 90s i wasn’t as angry anymore, so I found Bowie and started to be more interested in songwriting than riffs. I’ve also, during my whole life, been listening to a lot of film music such as Michael Nyman and Morricone.
C. Yeah, film music is a big source of inspiration, but also movies in general. I started out in the goth and electronic scene in early 90s, since then I haven’t really left it. But music wise Alessandro Cortini, Spacemen 3, Brian Eno and Suicide are big inspirations to me.
Could you talk about working with Blanck Mass for ‘Teenage Bliss’?
N. That was a dream come true. Christian showed me F*ck Buttons back when we started the band, and we became very influenced by their repetitive songs and awesome sounds, we never came close to that ourselves though…
C. I work at some venues in Stockholm, booking bands etc. We had Blanck Mass a couple of times at our venue, so we started to become friends. So it felt quite natural to ask him.
What ideas went into the making of the track?
N. The song started as an attempt to make some sort of dreamy, happy/sad ”Dream baby dream” kind of song. Then when the demo was there, and we started to produce, we felt it was really hard to make it energetic. It was a good song but kind of a sleeping pill. So who ya gonna call….
C. You know we have played together for more than 12 years, it’s quite easy to end up the same. We have our tricks and ways to do music. So it was really nice to have someone with fresh ears to put some layers and programming beat to our stuff. I think he is really brave and experimental with his way of producing music and that was exactly what we were looking for. We are really happy with the result!
How does the track compare to your previous releases?
N. Well, it feels like a long time since we made an upbeat song, so that feels kind of new again. And this is the first time we have worked with someone else on the production, so that feels very new, at least for us.
C. Many people says it sounds like the really early Kite, I didn’t think about it before, but now when I’m looking back I can see their point.
What are your plans for the future?
N. We are gonna continue to write and release songs throughout this corona-fucked up year. We are also making a double live LP that was recorded when we played with the Swedish Royal Orchestra at The Royal Opera in Stockholm last year. And when it is legal to make concerts again, we really wanna do that a lot.
C. We also have a couple of more singles in the pipeline. It’s quite stressful to try to make an album, so we are gonna try to release music more often instead. I think its really beautiful with 7” singles, it reminds me of the time when I bought records as a kid. It wasn’t often you could afford a full length album.
TV On the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe has released a new track called ‘People’. The protest song marks Juneteenth, the day commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
Earlier in June, Adebimpe shared an emotional video on Instagram addressing victims of police brutality in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. A number of artists and industry professionals have spoken out and demanded justice for deaths of black people at the hands of police.
For resources in the fight against racism and police brutality, as well as a list of organizations you can donate to, click here.
Beyoncé is back with a surprise new song called ‘Black Parade’. Co-written by Jay-Z, Derek Dixie, Caso and Kaydence, the song was released on Juneteenth (June 19), the day commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Listen to it below.
Alongside the new track, Beyoncé also launched a new charitable initiative by the same name which spotlights Black-owned businesses through an online directory. Proceeds from the track will also directly benefit BeyGOOD’s Black Business Impact Fund. A message on the site reads, “Being Black is your activism. Black excellence is a form of protest. Black joy is your right.”
The singer also wrote on Instagram: “Happy Juneteenth Weekend! I hope we continue to share joy and celebrate each other, even in the midst of struggle. Please continue to remember our beauty, strength and power.”
In the midst of worldwide protests over police brutality and systemic racism, Beyoncé has been using her platform to demand justice for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
In April, the singer put out a remix of Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Savage’ to benefit Bread of Life Houston’s COVID-19 relief efforts.
Alicia Keys has shared a new track called ‘Perfect Way to Die’. Written and produced by Sebastian Kole, the song deals with police brutality and systemic racism. Check it out below.
“Of course there is no perfect way to die,” Keys explained in a statement. “This phrase doesn’t even make sense but that’s what makes the title so powerful and heartbreaking because so many have died unjustly.”
