There once was a time when Drake and The Weekend didn’t appear to be on good terms. Two of the biggest stars from Toronto, Drake brought The Weeknd along into his OVOXO collective over a decade ago. While Drake effectively silenced any talk of a beef with his freestyle in the late-2019 track “War,” we got a pretty good idea of where they stand after Drake’s heartfelt toast at The Weeknd’s 32nd birthday party this past weekend in Las Vegas.
“I was there from day one and I’m grateful not only to be here with my brothers but just grateful that the family is back together where we belong from the greatest city in the world,” Drake said, in a moment DJ Akademiks shared on Instagram.
There were a lot of other moments captured at the party, including a clip of The Weeknd grabbing a mic to sing a long to “Get Busy” by surging Portland rapper Yeat. Also, what’s a party in Vegas without gambling? Future was in the mix as well and he ceased the moment to spark a blunt while playing blackjack with The Weeknd.
NBA All-Star Weekend is about the finest talent professional basketball has to offer, but some of the biggest names in music popped up during the festivities, too. DJ Khaled, Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, Gunna, Ludacris, Migos, and Mary J. Blige performed on Saturday, and yesterday’s actual All-Star Game featured more recognizable music figures taking the stage.
Machine Gun Kelly (who was born in Houston but spent some of his formative years in Cleveland, this year’s All-Star host city) helped introduce the game’s starting lineups by getting the crowd excited, thanking “all the hard workers of this town,” cracking a couple of jokes, and handing things over to DJ D-Nice before the team lineups were properly introduced. Kelly had his fingerprints all over the weekend, as he also played during the celebrity game.
Prior to tip-off, Juno Award nominee Ryland James sang the Canadian national anthem before Ohio native Macy Gray delivered a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Some people online noticed LeBron James seemed amused by Gray’s performance, as he was seen seemingly trying to suppress a smile as she sang.
As for halftime, the mid-game break was mostly focused on a celebration of the 75th anniversary team, although it did feature Earth, Wind & Fire performing their thematically appropriate hit “Shining Star.”
Meanwhile, Adele was spotted courtside (which makes sense given her relationship with sports agent Rich Paul) and caught the attention of the TNT broadcast crew, which prompted Charles Barkley to reckon he and Adele ought to duet. Barkley’s co-hosts quickly and definitively shot that idea down.
The Weeknd is already having a big year after releasing his sixth album Dawn FM. Last month, he achieved the most monthly listeners on Spotify, surpassing Justin Bieber who held that spot since last spring. The star is now teaming up with Amazon for a music special titled The Weeknd x The Dawn FM Experience, which will premiere exclusively through Prime Video this Saturday, February 26.
“I’m ecstatic to partner with Amazon to premiere the most elaborate live TV special I’ve ever done,” The Weeknd (aka Abel Tesfaye) said in a statement. “Welcome to the next phase of Dawn FM — a purgatory otherworld where live performance, theater, and performance art collide for a night out at the club.”
The official teaser is out now, and it centers on the strange, older version of Tesfaye who we’ve been seeing on the album cover and in music videos. Tesfaye has suggested that Dawn FM is part of a new trilogy, following the trilogy of House Of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes Of Silence that launched his career. Maybe this new special will provide context to this complicated world that Tesfaye seems to be building.
Watch the teaser for The Weeknd x The Dawn FM Experience above.
A scheduled concert at London’s O2 Arena was canceled today as Atlantic storm Eunice battered much of Europe, tearing part of the roof off of the building with winds as high as 90 mph, according to Billboard. The parts of the roof that were removed are made of tent fabric, but Billboard was unable to confirm if they affected the arena floor.
Anschutz Entertainment Group, which leases and operates the arena, verified the report through a spokesperson, who said, “The affected areas have been cleared and The 02 will remain closed for the rest of the day. The safety of our visitors remains of paramount importance, and we will continue to assess the ongoing situation and act accordingly.”
Incidentally, the concert that was canceled was the second one that was nixed for this date; in January, the Fugees announced they’d canceled their entire reunion tour, set to engage the main 21,000-capacity arena over touring challenges stemming from COVID-19. Meanwhile, their replacements Punjabi music stars AP Dhillon and Gurinder Gill were set to play the 2,800-capacity Indigo venue, have rescheduled their own show for Tuesday, with all tickets remaining valid.
