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The song “Love Is Blindness” was first released 33 years ago as the twelfth track on U2’s hit album, “Achtung Baby.” Since then, it’s been covered a number of times by various artists, from Cassandra Wilson on her 1995 record “New Moon Daughter” to Jacquie Lee on the fifth season of NBC’s reality-competition show, “The Voice.” But for a certain generation of cinephiles, “Love Is Blindness” will always be a Jack White song, forever associated with one of the great movie soundtracks, “The Great Gatsby: Music from Baz Luhrmann’s Film.” Sure, White only wrote it as part of a U2 tribute album — which isn’t even the first tribute album to feature a cover of the song — but the second the drums kick in with that familiar beat, it’s impossible not to picture Leonardo DiCaprio’s bright yellow Rolls Royce hurtling across the slippery streets of West Egg.

Beyoncé has so many audacious culture-clash triumphs all over Cowboy Carter. But one of the most stunning moments is also one of the simplest: her version of the Beatles classic “Blackbird.” Paul McCartney wrote the song in the summer of 1968, inspired by the American civil rights movement. All that history is right there in Beyoncé’s version. She keeps the folkie Paul guitar, complete with the squeaks, but adds her heavenly gospel-soul harmonies. What she does with the word “arise” is incredible in itself.

It’s a stroke of Beyoncé...

"Bury a Friend" by Billie Eilish ranks as the least effective True Detective theme song, lacking the impact of its predecessors. "Death Letter" by Cassandra Wilson, while thematically relevant, falls slightly short of the top two contenders in setting the mood for True Detective season. "Far From Any Road" by The Handsome Family is considered the best True Detective theme song, perfectly capturing the dark, atmospheric tone of season 1.

Each season of True Detective is renowned for various elements, including its exceptional acting and its gritty, haunting narratives. The series is also noted for its impactful theme songs, although not all of them are considered the best. True Detective has captivated audiences with its dark, atmospheric storytelling and complex characters. The show's anthology format allows for each season to explore new cases, settings, and themes, creating major mystery and intrigue. One of the most distinctive aspects of the series is its opening credits,...

A few years ago, producer Michael Cash had an idea he thought could be big. Cash is based in New York’s Hudson Valley, a region rich in Bob Dylan history. Early in the pandemic, he got to thinking about a relatively obscure Dylan-related project from the mid-2010s: Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes, in which artists like Elvis Costello, Marcus Mumford, and Rhiannon Giddens recorded songs based on newly uncovered Dylan lyrics.

Cash, whose background is largely in hip-hop, was friendly with the album’s producer,...

Two years after Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats released “Survivor” on their album The Future, they are revisiting the track with help from rappers Jim Jones and Conway The Machine and producer Mike Cash. Check out a video for the new version of “Survivor” right here.

The collaboration between Rateliff and Cash goes back to 2019, when the producer began a multi-artist project called A Covenant with the aim of fusing together diverse styles of music. With help from mentor T-Bone Burnett, Cash brought together the Roots, Elvis Costello, Rateliff, Cassandra Wilson,...

Gary Clark Jr. tears through his mid-tempo blues ripper, "Grinder," during a powerful homecoming concert in Austin set to air on the next episode of Austin City Limits.

In the clip, Clark Jr. sprints easily up and down the neck of his guitar while singing rueful verses about the never-ending pursuit of a dollar, a message bolstered by the ominous bleating of his horn trio. Clark Jr. also delivered a stirring, striving rendition of "The Healing," another cut from his recent album The Story of Sonny Boy Slim.

Both performances were taken from Clark Jr.

[Press Release] New York, March 10, 2015 -- Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, is proud to announce the label's electrifying line-up of collectible 7" and 12" vinyl releases for Record Store Day 2015, celebrated at independent record stores worldwide on Saturday, April 18, 2015. To find a local participating record store, please visit: http://www.recordstoreday.com/Venues For Rsd 2015, Legacy is offering a range of limited edition and collectible titles from artists including 311, Adam and the Ants, Bruce Springsteen, Cassandra Wilson, Citizen Dick, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, Manic Street Preachers, Simon & Garfunkel and the World Wrestling Federation. Now in its eighth year, Record Store Day is an annual day-long celebration of record store culture...

