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Medium’s Premier Music Publication

“An ear for the new, a heart for the classics.”

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The Las Vegas Nightlife Explosion… of the 1950s

The Las Vegas Nightlife Explosion… of the 1950s

Decades before EDM DJs, “the lushest price war in U.S. entertainment history” sent star salaries skyrocketing during the mob-run casino era
Go to the profile of Janis McKay
Janis McKay3 days ago
Foo Fighters: In Utero

Foo Fighters: In Utero

Dave Grohl launched his band with the purest of intentions, but could he outrun Nirvana’s daunting shadow?
Go to the profile of martin.james
martin.jamesApr 4
Is YouTube’s Music Domination Finally Coming to an End?

Is YouTube’s Music Domination Finally Coming to an End?

As Spotify, Soundcloud and Apple Music raise the bar, here’s how YouTube can stay the course
Go to the profile of Cortney Harding
Cortney HardingApr 1
Ramblin’ Man: My Incredible Photographic Journey with the Allman Brothers

Ramblin’ Man: My Incredible Photographic Journey with the Allman Brothers

Kirk West had unprecedented access to the legendary band for over 40 years
Go to the profile of Cuepoint Staff
Cuepoint StaffMar 31
The Bitch in You: Revisiting Ice Cube and Common’s Vicious 90s Rap Battle

The Bitch in You: Revisiting Ice Cube and Common’s Vicious 90s Rap Battle

Before they were big screen buddies, the two headstrong rappers needed Minister Farrakhan to mediate their beef
Go to the profile of Mike “DJ” Pizzo
Mike “DJ” PizzoMar 29
Behind the Extravagant Stages of Beyoncé, Skrillex, Bruno Mars and Nine Inch Nails

Behind the Extravagant Stages of Beyoncé, Skrillex, Bruno Mars and Nine Inch Nails

Seven Design Works creates elaborate performance spectacles for your favorite music stars
Go to the profile of Cuepoint Staff
Cuepoint StaffMar 27
Check The Technique: The Story of A Tribe Called Quest’s “The Low End Theory”

Check The Technique: The Story of A Tribe Called Quest’s “The Low End Theory”

Q-Tip and Phife Dawg reveal the secrets behind the group’s triumphant sophomore album
Go to the profile of Brian Coleman
Brian ColemanMar 24
Artist Opinion
Lecrae: Just Like You

Lecrae: Just Like You

We are all wrestling with identity and fighting for acceptance
Go to the profile of Lecrae
LecraeMar 29
I Took a Pill in Ibiza

I Took a Pill in Ibiza

The impossible irony of my latest hit song has become hard to ignore… at least for me :)
Go to the profile of Mike Posner
Mike PosnerMar 15
Macklemore: This Unruly Mess I’ve Made

Macklemore: This Unruly Mess I’ve Made

If you aren’t scared of what you’ve created, you aren’t done yet
Go to the profile of Macklemore
MacklemoreJan 15
Jagged Little Pill: An Essay

Jagged Little Pill: An Essay

Alanis Morissette looks back on the creation of her smash debut twenty years later
Go to the profile of Alanis Morissette
Alanis MorissetteNov 9, 2015
Grammy Spotlight
The Oral History of The Weeknd’s ‘Beauty Behind the Madness’

The Oral History of The Weeknd’s ‘Beauty Behind the Madness’

Finding that sweet spot between engaging Top 40 and exquisite, R-rated urban pop
Go to the profile of The GRAMMYs
The GRAMMYsFeb 13
The Oral History of Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’

The Oral History of Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’

GRAMMY nominees Swift, Imogen Heap, Mattias Bylund, Tom Coyne and others tell the inside story of the Album of the Year nominee
Go to the profile of The GRAMMYs
The GRAMMYsFeb 12
The Oral History of Alabama Shakes’ ‘Sound & Color’

The Oral History of Alabama Shakes’ ‘Sound & Color’

Brittany Howard, Shawn Everett, Blake Mills, and others tell the inside story of their GRAMMY Album Of The Year nominee
Go to the profile of The GRAMMYs
The GRAMMYsFeb 11
The Oral History of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’

The Oral History of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’

A hook from Prince nearly happened on this groundbreaking GRAMMY Album Of The Year nominee
Go to the profile of The GRAMMYs
The GRAMMYsFeb 9
Featured Hip Hop
The N.W.A Flowchart

The N.W.A Flowchart

The comprehensive family tree of the world’s most dangerous group
Go to the profile of Mike “DJ” Pizzo
Mike “DJ” PizzoAug 14, 2015
How Cool C and Steady B Robbed a Bank, Killed a Cop and Lost Their Souls

How Cool C and Steady B Robbed a Bank, Killed a Cop and Lost Their Souls

Philly rap legends Schoolly D, DJ Cash Money and others try to make sense of a tragic journey
Go to the profile of Michael A. Gonzales
Michael A. GonzalesMar 25, 2015
Ultimate Breaks & Beats: An Oral History

