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Music News: Nina Simone, Radiohead, Kate Bush among Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees

American pianist and jazz singer Nina Simone performs October 18, 1964 in an unidentified location. Simone, whose deep, raspy voice made her a unique jazz figure and later helped chronicle the civil rights movement, died in her sleep on April 21, 2003, of natural causes after a long illness. She was 70.
American pianist and jazz singer Nina Simone performs October 18, 1964 in an unidentified location. Simone, whose deep, raspy voice made her a unique jazz figure and later helped chronicle the civil rights movement, died in her sleep on April 21, 2003, of natural causes after a long illness. She was 70.Getty Images

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by Cecilia Johnson

October 05, 2017

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees announced

Nina Simone, Radiohead, and Kate Bush are among the nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's class of 2018. Of the 19 artists/bands nominated, two are in their first year of eligibility (Radiohead and Rage Against The Machine both released their first official albums 25 years ago), and nine (incuding the Eurythmics and rock influencer Sister Rosetta Tharpe) have never been nominated before. Depeche Mode and LL Cool J are among the 10 returning nominees. (NPR)

Artists raise money for Puerto Rico

Chance the Rapper, Jay-Z, and Lin-Manuel Miranda are among the many stars raising money for Puerto Rico, using tools from benefit concerts to star-filled singles.

More Petty tributes

Musicians continue to cover Tom Petty songs, often sharing anecdotes about what the late singer/songwriter meant to them. Here are clips and/or reports on tributes by Kesha ("Into The Great Wide Open"), Father John Misty ("To Find A Friend"), Kip Moore ("Learning To Fly"), a quartet featuring Dave Matthews & Emmylou Harris ("Refugee"), and the Twin Cities' own All Tomorrow's Petty featuring Aby Wolf, the Pines, and more.

St. Vincent tries on 'dominatrix at a mental institution'

In an interview with Billboard, St. Vincent (a.k.a. Annie Clark) shares about the "archetype" behind her upcoming album. Masseduction, out Oct. 13, will feature her as a "dominatrix at a mental institution," singing about pills, dark nights, and being afraid. "I totally am [hopeful for the future]," she says. "With great tumult comes great change, too, and [...] the youth will do what the youth does best, which is terrify the old and unseat them, unseat their power."

The Smiths unearth "I Know It's Over" demo

English rock band The Smiths will include a previously unreleased demo of "I Know It's Over" on an upcoming deluxe reissue of their album The Queen Is Dead. Although it's musically similar to the album version, the "I Know It's Over" demo features a couple of lyrical discrepancies, including "I don't see what else I can do" in place of "I don't know where else I can go." The Queen Is Dead, originally out in 1986, rereleases on Oct. 20. (Rolling Stone)

Las Vegas shooter reserved rooms overlooking Lolla, Life is Beautiful

The man who killed 58 in Las Vegas on Sunday had booked rooms facing Lollapalooza and Life is Beautiful earlier this year, according to MPR News. There's no indication that either of the reservations were actually fulfilled.