Post Malone is a major Bob Dylan fan and there’s plenty of evidence of that. One of the most-circulated online videos of pre-fame Posty is him covering Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.” In 2020, Malone told Uproxx that after his set of Nirvana covers, he’d be keen to put on a performance of Dylan songs. It turns out Malone apparently had the opportunity to collaborate with the folk icon, but it appears the future of the partially finished song is now in doubt.
This is according to a new Rolling Stone interview with producer Michael Cash, who was involved with the project. Cash says he was trying to put together an album of hip-hop artists covering Dylan songs. Dylan apparently approved of Posty and event sent along some unreleased lyrics, which Dylan had titled “Be Not Deceived,” for Malone to build a new song around. Cash says Malone was “literally in tears” when he first heard Dylan’s words.
In March 2021, Malone apparently visited Cash’s studio to record the song, and after getting the track “about 40 percent done,” Malone had to leave. Malone seemingly dragged his feet finishing the song, and according to Cash, Dylan got tired of waiting and retracted permission for Malone to use the lyrics. As Cash put it, “It just seems like nobody really managed expectations, and it just seems like nobody communicated. A really cool piece of music got made, and then it just got weird. It got really weird.”
Malone didn’t offer a comment for the story, but he seemed to address the collaboration during a 2022 interview with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, telling the host, “I have not met Bob Dylan but we have been… hmm, I don’t how much I’m at liberty to discuss. We’ve been chatting. He’s always just been a voice in my head. Always just appreciated the music and appreciated the songwriting.”
The Rolling Stone piece dives into more details about the Malone/Dylan story, so check it out here.
Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.
Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of June below.
The Age Of Pleasure was definitely the most-talked-about album of June, due in part to Monáe’s racy rollout and in part to the music just being excellent. In the video above, Monáe shows off the striking vinyl edition, which features warm alternate cover art and a gigantic painting of breasts on the inside.
As part of its Anthology series, Vinyl Me, Please is revisiting an iconic Waylon Jennings run, from 1973 to 1981, with an eight-album box set. It’s a must-have for fans, as it comes alongside 28 pages of listening notes and even a podcast that dives into Jennings’ storied career as one of country’s biggest icons.
Otis Redding — Otis Forever: The Albums & Singles (1968-1970)
Rhino
Redding tragically died in a 1967 plane crash, but the music kept flowing after that. Four posthumous albums were released from 1968 to 1970, including the beloved The Dock Of The Bay. That and more has been compiled in a new box set (limited to only 1,000 copies), which features the four albums and mono versions of 24 singles from the albums.
Willie Nelson is 90 years old and not stopping, as he has Bluegrass, a new album (his 151st!), on the way soon. For now, though, it’s time to look back with a quick series of reissues. First up is 2002’s The Great Divide, which features collaborations with folks like Sheryl Crow, Rob Thomas, Alison Krauss, and others.
At 82 years old, Bob Dylan is showing no signs of slowing. He just dropped Shadow Kingdom, his 40th album, in early June, and it features new recordings of songs from the first half of Dylan’s esteemed career, along with a new instrumental track, “Sierra’s Theme.” The reinterpretations stem from Dylan’s 2021 concert film, Shadow Kingdom: The Early Songs Of Bob Dylan.
Madonna — Finally Enough Love: The Rainbow Edition
Rhino
Last summer, Madonna dropped Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones, a retrospective box set that offers a great overview of her pop dominance. She decided to revive the project here in Pride Month by re-dubbing it Finally Enough Love: The Rainbow Edition. Naturally, the vinyl it’s pressed on comes in a variety of vibrant colors, making it an awesome way to celebrate.
Gossamer was a huge moment for Passion Pit, as the 2012 sophomore album vaulted the group into the mainstream conversation with a No. 4 peak on the Billboard 200 chart and the multi-platinum single “Take A Walk.” They’re a bit late but the new 10th-anniversary reissue is still appreciated, and fans will love this: The reissue features “American Blood” and “Almost There,” both of which were previously only available as bonus tracks on the 2012 Japanese CD release.
Included on Flaming Lips’ 6-CD Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots 20th Anniversary Box Set was a collection of four fan-favorite tracks only officially available as part of that release. Now, they’ve been given their first-ever vinyl release on a new standalone collection, pressed on lovely pink vinyl.