The next show scheduled for the O2 is British rapper Dave’s, on February 21 and 22. It’s not currently known whether it will be able to take place as scheduled, which would be a shame as Dave is coming off a victorious BRIT Awards that saw him win Best Hip-Hop/Grime/Rap Act and play a flamethrower guitar.
When most people do an impression of somebody else, they change their voice in an effort to mimic them. An underrated aspect of impersonation, though, is the physicality of it, and getting somebody’s mannerisms or facial quirks correct can make or break an impression. That’s the aspect Doja Cat focused on in a new video, in which she fires off a bunch of celebrity impressions, mostly without saying a word.
Doja Cat does her best “impressions” of Drew Barrymore, Oprah, Kevin Hart, Samuel L. Jackson, Elvis Presley, Al Pacino and Nicki Minaj in new TikTok. pic.twitter.com/s4NohZuZFG
In a TikTok video, an overlay above Doja’s head randomly selects impersonation prompts. When the first one lands on Drew Barrymore, Doja contorts her mouth in a distinctly Barrymore-ian way. Some of Doja’s impressions are better than others: for Oprah, she just sported a big smile. When Samuel L. Jackson’s name popped up, Doja let out a loud “What?!,” which isn’t a bad approach to take.
Elsewhere in the clip, Doja did her best Kevin Hart, Elvis Presley, Al Pacino, Beyoncé, and Nicki Minaj, the latter of which came in last and saw Doja just letting out an emphatic scream.
“You know, when we took that picture in Brooklyn, some guys were driving by, and just when we were about to take it, those guys rolled down their window and said ‘Hey! Are you the Teriyaki Boyz?!’” Tablo, the frontman of Epik High, shares. He is pointing at the framed Map The Soul 2009 tour poster propped up behind me that was signed to my name. It’s been 13 years since that encounter and through it all, Tablo has managed to navigate the trials and tribulations of life, balancing marriage and fatherhood, while being one of the three geniuses behind the Korean alternative hip-hop group Epik High.
Considerably penning some of the most powerful and intricate bars in music, Tablo (whose real name is Daniel Lee) alongside Mithra Jin and Tukutz, has been in the Korean rap game for over 20 years — debuting in 2003 (though formed in 2001). Some of their greatest hits like “Umbrella”, “Run,” and “1 Minute, 1 Second” preach like biblical verses that can name them the Holy Trinity of hip-hop; as the consistent callouts on our vulnerabilities, love, society, and our mental health remain evident in their discography. Not to mention how seamless the three finesse music that can be dark, grim, and real, and then counteracting that with a visual component full of satire and fun.
“Well, see the thing with Epik High — and I think it’s the key to our success — we’re not very self-serious,” Tablo says via Zoom, while donning a white ‘90s style Nirvana tee. It’s always been like that over the last two decades. Epik High may be the legendary hip-hop trio everyone knows, but to the guys themselves, it’s a camaraderie of three who are continuing to experience life together while doing what they love to do.
With 10 studio albums, two EPs, and a couple of compilations and remixes under their belt, Epik High are on the forefront of Korean hip-hop, amplifying the genre to the mainstream. Their achievements and success speak for themselves: iconic collaborations ranging from underground to international artists, groundbreaking performances at Coachella, award-winning projects — they’re all more than epic.
Part one of their two-part tenth album, Epik High Is Here Part 1, paints the grim reality of the human condition in the midst of adapting to the new norm in the global pandemic. However, with the release of Epik High Is Here Part 2, the 12-track project serves as the sonic journey of what seems to be the beginning of the end. Lead singles “Super Rare” and “Gray So Gray” — two songs with polar opposites in meaning — Tablo, Mithra Jin, and Tukutz perfectly encapsulate the duality of susceptibility and badassery Epik High was always known for.
In what can arguably be the perfect pandemic soundtrack, Tablo, the recording artist, lyricist, composer, producer, Stanford graduate, family man, and, ironically at the moment, self-proclaimed “COVID brain” caught up with me in the midst of quarantining in his bedroom in to discuss Epik High’s legacy, Epik High Is Here Part 2, touring, and Coachella.
Congratulations on Epik High Is Here, Part 2. What was it like working on it this time around?
