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      Meet MJ Lenderman, Southern Rock’s Tragicomic Poet

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      Hear tracks from his new album, “Manning Fireworks,” and more.Erin BrethauerDear listeners,One of my favorite albums of the year comes out today: “Manning Fireworks” by the North Carolina singer-songwriter-guitarist MJ Lenderman, a young artist with an old soul and a keen eye for observational detail that makes his canted portraits of small-town life come alive. I believe so strongly that Lenderman is worth your time that today’s playlist is an introduction to — or, if you’re already familiar, a refresher on — his music and his surrounding scene in Asheville.There’s a fine art to writing songs that are both comedic and heartbreaking, but Lenderman has the knack: His best lines smart like resounding wallops to the funny bone. “I wouldn’t be in the seminary if I could be with you,” he howls atop jangly, bittersweet chords on “Rudolph,” a single from the new album which you’ll hear on today’s playlist. I love that lyric because it showcases one of Lenderman’s songwriting superpowers, his sense of concision. There’s basically an entire tragicomic short story in those 12 simple words.The drollness and economy of his writing sometimes reminds me of the great folk singer Bill Callahan, so I wasn’t surprised when Lenderman mentioned, in Will Hermes’s recent Times interview, his love of Callahan’s earlier project Smog. Other Lendermanian touchstones include, to my ears, the shambolic blaze of Neil Young and Crazy Horse, the twangy sparkle of early R.E.M. and the sad-sack poetry of the Silver Jews frontman David Berman. But another thing I love about Lenderman’s music is the way he manages to carry the weight of rock history with both sincerity and an irreverent lightness. “Rudolph” and the final song on this playlist, “Knockin,” riff on Bob Dylan lyrics, while the new album’s closer, “Bark at the Moon,” is, in part, about playing the titular Ozzy Osbourne tune … on Guitar Hero.In addition to his solo work, Lenderman is the guitarist in the punky Southern rock group Wednesday and has also played on records by indie mainstays like Waxahatchee and Indigo De Souza. I’ve included tracks from those artists, too, to give a wider sense of Lenderman’s musical milieu.I don’t know what fans of Lenderman call themselves — Lenderheads? Lendermen? Lendermaniacs? — but regardless, count me among their ranks. Perhaps you’ll join us, too.Don’t move to New York City, babe, it’s gonna change the way you dress,LindsayWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      A Nuanced, Unreleased Live Bob Dylan Cut, and 8 More New Songs

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      Hear tracks by Linkin Park, Halsey, Queen Naija and others.Every Friday, pop critics for The New York Times weigh in on the week’s most notable new tracks. Listen to the Playlist on Spotify here (or find our profile: nytimes) and at Apple Music here, and sign up for The Amplifier, a twice-weekly guide to new and old songs.Bob Dylan and the Band, ‘Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues’On Sept. 20, Bob Dylan will release “The 1974 Live Recordings,” the entire gigantic archive — 431 tracks — of his 1974 arena tour with the Band. Most of “Before the Flood,” the 1975 live album culled from that tour, had Dylan shouting brusquely through his 1960s classics. But he never performed a song the same way twice, and there’s far more melody and nuance in this version of “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” from Madison Square Garden. With the Band in full rowdy roadhouse mode — J.R. Robertson’s twangy guitar jabs, Richard Manuel’s honky-tonk piano, Garth Hudson’s wheezy organ — Dylan delivers the lyrics in a long-breathed croon that merges defiance and tribulation. By the time he belts, “Goin’ back to New York City — I do believe I’ve had enough,” he’s earned the inevitable roar from the hometown crowd. JON PARELESCorinne Bailey Rae, ‘SilverCane’With the single “SilverCane,” Corinne Bailey Rae exults in the adventurous streak that she revealed on her 2023 album, “Black Rainbows.” It opens with a blast of noise and — over a parade-worthy drum thump — struts through an ever-morphing funk arrangement. The lyrics mention American towns (though Bailey is English) on the way to envisioning a future where “All the people shout hurray/There will be no more hate.” PARELESLinkin Park, ‘The Emptiness Machine’We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Oasis Fans Balked at High Ticket Prices. But Were They ‘Dynamic’?

