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The new Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, doesn’t hit theaters until Christmas Day, but hype for the new movie has propelled a seven-year-old audiobook about the singer back onto the charts.
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Dylan Goes Electric!: Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties was originally released in 2017, but the audiobook has returned to the top of Audible’s music charts on the heels of the upcoming film release.
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Written by music historian and journalist Elijah Wald (and narrated by Sean Runnette), Dylan Goes Electric follows the uproar that ensued after Dylan took the stage at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965 backed by an electric band, rather than his usual acoustic setup. Kicking off his set with an amplified version of “Maggie’s Farm,” Dylan then roared into his rock and roll hit, “Like a Rolling Stone,” much to the chagrin of what the book describes as “folk purists and political activists who had hailed him as their acoustic prophet.”
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Dylan Goles Electric traces the genesis of that performance and tracks the resulting fallout from the show, described as “a mix of shock, booing, and scattered cheers.” The singer did not return to the Newport Festival for 37 years after that night. Was Dylan indebted to the folk community for making him their star? Or did the artist have free reign to explore his musical independence and blaze a bold new path?
As Wald writes in the book, “It was the shot heard round the world – Dylan’s declaration of musical independence, the end of the folk revival, and the birth of rock as the voice of a generation – and one of the defining moments in 20th-century music.”
The publisher notes, meantime, write that “Wald explores the cultural, political, and historical context of this seminal event that embodies the transformative decade that was the sixties,” diving “deep into the folk revival, the rise of rock, and the tensions between traditional and groundbreaking music to provide new insights into Dylan’s artistic evolution.”
Dylan Goes Electric is available now on audiobook for $15 through Amazon. But you can listen to the book for just $0.99 as part of a new Audible deal, that gets you three months of access for just $3. Offer ends December 31 so we recommend signing up for the Audible promo while it’s still live. See full details here.
The Dylan Goes Electric audiobook has a run time of 11 hours and 56 minutes. The Timothee Chalamet-led A Complete Unknown, meantime, hits theaters December 25.
Sabrina Carpenter is set to headline BST Hyde Park in 2025, marking another milestone in her meteoric rise to pop stardom.
The “Espresso” singer will take center stage in London on Saturday, July 5, with special guests Clairo and beabadoobee joining her on the iconic Great Oak Stage.
Additional acts are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Fans can grab tickets starting Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 10 a.m. GMT. Tickets can be purchased here. For those with an American Express card, an exclusive presale began on Dec. 6 and runs until 9 a.m. on Dec. 11.
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This announcement comes on the heels of Carpenter’s landmark year, during which she earned six Grammy nominations and garnered praise from peers like Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift. Notably, Swift recently called her “the pop princess of our dreams” after the two collaborated on an acoustic mash-up of their songs during Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) release event.
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BST Hyde Park has become synonymous with iconic performances, and Sabrina’s inclusion solidifies her status as one of pop music’s brightest stars. She joins an already stellar lineup of headliners, including Olivia Rodrigo, Noah Kahan, Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Zach Bryan, and Hugh Jackman.
Carpenter’s appearance at BST Hyde Park will be part of a busy year for the singer-songwriter. She is also set to headline Primavera Sound alongside Charli XCX and Chappell Roan and will embark on the U.K. and European leg of her tour, featuring Rachel Chinouriri as a special guest.
The tour begins at Dublin’s 3Arena on March 3 and includes stops in Birmingham, London, and Manchester. Adding to the excitement, Carpenter recently announced her upcoming Netflix holiday special, A Nonsense Christmas, premiering Dec. 6. The special boasts a star-studded guest list, including Chappell Roan, Tyla, Quinta Brunson, and Cara Delevingne.
Sabrina Carpenter has been rewriting chart history in 2024. She became the first solo artist, and only the second act after The Beatles, to achieve two simultaneous top-three hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
Her singles “Please Please Please” debuted at No. 2, and “Espresso” peaked at No. 3. Additionally, she became the first woman in Billboard Hot 100 history to have three songs (“Espresso,” “Please Please Please,” and “Taste”) in the Top 10 for five consecutive weeks, surpassing Cardi B’s previous record of four weeks.