Nothing like a little lovely soulful jazz on a warm, but not too hot, summer day (in NYC anyway), in lush black and white cinematography, compliments of songstress/diva, Cassandra Wilson on vocals, Isaach de Bankole as subject, and Arthur Jafa behind the camera. The track is called "Until," and it's from Wilson's 1995 album, "New Moon Daughter" - easily my favorite of all her albums, and I highly recommend it, if you aren't already familiar. I'm sure actor Isaach de Bankole needs no intro around here, given how often his name comes up. And of course, Arthur Jafa - the proverbial renaissance man - artist, critique, intellectual, and more, whose intro to most was...

Exclusive: Impact Artist Management has hung up a new shingle in the movie and television business. Led by Ed Gerrard and Peter Himberger, the veteran music management company today announced the formation of Impact Artist Productions to produce films and TV series. “After music supervising for many years and working closely with some of the industry’s most revered directors, making the transition to producing both film and television is a natural progression for Impact. We are also thrilled to launch our production division with several projects that highlight arts and culture,” said Gerrard in a statement Friday. “We are excited to take our successful experience in the music industry and parlay that into our passion for film. We are pleased to now have our own banner under which to do that,” added Himberger. As well as working with the likes of Dr. John, Gipsy Kings, Cassandra Wilson, and Teddy Pendergrass,...

Wasn't easy to whittle this list down to 10, let alone 11, so I picked 12 for 12-12-12. A few of these selections were last minute additions that knocked two other picks out of top spots. Moreover, I decided to include twelve more picks at the end of my selections to show what else was being considered.

Nada Surf The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy (Barsuk)

I've not seen this album on any critics' year-end lists (aside from my managing editor Steve's list, obviously). Not sure why, because Nada Surf released a timeless collection of alt pop-rock songs. This is songwriting 101 -- verse, chorus, verse, bridge. If there is a better pop-rock band in America, let me know. Twenty years in and no sign of lazy rock star bullshit, just plenty of great chiming guitar riffs and hooky-as-hell tunes. Album of the year.

Father John Misty Fear Fun (Sub Pop)

Father John...

For those not in NYC for the 2012 New York Asian Film Festival, the treats keep on rolling in. Today, our correspondent The Lady Miz Diva brings us a one-on-one with the legend himself, the man with the hammer, Mr. Choi Min-sik. This interview is being cross-published at Diva's own site The Diva Review. The Lady Miz Diva:  Welcome to New York City.  I understand it's not only your first visit to our city, but to the Us. Choi Min-sik:  Yes, first time. Lmd:  What do you think so far? Cm-s:  I love jazz, so I went to the Blue Note to see Cassandra Wilson.  I also went to {the Broadway play} A Streetcar Named Desire.  There's all these great foods and all these fantastic festivals.  That's New...

Mirrorpix/Courtesy Everett Collection Davy Jones after arriving in Manchester from Los Angeles, January 7, 1970.

Monkees lead singer Davy Jones, whose death at the age of 66 was confirmed today, didn’t always get the respect he may have deserved. Because the Monkees were a made-for-tv group, many critics and fans routinely and reflexively dismissed their music as ephemeral.

But over the years, some top musical performers–rockers, pop stars, and jazz singers–have found worth and inspiration in the music of the Monkees.

Tyra Banks just released a celebrity iTunes playlist. It is probably the best thing I’ve read in 2011. Please go and read it right now. If you’re not already rushing to read Tyra Banks’ explanations for her favorite songs, as I’m sure One Or Two of you Skeptical Simons out there isn’t, please just read this first one and you’ll be hooked: 1. “I’m Kissing You” by Des’ree: “The sadness of this song’s melody reminds me of how Tookie feels in my book Modelland. I wrote a lot of chapters to this.” So that’s how she got the inspiration for the Tookie character in her book Modelland. Cause the whole time I was reading that I was like, “This Tookie character in this book Modelland sounds awwfuulllyyy familiar….” You can check out the full playlist here. Some other notable descriptions: 2. “What’s My Name?...

Santa Monica, CA, June 28, 2011. Lionsgate has announced an unprecedented film music collaboration between Academy Award® winner and two time nominee T Bone Burnett (Crazy Heart, Cold Mountain) and four time Academy Award® nominated composer Danny Elfman (Alice In Wonderland, Spider-man) on the music for the highly anticipated film adaptation of The Hunger Games, based on the first in Suzanne Collins.s runaway bestselling book trilogy. The announcement was made by Lionsgate.s Motion Picture Group President Joe Drake.