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      A regulator said it was opening an investigation into Ticketmaster’s actions, but the company disputed that “dynamic pricing” came into play.The return of Oasis, the chart-dominating bad boys of ’90s Britpop, has been one of the biggest stories on the music beat this summer, with a slate of surprise reunion shows in Britain and Ireland selling out instantly over the last week.But the rush also introduced many fans to the frustrating vagaries of online ticketing, where the prices are not always what you expect (and they usually go up).Last weekend, after the first batch of shows went on sale, angry Oasis fans took to social media to complain that many tickets that had been advertised at 148 British pounds (around $195) ended up more than doubling in price to £355 (about $468) by the time they went to pay.The band came under fire, and in Britain — where the reconciliation of the group’s long-feuding leaders, Liam and Noel Gallagher, was front-page news — politicians readily took up the cause.“About half the country was probably queuing for tickets over the weekend,” Keir Starmer, the prime minister, said in Parliament on Wednesday when asked about the furor. “But it is depressing to hear of price hikes.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      20 Pop and Jazz Albums, Shows and Festivals Coming This Fall

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      Anticipated debuts and long-awaited follow-ups are due this season. Our critics plucked out a list of the most notable.Some of the year’s buzziest artists (Charli XCX, Chappell Roan) are headlining tours and festivals this fall, and a bevy of new albums from established stars (Shawn Mendes, Jelly Roll) and up-and-comers (Flo, Nemahsis) are on the way. Dates and lineups are subject to change.SeptemberNILÜFER YANYA The British musician Nilüfer Yanya makes pensive, intricately layered songs that revel in unexpected textural jolts. On “Like I Say (I Runaway),” the lead single from her third album, “My Method Actor,” the deadpan, Sade-like cool of Yanya’s vocals is interrupted by a sudden eruption of PJ Harvey-esque guitar distortion. A melodically rich meditation on identity, desire and the reverberations of heartache, “My Method Actor” is a confident and hypnotic follow-up to her 2022 release, “Painless.” (Sept. 13; Ninja Tune) LINDSAY ZOLADZNEMAHSIS Nemahsis — the songwriter Nemah Hasan, who has Palestinian roots — sings about seizing her tangled identity as an independent artist, a Muslim, the daughter of immigrants and a self-questioning but determined individualist. On her debut album, “Verbathim,” her producers include Drake’s regular collaborator Noah (40) Shebib, with songs that can be folky or test the electronic edges of hyperpop. (Sept. 13; Verbaithim) JON PARELESSEXYY RED Fresh off several high-profile collaborations with Drake, Sexyy Red, the 26-year-old St. Louis rapper, makes the leap to headlining arenas on her Sexyy Red 4 President tour, on which she’s playing songs from her latest mixtape, “In Sexyy We Trust.”. That’s one way to kick off election season. (Sept. 17; Barclays Center) ZOLADZSexyy Red’s tour started in late August and comes to Brooklyn in September.Torben Christensen/Ritzau Scanpix Denmark, via ReutersCHARLI XCX AND TROYE SIVAN Most live performances by the British pop singer, songwriter and producer Charli XCX tend to feel more like semi-legal warehouse raves than highly choreographed arena shows, but the breakout success of her sixth album, “Brat,” means that, on the Sweat Tour that she is headlining with the Australian pop star Troye Sivan, the 32-year-old industry veteran will be playing some of the largest venues of her career. Bid farewell to Brat Summer in style starting Sept. 14 in Detroit. (Sept. 23; Madison Square Garden) ZOLADZWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Elton John Says a Serious Eye Infection Limited His Vision in One Eye

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      The entertainer said on social media that it would “take some time” before sight returned to his eye.Elton John said he was recuperating from a severe eye infection that limited his vision in one eye, but that he was optimistic about his recovery.“Over the summer, I’ve been dealing with a severe eye infection that has unfortunately left me with only limited vision in one eye,” the entertainer wrote in a statement posted to Instagram on Tuesday. “I am healing, but it’s an extremely slow process and it will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye.”Thanking a team of nurses, doctors and family members who have cared for him, he added that he was “feeling positive about the progress I have made in my healing and recovery thus far.”John, 77, has faced other medical challenges recently.In January, he won an Emmy for outstanding variety special for his live streamed farewell concert at Dodger Stadium, making him the 19th person to secure an EGOT, or win all four prestigious entertainment awards: an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. But he was not present at the ceremony because of a knee operation.The “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour, billed as his last, stretched across 330 concert dates from its start in 2018 to 2023. Some of the tour dates were postponed while he underwent hip surgery after a fall and when he contracted the coronavirus.He decided to stop touring to spend more time with his husband and children, who live in Britain, his representatives have said.John, a longtime leader in gay rights activism, was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Joe Biden in 2022. More

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      A New ‘Red Hot’ Album Tackles a Hot Topic: Transgender Awareness

