Month: June 2024

After starting her career on RCA Records, Tinashe has gone the independent route for her latest releases. It’s working out pretty well, too: Her latest single, “Nasty,” is a TikTok favorite and one of the biggest hits of her career. Tinashe’s RCA years were filled with conflict, so she doesn’t seem to mind rubbing her success in their faces a little bit.

As a recent video shows, Tinashe was asked by a reporter, “Do you feel like RCA kind of dropped the ball when you were on their label? Because they couldn’t do it? You did it by yourself.” Tinashe responded, “You know? We just didn’t need them. All you need is hard work, good fans, talent. I know they’re gagging.”

The cameraperson also asked about what Tinashe has on the horizon, and she teased new music, remixes, a tour, and her upcoming album (she said BB/Angel, her 2023 project, but presumably misspoke and meant her upcoming album Quantum Baby).

Tinashe has previously spoken about her dissatisfaction with RCA, saying in a 2019 Billboard interview, “There were definitely ups and downs. I give them a lot of credit for helping me start out. […] My second album process just wasn’t as seamless as the first. I first announced it in 2015, right off the back of Aquarius. For whatever business reasons, it didn’t come out for the next three years. With that process of delaying the album, I felt really deflated as a creative. I was frustrated and helpless. I was over it and felt jaded.”

Ahead of being inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame, R.E.M. vowed that they would never reunite. “It’d never be as good,” Peter Buck said. They must have meant a full-blown reunion, with a new album and tour, because on Thursday, all four members of the band — Michael Stipe, Bill Berry, Mike Mills, and Buck — reunited and played together for the first time in 17 years.

R.E.M. performed “Losing My Religion,” the massive hit from 1991’s Out Of Time, at the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony. According to Brooklyn Vegan, “it marked the first R.E.M. performance since their 2011 breakup, and the first time that all four original members performed together since their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2007.” (Original drummer Berry left the group in 1997 following a brain aneurysm.)

While appearing on CBS Mornings, R.E.M. explained why they broke up. “At that point there wasn’t anything we could agree on, really, musically. What kind of music, how to record it, are we going to go on tour, you know? We could barely agree on where to go to dinner. And now, we can just agree on where to go to dinner,” Buck said, while Stipe added, “We’re also here to tell the tale, and we’re sitting at the same table together with deep admiration and… lifelong friendship. A lot of people that do this can’t claim that.”

In that same interview, Stipe said it would take “a comet” for the band to play together again.

You can watch footage from the stripped-down reunion performance above.

Bebe Rexha and G-Eazy have teamed up a couple of times, on 2015’s “Me, Myself & I” and then on Rexha’s 2017 song “F.F.F.” Since then, though, the two have clearly had a falling out, based on Rexha’s recent social media activity.

As People notes, yesterday (June 13), Rexha shared a screenshot of a text message she received from somebody, about potentially filming some social media content with G-Eazy. She wrote on the Instagram Story post, “@geazy you have my number,” adding, “Why don’t you text me and ask me yourself you stuck up ungrateful loser. You’re lucky people are liking you again.”

The post was later removed from Rexha’s Story, but after that, she took to X (formerly Twitter) to explain, “Someone from my team had me take down my Instagram story. I decided to remove it because it felt very negative and toxic. Sometimes trauma can lead us to react that way, and that period of my life was traumatizing. I am writing this because I regret taking it down and I want to say that I still stand by what I said.”

Meanwhile, Rexha recently retweeted a photo of Halsey and herself talking, which was captioned, “Bebe Rexha and Halsey talking about how they carried G-Eazy’s career.”

Steven is on the road this week doing book promotion and other fun things, so it seemed like a perfect time for he and Ian to answer some listener emails. As always, our listeners stepped up with some amazing topics this week.

First, the guys talk about the recent Sufjan Stevens Illinois musical and discuss other albums that might warrant the adaptation treatment. Second, they talk about the best three-year period in modern music history and why it’s (probably) 2000-02. Third, they revisit Car Seat Headrest’s 2020 album Making A Door Less Open and whether it’s the biggest drop-off from an acclaimed predecessor. Fourth, they talk about the run of recent jangle pop and shoegaze albums and whether it’s possible for homages to be better than the originals. Finally, they discuss their favorite recent music books, and the overall state of the 33 1/3 series.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 193 here and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at indiecastmailbag@gmail.com, and make sure to follow us on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

An Arizona man has been indicted in Atlanta after planning to carry out a mass shooting a Bad Bunny concert, according to a report from NBC.

Mark Adams Prieto was indicted earlier this week after his arrest last month for the alleged plot. Prieto was allegedly hoping to prompt a “race war” ahead of the 2024 U.S. Presidential election.

Prieto was reportedly charged with Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, Firearms Trafficking, and Transfer of a Firearm for Use in a Hate Crime. He is facing up to 40 years in prison if convicted.

An anonymous source, who said Prierto had tried to recruit him for the attack, reported Prieto to the FBI. Prieto evidently planned the attack for after Super Tuesday, after the presidential candidates were set, the source revealed.

“Prieto believes that martial law will be implemented shortly after the 2024 election and that a mass shooting should occur prior.” The source also recalled Prieto asking them if they were “ready to kill a bunch of people.”

Prieto reportedly also harbored and hid guns near the venue where Bad Bunny was performing ahead of the concert.

Law enforcement has since executed a search warrant at Prieto’s home and recovered more firearms, including an unregistered short-barreled rifle.