Elfman and Burnett will be collaborating on the film score, with Burnett also serving as the film.s Executive Music Producer, producing songs for the film and soundtrack.

Said Lionsgate.s Head of Film Music Tracy McKnight of the musical dream team assembled on behalf of the film, .The Hunger Games is such a special property . it has worldwide mass appeal, but it.s also sophisticated, cerebral, soulful, and rebellious. We needed...

The idea of a pop star dropping in on an episode of "The View" isn't necessarily strange. After all, it is one of the most-watched talk shows on television and often features appearances from some of the biggest names in entertainment. But on Thursday morning's (December 9) episode, the hosts of the show got a visit from one of the biggest (and most elusive) names in music. They were discussing one of Joy Behar's fashion emergencies when all of a sudden Prince walked onto the set and took a seat at the table.

After enjoying an incredibly loud ovation from the studio audience, the Purple One sat down to chat about his upcoming "Welcome 2 America" concerts, which will put him at New York City's Madison Square Garden for two nights (Saturday, December 18 and Wednesday, December 29) with an array of special guests (including Janelle Monae and Cassandra Wilson). He handed out...

The Purple One gives Justin Bieber advice during a surprise visit to ABC's daytime gab-fest on Thursday.

By Mawuse Ziegbe

Prince on "The View" on Thursday

Photo: ABC

When you're Prince, you're pretty much given free rein to stop by wherever you please — even if it's busting up a daytime TV talk show.

The Purple One gave the ladies of ABC's "The View" an unexpected visit Thursday morning (December 9), when he showed up to gift the gab queens with tickets for his Welcome 2 America Tour dates in New York.

The pop legend hung around for a bit, but instead of perhaps giving the ladies a preview of his show by playing a song or two, the "Hot Thing" singer squeezed in at the table for a little "Hot Topics," the show's popular opening segment. Coolly walking out in dark, round glasses, a bedazzled sport coat and a single glove, the...

'It's definitely one of the things that I wanted to do in my career,' pop/soul singer tells MTV News.

By Jocelyn Vena

Janelle Monáe

Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/ Getty Images

With the dates announced for Prince's Welcome 2 America Tour, one of the touring acts, Janelle Monáe, spoke to MTV News about hitting the road with the legendary musician. To sum it up, she's pretty stoked to tour with someone as iconic as Prince.

"Well, I'm excited. We're great friends," Monáe told MTV News on Monday at the Glamour Women of the Year event in New York City. "I'm honored that he had chosen me to be a part of the tour."

Monáe may be somewhat of a rookie compared to Prince, but long before stardom came her way, touring with him was on her to-do list.

"It's definitely one of the things that I wanted to do in my career,...

Not double live. just half Cassandra Wilson gets sole billing on Silver Pony, but her backing band ought to get their names on the LP spine as well. They’re the true stars of this intriguing album, half of which was recorded during a recent European tour and the other half at Piety Street Recording in New Orleans. That hybrid is especially apt for showing off the musicians’ virtuosity, not only their soloing chops but also their collective talent for creating and sustaining dark moods in which Wilson can relate her tales of death and romance....

Pop superstar Prince has sold out his two upcoming Madison Square Garden shows in New York in just 30 minutes. Tickets for the "Purple Rain" hitmaker's Welcome 2 America Live shows went on sale on Monday, November 1 and the two concerts sold out almost immediately.

Prince is also planning three December concerts at the Izod Center in New Jersey. The shows will be his gigs on America's East Coast since 2004.

Holding a press conference at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York last month, Prince announced that performers including Maceo Parker, Janelle Monae, Mint Condition, Esperanza Spalding, Cassandra Wilson, Sinbad, Lalah Hathaway, Sheila E. and Graham Central Station will accompany him at different dates to help him play his hits.

Singer will play series of shows in New York and New Jersey beginning December 14.

By Gil Kaufman

Prince

Photo: Stephen Lovekin/ Getty Images

Prince is all about the teasing, slow reveal. Less than two weeks after the enigmatic singer took the stage at Harlem's Apollo Theater to announce that he would be launching the Welcome 2 America Tour, he finally made public the initial string of dates on the all-star outing.