TLC — CrazySexyCool and FanMail (Vinyl Me, Please Reissues)
Vinyl Me, Please
Much has been made about the 50th anniversary of hip-hop in 2023, and part of Sony’s celebrations include teaming up with Vinyl Me, Please for some fresh reissues. For the occasion, TLC’s two biggest albums, FanMail and CrazySexyCool, are getting new releases, and the former even comes with a 7-inch.
Towards the end of 2022, Alex G wrapped up a headlining tour with three sold-out hometown shows at Philadelphia’s Union Transfer. Now he’s sourced a new live album from those performances, but vinyl isn’t just the best way to hear it: It’s the only way, as the 14-track Live From Union Transfer isn’t currently set to be released on any format besides LP.
Over the past couple of years, the number of artists selling off portions of their publishing catalogs has risen greatly, with artists from classic rockers like Bob Dylan and Sting putting up their legacy hits to hip-hop artists like Future, Iggy Azalea, and Metro Boomin cashing in on more recent material. Even R&B and pop stars stars like John Legend, Justin Bieber, and Justin Timberlake have joined the gold rush, while the estates of both Juice WRLD and Michael Jackson have sold the stars’ catalogs.
So, why are so many artists selling their old music?
Well, it likely comes down to a couple of reasons. The first, and most obvious, is for the cash payout. While publishing is still the most lucrative revenue stream for artists outside of playing live shows and doing brand partnerships, publishing is really only profitable when songs are licensed for use in advertising, film, television, or sampling in other artists’ music. However, there really are only so many opportunities available there, and things like streaming don’t generate the kind of income that actual album sales did back in the day.
As the late David Crosby wrote on Twitter when he sold his catalog, “I can’t work …and streaming stole my record money …I have a family and a mortgage and I have to take care of them so it’s my only option ..I’m sure the others feel the same.” Now that he’s gone, that cash is likely a comfort to his family — and much easier to deal with than administrating his massive catalog. As country star Travis Tritt said when he sold his catalog to Reservoir Media, “The biggest reason for me selling was not to leave a huge headache for my family that would have to try to administrate a catalog. I’d rather leave them cash.”
The other big reason stars might be selling their catalogs has to do with taxes. Because of the way income is taxed from royalties, artists might end up keeping more of their money by selling the publishing rights all at once. Royalty payments are viewed by the IRS as regular income, which could be taxed as high as 37 percent under current tax codes depending on how much those royalties are. However, a catalog sale is taxed as capital gains — which has a much lower max rate of 20 percent.
With the current administration working to close that loophole, many artists and their business managers view it as a limited window of time to take advantage of it, and they are doing so before time runs out. From a purely pragmatic standpoint, it also makes sense because while the long-term realization of the catalogs’ value will likely be many times when artists are being paid for them now, most artists probably won’t see all that potential — even if they aren’t as old as, say, Sting.
Getting a guaranteed eight figures now rather than a possible larger payout some indiscriminate time in the future seems like a pretty good deal. After all, you can’t take it with you and you’d rather be able to enjoy it while you’re young enough to do so. And while there may be some unintended consequences down the road — monopolies are never good — for now, it would appear to be in artists’ best interests to cash out while their hand is hot — because everyone cools off eventually.
Halle isn’t the only Bailey sister heading to the big screen. Shortly, “Pray It Away” singer Chlöe will also put her acting chops on full display yet again. Although these days, many music lovers have come to know the duo by their countless musical bops; the pair have quite the star in feature films well before her role on ABC’s Black-ish or Grown-ish.
While her beloved younger sister will lend her vocals to Disney’s underwater princess Ariel in the live adaptation of The Little Mermaid, Chlöe will take a different route. According to The Wrap, the producer will star in Blueprint Pictures’ film Girl from the North Country, an adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway show.
Known for public displays of admiration for music pioneers like Missy Elliott, maybe that influenced her decision to be a part of the film as the music of legendary songwriter Bob Dylan directly inspired it.
In addition to Chlöe, actors Woody Harrelson, Olivia Colman (The Crown), and Tosin Cole (House Party and Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks) have also signed onto the film. Conor McPherson, the author of the book used as an anchor for the Broadway musical, will serve as the film’s writer and director, whereas Blueprint Pictures’ Graham Broadbent and Pete Czernin will serve as producers.
The story will be set in Duluth, Minnesota, during the Great Depression. However, the film will remain faithful to the musical’s plot line is described as “a group of wayward travelers’ lives intersect in a guesthouse filled with music, life, and hope.”
