Music News

Leslie Bricusse, the Oscar and Grammy-winning songwriter who wrote lyrics for Bond theme songs and memorable tunes for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, died on Tuesday in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, Variety reports. He was 90.

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Spotify landed within prior guidance for the third quarter and reached the high end of expectations for revenue and monthly active users. In other words, the company met expectations and didn’t unveil the kinds of surprises investors hate. What's more, the company raised its expectations for fourth quarter revenue and gross margin. That’s good news for both investors and anybody due to receive royalties.



The fourth quarter is peak season for subscription services and no time to disappoint. Spotify added 11 million subscribers in each of the last two fourth quarters, almost double its average for the first through third quarters of both years. Appropriately, CEO Daniel Ek said during Wednesday’s earnings call, “We’re all hands on deck to make sure the positive trend continues.”

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In the summer of 1974, the Carpenters sat down with Rolling Stone writer Tom Nolan at Hollywood’s Au Petit Café for a cover story. Richard and Karen Carpenter, who had spent the past four years scoring massive soft-rock hits like “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Superstar,” and “Top of the World,” took the opportunity to vent to Nolan about the uncool, wholesome image that they felt the press had created for the sibling duo.
The new book Carpenters: The Musical Legacy tries to show how wrong that was. Written by Mike Cidoni Lennox and Chris May, the massive, definitive biography chronicles the duo’s career in elaborate detail, based on more than 100 hours of interviews with Richard and full access to his archive.

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Kangol Kid, a member of the Brooklyn hip-hop group UTFO whose 1984 song “Roxanne, Roxanne” sparked a legendary rap rivalry, has died at the age of 55.

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The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced the shortlists for Original Song and Original Score vying for Oscars nominations consideration. As Variety reports, the next phase of voting begins on Jan. 27 and ends Feb. 1. The official nominees for all the categories will be announced on Feb. 8.

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Let’s face it: This Christmas season is shaping up to be less than a beaut, Clark. Fortunately, there’s some new country and Americana recordings to dull the pain. Some extol the virtues of simply getting drunk or stoned, while others look to brighter and more clear-eyed days ahead. Here’s your must-hear holiday playlist.

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Elvis Costello and the Imposters took to the stage on Friday’s episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to give a rousing performance of “Farewell, OK,” the lead track from the group’s latest album, The Boy Named If.

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The Who are heading back to North America in late April for an extensive tour that will keep them on the road through early November. They will once again be joined by local orchestras at every stop for an evening of music heavy on classics from Tommy, Quadrophenia, Who’s Next, and their 2019 LP Who in addition to selections from their other albums.

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A look inside Sheryl Crow’s life — from navigating her “arduous musical career” to facing “depression, cancer, and the price of fame” — is heading to Showtime on May 6. On Friday, Showtime released the official trailer for the film, which features interviews with the likes of Keith Richards, Joe Walsh, and Emmylou Harris.
“Sheryl is the voice of a generation,” says Laura Dern in the trailer. “You never questioned whether Sheryl was the boss,” adds Brandi Carlisle. “She’s so rock & roll.”

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