Ultimate Breaks & Beats: An Oral History

How one essential vinyl series transformed the sound of music and helped funky beats conquer the world
Go to the profile of Robbie Ettelson
Robbie EttelsonMar 13, 2015
The Last Words of Tupac Shakur

The Last Words of Tupac Shakur

Eighteen years ago a rap superstar was gunned down in Las Vegas. For the first cop on the scene, that night remains unforgettably real.
Go to the profile of Sean DeFrank
Sean DeFrankSep 11, 2014
Featured Rock
Being Queen’s Roadie was One Intense, Rewarding Job

Being Queen’s Roadie was One Intense, Rewarding Job

Backstage with Freddie: a personal account of the delicate work that kept the world’s biggest rock star happy
Go to the profile of Peter Hince
Peter HinceFeb 22
Hanging with Nirvana at Kurt’s House in 1989

Hanging with Nirvana at Kurt’s House in 1989

In one of the band’s first interviews, their early history and sardonic attitude comes to life
Go to the profile of Nick Soulsby
Nick SoulsbyFeb 4
The Private Photo Shoot that Sparked a War Inside Van Halen

The Private Photo Shoot that Sparked a War Inside Van Halen

In 1979 David Lee Roth met Helmut Newton, inciting an ego-fueled power struggle that ultimately split the group apart
Go to the profile of Greg Renoff
Greg RenoffFeb 25, 2015
Booze, Blood and Noise: The Violent Roots of Manchester Punk

Booze, Blood and Noise: The Violent Roots of Manchester Punk

A blow-by-blow history of the raucous 1970s scene that birthed Joy Division, Morrissey and Buzzcocks
Go to the profile of Frank Owen
Frank OwenFeb 23, 2015
DJ Culture
12 Ways That DJs Avoid Spinning Your Requests

12 Ways That DJs Avoid Spinning Your Requests

Dealing with an endless parade of song petitioners is enough to turn even the Zen Buddhist-ist of DJs into a spiteful piece of shit
Go to the profile of DJ Louie XIV
DJ Louie XIVMay 27, 2015
CIA Allegedly Behind 1980s Club Hit About Sleeping Dominatrix

CIA Allegedly Behind 1980s Club Hit About Sleeping Dominatrix

How a pro-domme, a Russian diplomat, and Mary Tyler Moore’s landscaper conspired to create a dance classic
Go to the profile of Dave Tompkins
Dave TompkinsApr 15, 2015
Diplo and Skrillex are Jack Ü: The Cuepoint Interview

Diplo and Skrillex are Jack Ü: The Cuepoint Interview

For two superstars orbiting the DJ/producer universe, these guys are surprisingly down-to-earth
Go to the profile of Jonathan Shecter
Jonathan ShecterMar 19, 2015
The Secret Lives of Vinyl Hoarders

The Secret Lives of Vinyl Hoarders

Questlove and other obsessive record collectors are chronicled in Eilon Paz’s Dust & Grooves, a photography and interview project
Go to the profile of April Greene
April GreeneNov 17, 2014
Music Biz
The Music Startup Meltdown

The Music Startup Meltdown

It’s going to get worse before it gets better…
Go to the profile of Cortney Harding
Cortney HardingMar 4
The Devaluation of Music: It’s Worse Than You Think

The Devaluation of Music: It’s Worse Than You Think

Starving artists have been affected by more than just piracy and streaming royalties
Go to the profile of Craig Havighurst
Craig HavighurstOct 11, 2015
Streaming Music is Ripping You Off

Streaming Music is Ripping You Off

Fight back with this simple hack
Go to the profile of Sharky Laguana
Sharky LaguanaAug 17, 2015
Why Do All Records Sound the Same?

Why Do All Records Sound the Same?

Desperate to get their music on the radio, record labels employ powerful software to artificially sweeten it, polish it, make it louder
Go to the profile of Tom Whitwell
Tom WhitwellJan 9, 2015
Latest
A Tribe Called Quest Made Me Feel Welcome in Hip-Hop and Made Afrocentrism Cool

A Tribe Called Quest Made Me Feel Welcome in Hip-Hop and Made Afrocentrism Cool

Q-Tip, Phife, Ali & Jarboi were mellow evangelists
Go to the profile of Touré
TouréMar 24
Rappers Out in Silicon Tryna Get Their Billions On

Rappers Out in Silicon Tryna Get Their Billions On

Hip-hop’s biggest stars are investing in tech, but who’s really making paper? To find out, we dug through the data.
Go to the profile of MC Big Data
MC Big DataMar 23
The Roots of Phish: A Psychedelic Pedigree

The Roots of Phish: A Psychedelic Pedigree

Phish was a tiny college band in Bernie Sanders’ Vermont woods when their music spiraled into an intricate countercultural narrative
Go to the profile of Heads News
Heads NewsMar 22
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