If the film follows in the theater production’s footsteps, the Dylan songs that may be included or worked into the film include “Slow Train,” “True Love Tends to Forget,” and “Girl from the North Country.” So far, the film does not have a release date. However, it has been revealed that CAA Media Finance will represent the film in the domestic market. While Rocket Science will handle the international market, starting with the Berlin Film Festival.
We already know that Rap fans can come from all backgrounds, and Bob Dylan is sharing a few of his favorite Hip Hop artists. The music icon has been a favorite since before Hip Hop was even a genre, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Dylan takes readers on a journey of his love for music.
During the chat, the journalist asked Dylan about his preferences in today’s music culture. He admitted that many of the newer artists he comes across are done so by accident. He said he likes The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas, digs Oasis, and has “seen Metallica twice.”
(Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
He added: “I’ve made special efforts to see Jack White and Alex Turner [of Arctic Monkeys].” Dylan said he’s also a “fan” of “Royal Blood, Celeste, Rag and Bone Man, Wu-Tang, Eminem, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen.” Basically, “Anybody with a feeling for words and language, anybody whose vision parallels mine.”
The 81-year-old icon has been hailed as one of the greatest singer-songwriters in music history. With 60 years of experience under his belt, Dylan recalled falling in love with music sometime in the 1950s. He spoke about how that era was monumental for music.
“Without postwar technology, these songs may have dissipated and been overlooked,” he said. “The recording process brought the right people to the top, the most innovative, the ones with the greatest talent.”
(Photo credit should read FRED TANNEAU/AFP/GettyImages)
“I first heard [popular songs] on the radio, portable record players, jukeboxes. We didn’t have a TV, and I never heard them in films, but I was hearing them in my head,” Dylan added.
“They were straightforward, and my relationship to them at first was external, then became personal and intense. The songs were simple, easy to understand, and they’d come to you in a direct way, let you see into the future.”
It would be interesting to hear which Slim Shady hits are Dylan’s favorites. Even he knows that the “Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nothin’ to f*ck with.”
Bob Dylan did a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, where he shared his thoughts on a range of music industry subjects. In the piece, Dylan notes specifically that he’s “a fan of” both Eminem and the Wu-Tang Clan, as he believes they have “feeling for words and language.” He also said that he enjoys listening to “anybody whose vision parallels mine.”
This isn’t the first time Dylan’s talked about Eminem either. During a 2001 interview with Time, he stated that the Detroit rapper was “doing something right” and that “I almost feel like if anything is controversial, the guy’s gotta be doing something right.”
Dylan also touched on his love for Royal Blood, Celeste, Leonard Cohen, Rag N’ Bone Man, and Nick Cave in the WSJ, as he felt they held a similar goal to Eminem and the WTC.
As for concerts, he’s been to see Metallica, Oasis, Klaxons, and “made special efforts” for Jack White and Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner. Yet, Dylan doesn’t love everything.
“There’s a sameness to everything nowadays,” he revealed. “Everything’s too easy. Just one stroke of the ring finger, middle finger, one little click, that’s all it takes, and we’re there… It’s all too easy, too democratic.”
Bob Dylan is a very prolific songwriter, who has been releasing albums for longer than plenty other artists have even been alive. He’s racked up accolades like a Nobel Peace Prize, natch, and expanded well beyond music into painting and literature. Speaking of literature, Dylan announced that his next book is going to be out very soon. The Philosophy Of The Modern Song will be published via Simon & Schuster on November 8, 2022. This one seems to be a more straightforward music book than his previous work, Chronicles Volume One, which was a stream-of-consciousness style memoir that came out back in 2004.
According to a press release, this new book includes “over 60 essays focusing on songs by other artists” including the likes of Stephen Foster, Elvis Costello, Hank Williams and Nina Simone. Dylan reportedly started working on the book back in 2010, and the CEO of Simon & Schuster thinks it will be help unpack what songs mean to all of us. “The publication of Bob Dylan’s kaleidoscopically brilliant work will be an international celebration of songs by one of the greatest artists of our time,” Simon & Schuster’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Jonathan Karp, said. “The Philosophy Of Modern Song could only have been written by Bob Dylan. His voice is unique, and his work conveys his deep appreciation and understanding of songs, the people who bring those songs to life, and what songs mean to all of us.”
Check out the book’s cover art below, and pre-order it here.
(@JanelleMonae) 