Carpenter also achieved a Billboard 200 milestone with her sixth studio album, Short n’ Sweet, debuting at No. 1. The album sold 362,000 equivalent album units in its first week, marking her first album to top the chart.
Taylor Swift has wrapped up an early Christmas gift for fans, reclaiming the No. 1 spot on the ARIA Albums Chart with The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology.
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The festive season begins in earnest as the chart’s Christmas edition sees Swift’s dominance coinciding with the return of holiday classics like Michael Bublé’s Christmas and Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas, adding a seasonal sparkle to the final stretch of 2024.
Swift’s album, buoyed by the release of vinyl and CD versions, jumps from No. 14 to reclaim its throne for a sixth non-consecutive week. This marks Swift’s 16th week at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart this year, thanks to the success of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Midnights, Lover, and The Tortured Poets Department.
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Meanwhile, Michael Bublé’s Christmas makes its annual return, landing at No. 15, continuing its streak as a perennial festive favorite. First released in 2011, the album has spent a total of 15 weeks at No. 1 and remains a yuletide staple.
Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas also re-enters the chart at No. 100, with her holiday anthem “All I Want for Christmas Is You” making its yearly resurgence on the ARIA Singles Chart, re-entering at No. 7.
Rosé and Bruno Mars hold steady at the top of the ARIA Singles Chart with “APT,” which notches its fifth non-consecutive week at No. 1. The track continues its reign as Bruno Mars enjoys a record-breaking run on Spotify, where he became the platform’s most-streamed artist last month with over 126 million monthly listeners, surpassing The Weeknd’s previous record of 120.7 million.
Other holiday hits are also making their move. Wham!’s “Last Christmas” returns at No. 11, with additional classics from Brenda Lee, Ariana Grande, and Kelly Clarkson climbing the charts as the festive season heats up.
Juice WRLD makes a splash on the Albums Chart with The Party Never Ends, debuting at No. 17. The posthumous release features collaborations with The Kid LAROI, Fall Out Boy, Nicki Minaj, and Eminem, marking the rapper’s fourth Top 10 ARIA album since his untimely passing in 2019.
For the full list of chart-toppers, visit ARIA.com.au.
Horst Weidenmüller, the CEO and founder of !K7 Music, has been recognized with the prestigious IMPALA Outstanding Contribution Award for his impactful work in the European independent music sector.
The accolade coincides with the upcoming 40th anniversary of !K7 Music, which Weidenmüller established in 1985.
At IMPALA’s recent board meeting, the organization highlighted Weidenmüller’s near four-decade career and pivotal role in advancing the independent music industry. !K7 Music began as a music video production company in Berlin before evolving into a multifaceted label known for its groundbreaking DJ-Kicks series, launched in 1993, and its roster of sub-labels such as Strut Records, 7K!, and Ever Records.
Beyond his label’s success, Weidenmüller has been a staunch advocate for sustainability and inclusion in the music industry. As a long-time IMPALA board member and the founder of its Sustainability Task Force, he spearheaded the development of a bespoke carbon calculator for labels, in partnership with Julie’s Bicycle, Merlin, and Murmur. He also helped establish IMPALA’s Business Case for Sustainability, emphasizing the financial benefits of environmentally conscious practices.
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Under his leadership, !K7 Music has been certified as a B Corporation, reflecting its commitment to high standards of social and environmental responsibility. The company actively supports community initiatives, including a collaboration with Ernst-Reuter-Schule in Berlin, where students learn music production, marketing, and distribution.
“Horst is a force of nature, lifting all those that work with him,” said Helen Smith, Executive Chair of IMPALA. “His work as vice-president of the IMPALA board already set down an early marker, which was cemented when he founded our sustainability task force four years ago.”