We imagined this coming out when all of this COVID stuff would be over. We wanted the album to be a celebration; so we had happier, upbeat songs because we thought it would be like this great reopening where everybody rushes out into the streets and just [gives] hugs and kisses, goes to parties and shows. But as we all now know this is going on a lot longer than we imagined. As time progressed, the way we create our albums, our mood, or our thoughts at the time really dramatically affects it. It’s not like we can set out to create a happy album. And as this was getting extended and you know all of us were dealing with our own demons and stuff, I think it just naturally turned into the album that it is right now. I actually like it a lot, I think it reflects better what everybody may have been going through and hopefully, they can identify with that and get the consolation that they need.
You’ve invited old and new faces to collaborate for Part 2. How was working with them?
I always think it’s interesting where I have an ear to the music scene. I’m not as active in public, but I’m always listening to new stuff that comes out and making a mental note of people that I want to work with. We work with them then we discover they were fans of Epik High at some point. For example, with “Face ID”, GIRIBOY and JUSTHIS posted their Epik High album collections on Instagram and shared how this is a moment for them. That really pulled on my heartstrings because I was just happy to be working with these talented kids. WONSTEIN did covers of our songs back in the day and gave us demo CDs. I met pH-1 for the first time at Epik High’s New York concert. Everything feels like it’s coming back full-circle to be working with them. So even when we’re working with artists that we’ve never worked with on this album we’re somehow all connected and it fits in with the theme of the album that combines the past, present, and future.
In “Super Rare,” you touched on hustle culture and the journey to fame. What are your thoughts on success?
You know how they say success is subjective and everyone has their own definition of success? Unfortunately, that’s not how the world works. Regardless of your personal definition of success, society has decided certain criteria for what they deem as actual success. Even if you have achieved personal success and you’re perfectly content, society will look at that and say, “That’s not success…” and then proceed to crush your perfect contentment. I’ve always had to fight to defend my personal definition of success. I always have people trying to tempt me to try to do something I don’t really particularly want to do, promising me things that really don’t mean that much to me (money and fame) and Epik High has been very good at doing it on our own terms and maintaining it. But it hasn’t been easy.
Then what would you say is your personal key to success?
I’m not doing what I do as a means to get to something or to acquire something. I decided early on that I will do what I can’t avoid which for me is creating stuff. You can take my career away, you could literally ban me from doing music but the very next minute I will be creating something else. It’s just unbearable for me to not create something and that’s just who I am. Once you discover that, that’s success. Success for a short moment is attainable by anybody and if it is fleeting, it’s not really success. I want to be achieving things only if they’re lasting. And the first thing I discovered was that I have an inevitable passion for what I do.
You always have to think of the bigger picture because you never know when something is going to end the next day.
Exactly! I mean, who really wants 15 minutes of fame, right? We’ve done it for 20 years now, we’ve had moments where we had the spotlight on us and throughout it all, I don’t think those moments really matter. There are certain things that are lasting and if you are able to spot them, appreciate them and fight to defend them. That’s success.
Fans may notice the reunion between Epik High and Younha on this album with “Gray So Gray” and “Rain Song.” How was working with her again after 14 years?
Yeah, it’s been awhile! I was surprised how well we worked together even after all these years. I realized there aren’t many vocalists who can deliver the melodies that I write the way she does. Literally, she sang it once and it was perfect. Then we went on Yoo Jae Suk’s show and Jae Suk hyung (“older brother”) was like, “I really want to hear you guys do another song together,” and it just worked out where his wish came true.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSC47Yp-Hpg
You’ve sprinkled references to past releases in this album. Is there one you’ve become fond of?
The beginning of “Champagne” has an audio clip from a video of us [performing “Go!”] at our first performance as Epik High. And this was when we weren’t famous, when we didn’t even imagine we would ever be famous. We were in a tiny underground club performing for whoever was there. We put it in the song because […] I don’t really separate the past, present, and future. I think of it as this singular thing that is happening constantly. Hence Epik High Is Here.
Speaking of “Champagne,” how does it feel to come this far?
We’re not super serious about ourselves so I don’t even think we’ve ever sat down and been like, “Look at all the things we’ve achieved!” or “Look how far we’ve come!” We get together and we’re like, “What do you want to eat today? We got to finish this thing.” It’s always hectic and fun. It’s nearly impossible for us to be serious about anything, especially ourselves. We’ve never really pat ourselves on the back.
What are you popping a bottle to now?
I just want to get over COVID. I haven’t seen my members for a while in real life. The good thing is we’re going on tour for over two months and we finish it off with Coachella. It’s going to be an amazing adventure. We haven’t been able to tour for over two years. So, just think of how much energy we have to release on stage. We’re just gonna go crazy so we’re totally excited for that right now.