“It’s written from the point of view of the mother whose child has been murdered because of the system of racism that looks at Black life as unworthy,” she continued. “We all know none of these innocent lives should have been taken due to the culture of police violence.”
The singer previously shared ‘Good Job’ back in April, a track dedicated to those “on the frontlines at the hospitals, balancing work, family and homeschool teaching, delivering mail, packages, or food, or facing other personal difficulties because of COVID-19.”
Her upcoming LP, ALICIA, was scheduled for release in March, but has since been indefinitely postponed.
Cat Power has shared a cover of Cassius’ 2006 hit ‘Toop Top’ in tribute to French producer and DJ Phillippe Zdar. The cover, which features French artist -M-, arrives on the anniversary of Zdar’s death. Listen to it below.
Cat Power – real name Chan Marshall – and Zdar collaborated on numerous occasions, including on Cassius’ 2016 record Ibifornia and Cat Power’s 2012 album Sun.
In a press release, Zdar’s widow, Dyane de Serigny, talked about the recording of the acoustic track: “We were standing by the entrance, not daring to enter the studio room as the events were too recent and surrealistic,” she said. “It felt unreal to be there without him. Cat Power and -M- started humming ‘Toop Toop’… That moment was so magical that we decided to turn the console, plug in the microphones and make the first recording of this new chapter in life. This foundational event gave us the strength and encouraged us to preserve the future of his beloved studio.”
de Serigny also provided the single’s cover art, which is the photograph that came up on her phone when Zdar would call. “It’s…an image that represents him perfectly: somewhere on an island, the sun reflecting on his eyes, his hair salty and damp from the sea,” she said.
Are you considering getting a nose piercing? Whether this is your first piercing or the latest of several, it is not wise to jump into it without thinking. Before making any big decisions, you should do some research and talk to people who have had it done to find out what is involved and whether it is right for you. From the piercing process to cleaning, there are a few things you need to know about getting your nose pierced before you go under the needle.
What are your options?
There are so many different options to choose from when it comes to nose piercings, both in terms of the type of piercing you want and which part of your nose you have pierced. The nostril is the simplest and most common part of the nose to pierce, but if you prefer something more eccentric and unique, you could opt for the septum, the bridge, or the tip. The size and shape of your piercing is another choice you will have to make. Do you want a small, discreet stud, or do you prefer a more noticeable ring, hoop, or barbell? The choice is yours.
Does it hurt?
There are a lot of nerves in the nose, so there is no getting around the fact that it will hurt a bit. For some people, a little bit of pain is all part of the experience, but the anticipation is usually worse than the actual procedure. You will feel sore afterward, and your nose may swell, but it does not require a high pain tolerance. As long as the process is carried out correctly by a trained professional, there is nothing to worry about. With this in mind, always make sure you choose a respected piercing artist to do it for you. Do plenty of research and ask people for recommendations. If you arrive at the shop and you don’t feel it looks sufficiently sanitary, don’t be afraid to bow out.
How long will it take to heal?
How quickly a nose piercing heals depends on the individual, but usually, it will take somewhere between two and three months to completely get back to normal. It is during the healing process that you are most at risk of getting an infection, so make sure you do not change the piercing or play with it, as this will increase the likelihood. If it has not healed after three months, go back to your piercer who will help you figure out the best way for you to recover fully.
How do you clean it?
Any piercing requires cleaning and maintenance afterward to prevent infection, but a nose piercing is especially susceptible. Your piercer will go over the cleaning process with you on the day, but it usually requires a saltwater cleanse twice a day until it is fully healed. Avoid touching the piercing with your hands while cleaning, as this is likely to transmit bacteria onto the metal, so use cotton wool, Q-tips, or a clean cloth to handle it.
If you decide that your nose piercing is not right for you, don’t be afraid to take it out and try something new. Removing and replacing a nose ring can be tricky for first-timers, so find out how to put in a nose ring here.
