It sounds like fiction—like a murder mystery in a worn paperback novel. A wealthy woman is murdered in her bed, smothered with a pillow in the landmark lakeside mansion built by her parents. Her nurse is also killed, bludgeoned with a candlestick. Investigators quickly identify two suspects with a classic motive: struggling financially, the suspects…

The Jesus and Mary Chain, who haven’t released an album since the Clinton Administration, are working on a new album. The band reunited in 2007 after breaking up in the 90s and are now on tour; vocalist Jim Reid has just confirmed that a follow-up to 1998’s Munki is in the works. (Billboard) Guess who else is back? Will Smith.…

Big Star’s third album has always existed ambiguously, down to its very title. Differing variations of the album have floated around since the band’s attempt at recording a third studio album in 1974. There has never even been a concrete, canonical track listing, despite numerous well-intended attempts. Depending on who you ask, the record is…

Despite what you may have heard, Carlos Santana “is alive and well,” his representative has confirmed. The only thing the legendary guitarist, 68, has fallen victim to is an Internet hoax that led to widely circulated rumors of his death. (Billboard) After 13 years, Moog Music is ceasing production of its Minimoog Voyager synth—just 600 more…

Loud. Fast. Rules. With those three simple words, one of the biggest rock bands to come out of Minnesota was born. Before they were known as Soul Asylum, Loud Fast Rules was a band of energetic young dudes from Minneapolis who served food at downtown restaurants by day and tore up the 7th St. Entry…

Lorde appears as a guest vocalist on the new Disclosure single “Magnets.” A new video for the song is basically one long makeout session starring the New Zealand sensation—with a dramatic twist ending. (Rolling Stone) When EDM artist Oscar Powell e-mailed Steve Albini to ask the famous producer’s permission to use a vocal sample from Albini’s tenure with the…

Hippo Campus: South EP The boys of Hippo Campus have grown up. Fresh out of high school with a successful record already behind them, their songwriting has turned up some grit on the singles “The Halocline” and “South.” Don’t worry, though: they’re still as catchy as ever. The band’s new EP South comes out on Friday,…

Fresh off his recent visit to the U.S., Pope Francis has announced that he’ll release a rock album. Wake Up!, which will be released on Nov. 27, “features the Pontiff delivering sacred hymns and excerpts of his most moving speeches in multiple languages paired with uplifting musical accompaniment ranging from pop-rock to Gregorian chant,” explains Rolling Stone. As Billboard…

Tomorrow night Milkweed Editions and the Southern Theater will host a gathering of authors, musicians, and author-musicians to discuss and perform their work. The event serves as a book launch for Brian Laidlaw‘s first full-length poetry collection, The Stuntman. The evening’s focus is on the relationships among poetry, music, and communities. In addition to Laidlaw, the evening will include performances by Allison LaBonne…

Concerts and festivals this past weekend brought out a number of unexpected duets. In Phoenix, Foo Fighters were joined on stage by Jewel, and together they covered Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.” (Rolling Stone) In Nashville, Steven Tyler joined Taylor Swift for a rendition of Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” (Rolling Stone)…