Anything else you’d like to tell me?
I think we’re gonna live in a pretty exciting world. You can call me a futurist or whatever you want, but I’m always interested in the future about what can be. And usually, the things I imagine materialize. It’s not fantasy. You know the fact my best friend is 11, my daughter? I watch the things that she’s interested in and I can just see that we’re about to head into a world that we’ve never experienced. It’s going to be fascinating, scary at times, but ultimately beneficial in some way. There will always be forces that try to reign that in, or to stop it from happening or to criticize without full information because of fear, but that’s always happening.
And the reason that I’m mentioning this is one thing about Epik High, when we started, artists were releasing cassette tapes. Then one or two albums in, we didn’t have to release cassette tapes anymore because people wouldn’t buy them. Then streaming happened and social media happened, before that the smartphone came out. All of these things while we were doing Epik High, so many paradigm shifts have happened with technology, with culture. The fact that we have been able to navigate through all that is because we enjoyed it. Not because we sat back. We didn’t do that! We enjoyed it and that made us able to navigate through all those changes certain companies can’t even do. I would just love for people to be critical in a world where everyone is trying to scam you. But my message for people would be to enjoy it a little bit as well, you know?
Epik High Is Here Part 2 is out now via OURS Co/Genie Music. Get it here.
This year’s Record Store Day is on April 23, and now the moment everybody has been waiting for has arrived: The lengthy list of exclusive releases has been revealed.
Meanwhile, Foo Fighters are releasing a split single that includes a version of “Making A Fire” re-worked by Mark Ronson and a version of “Chasing Birds” reimagined by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Childish Gambino is also making his 2014 EP Kauai available on vinyl for the first time ever.
…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead — The Century Of Self
…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead — Madonna
A.R. Kane — Americana
Alan Vega — Jukebox Babe b/w Speedway
Albert Ayler — Revelations: The Complete ORTF 1970 Fondation Maeght Recordings
Alice Cooper — Brutal Planet
Alice In Chains — We Die Young
Allman Brothers Band — Cream Of The Crop 2003 — Highlights
America — Alternates & Rarities
America — History 180 Translucent Blue Vinyl
America — History 180 White Vinyl
Angelo Badalamenti — Blue Velvet (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Deluxe Edition]
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers — In My Prime
Art Pepper — Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section [Mono]
Asia — XXX
Bad Company — Live 1979
Barry White — No Limit On Love
Be Bop Deluxe — Live In The Air Age
Belinda Carlisle — The Heaven on Earth Tour
Bell Biv Devoe — Poison
Ben Vaughn — The World Of Ben Vaughn
Bernard Butler — People Move On: The B-Sides, 1998 + 2021
Betty Harris — The Lost Queen of New Orleans Soul
Bill Evans — Inner Spirit: The 1979 Concert At The Teatro General San Martín, Buenos Aires
Bill Evans — Morning Glory: The 1973 Concert At The Teatro Gran Rex, Buenos Aires
Billy Bragg — Life’s A Riot With Spy vs Spy (30th Anniversary Edition)
Billy F Gibbons — Hardware [Deluxe Edition]
Black Label Society — Alcohol Fueled Brewtality Live
Black Pumas — Black Pumas [Collector’s Edition 7″ Box Set]
Blondie — Sunday Girl EP
Blue Stingrays — Grits & Eggs
Blur — Bustin’ + Dronin’
Bobby Hamilton Quintet Unlimited — Dream Queen
Bomba Estero — Live in Dublin
Brian Bennett — Voyage (A Journey into Discoid Funk)
Brian Tyler — The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift (Original Score)
Bruno Nicolai — La Dama Rossa Uccide Sette Volte (The Red Queen Kills Seven Times)
Buena Vista Social Club — Ahora Me Da Pena
C-Bo — Orca (Deluxe Edition)
Calvin Keys — Full Court Press
Camera Obscura — Making Money
Charles Mingus — The Lost Album From Ronnie Scott’s
Charlie Benante — Moving Pitchers
Chet Baker — Live In Paris: The Radio France Recordings 1983-1984
Chicago — Chicago At Carnegie Hall, April 9, 1971 (Live)
Chief Keef — Sorry 4 The Weight (Deluxe Edition)
Childish Gambino — Kauai
Christian McBride — Conversations With Christian
Chuck Prophet — The Age of Miracles
Cold War Kids — Zowie Selects
Collective Soul — Disciplined Breakdown
Commander Venus — The Uneventful Vacation [25th Anniversary]
Coolio — It Takes A Thief
Corinne Bailey Rae — The Sea
Cypress Hill — The 420 Remixes
Czarface — Czarmageddon
Dana Gillespie — Foolish Seasons
Darlene Love — Darlene Love: The Many Sides of Love — The Complete Reprise Recordings Plus!