For his first run on the East Coast since 2004, Prince will hit the stage for three consecutive nights at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on December 14, 15 and 17, and follow that up with two dates at New York's Madison Square Garden on December 18 and 29, with enough time between those shows to indicate that more could be added depending on demand. Tickets for the shows go on sale on Saturday, October 30.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has...

Prince’s Welcome 2 America tour is coming to a city near you... maybe. On Thursday, the Purple One announced from the Apollo Theatre stage in Harlem that he was mounting a tour featuring some of his favorite acts: Janelle Monae, jazz singer Cassandra Wilson, R&B group Mint Condition, Lelah Hathaway, Sheila E, Esperanza Spalding and James Brown’s legendary saxophonist Maceo Parker. He left out small details like any venues or cities other than that the tour will start in December. He’ll serve as Master of Ceremonies and that he and the New Power Generation will also play each gig. “If you've...

Music icon Prince announced Thursday that he'll be heading out on a new tour. The tour will be titled "Welcome 2 America" and he'll be joined on the road by Janelle Monae, Cassandra Wilson and more artists. "We're here today in New York to announce a series of events that will begin on a purple day in December in the year 2010," Prince said during a press conference held at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater. "Welcome 2 America’s best described as 'what we've all been waiting for.' I will serve as master of ceremonies for multiple nights of entertainment that will feature some of the best artists this country has to offer," he said of the tour. "Bring friends, bring your children, and bring foot spray because it's gonna be funky," Prince promised.

[Read full story on The Insider]...

The Purple One has announced a multi-city tour to begin "on a purple day December." Titled "Welcome 2 America," the tour will feature guest appearances by Cassandra Wilson, Lalah Hathaway, Mint Condition, Sheila E., Esperanza Spalding, and Janelle Monae, whom he called his "favorite new artist."During a packed press conference at the historic Apollo Theater in New York City, Prince anyone attending to "bring foot spray 'cause its gonna be funky..." Here's what you had to say: Karen commented via Facebook: "Prince, please make sure your 'Welcome 2 America' tour makes a stop in Washington, DC!" Latonya wrote via Facebook: "I had the chance to catch him in concert and he threw his towel in the audience. Guess who caught it -- me!!!"...

Singer didn't reveal a starting date or venue details at press conference.

By Jayson Rodriguez

Prince announces his Welcome 2 America tour at the Apollo Theater Thursday

Photo: Stephen Lovekin/ Getty Images

New York — Prince has a long list of hits, but the Minnesota superstar is short on words.

The singer held a press conference at Harlem's Apollo Theater on Thursday (October 14) to announce a new tour — dubbed Welcome 2 America — and he was brief in his address to the media, just under two minutes, and sparse on details.

"Welcome," Prince said to the crowd, sporting aviator-style sunglasses and a dark, textured sport coat adorned with a gold crest on the front. "We're here in New York to announce a series of events that will begin on a purple day in December 2010."

The legendary singer described the impending festivities as multiple nights of entertainment. Prince didn't announce a kickoff date or reveal...

Jazz singer, actor and civil rights activist strongly influenced by Billie Holiday

If Abbey Lincoln was overwhelmed by the responsibility of being proclaimed "the last of the jazz singers", she never let it show. As her great contemporaries and principal influences among the classic female jazz vocalists fell away – with Billie Holiday the first to go, in 1959, and Betty Carter the last, in 1998 – Lincoln steadfastly maintained her dignified, almost solemn, focus; her tart, deftly timed Holiday-like inflections, and her commitment to songs that dug deeper into life's meanings than the usual lost-love exhalations.

And, like Ella Fitzgerald, who all her life took to a stage as if she were surprised to find anyone had come to see her, Lincoln became the opposite of a celebrated jazz diva. In some of her London performances during the 1990s, she would sit quietly beside the piano, tugging at her clothes, like someone who...

'Cindy and I are blessed to have found each other,' legendary guitarist says in a statement.

By Kelley L. Carter

Carlos Santana performs in Tinley Park, Il on Friday

Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Redferns

Legendary guitarist Carlos Santana, 62, proposed to his girlfriend, 50-year-old drummer Cindy Blackman, onstage at his concert in Tinley Park, Illinois, on Friday. After she accepted, the couple kissed and fans cheered on the moment.

