Whitney Houston: 1963 - 2012

Whitney Houston has died at age 48, the Associated Press reported. The singer, who was best known for hits like “I Will Always Love You,” “How Will I Know” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” was confirmed dead by her publicist, Kristen Foster, this evening. The cause of her death was not confirmed.   read more

Ezra Furman: The Year of No Returning

When Ezra Furman and the Harpoons’ first record came out, there was a good argument to be made that the scene could actually use a dead-on Violent Femmes doppelganger. In a scene with a lot of yelp, to have the brand of yelp that comes with a blistering sense of humor and vaguely pervy garage-rock abandon was a good palate cleanser and a nice antidote to the last decades’ raft of monochromatic Englishmen in tight jeans. Years later, though, Furman has the sense to branch out and try to seek his own less referential voice and broaden his sonic palette.  read more

OK Go Talks Bands, Brands and Creative Freedom

For their most recent single off 2010’s _Of The Blue Color of the Sky_, OK Go transformed a Chevy Sonic into a self-contained instrument, racing it around the California desert and musically recreating the entire song.   read more

Sennheiser/Paste Party in Austin Preview: Glen Hansard

Hometown: Dublin, Ireland Members: Glen Hansard (guitar, vocals) Album: The Swell Season, Strict Joy (2009) Sennheiser & Paste are teaming up for a three-day party during SXSW. Sennheiser & Paste Present the Stages on Sixth will feature 33 of our favorite bands in Austin, Texas, March 14 to 16. During the 33 days leading up to the event, we’re previewing a different band each day. We hope to see you in Austin—RSVP if you can make it. And don’t worry if you can’t; we’ll be posting video of each performance. Irish troubadour Glen Hansard has his hands and iconic beard...  read more

Sennheiser & Paste Present The Stages on Sixth During SXSW

We're thrilled to present the line-up for this year's Sennheiser & Paste Present The Stages on Sixth, our eighth annual party during the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, March 14-16.  read more

The Walkmen Complete New Album

The Walkmen’s new album is finished, organist Peter Bauer confirmed today with Paste. The album —the band’s seventh, which hasn’t been titled— is expected to be 13 tracks long.  read more

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Adds Six Backing Bands to its Roster

This year's inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will be six backing groups that for three decades have been overlooked. We say to you Hall of Fame gods - it is about time. The Comets, Blue Caps, The Crickets, Famous Flames, The Midnighters and The Miracles will be added to the Hall despite the years their talents remained unrecognized.   read more

Vivian Girls Streaming Free New York Show Tonight

The Vivian Girls are set to play a free show at Gansevoort Plaza in New York this evening at 7:45 p.m. EST. The trio is playing a showcase for Kate Spade, who will stream the show live through their Facebook page.   read more

Best Coast Announces Tour and New Album

We recently reported Sigur Ros will be making their touring return at the Isle of Wight Festival, and now Best Coast has confirmed they will be joining the festival's list in their UK headlining tour. The June show will be the first time the band plays in the UK as an expanded four piece set - Rafe Mandel and Brett Mielke will join the core duo of Bethany Cossentino and Bobb Bruno.  read more

Bruce Springsteen Premieres "We Take Care of Our Own" Video

Just recently Bruce Springsteen tweeted, " 'We Take Care of Our Own' new video debuts this morning." With his forthcoming album _Wrecking Album_ due for March 6 and an appearance at the Sunday, Feb. 12 Grammy Awards, as well as a full tour with the E Street Band which has added the talent of Jake Clemons, nephew of the late saxophonist Clarence Clemons, it looks like Springsteen has been a busy man.  read more

Hospitality: The Best of What's Next

Amber Papini just arrived home to her Brooklyn apartment, finally unwinding with a bottle of water and handful of vitamins—after a long day of teaching second graders. Her soft, almost mousey, voice is a tad strained, as if this school day might have been an eventful one.  read more

Watch Justin Vernon Play "Perth" with The Roots

During his stay in New York for his SNL appearance, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon stopped by Jimmy Fallon’s studio to perform an alternate, extended take on “Perth” from last year’s Bon Iver. Vernon performed the track as an exclusive to Fallon's studio audience.   read more

Jay-Z and Kanye's "Paris" Music Video Finally Released

Jay-Z and Kanye West’s highly anticipated video for their hit “Ni**as in Pris” finally hit the internet today and proved just how much the duo balls so hard.  read more

Watch Lee Ranaldo's New Video

New York, I love you. This is what we gathered Lee Ranaldo's latest music video for "Off the Wall" is saying. Sonic Youth posted the clip on their Facebook page today and it is a treat.  read more

Listen to a Tom Jones Track Produced by Jack White

As previously reported, Tom Jones and Jack White took to the studio to record two tracks for Third Man Records’ Blue Series.   read more

Van Halen Enlists Kool & the Gang As Tour Openers

In what is shaping up to be possibly the best the ‘80s revival tour of the decade, Van Halen has announced that Kool & the Gang will be opening for them on their upcoming national tour.  read more

of Montreal: Pulling Off the Mask

The key track on Paralytic Stalks, the new of Montreal album, is “Ye, Renew the Plaintiff.” This nearly nine-minute epic moves through seven separate sections as if descending through the layers of singer/songwriter Kevin Barnes’ despair.  read more

Watch of Montreal's Elaborate Performance on Fallon

of Montreal took their elaborate stage set up to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night. The band performed “Dour Percentage,” a cut from their most recent album, Paralytic Stalks.   read more

Damon Albarn, Andre 3000, James Murphy to Collaborate for Converse Song

Damon Albarn, OutKast’s Andre 3000 and former LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy are set to release a collaboration for Converse, the Sun reports. The track is a part of Converse’s “Three Artists, One Song” series, which has seen collaborations between Andrew W.K., Matt and Kim, and Soulja Boy, and another between Kid Cudi, Best Coast and Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij.  read more

Johnny Cash Bootleg Vol. IV: The Soul of Truth Set for April Release

To celebrate what would have been The Man In Black’s 80th birthday on Feb. 26, Legacy Recordings will release a special two-disc album, entitled _Bootleg Vol. IV: The Soul of Truth_.  read more