Peter Quicke, co-chair of IMPALA’s Sustainability Task Force and managing director of Ninja Tune, added, “Horst doesn’t just talk about sustainability; he takes action. His pragmatic approach has made !K7 a model for how independent labels can lead by example.”
Expressing gratitude for the award, Weidenmüller said: “I am touched to receive IMPALA’s award. !K7’s culture and values translates into all of my work, whether it is across music, sustainability, inclusion or digital and beyond. My mission with IMPALA is an extension of that, as is securing our status as a certified B-corps business. This is a shared journey we are on, where the independent sector underlines time and time again that we are leaders.”
“That is something I am super proud of. Thanks to all the IMPALA board members!”
It’s been nearly three years since Jane “Nightbirde” Marczewski, a fan-favorite contestant on season 16 of America’s Got Talent, died of cancer at age 31. However, her legacy lives on through her family, who have been releasing her powerful songs posthumously.
Her latest single, “Still Got Dreams,” arrived first thing Friday (Dec. 6) and features the Mzansi Youth Choir of South Africa, who got the Golden Buzzer on season 18 of AGT by paying tribute to Nightbirde with a cover of “It’s Okay” during their emotional 2023 audition.
The Geoff Duncan-produced track, which also serves as the title track from Nightbirde’s upcoming posthumous album, was written at a particularly devastating and difficult time of her life, as she dealt with a divorce and a cancer re-diagnosis with a very slight chance of survival. She was determined to fight in the compelling, hopeful lyrics, singing in the chorus: “I still’ve got some magic in me/ I can’t see it but I still believe/ The music stopped but I can still sing/ Pretty beat up but I still got dreams.”
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The Mzansi Youth Choir adds to the heartwarming, inspiring nature of the track by singing in isiZulu, “We ngoma ngiyakholwa Kuwe usisibonelo,” which translates to, “I believe music is a wonderful gift.”
“One of the ways Jane inspired the world was through her bravery in facing insurmountable odds,” the late star’s older brother, Mitch Marczewski Jr., shares with Billboard. “The message of ‘Still Got Dreams’ reinforces the fact that even though people may be beat up by their circumstances, they can still pursue their dreams. If there’s ever a time to remind people to pursue their dreams, it’s now.”
All proceeds from Nightbirde’s music, art, books, merchandise and licensing benefit the Nightbirde Foundation, which aims to uplift and support women battling breast cancer. “In addition to spreading hope, we distributed tens of thousands of dollars in grants to help women with breast cancer get the treatments they need to live fulfilling lives,” Mitch says. “The Nightbirde Foundation has been able to inspire women to dream.”
As for what he wants people to remember about his sister, Mitch says Nightbirde’s “faith in Jesus was the ultimate hope that enabled her to be the woman she was,” adding, “We are still amazed at her ability to hold joy and grief simultaneously, even when she was pretty beat up. We miss her dearly and wish she was here to continue to show the world her wit, wisdom, grit and faith.”
Listen to Nightbirde’s “Still Got Dreams,” featuring the Mzansi Youth Choir, below.
Fans have known ROSÉ of BLACKPINK for years. But now, they finally get to meet Rosie. The 27-year-old pop star’s debut solo album rosie arrived Friday (Dec. 6), bringing with it 12 new tracks written during a break from full-band obligations with JISOO, JENNIE and LISA. The dozen of songs include hit single “APT.” with […]
Smino released his fourth studio album Maybe in Nirvana on Friday (Dec. 6) via his independent label Zero Fatigue. “I actually just said ‘maybe in nirvana’ in one of the songs — but honestly, it was an album I was being indecisive about putting out. And I was just like … when I’m in a […]
The holiday season is in full swing, and BTS’ V is getting into the festive spirit by teaming up with the late Bing Crosby to release a duet version of “White Christmas” on Friday (Dec. 6). Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In the new rendition of the […]
Prolific Australian collective King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard have shared a new performance of some of their recnt material, collaborating with the Songs for Kids Band in the process.