"Cindy and I are blessed to have found each other," Santana said in a statement released to MTV News. "Being in love is a gift from the universe, and the spirit and vibrations that come with it are infinitely powerful. I look forward to expressing that incredible energy through my music, and in helping to tip the balance toward more love in the world with what Cindy and I share."

The proposal came right after Blackman, a noted jazz percussionist who has...

The Montreal international jazz festival on Tuesday announced its lineup for the June 25-July 6 event that includes jazz luminaries Sonny Rollins, Bobby McFerrin, Ahmad Jamal and Herbie Hancock. Lionel Richie and Cassandra Wilson will kick off the festival with an opening gala concert on June 25. Also featured this year are the Steve Miller Band, the Doobie Brothers, Cyndi Lauper, Smokey Robinson, rising trumpeter Christian Scott, Keith Jarrett's piano-double-bass-drums trio, and the Robert Glasper trio. Hancock is to play songs from his new album The Imagine Project. The Roots and Anti-pop Consortium will offer up some rap, alongside activist ...

Good Sunday morning! Nothing like a little lovely soulful jazz on a chilly fall sunrise, in lush black and white cinematography, compliments of songstress/diva, Cassandra Wilson on vocals, Isaach de Bankole as subject, and Arthur Jafa on lens. The track is called Until, and it’s from Wilson’s 1995 album, New Moon Daughter – easily my favorite of all her albums, and I Highly recommend it, if you aren’t already familiar.

Of course, I’m sure Isaach de Bankole needs no intro around here; we’ve certainly talked about him quite a bit. He and Cassandra Wilson are a couple, for those unaware.

Arthur Jafa’s the proverbial renaissance man – artist, critique, intellectual, and more. My intro to the man was his work as the cinematographer on Julie Dash’s seminal Daughters Of The Dust.

Enjoy the video and song below, and have a good day!

Former Led Zeppelin star Robert Plant and his new performance partner Alison Krauss were the toast of the 51st Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night after claiming a fistful of honours.The duo picked up awards for Album of The Year, Record of The Year, Best Pop Collaboration, Best Country Collaboration and Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album.

Lil Wayne, who was the most nominated artist at this year's Grammys, took home three prizes and a share of the Best Rap Performance for a Duo or Group for Swagga Like Us with Jay-z, T.I. and Kanye West.

Coldplay were also triple winners, claiming Song of The Year, Best Rock Album and Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals.

Double winners included Metallica, Al Green, Daft Punk, gospel star Kirk Franklin, Brad Paisley and Peter Gabriel and composer Thomas Newman, who won honours for their work on the Wall-e soundtrack.

Neil Diamond, the Four Tops, Dean Martin and music mogul Clive Davis were among those honoured with special awards during the ceremony.

The night was a star-studded affair - with more performers than ever before hitting the stage at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the event.

Highlights included Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift's duet on the country star's 15, Jennifer Hudson's stirring rendition of Diane Warren's You Pulled Me Through - backed by a gospel choir, the Jonas Brothers' collaboration with Stevie Wonder, Coldplay's performance with rapper Jay-z and Lil Wayne and Robin Thicke's rousing tribute to New Orleans with Terence Blanchard and Allen Toussaint.

Rockers U2 kicked off the 51st Grammys with new song Get on Your Boots and heavily-pregnant M.I.A., who was due to give birth on Sunday, performed Paper Planes/Swagga Like Us with rappers Lil Wayne, Jay-z, T.I. and Kanye West.

When great international directors come to America—think Michelangelo Antonioni's Zabriskie Point, Bruno Dumont's Twentynine Palms, or Wim Wenders' Paris, Texas—the results tend to be awkward, yet beautiful: awkward because the filmmakers find the language and culture dauntingly unfamiliar, and beautiful because they have fresh, unvarnished impressions of America. Those qualities are in full effect in Wong Kar-Wai's wounded road odyssey My Blueberry Nights, which opened to shrugs at Cannes last year and now arrives in theaters 20 minutes leaner, and no doubt a little worse for wear. Informed by iconic pieces of Americana like Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks," plus a soundtrack that pairs Otis Redding and Mavis Staples alongside soulful contemporaries like Cat Power and Cassandra Wilson, the film views the nation's cities as all-night hideaways where doomed romantics can suck gin, fork a pie, and quietly lament loves lost or never found. In other words,...