When Randy Houser released his album Magnolia in January, it marked a rebirth for the Mississippi-born singer-songwriter. The record focused not on mindless country-radio fare, but on smart lyricism and organic arrangements that highlighted one of the best voices in the genre. This fall, Houser will bring all those elements …

The president may be a fool, but that doesn’t make him an ineffective racist. That would presuppose that it takes great talent to be good at hating people and furthering that hatred through policy. Donald Trump is quite adept at finding America’s weaknesses, a trait he shares with the Russians …

Unless you’re a hardcore jazz aficionado, you might not know the name Horace Tapscott. But to several generations of L.A. musicians — including breakout saxophone star Kamasi Washington — the late pianist and composer is a near-legendary figure. “I grew up in Leimert Park and his footprint is all over …

Cardi B has released a new one-offsingle titled “Press.” Her point being: she doesn’t want it. “Cardi don’t need more press,” she spits above thudding, foreboding bass and an orchestral score fit for a first-person shooter game. “Kill ’em all/Put them hoes to rest/Walk in, bulletproof vest!” She first previewed …

Vivien Goldman was a pioneering London punk journalist in the 1970s, covering bands like the Slits and the Raincoats, dabbling in music with her indie dub records. Now a professor at NYU, Goldman tells a fascinating tale in Revenge of the She-Punks — as she calls it, “A Feminist Punk …

On Wednesday morning, Special Counsel Robert Mueller read a 10-minute statement clarifying the findings of his investigation into Russian interference into the 2016 election, as well as the Trump campaign’s intersections with the Russians and the president’s efforts to stymie the investigation. Below, read Mueller’s first — and if the …

In early 2018, while survivors of the deadly Parkland school shooting in Florida were leading a renewed push for gun control across the country, a counter-movement was brewing in Illinois. Officials in rural Effingham County, a few hours downstate from Chicago, were looking to protest a spate of proposed firearm …

Taylor Swift delivered a vibrant and uplifting rendition of her new song “ME!” on The Graham Norton Show, the first time the singer has performed the track live without Panic! at the Disco’s Brendon Urie. While commanding the stage, she and her backup singers delivered the anthem in front of …

Morrissey has always worn his influences on his black-on-the-outside sleeves. For as much as he crowed about the New York Dolls and the Cramps in his youth, his music both with and without the Smiths has reflected more erudite lyricists with an overall lighter musical touch. For California Son, the …

On Tuesday night,Full Frontal with Samantha Bee aired a segment in which Bee questioned why so many Democratic primary candidates for president were appearing on Fox News town halls. She noted that Mayor Pete Buttigieg, the openly gay presidential candidate from South Bend, Indiana, made the crucial error of holding …