After eight years, Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge have reunited NxWorries. Tonight (June 14), as NxWorries, the singer-producer duo has shared their second joint album, Why Lawd? on streaming platforms. Maintaining a groovy, soulful flow throughout the album, the pair enlisted Thundercat for the forlorn “KeepHer.”

On “KeepHer,” Thundercat supplies the guitar vibes throughout the song, and blesses the background with gorgeous vocals. He opens the song, setting the scene for a story of opulence and heartache.

“They say you gonna pay either way / And if this was made to be / It’s such a lovely dream / Why would you wanna wake me up?,” Thundercat sings in the intro.

Though neither artist refers to anyone by name, the song was likely inspired by Paak’s divorce from Jaylyn Chang, which was reported earlier this year.

Paak learns the hard way that money on its own isn’t enough to keep a good woman around.

“Jetlag when you show up / Coolin’ with a chauffeur / All I wanna do is spoil ya / But you know that the money won’t keep her,” sings Paak on the song’s chorus.

“KeepHer” marks one of Paak’s most poignant and self-aware songs, but showcases his ability to turn heartache into gold.

You can listen to “KeepHer” above.

Why Lawd? is out now via Stones Throw. Find more information here.

At long last, Normani‘s long-awaited solo debut album is here. Five years in the making, Dopamine features the once girl-group standout taking her artistry to the next level. One of the instantly catchy tracks is the hypnotic “All Yours,” on which, Normani turns up the heat for one special person.

Upon the launch of this new era, Normani is aware of her power. As she says in the songs opening verse, “This kitty got the Midas touch, you turn to gold in it.” But musically, she continutes to remind us of her prowess with the catchy chorus, as she hums and harmonizes over a zippy, futuristic beat.

Almost all of the songs on Dopamine have the potential to be singles, but “All Yours” is a reminder as to why she does it. Channelling the Aaliyahs and the Brandys of the past, Normani delivers a flavor of rhythmic R&B that’s been missing from the landscape for awhile, all while adding her own southern flow. While fans had to wait quite some time for Normani’s proper solo debut, her latest music will surely hold up years from now.

Needless to say, Dopamine proves to have been worth the wait.

You can listen to “All Yours” above.

Dopamine is out now via RCA. Find more information here.

Tanner Adell is taking over the country landscape. Last summer, she stepped onto the scene with the viral hit “Buckle Bunny,” which propelled her into instant stardom. A feature on Beyoncé’s “Blackbiird” from her Cowboy Carter album skyrocketed Adell to the next level. Tonight (June 14), Adell has even more heat for the ladies with her new single “Too Easy” from the soundtrack to Twisters.

On “Too Easy,” Adell isn’t fazed by any man vying for her attention. She sees right through the facade as she repeats “Boys are too easy” on the song’s chorus.

Throughout the course of the song, she encourages the ladies to get dressed up and styled for the people that matter most — themselves.

“Go and get you a manicure for something that a man can’t cure / French tips, French kiss / I’ll leave you in the dust like this,” Adell sings.

In the song’s accompanying video, Adell is joined by the world famous PBR Nashville Buckle Bunnies, who deliver some killer choreography over the fast-paced track.

Newly independent after a recent departure from Columbia Records, Adell is taking her artistry into her own hands. And through maintain a consistent output of solid country bangers, she is bound to be the voice of the new country landscape.

You can see the video for “Too Easy” above.

You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can’t the Texas out of the girl. Tonight (June 14), Normani released her long-awaited debut album, Dopamine. Since her days as a member of Fifth Harmony, Normani has long-cited artists like Aaliyah, Brandy, and fellow Houston native Beyoncé as inspirations. But on a rap-inspired track called “Still,” Normani reminds us that her hometown serves as more of an inspiration to her musical craft than we might think.

The song features a prominent sample of “Still Tippin’,” an H-Town classic rap song by Mike Jones, Slim Thug, and Paul Wall. Normani herself interpolates portions of the song, as she sings “Back then they didn’t want me / now I’m hot, can’t keep ’em off me” in the song’s intro.

Throughout the chorus, Normani maintains a Texas-sized spirit, and showing out with some southern style with her day one ladies.

“Still sexy, still extra, with my girls flexin’,” she sings on the song’s chorus, reminding us that while the wait for her solo debut album may have been long, she’s finally arrived, and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

You can listen to “Still” above.

Dopamine is out now via RCA. Find more information here.

Tommy Richman is having a hell of a summer. After years of putting in the work, Richman finally had a breakthrough hit with his addictive pop-R&B fusion track, “Million Dollar Baby.” The single has dominated radio and TikTok, but Richman is no flash in the pan. Tonight (June 14), the hitmaker has shared his new single, “Devil Is A Lie.”

Equally as catchy as “Million Dollar Baby,” Richman’s latest, “Devil Is A Lie” features the singer arriving to newfound assurance, making it known that he’s not going to let anything or anybody stand in his way.

“You got no confidence like me / Only wanna run around and chase me / I’m not no Travis, baby, not no Chase B / I work too hard, can you f*ckin’ pay me?,” Richman sings on the song’s chorus.

Richman put out over 30 songs before finally landing a hit with “Million Dollar Baby.” And now that he’s arrived at the top of the pops, he is happy to reap the fruits of his labor.

“I did so much, you did it with me, and I’m not alone / Since 2019, was dinners with me, I’ma set it in stone / You come from a sunken place again / You know the struggle, baby, can we be friends? / From the bottom to the top began / We go on again, on again,” Richman sings on the song’s second verse.

You can listen to “Devil Is A Lie” above.