Black Rock: An Oral History
In the 1980s, a brotherhood of bands led by Fishbone and Living Colour refused to let their race dictate the style of music they played. Here's how they splashed onto the scene, how they struggled to stay afloat, and what they're doing now.
By David Browne 10.23.08 5:12 PM
In 2008, indie-rock bands with black members virtually amount to a genre unto themselves; think TV on the Radio, Black Kids, Bloc Party, the Dirtbombs, Apollo Heights, Earl Greyhound, and Dragons of Zynth, among many others.
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The Raconteurs, 'Consolers of the Lonely' (Third Man/Warner Bros.)
Jack White gets his rocks off -- again. And?
By David Browne 05.29.08 4:23 PM
Is Jack White better off working with only one other person?
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T Bone Burnett, 'Tooth of Crime' (Nonesuch)
Oh brother, where art thou dark wit, listenable songs?
By David Browne 05.29.08 3:40 PM
Few musicians conjure apocalyptic dread better than Burnett, and few plays foresaw a world of toxic entertainment more presciently than Sam Shepard's 1972 Tooth of Crime. So a Burnett album based on Shepard's old project makes sense. But between the singer/songwriter's hectoring-preacher delivery and predictable surf-guitar-noir arrangements, the result is one dreary sermon.
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Who Earns What
We all know that rock and raps stars can earn tens of millions each year, but what about the others who toil in the business of music? From managers to roadies to bloggers to bus drivers, here's how much they take home.
By David Browne 03.26.08 12:23 PM
It's widely reported how much the wealthiest pop stars make. Pick up a fi nancial magazine and you'll read about the 2007 earnings of the Rolling Stones ($88 million), U2 ($30 million), and Britney Spears ($9 million). Even Elvis Presley took in $49 million last year -- and he's been dead for 30 years.
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Hey! Ho! Let's Shop!
T-shirts, sure, but Ramones flip-flops? Though the band barely sold records in their heyday, the punk icons have become a mighty retail presence in their afterlife. What's behind their transformation from glue-sniffing rebels to tchotchke-hawking moguls?
By David Browne 02.08.08 12:14 AM
Another day, another delivery of Ramones wear to the East Village home of Arturo Vega, the band's former lighting director and art coordinator. (He designed their eagle insignia.) "More merchandise," Vega says with a resigned smile, ripping open a box containing new T-shirts featuring the faces of Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy.
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