Chris Kelly, one-half of ’90s backwards-clothes-wearing rap duo Kris Kross, died in Atlanta Wednesday of a possible drug overdose. He was 34. Kris Kross was best known for its No. 1 hit “Jump,” and although that was the group’s only Top 10 hit, the duo was not a one-hit-wonder. Kris Kross released three albums, ending … Continue Reading →
Coachella 2013 is in the books. The three-day music experience drew some 200,000 sun-baked music fans to the Southern California desert over two weekends this month, officially kicking off the annual festival season while reaffirming its place at the top of the modern American festival landscape. There are plenty of lessons to be learned from … Continue Reading →
This is great. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.’s “If You Didn’t See Me (Then You Weren’t on the Dance Floor),” already one of the most joyous songs to be released this year, has been remixed to sound like the soundtrack of an 8-bit video game. (I would have called it the Rygar Remix, but that’s just … Continue Reading →
Roger Ebert wielded the mightiest thumb in Hollywood. That thumb helped inform what we see, and helped us understand what we saw. Ebert, who democratized the medium of film criticism and made it amenable to the masses, died Thursday after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 70. Ebert’s name was synonymous with the movies, … Continue Reading →
“The Hangover Part II” was a really terrible movie. Just awful, really. The kind of thing you wouldn’t watch even if it was 3 a.m. and you couldn’t sleep and the only other thing on TV was a marathon of “Bar Rescue.” Are you kidding? “Bar Rescue” is great anyway, but especially great when compared … Continue Reading →
Man, it’s about time this kid caught a break. Bruno Mars’ “Unorthodox Jukebox” rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 200 albums chart this week, marking the first time the hitmaker has scored a No. 1 album, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Fueled by a deep discount through Amazon’s MP3 store, the album sold 95,000 copies … Continue Reading →
Short takes on five recent or otherwise notable singles: Mariah Carey, “Almost Home” (from “Oz: The Great and Powerful”) Given the title and the source, you’d expect a maudlin ballad, but Mimi’s contribution to the upcoming “Oz” soundtrack is a thoroughly modern production with whirring electronic flourishes and an up-tempo beat. After some awkward … Continue Reading →
The Grammy Awards were good to Mumford & Sons, whose Album of the Year-winning “Babel” rises to No. 1 on this week’s Billboard 200 albums chart. The set sold 185,000 copies in the first full post-Grammy sales frame, Nielsen SoundScan reports, sending it from No. 4 on last week’s chart to No. 1. It makes … Continue Reading →
The Grobes dethrones the Biebs on this week’s Billboard’s Top 200 albums chart, as Josh Groban debuts at No. 1 with his latest, “All That Echoes.” “All That Echoes” sold 145,000 copies its first week in stores, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It marks Josh “Mothergrabbin” Groban’s third No. 1 album, following his previous chart toppers … Continue Reading →
The first two episodes of the Eminem-produced web series “Detroit Rubber” have combined for nearly 500,000 views in two weeks. In the third installment, which goes live today, the gang heads to Big Sean’s concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills and runs into a few friends along the way. Have a look: New … Continue Reading →