Author: djfrosty

Save this storySaveSave this storySaveThe 2025 BRIT Awards aired today (March 1) at London’s O2 Arena, hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall. The ceremony featured performances from Sabrina Carpenter, JADE, and The Last Dinner Party, with Teddy Swims, Myles Smith, Lola Young, Sam Fender, Ezra Collective and Jorja Smith also taking the stage. Though she did not perform, Charli XCX was far and away the night’s big winner, taking home five trophies in total: Song of the Year (for “Guess featuring Billie Eilish”), Best Dance Act, Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Album of the Year. Scroll down to watch footage of the performers.Sabrina CarpenterNotable non-Brit kicked Sabrina Carpenter kicked off the show, though you wouldn’t have been able to tell from her performance, which featured Buckingham Palace guards in formation and the whole stage lit up with Union Jack flags. After a mashup of “Espresso” with “Rule Britannia,” Carpenter momentarily vanished, then reappeared atop a heart-shaped platform in red, glittery lingerie for a boudoir-themed rendition of the Short n’ Sweet album track “Bed Chem.” Carpenter threw out some impressive vocal runs and began to suggestively flirt with one of the guards, who winked as the camera panned away. Later in the evening, she was presented with the BRITs Global Success award by Diana Ross.X contentThis content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.Teddy SwimsAtlanta crooner Teddy Swims brought a surreal setup for his medley of recent hits, including white furniture covered in cartoon doodles, a leather-clad dancer with a lamb on her head, and a stuffed, life-size bear perched on a cloud above the band. Swims performed “Bad Dreams” in a cloak and collar that looked like a comforter and pillows, stripped down to a rhinestoned terrycloth robe for “The Doors,” and sat down at a piano to sing “Lose Control”—which he also performed at the 2025 Grammy Awards—as the stage caught fire.X contentThis content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.Myles SmithRight after accepting his Rising Star award from The Last Dinner Party, Myles Smith gave a comparatively humble performance of his song “Nice to Meet You”—though, in this case, “humble” still meant a horn section, fiddle solo, and six or so backup singers crowded around old-fashioned radio broadcast microphones. And for anyone who thought stomp-clap music was dead, Smith got the crowd literally stomping and clapping along to his biggest hit, “Stargazing,” before taking his mic off the stand and making his way out onto the risers in front of the stage, acoustic guitar in tow.X contentThis content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.JADEJade Thirwall, formerly of Little Mix, recreated the music video for her 2024 pop opus “Angel of My Dreams” in a heavenly, five-act theatrical production. Thirwall wore a wedding dress for “Act I: The Marriage,” then quick-changed into her “Act II: Prima Donna” ensemble, which consisted of an oversized blonde wig, cat’s eye sunglasses, and a massive fur coat. Dancers in tragicomic masks surrounded her for “Act III: Metamorphosis,” and “Act IV: Requiem” made a brief detour into “IT GIRL,” Thirwall’s first and thus-far only single of the year. Finally, for “Act V: Ascension,” Thirwall took to the sky, flying above the stage with outstretched white wings to sing the final chous of “Angel.” As the segment’s closing title card read: “That’s showbiz baby!”X contentThis content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.The Last Dinner PartyBuzzy London five-piece The Last Dinner Party paid tribute to the late David Lynch with their performance of “Nothing Matters,” from last year’s debut record Prelude to Ecstasy. Accompanied by her bandmates and a string section, lead singer Abigail Morris danced around in set dressing clearly inspired by the Black Lodge from Twin Peaks, complete with red velvet curtains and a black-and-white zigzag floor. Eventually the red curtains parted, as images of the band were projected behind them and leaf-shaped confetti rained down from the ceiling.X contentThis content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.Lola YoungDelivering the first lines of “Messy” from a pile of wrinkled clothes and loose tchotchkes, Lola Young made good on the song’s hook: “’Cause I’m too messy, and then I’m too fucking clean.” The speak-singing standout from 2024’s This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway was brought further to life as Young tossed dirty laundry into the crowd, make a short-lived attempt at vacuuming, and dumped an entire box of detergent onto the stage.X contentThis content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.Sam FenderBest Alternative/Rock Act winner and “The North Shields Springsteen” Sam Fender, as he was described by host Jack Whitehall, gave a not-half-bad impersonation of The Boss with his single “People Watching” from his new album of the same title. Fender baritone definitely had a Springsteenian quality to it, and if that wasn’t enough E Street Band worship for you, a squealing saxophone and trumpet kicked in during the song’s rousing last chorus.X contentThis content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.Ezra Collective with Jorja Smith2023 Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective closed out the 2025 BRIT Awards—where they also won Group of the Year—with a medley of songs including “Ajala.” The British jazz quintet were joined by a massive horn section and Jorja Smith, who sang 2023’s “Little Things” with full band accompaniment.X contentThis content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