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The performance was recorded ahead of the band’s concert at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA, on Nov. 19, and was made as part of the Songs for Kids Band’s YOUNG series.
As per the Songs for Kids Foundation’s website, the organization “provides music mentorship and interactive programs for kids and young adults with illnesses, injuries, and disabilities”, with a goal in focusing on “creative expression [and] encourage exploration in a safe space”. Meanwhile, the Songs for Kids Band aims to emphasize “the power of teamwork and support for each other, bringing together kids that would otherwise be on a more solitary journey”.
So far, the Songs for Kids Band’s YOUNG series has seen them perform renditions of songs by names such as Weezer, Tiny Habits, Noah Kahan, and Waxahatchee to name a few. Occasionally, some of these performances see the Songs for Kids Band joined by the original artists themselves, with the likes of the Backstreet Boys and My Morning Jacket having collaborated previously.
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The latest addition to the series sees King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and members of the Songs for Kids Band sharing a rendition of “Flight b741”, the title track from the Australian band’s 26th studio album, released in August.
King Gizzard’s Flight b741 was recently nominated for Best Rock Album at the 2024 ARIA Awards (ultimately losing to Royel Otis’ Pratts & Pain), having previously charted at No. 8 on the Australian ARIA charts, and peaking at No. 118 on the Billboard 200.
With only one studio album released in the past year, King Gizzard are currently celebrating their least-prolific period since 2020. In 2022 alone, the band released a total of five albums, having achieved a similar milestone back in 2017. Of their last 14 records, only one has charted outside of the Australian top 50, and only one other has charted outside of the top ten.
One day after the 44th anniversary of their split, the trailer for the first-ever authorized documentary on Led Zeppelin has arrived.
Titled Becoming Led Zeppelin, the documentary has been in the works for some years, with director Bernard MacMahon helming the project following the success of his 2017 exploration into U.S. roots music, American Epic.
Featuring the participation of the three surviving members – singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, and bassist John Paul Jones – the project was taken to Cannes in 2019, at which point it was noted as being in the post-production phase.
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“When I saw everything Bernard had done both visually and sonically on the remarkable achievement that is American Epic, I knew he would be qualified to tell our story,” Page said at the time.
“The time was right for us to tell our own story for the first time in our own words, and I think that this film will really bring this story to life,” added Jones.
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Hype for the project first gathered steam when a work-in-progress version was screened at the Venice Film Festival, receiving a 10-minute standing ovation. MacMahon later noted that the team behind the film has spent “years designing this film to be experienced on the big screen with the best possible sound.”
Such meticulous attention to sound detail is vital for a project of this caliber, which follows the group – including late drummer John Bonham – as they rise up through the British music scene in the 1960s playing in small clubs. It follows them to a fateful rehearsal in 1968 that changed the course of their careers and culminates in their first tour of America in 1970 as they ascended to rock superstardom.
Led Zeppelin ultimately split on Dec. 4, 1980 following the unexpected death of Bonham just months earlier. Now, almost 44 years to the day since their dissolution, the official trailer for the upcoming documentary has arrived, complete with previously-unheard archival interviews with Bonham himself.
Soundtracked by 1969’s “Whole Lotta Love”, the trailer features visuals of the band’s kaleidoscopic career, interspersed with recent interviews with surviving band members. “The first time we played together, it was stunning,” Bonham says at the end of the trailer. “It was like a gift from heaven, wasn’t it?”
“We spent five years flying back and forth across the Atlantic scouring attics and basements in pursuit of rare and unseen film footage, photographs and music recordings,” writer-producer Allison McGourty said of the film’s production in a press release. “Then we transferred each piece of media with custom techniques, so that in IMAX, these 55-year-old clips and music would look and sound like they came out of the lab yesterday.”
Becoming Led Zeppelin is set for release in IMAX cinemas on Feb. 7.