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MUSIC

Stevie Nicks Offers a Spell for COVID-19 (Featuring Harry Styles)

She called "Fine Line" Harry's "Rumours" in a sweet note to fans, but mostly to Harry.

Larry Marano/Shutterstock

Stevie Nicks posted a sweet note on Twitter today, encouraging fans to stay strong during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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MUSIC

Is Bob Dylan Really the 7th Best Singer of All Time?

How could Bob Dylan rank number 7 on a list of best singers of all time?

Bob Dylan

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On Monday, October 21st, the world woke up to see "Bob Dylan" trending on Twitter, immediately causing a jolt of panic in the hearts of fans.

But a quick scroll revealed that Dylan wasn't trending because he died, but because of a 2008 Rolling Stone list of the greatest singers of all time. The account that reposted the list, @crockpics, is committed to "sharing entertaining and memorable pictures of classic rock artists," according to its bio.

But the seemingly innocuous, dated list—reposted by a run-of-the-mill content-farming account—soon sparked heated online debate. Upon reading the list, fans began to argue amongst themselves about the validity of Bob Dylan's place on the list at number 7. In particular, many took issue with Dylan's placement above Freddie Mercury, who is listed at number 18.




Of course, as many pointed out, it's not clear whether the rankings were based merely on technical vocal skill or on a singer's whole package, including presentation, performance, individuality, etc. Based on Dylan's high ranking, one assumes the latter is the case. In fact, the article that prefaces the original list, written by Jonathan Lethem, states, "For me, Bob Dylan and Patti Smith, just to mention two, are superb singers by any measure I could ever care about — expressivity, surprise, soul, grain, interpretive wit, angle of vision...If one of the weird things about singers is the ecstasy of surrender they inspire, another weird thing is the debunking response a singer can arouse once we've recovered our senses. It's as if they've fooled us into loving them, diddled our hard-wiring, located a vulnerability we thought we'd long ago armored over."

This seems to more than explain the list's logic. As much as American Idol and the like have trained us to think good singing is quantifiable, the truth is some of the musical artists who have most set the soundtrack to the common experience of being alive would not even make it past the first round of auditions on your average singing reality show. Everyone who really loves music, who has been transformed, soothed, or awoken by just the right song at just the right time, knows that singing is as much about soul and storytelling as it is about perfect technique.

So yes, if we're judging a singer's talent by range, pitch control, breath control, tone, rhythm, and diction, Mariah Carey should absolutely rank above Bob Dylan on the list of 200 best singers. But if you're judging a singer on their ability to tell a story, the pain and joy they can imbue their voice with, the distinct nature of their unmistakable sound, and the simple ability to deeply affect a listener, Bob Dylan is among the best singers there ever was.

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CULTURE

Mac Miller's Drug Dealer's Arrest Reminds Us Just How Dangerous Fentanyl Is

We all miss Mac Miller, and it's heartbreaking to know that his death could've been prevented.

There's a running theme among celebrity deaths that have occurred over the past few years: fentanyl.

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MUSIC

RELEASE RADAR | Premiere from Con Brio

Plus New Music from Lapel, Darryl Rahn, Hamish Anderson, and More!

Jensem Team

The last weekend of August has called for the hottest tunes yet!

RELEASE RADAR is here to give you the breakdown of your top singles, albums, and videos to check out as you head into your weekend. Get ready to jam out with some of our favorite up-and-coming artists, plus celebrate new stuff from those you already know and love.

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MUSIC

Does Tom Petty Still Have Music For Us?

New Music Was Released from Tom Petty's Estate This Week, and it's Totally Rock and Roll.

media.pitchfork.com

Since Tom Petty's death nearly a year ago, fans have been waiting to see what his estate would release from the vault.

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MUSIC

PREMIERE | David Morris takes a trip with a 'Pretty Rider' in new music video

In his new video, David Morris hits the Arizona heat!

Our journeys are much the same.

We've all got "broken dreams on a lost highway," as West Virginia native David Morris tells it. His single "Pretty Rider" (out now) marries the slow-rollin' country-rock style of the '70s (think: The Eagles) with a glossy modern veneer and depicts the story of a young woman who turns to the open road to medicate her unease, a longing for something bigger and brighter. "You can't go home at night, so you just ride," Morris sings, piano and drums tumbling beneath his thick gravelly tenor.

In the accompanying visual, premiering exclusively today, Morris hops a ride with the fellow tumbleweed, played by Miranda Harrison, and the two revel in the sweet, sunny Arizona landscape. Morris tells Popdust, "The song is about a girl who gets in her car and just drives. It's her safe space. Somewhere she can be alone and clear her head."

With director Jakob Owens (known for his work with Jesse McCartney, Lincoln Jesser and others) at the helm, the video is shiny but carries a classic, hazy filter. On his way across the scorching desert, Morris' car breaks down, and fate sends Harrison into his path, and thus a new beginning is born.

On the second verse, he muses, "I wanna know what happened to that spark in your eyes / They used to light up the streets at night." The breezy road ditty possesses an unshakable tension, juxtaposed with the production's lilting shimmer and elevated by the gentle rumble of the motor on dirt and concrete. It's both intimately personal and largely universal, tapping into the uncertainty of growing older and feeling the pressure of society.

"I feel like a lot of people feel that way. I wanted the video to simply be a 'moment' in time. A snapshot of her story," Morris explains. "Her letting someone in, but never letting them get too close. She was on her own journey before and she's still on it now. Looking for something that makes her feel alive."

Shot "gorilla style," Morris and crew hung "outside of car windows to get certain shots" and just popped up on location, unannounced. It's a thrilling excursion and embodies the song's innate free-wheeling spirit.

After taking a bit of a hiatus from music-making, Morris returned with a cannonball-style splash with 2017's "Settle Down." In its music video, filmed in and around his home state, he celebrates his roots. "Where I'm from is beautiful, nostalgic, wild and wonderful. It can be depressing and stagnant, too, but above all, it's resilient and proud. It has its problems, but it has my heart," he wrote.

Morris is currently working on his new EP, tentatively expected later this year.

Follow David Morris on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Jason Scotty is a freelance music journalist with bylines in Billboard, PopCrush, Uproxx, Paste and many others. Follow him on Twitter.

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