Save this storySaveSave this storySaveDavid Johansen, who fronted the legendary 1970s proto-punk band New York Dolls and who also recorded under the pseudonym Buster Poindexter, died on Friday, February 28, his representative, Carla Parisi of Kid Logic Media, shared via email. The musician “died at home in New York City on Friday afternoon holding hands with his wife, Mara Hennessey, and daughter Leah, surrounded by music, flowers, and love,” according to a statement. Johansen was 75 years old.The statement said that Johansen “died of natural causes after nearly a decade of illness,” but the musician had also recently revealed that he had been living with stage 4 cancer. At the time, his daughter, Leah Hennessey, launched a Sweet Relief fundraiser to help cover the costs of his care and medical treatment.David Roger Johansen was born on Staten Island, in 1950, where he was raised by a librarian mother and insurance salesman father. Johansen has reflected fondly on his home borough over the years, recording a two-part podcast on his idyllic childhood, which he spent zipping around on a bicycle, listening to records, and riling up the nuns at his Catholic school. In 2009, he appeared on Anthony Bourdain’s food show No Reservations as a guide to Staten Island’s culinary fare. At one point, Johansen told Bourdain that his beloved borough’s South Beach “rivals Kauai.”Like many architects of punk’s first wave, Johansen grew up devouring blues and rock’n’roll singles, many of which he bought at Staten Island’s since-shuttered Dew Dale Records. Young Johansen took a shine to Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Fats Domino, the Platters, and the girl groups of the 1960s, many of which were produced by Phil Spector. The latter’s influence is evident on the early New York Dolls song “Looking for a Kiss,” which kicks off with Johansen reciting the opening line of the Shangri-Las’ “Give Him a Great Big Kiss”: “When I Say I’m in Love, you best believe I’m in love: L-U-V,” Johansen sneers, just before the band comes in. Years later, New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders repeated the phrase while covering “Great Big Kiss” on solo debut So Alone.In high school, Johansen watched as multiple siblings (he was one of six) took part in musicals. He, instead, was busy making a name for himself in the New York rock scene. By the early 1970s, Johansen joined the New York Dolls and he sang on the band’s self-titled debut. At the time, the group featured Johansen, Sylvain Sylvain, bassist Arthur “Killer” Kane, drummer Jerry Nolan, and guitarist Johnny Thunders. The album, produced by Todd Rundgren, was divisive upon release, in 1973, but has proved to be a classic of the glam rock and proto-punk genres.The New York Dolls released just one more studio album, 1974’s Too Much Too Soon, before they were dropped by their label, Mercury, for two records that did not sell well. Within the next year or two, the New York Dolls broke up for the first time.Johansen shared his first solo album, a self-titled effort, in 1978, and he went on to release several more records in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Eventually, he adopted the persona Buster Poindexter. As Poindexter, he scored his first real hit, a cover of Arrow’s “Hot Hot Hot,” which reached No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.In 2004, the former Smiths singer Morrissey helped Johansen reunite with his New York Dolls bandmates Sylvain Sylvain and Arthur Kane for shows in London. Kane died not long after the reunion, but Johansen, Sylvain, and others came together to record the New York Dolls’ 2006 comeback album, One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This. The reunited Dolls went on to make two more albums: the Todd Rundgren–produced Cause I Sez So and 2011’s Dancing Backward in High Heels.Late in his life, Johansen was the subject of a documentary from directors Martin Scorses and David Tedeschi, Personality Crisis: One Night Only. “I’ve known David Johansen for decades, and his music has been a touchstone ever since I listened to the Dolls when I was making Mean Streets,” Scorsese said when he announced the film. “Then and now, David’s music captures the energy and excitement of New York City. I often see him perform, and over the years I’ve gotten to know the depth of his musical inspirations. After seeing his show last year at the Café Carlyle, I knew I had to film it because it was so extraordinary to see the evolution of his life and his musical talent in such an intimate setting. For me, the show captured the true emotional potential of a live musical experience.”

Save this storySaveSave this storySaveNext week, Pitchfork is hosting a live event to celebrate the release of a new quarterly zine. It was originally set to take place at Printed Matter, but, due to overwhelming interest, the event will now be held at the venue Baby’s All Right, located at 146 Broadway in Brooklyn.The zine launch event still takes place on Tuesday, March 4, at 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, and Printed Matter will be selling copies of the zine at Baby’s All Right. RSVP to the show here.Entry to the event is guaranteed for people who preorder the zine, which you can do now via the Printed Matter website. Buyers will be able to pick up their orders at the zine launch event. The event is first come, first served, with admission granted until the venue reaches capacity.The new event will still feature a panel with writer Meaghan Garvey, photographer Jason Nocito, and editors Mano Sundaresan and Jeremy D. Larson. Together, they’ll discuss Garvey’s new Cover Story on Bladee, the making of the zine, Bladee’s impact, and the evolving intersection of music, visual culture, and independent publishing. Plus, expect some DJ sets to follow the panel.If you can’t make it to Baby’s All Right on Tuesday night, but still want or preordered a zine, they’ll be available exclusively at Printed Matter, beginning on March 5. The shop is located at 231 11th Ave in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York.A Rare Interview With Bladee, the Mystic Oracle of Internet Rap