Daughtry — Dearly Beloved
Dave Brubeck Trio — Live From Vienna 1967
Dave Davies — Kinked
David Bowie — Brilliant Adventure EP
David Bowie — Toy EP (‘You’ve got it made with all the toys’)
Debbie Gibson — Lost in Your Eyes, The Duet with Joey McIntyre
Def Leppard — High ‘n’ Dry
Del Shannon — Rock On
Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio — Live in Loveland!
Dermot Kennedy — Doves & Ravens
Detective — Detective
Devo — Oh, No! It’s Devo (40th Anniversary Edition)
Dillinger Escape Plan — Dissociation
Dio — Double Dose of Donington
Doctor Who — Dead Air
Donna Summer — Donna Summer — 40th Anniversary Picture Disc
Durand Jones and the Indications — Power To The People
Echo & The Bunnymen — B-Sides and Live (2001 – 2005)
Edgar Froese — Epsilon In Malaysian Pale
Edison International — It Happened At The Hop: Edison International Doo Woppers & Sock Hoppers
Electronic — Remix Mini Album
Elton John — The Complete Thom Bell Sessions (EP)
Erasure — Ne:EP
Erika de Casier — The Sensational Remixes
Esther Marrow — Sister Woman
Everlast — Whitey Ford
Everything But The Girl — Night and Day (40th Anniversary Edition)
Fats Domino — Here Comes… Fats Domino
Field Music — Plumb
Flash & The Dynamics — The New York Sound
Foo Fighters — “Making A Fire (Mark Ronson Re-Version)” b/w “Chasing Birds (Preservation Hall Jazz Band Re-Version)”
Frankie Goes To Hollywood — Altered Reels
Frankie and The Witch Fingers — Frankie and The Witch Fingers
Future — DS2
G.B.H. — City Baby Attacked By Rats
Gavid Rossdale — Wanderlust
Geoff Tate — Kings & Thieves
Gerard Way — Hesitant Alien
Girlhouse — The girlhouse Eps
Glass Animals — I Don’t Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance)
Gojira — Live at Brixton Academy
Golden Smog — On Golden Smog
Gong — Gong In the 70s
Gorgon City — Olympia Remixes
Grateful Dead — Wembley Empire Pool, London, England 4/8/72 (Live)
Handsome Boy Modeling School — So… How’s Your Girl?
Hasaan Ibn Ali — Retrospect In Retirement Of Delay: The Solo Recordings
Heartbreakers — The L.A.M.F. demo sessions
Home Boy and the C.O.L. — Home Boy And The C.O.L.
Iggy Pop — Live In Berlin
Jacka — Tear Gas
James Blake — COVERS
James Luckett — May OST
Jay Bennett — “Kicking at the Perfumed Air” & “Whatever Happened I Apologize” with the film “Where are you, Jay Bennett?”
