Graham Nash demands Pandora and Spotify stop ‘ripping off’ artists
We sit down with Graham Nash on his new album This Path Tonight, what he thinks of streaming music, and David Bowie’s Lazarus.
How new wave legend Nick Heyward transformed his musical doodles into songs
Stalwart singer/songwriter Nick Heyward discusses how he turned his “musical doodles” into full songs, and why editing is crucial to the creative process.
Pop a cork and sit down. For Slowdive, vinyl is all about the ceremony
Slowdive pioneered the sound of turning up the distortion, blaring the feedback, and distorting vocals beyond recognition, and bands like Beach House have taken this post-rock vibe to the next level.
Naked but never nihilistic, Starsailor charts a course for indie soul
Starsailor’s fifth album, All This Life, connects all the right sonic dots, ensuring each of its 11 songs convey all the honest emotions soulful singers must share in order to reach their audience.
Embracing the ’80s and flipping the script with The Shins frontman James Mercer
The Shins completely reworked all eleven songs on their 2017 album, Heartworms, for The Worm’s Heart, and band mastermind James Mercer thinks the Flipped versions are better overall.
Avenged Sevenfold is down with Beach Boys covers, but not with going to Mars
M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold tells us how to know when certain songs are the right ones to cover, and the key differences between being an opening act and a headliner.
Joss Stone tossed the script (and recorded her dogs) for ‘Project Mama Earth’
Singer Joss Stone and her four collaborators improvised some exciting new music around a pair of Cameroonian rhythms, Mangambe and Bikutsi.
Silverplanes jet into the ‘Gulfstream’ of modern listening, one EP at a time
Silverplanes’ Aaron Smart on modern audiences wanting to consume music, working with legends, and the differences between digital and analog.
Barenaked Ladies cut loose and show it all with ‘Fake Nudes’
Rather than get themselves worked up into a hot, dense state of indecision, the four main men of Barenaked Ladies decided to once again work with producer Gavin Brown on their new LP, Fake Nudes.
For the Bloody Beetroots, sometimes building bridges means tearing down songs
Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo of The Bloody Beetroots is the ripped masked DJ who lays down some of the sickest beats around while also performing a punishing, physically demanding live set.
How deep is your crate?’ DJ Cut Chemist digs down on ‘Die Cut’
Cut Chemist resides among today’s top turntablists, who have forged their own identities via the sound and vibe from the records they spin, mix, sample, and create.
As loud and snotty as ever, the Dead Boys are keeping punk alive
Punk icons the Dead Boys defined the genre’s look, sound, and attitude -- and they’re still at it four decades later
From early Macs to vinyl, Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo digs his tech relics
Lee Ranaldo and Sonic Youth took open guitar tunings and off-kilter rhythms and timbres to their absolute limits like no other experimental no-wave alt-rock bands had ever done before.
Friends, admirers, and collaborators remember Canadian rock legend Gord Downie
Gord Downie leaves behind a recorded legacy with The Tragically Hip that is based in the grit and groove of the finest rock has to offer, along with his beyond-vivid songwriting.
His father did it with sitar, but Dhani Harrison proves EDM can heal, too
An EDM-tinged aura that expands on his film and TV compositional work permeates all throughout Dhani Harrison’s first full-fledged solo album, IN///PARALLEL.
Remembering Tom Petty with an unreleased interview on gear, recording, his legacy
The late Tom Petty discussed the sound he was going after in the studio, what makes for a good engineer, and what his vision of The Heartbreakers’ future was.
Ever wonder how an album is made? Neil Finn live-streamed the process
Out of Silence shows Neil Finn in the moment as a live-streaming music creator, and he plans to continue to utilize the platform to launch new music.
Backed by an orchestra, Kaki King shape shifts yet again on ‘Live at Berklee’
Avant-guitarist Kaki King discusses the philosophy behind Live at Berklee, how to bring classical performance and composition into the modern era.
Mellower but still a madman, Black Grape’s Shaun Ryder is all about the music now
Black Grape frontman Shaun Ryder talks ‘Pop Voodoo,’ signing vinyl the “right” way, and how his kids currently view his musical legacy.
From floppy disks to $500 music videos, Battle Tapes did it their way on ‘Form’
Battle Tapes mastermind Josh Boardman wanted to flip the sonic script while working of Form, the genre-busting EP that follows up 2015’s Polygon.
