HBO and The Ringer’s Bill Simmons and Malcolm Gladwell on ways to fix track and field (3:00), how sports doping has changed over the years (10:00), Michael Phelps’s status as one of the world’s biggest athletes (29:00), and what the NBA can learn from FIBA (41:00).
Isaac Gracie Got Signed From One Song. Here’s The Reason Why
21-year-old Englishman Isaac Gracie got a record deal on the strength of one song, Last Words. And watch this video, and you’ll know why. I tell a lot of artists to never be afraid to go out to the streets and play. It’s wonderful practice, and you get a piece of video out of it. Here’s Isaac in Paris, singing Last Words and Terrified, both on his EP Songs from My Bedroom.
How Toronto’s The Police Picnic Influenced Questlove’s Own Festival
Questlove’s work spearheading the annual Roots Picnic provides the best way to think about what his unique sensibilities look like writ large. Since 2008, the fest has brought eclectic lineups to Quest’s native Philadelphia, and last October 1 and 2, the one-day affair expands to a two-day concert at New York City’s Bryant Park.
Why did you want to start your own festival in the first place?
Questlove: The genesis of it all was when I went to Japan in ’97 and picked up all sorts of concert footage. At that point in life, I literally was YouTube. Especially during the Voodoo sessions with D’Angelo, I was carrying these large Kipling bags full of nothing but videotapes and DVDs of performances you couldn’t find anywhere. One of those performances I always held dear was an event called the Police Picnic, which happened in Toronto every year between ’81 and ’83. Each member of the Police curated each night, and the lineup was really diverse, from the Specials to B.B. King to P-Funk All Stars. Now America has finally caught onto festival culture—it’s not close to Europe but at least there’s a good 20 to 30 festivals going on in the United States that are worth making a pilgrimage to—and I think it’s more special when artists curate them.
Guy’s Thumbs Are Guns N’ Roses Members For a Four-Track Cover of Sweet Child O’ Mine
The incredibly talented musician Steve Onotera aka Samuraiguitarist dressed up his thumbs as individual members of Guns N’ Roses who showed their “faces” during their respective parts in an gripping version of their momentous “Sweet Child O’ Mine“.
Chainsmokers Ties For 3rd Longest Artist With Most Consecutive Weeks In The Hot 100’s Top 10
COn the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week, the twosome of Alex Pall and Drew Taggart of The Chainsmokers zooms 7-3 on the Hot 100 with “Something Just Like This,” its collab with Coldplay. The song passes its prior No. 5 high to tie for The Chainsmokers’ second-highest-charting hit: before their 12-week No. 1 “Closer,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” featuring Daya, reached No. 3 in July 2016. Coldplay has charted higher only with “Viva La Vida,” its sole No. 1 in 2008.
“Something” stays at No. 4 on Digital Song Sales (59,000, down 1 percent) and surges 18-12 on Radio Songs (59 million, up 20 percent) and 25-15 on Streaming Songs (18.3 million, up 3 percent). It leads the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart for a fourth week.
Thanks to “Something,” as well as the duo’s No. 6-peaking “Paris,” which rebounds 10-9, The Chainsmokers have now spent 48 consecutive weeks in the Hot 100’s top 10, dating to May 21, 2016 (and encompassing four top 10s), tying Ace of Base’s record streak among non-solo acts. Here’s an update among all artists:
Most consecutive weeks in the Hot 100’s top 10
69 weeks, Katy Perry, 2010-11
51 weeks, Drake, 2015-16
48 weeks, The Chainsmokers, 2016-17
48 weeks, Ace of Base, 1993-94
46 weeks, Rihanna, 2010-1
Jimmy Kimmel’s Tribute to Don Rickles
Jimmy pays tribute to the great Don Rickles on the day of his passing. He reminisces about their friendship including their dinners together and he reads some personal letters that Don wrote to him.
Elton John Commemorated as Record Store Day’s 10th Anniversary Legend
Sir Elton John is commemorated as the first ever Record Store Day Legend and will release his incredible live album ‘17.11.70+’ on Record Store Day, April 22, 2017, the tenth anniversary of Record Store Day. In this Record Store Day interview, Elton talks about his love of record stores, his love of vinyl and lifelong record collecting habits plus his own 2017 Record Store Day release, ‘17.11.70+’.
The legendary album is released on vinyl in a newly expanded form with 6 previously unreleased tracks; this format is a 2 lp set on 180gm vinyl, remastered by Bob Ludwig.
‘The album ‘17-11-70’ was not meant to be a live one at all; we did one of the first- ever stereo radio broadcasts live at A&R Recording Studios in New York City in 1970 on the 17th of November. It was Phil Ramone’s studio, one of the greatest producers of all time, and we just went in the booth and played it as a three-piece: Nigel Olsson on drums and vocals, Dee Murray on bass and vocals, and myself. There was a studio audience of about 100 sitting outside the booth, hearing it coming through the loud speakers, and we just played. I’m astonished by how good we were, listening to this record. A lot of it was improvised, and you can do that when you’re a three-piece band because I’m really the lead instrument, and Dee and Nigel were so brilliant at following what I did. There’s a 16-minute track on it that was completely
improvised, more or less, and I’m very proud of it: I think it’s one of the greatest live albums ever made. It wasn’t initially coming out as a live album, but there were so many bootlegs in those days that the record company put it out. I’m glad they did because it really is something I’m very very proud of’. Elton John
Record Store Day is the one day of the year when over 200 independent record shops all across the UK come together to celebrate their unique culture. Special vinyl releases are made exclusively for the day and many shops and cities host artist performances and events to mark the occasion. Thousands more shops celebrate the day around the globe in what’s become the biggest record buying event on the music calendar.
Musicians Perform Original Symphonies On Manual Typewriters
For pre-digital natives, there’s nothing quite as nostalgia-inducing as the manual “click,” “clack” and “ding” sounds of an old mechanical typewriter. That’s why The Boston Typewriter Orchestra is making these old machines quite literally “sing” again. Since 2004, this six-man ensemble has been playing a range of covers and original songs on both desktop and portable machines from years past. And if you thought all typewriters emitted the same sounds, think again. This orchestra’s sonorous symphonies have captivated crowds all over New England.