Jazz Sabbath — Vol. 2
Jeannie C. Riley — Harper Valley PTA
Jerry Garcia Band — Ragged But Right
Jessie Ware — Devotion: The Gold Edition (10th Anniversary)
Jesus Jones — Scratched – Unreleased Rare Tracks & Remixes
Jetstar Records — The Rock Sides
Jetstar Records — The Soul Sides
Jim Jones — Hustler’s P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment)
Jimmy Cliff — Follow My Mind
Joan Jett And The Blackhearts — Acoustics
John Craigie — Abbey Road Lonely
John Fred & His Playboy Band — Judy In Disguise
John Williams — Lost In Space: Title Themes from the Hit TV Series
John Williams — The Cowboys (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [50th Anniversary]
Johnny Marr — Spirit, Power & Soul
Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers — Modern Lovers 88 [35th Anniversary]
Joni Mitchell — Blue Highlights
Jorma Kaukonen — The Land of Heroes
Joss Stone — LP1
Judas Priest — Hero Hero
June 18
KITTIE — Spit
Kacey Musgraves — star-crossed
Karen Dalton — Shuckin’ Sugar
Keith Richards — Talk is Cheap / Live At The Hollywood Palladium
Kenny Garrett — Sketches of MD: Live at the Iridium
Kid Creole and The Coconuts — Fresh Fruit In Foreign Places
Kirk Hammett — Portals
L’Imperatrice — Vanilla Fraise
L.A.Guns — Walking The Dead
La Femme — Paradigmes : Suppléments
La Luz — The Instrumentals
Larry Coryell — Fairyland
Laura Nyro — Trees Of The Ages: Laura Nyro Live In Japan
Lil Wayne — Sorry 4 The Wait
Linda Hoover — I Need To Shine
Lou Reed — I’m So Free: The 1971 RCA Demos
Lou Reed and Kris Kristofferson — The Bottom Line Archive Series: In Their Own Words: With Vin Scelsa (3LP)
Madness — Baggy Trousers
Madonna — Who’s That Girl (Super Club Mix)
Marco Beltrami — Mimic (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Maria Callas — Maria Callas: Pure
Mariah Carey — #1’s
Masego — Studying Abroad: Extended Stay (EP)
Max Roach — We Insist
Maxim Mental — Fucking EP
Melanie C — Northern Star
Michel F April — Dead By Daylight V2 Original Soundtrack
Mike Oldfield — Tubular Bells II
Mike Watt + Larry Mullins — Fun House
Mikey Dread/Edi Fitzroy — The Gun / Jah Jah Style
Miles Davis — What It Is: Montreal 7/783
Mockasin, Connan & Ade — It’s Just Wind
Morcheeba — Blackest Blue – The Remixes
Mother Mother — O My Heart
Motorhead — Lost Tapes Vol 2
Mxmtoon — true colors (from Life is Strange)
My Morning Jacket — Live From RCA Studio A (Jim James Acoustic)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds — Live Seeds
Nick Lowe — Wireless World
Nicki Minaj — Beam Me Up Scotty
Nico — Live At The Hacienda ’83
Nico and The Faction — Camera Obscura
Night Beats — Live at Valentine
Night Ranger — Somewhere in California
Night Ranger — Wasted Time
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Bird — Magic Secrets 2022
Opeth — My Arms, Your Hearse
Otto Kentrol — No Mistakes
Paquito d´Rivera & Arturo Sandoval — Reunion
Parry Gripp — For Kids About To Rock
Patti Smith — Curated By Record Store Day
Pearl Jam — Live on Two Legs
Peppa Pig — Peppa’s Adventures: The Album
Pepper Adams with The Tommy Banks Trio — Live at Room At The Top
Pete Krebs & The Gossamer Wings — I Know It By Heart
Pete Townshend — Face The Face
Peter Gabriel — Live Blood
Peter Tosh — Complete Captured Live
Pixies — Live at Coachella 2004
Prince — The Gold Experience
Prodigy — Return of the Mac
Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys — The Bluegrass Sound
Ramones — The Sire Albums (1981-1989)
Ray Charles — Genius Loves Company
Red Hot Chili Peppers — Unlimited Love
Reigning Sound — Memphis In June
Rex Orange County — Apricot Princess – 5th Anniversary Edition
Richie Furay — In The Country
Richie Hell — Gumbo Limbo Remixes
Rick Astley — Whenever You Need Somebody
Ringo Starr — Ringo The 4th Translucent Blue Vinyl
Ringo Starr — Ringo The 4th Translucent Orange Vinyl
Rizzle Kicks — Stereo Typical
Robert Lester Folsom — Music and Dreams
Rockabye Baby! — Lullaby Renditions of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On
Roky Erickson & The Explosives — Halloween II: Live 2007
Ron Sexsmith — Long Player Late Bloomer
Rory Gallagher — Live In San Diego ’74
Ryan Hamilton — 1221
Sam Smith — Nirvana
Sandy Denny — Gold Dust Live At The Royalty
Santana — Splendiferous Santana
Sara Bareilles — Little Voice
Satan’s Pilgrims — Live At Jackpot Records
Scott Walker — Boy Child: The Best Of 1967-1970
Sepultura — Revolusongs
Shankar Family & Friends — I Am Missing You
Sheena Easton — The Definitive 12″ Singles 1983-1987
Simple Minds — 5 x 5 Live
Slang — RSD 2022 7″
Slash — Live At Studio 60
Sleep Token — Sundowning
Soul Jazz Records Presents — 100% DYNAMITE! Ska, Soul, Rocksteady & Funk in Jamaica