Styx crosses solar systems and generations on ‘The Mission’
On their new album ‘The Mission,’ Styx revisits the space optimism of 1977’s ‘The Grand Illusion’ with a new mission: Mars.
‘Tomorrow Forever’ is a long album for an impatient era, but Kickstarter loves it
Matthew Sweet turned to Kickstarter to record Tomorrow Forever, a 17-song forward-thinking melodic riff-fest that somehow never feels long.
Sunny-side up or scrambled? To Fred Falke, Spotify and vinyl are just like eggs
“No matter how sad you get or what bad things happen, you have to keep going.” He’s got the touch — literally. Fred Falke set le bar for the French touch scene ’round the turn of the century with the throbbing wash of 808 PM at the Beach and Intro, a collaboration with Alex Braxe […]
Jay Farrar on ‘alternative country facts’ and why he’s super serious about vinyl
Farrar pn the making of 'Blue', championing vinyl while accepting streaming, and laying down the alt-country template with Uncle Tupelo.
Ramin Djawadi’s live concert tour takes ‘Game of Thrones’ on the road
We speak with Ramin Djawadi, composer and musical director for HBO’s Game of Thrones and Westworld, about the upcoming live tour which will bring GOT’s music to life in a concert setting.
High-res recording can make or break a record. AFI’s Jade Puget explains why
On ‘The Blood Album,’ AFI guitarist Jade Puget says recording in high-res was instrumental to capturing the band’s evolved – but still hardcore – sound
Shallow Side’s streaming chops run deep, but they love vinyl too
We ask Shallow Slide about their new album, how they're bringing rock and roll back to its roots, why they like streaming music so much, and the purpose vinyl serves.
The Beach Boys’ unsung hero Mike Love shares the band’s secret sauce
The Beach Boys' lead vocalist Mike Love shares his thoughts on the band's legacy, vinyl, mono, and the secret sauce that allowed the band to create their "sonic oasis."
Embrace streaming or die! The Struts have no qualms about music’s next step
They’ve played with Mötley Crüe and The Rolling Stones, but acclaimed rock saviors The Struts aren’t letting it get to their heads, and they know the real future lies in streaming.
Rage Against the Machine bassist Tim Commerford picks up the mic in Wakrat
Digital Trends chats with Wakrate bassist and vocalist Tim Commerford, about how changing time signatures fuels new song ideas, the common thread between punk and prog, and why he prefers mixes that aren’t too bass heavy.
Prog legends Marillion have mastered crowdfunding, high-res rock
Marillion keyboardist Mark Kelly reveals how to properly layer song mixes, how Marillion pioneered the concept of crowdfunding, and the real reasons long songs get broken into multiple parts.
International superstar David Gray finds his Babylon (again)
British electro-folk singer/songwriter David Gray made an indelible impact in hearts and minds across the globe with his 1998 album White Ladder. Gray talks with Digital Trends about his career since releasing that multi-platinum disc, the role of streaming music today, and what it means to climb the rungs of success.
The Devil Wears Prada’s new LP battles your ‘ADD’ with perfect song placement
We recently spoke with metalcore favorites The Devil Wears Prada to talk about the perils of streaming, short attention spans, and the art of the perfect album.
‘We can’t hold back the sea when it comes to streaming,’ says Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason
It takes 27 discs to encompass just seven years of Pink Floyd’s career, from 1965 to 1972. Drummer Nick Mason shares a few of his favorite uncovered gems, and what it took to make them sparkle again.
Enigma performs ‘musical alchemy’ with Merlin, his Mac-packed mobile studio
We speak with Enigma, the world-renowned musician known for hits like Return to Innocence. Enigma tells us all about his thoughts on streaming music and his eighth album, The Fall of a Rebel Angel.
To capture his father’s legacy, Dweezil Zappa turns to surround sound
Dweezil Zappa doesn’t live in the shadow of his father – he embraces it. The son of legend Frank Zappa discusses how he captures the right sound on tour, working with surround sound, and his father’s legacy.
Radio made Extreme famous, but streaming keeps their live shows alive
Extreme hit it big in 1991 with More Than Words, but in the more than two decades since, the band has continued to thrive by focusing on its live sound, and rolling with the times as radio has morphed into Spotify.
Before he blinded us with science, Thomas Dolby was dumpster diving for synths
Thomas Dolby helped legitimize electronic music with tracks like She Blinded Me With Science, which was accompanied by a hit music video on the bourgeoning MTV network. He was also an early proponent of music sharing via the internet.