Soul Jazz Records Presents — PUNK 45: I’m A Mess! D-I-Y Or Die! Art, Trash & Neon – Punk 45s In The UK 1977-78
Soul Jazz Records Presents — STUDIO ONE CLASSICS
Souren Baronian — The Middle Eastern Soul of Carlee Records
Speed, Glue & Shinki — Eve (2017 Remaster)
St. Vincent — The Nowhere Inn (Official Soundtrack)
Steve Earle — Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother / Night Rider’s Lament
Steve Hackett — The Tokyo Tapes
Stevie Nicks — Bella Donna
Stiff Little Fingers — BBC Live in Concert
Sun’s Signature — Sun’s Signature
Super Furry Animals — (Brawd Bach) – Rings Around the World
Superchunk — Incidental Music: 1991 – 1995
Supergrass — Moving
Surfbort — Keep On Truckin’
Suzanne Vega — Close-Up Extras
Tangerine Dream — Alpha Centauri
Tangerine Dream — Live At Reims Cinema Opera (September 23rd, 1975)
Tangerine Dream — Strange Behavior
Taylor Swift — The Lakes
Tegan and Sara — Still Jealous
Tennis System — Autophobia
Tesseract — Polaris
The Academic — Community Spirit EP
The Album Leaf — Past and Future Tense
The Bleeding Hearts — Riches to Rags
The Brand New Heavies — Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1 [30th Anniversary]
The Catatonics — Hunted Down
The Ceyleib People — Tanyet
The Cranberries — Remembering Dolores
The Cure — Pornography
The Damned — Strawberries
The Doors — L.A. Woman
The Everly Brothers — Hey Doll Baby
The Five Americans — Western Union
The Go! Team — Proof of Youth
The Grouch — Show You The World
The Gun Club — Live At The Hacienda ’83
The Jackson 5 — ABC
The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset EP
The Knack — Live At The House of Blues
The Lord — Forest Nocturne
The Lumineers — Brightside: Bonus Tracks
The Muffs — New Improved Kim Shattuck Demos
The Offspring — Greatest Hits
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band — The Original Lost Elektra Sessions (Expanded)
The Proclaimers — Sunshine on Leith (2 LP Expanded Edition)
The Rain Parade — Explosions in the Glass Palace
The Rationals — The Rationals
The Replacements — Unsuitable for Airplay: The Lost KFAI Concert (Live)
The Residents — Warning: Uninc – Live And Experimental Recordings 1971-1972
The Rolling Stones — More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies) [50th Anniversary]
The Rubinoos — The Rubinoos
The Sheila Divine — Where Have My Countrymen Gone
The Shocking Blue — At Home (The Singles)
The Sound — Counting The Days
The Sweet — Platinum Rare VOL 2
The Walkmen — Lisbon
The Who — It’s Hard (40th Anniversary)
The Whole Darn Family — Seven Minutes of Funk/Ain’t Nothing But Something to Do
Thomas Dolby — Hyperactive!
Tiny Tim & Brave Combo — Girl
Twiztid — I Tried 2 Warn U
Tyler Bates and Various Artists — Music from the Motion Picture Watchmen
U2 — A Celebration (40th Anniversary)
Udo Dirkschneider — My Way
Ultravox! — Live At The Rainbow 1977 (45th Anniversary)
Van McCoy — The Hustle
Various Artists — 50 Years of TV’s Greatest Hits
Various Artists — Adult Swim & RVNG INTL.: Correspondence
Various Artists — Atenção!: Novos Sons do Brasil
Various Artists — Big Night (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Various Artists — Brazil 45 Boxset Vol.3
Various Artists — Breakin’: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Various Artists — Go Ahead Punk…Make My Day
Various Artists — Greensleeves Ganja Anthems
Various Artists — Jazz Dispensary: Super Skunk
Various Artists — Latin Legends Live (Tierra, El Chicano, Malo)
Various Artists — Love Is All I Bring
Various Artists — Panama’s Soul Gems
Various Artists — Portraits of Her
Various Artists — Song Confessional Vol 1
Various Artists — Soul Power ’68
Various Artists — The Best Of Chi-Sound Records 1976-1983
Various Artists — The Royal Tenenbaums (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Various Artists — The Sam Phillips Years: Sun Records Curated by RSD, Volume 9
Viktor Vaughn — Vaudeville Villain
Vince Guaraldi Trio — Baseball Theme
Virgin Prunes — Pagan Lovesong (40th Anniversary Edition)
Vitamin String Quartet — VSQ Performs Coldplay’s Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Warrior Soul — Odds & Ends
Weyes Blood — A Certain Kind b/w Everybody’s Talkin’
Weyes Blood — The Innocents
Willie Nelson — Live At The Texas Opry House, 1974
Wipers — Over The Edge – Anniversary Edition
World Party — Seaview Records Presents: World Party – Curated By RSD
Wye Oak — If Children
Young-Holt Unlimited — Young-Holt Unlimited Plays Superfly
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, better known to most as The Weeknd, was born on February 16, 1990, making today his 32nd birthday. Late last night, The Weeknd shared was must have been one of the first birthday messages he received, a sweet text from his parents.
The text, sent from his mother’s phone but addressed from both of his parents, reads, “February 16 @ 2:45 pm the Star is born Happy Birthday Abel. Enkuan tewoldek [heart emoji] [folded hands emoji] [cake emoji] [champagne glasses emoji] [champagne bottle emoji]. egzaiber ymesgn [folded hands emojis]. You are our hero God bless you and your work with much Love. Always yours proud parents [heart emojis].”
The Weeknd’s folks aren’t the only ones who took notice of his big day, as he’s currently a trending topic on Twitter as fans wish him a happy birthday.
At the young age of 32, The Weeknd has accomplished a ton in his life. He has three No. 1 albums to his name in the US, while his LPs that didn’t top the chart — Kiss Land and Dawn FM — peaked at No. 2. His 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy also went No. 1. Additionally, he has a handful of chart-topping singles, the latest of them being 2020’s “Save Your Tears.” He also has the most monthly listeners on Spotify, a throne he claimed from Justin Bieber in January. “Blinding Lights” is also the second-most-streamed song in the history of the platform and will likely follow Ed Sheeran’s “Shape Of You” to become the second song to ever hit 3 billion Spotify streams.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
In a move that will undoubtedly prove to be controversial, Goldenvoice has announced that it’s dropping COVID-19 safety protocols from its upcoming Coachella Music Festival, and will not require proof of vaccination, a negative COVID test, or masks. The promoter previously rolled back its vaccination policy but has now done away with all other precautions, as well.
Updating the festival’s health and safety rules page, organizers wrote, “In accordance with local guidelines, there will be no vaccination, testing or masking requirements at Coachella 2022. “However, the event shall be presented in accordance with applicable public health conditions as of the date of the event and which may change at any time as determined by federal, state or local government agencies or instrumentalities, artists or the promoter.”
With California loosening COVID safety rules, Coachella would be exempted from the few remaining guidelines regarding vaccinations and masks, which will only be enforced for indoor events of 1,000 or more attendees. Goldenvoice’s updated rules still include the disclaimer warning that COVID-19 “is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death.”
This year’s Coachella festival is set to be headlined by Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, and Kanye West, although Kanye threatened to drop out if Eilish didn’t issue an apology to Travis Scott — something she’s shown seemingly little interest in doing. Coachella takes place April 15-17 and 22-24 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. You can find more information here.
The most notable Rihanna news as of late is that she and ASAP Rocky are now expecting their first child together. For those whose primary interest in Rihanna lies in her musical output, a natural reaction to the pregnancy news is to wonder what sort of impact it will have on her forthcoming album. Well, now Rihanna has addressed that, noting that new music is still on the way.
In a lighthearted and friendly interview with ET’s Rachel Smith from over the weekend, Smith asked Rihanna about her “other baby” (the upcoming album) and wondered if pregnancy and motherhood will inspire new music. Rihanna responded, “Oh gosh. You can’t ever… You know, this is why my fans love you, you know, because you ask all the good questions. Well… yes, you’re still going to get music from me.” Smith suggested a lullaby could be on the way and Rihanna replied, “Oh my goodness, not a lullaby. My fans would kill me if they waited this long for a lullaby.”
She also spoke about how her pregnancy has been so far, saying, “It’s all an exciting journey so far. I’m just taking it as it comes every week. There’s always something new and I’m just taking it and I’m enjoying it.” Rocky also told ET, “I’m just excited for what I don’t know yet. Everything is new to me. So, I’m excited.”
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(@MementoMoriXO) February 20, 2022