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      “Transa,” with 46 tracks due Nov. 22, brings together artists including Sam Smith, Sade, André 3000 and Jayne County.Over a soft piano riff wafts the unmistakable voice of Sade, singing a song to her son. The lyrics she wrote for the piece — her first new track in 14 years, titled “Young Lion” — are steeped in empathy and regret. “Young man, it’s been so heavy for you/You must have felt so alone,” she sings. “I should have known.”She’s addressing her real-life son, Izaak, whose identity as a transgender man escaped her perception for some time. “Shine like a sun,” she sings to him. “You have everything you need.”Massima Bell, a musician, model and activist who is transgender, said she’d never heard a song like that before. “It’s amazing to hear a legendary musician like Sade sing about her heartfelt experience as the parent of a trans child,” she said in an interview. “It’s incredibly powerful.”It’s also humanizing, nailing a key goal for the sprawling new musical project that contains it. Titled “Transa,” the album, which Bell worked on as a creative producer, is the latest venture from Red Hot, the organization co-founded 35 years ago by John Carlin at the peak of the AIDS epidemic. The organization started with a star-studded album titled “Red Hot + Blue,” designed to raise funds for the fight against the disease.In the decades since, Red Hot has released more than two dozen sets, involving hundreds of top musicians, to benefit a wealth of related causes. (The organization said it has given away $15 million over its lifetime, primarily raised by record sales.) Still, it’s been years since it has focused on an issue with the topicality of “Transa,” a project due Nov. 22, which was partly inspired by the death of the producer Sophie in 2021.Beverly Glenn-Copeland, left, and Sam Smith. Both musicians contribute to “Transa.”Eleanor PetryWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      The First Movie About Pop Music to Nail Its Mediocrity

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      This summer’s “Trap,” from M. Night Shyamalan, works hard to turn its fictional star — and her fans — into heroes.Last fall, I went with friends to see a popular British rock band at Madison Square Garden. I went in a fan of the group, but with every interchangeable song, every self-important gesture, I grew farther apart from the crowd around me: The more they enjoyed the music, the more it bored me. I had been pulled into a conversation with 20,000 other people, but I had nothing to say. By the first set break, I wanted to leave; by the third, I needed to escape.Cooper (Josh Hartnett), the protagonist of M. Night Shyamalan’s recent thriller “Trap,” probably knows how I felt. A hunky, hopelessly square man in his 40s, Cooper has taken his teenage daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue), to see her favorite musician, Lady Raven. Cooper is a model dad, bringing his daughter to the special matinee and searching for the perfect concert T-shirt — but whatever his desire to support her fandom, he can’t share it. Instead he spends the concert wandering the arena halls, surreptitiously listening to something else.Lady Raven is played by the independent pop musician (and daughter of the director) Saleka Shyamalan, who wrote a full album of original songs for the film. She has been cast as the kind of blandly contemporary pop star who might reasonably appeal to teenagers. Glimpsed in brief, her music comes across as snappy, dutiful and necessarily muted, each melody just memorable enough to register without pulling our focus from Cooper.This being a Shyamalan film, there must also be a twist. The model dad is in fact a notorious serial killer with a victim in his safe house. The concert has been set up to trap him. Yet you don’t side with the police: Listening to Lady Raven with him, you sympathize with Cooper’s need to get out.“Trap” is hardly the first film to make use of fictional music — fake pop songs that let directors and musicians create alternate cultural realities in the shadow of our own. Many of cinema’s made-up hits are genuinely catchy. But they rarely transcend pastiche: Mostly, they convince us via their similarity to songs we already know.Some of the best come from spoofs. In “This Is Spinal Tap,” from 1984, the titular metal group is captured in a low moment — failing albums, low ticket sales — but a survey of their past hits, like “(Listen to the) Flower People” and “Gimme Some Money,” reveals how absurd their popularity has been all along. (The music, though, is easy to believe in: Silly as they seem, Spinal Tap rocks.) Similarly, the Lonely Island’s songs from “PopStar: Never Stop Never Stopping” (2016) combine undeniable hooks with ridiculous content: a braggadocio anthem about humility, a sex jam about a woman with an Osama bin Laden fetish. The punchlines wouldn’t land if the songs supporting them were not fluent in the language of contemporary pop-rap; to properly spoof this kind of music, you have to love it, at least a little.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Mk.gee, an Unlikely Guitar God, Chases the Promise of Pop

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      On first listen, or even fourth, the songs of Michael Gordon, a guitarist, producer and vocalist who performs as Mk.gee, are not the sort one imagines generating a modern frenzy.Cracked, shrouded and fuzzy, with jazz, AOR and classic rock DNA — far from the trendiest of building blocks — Mk.gee’s music can feel like a strange whisper or a brief tantrum. Its hooks are sneaky, the payoff more often implied than obvious. And it’s never one thing for very long before warping into something else or stopping altogether.His breakout album, “Two Star & the Dream Police,” which Mk.gee considers his official debut, is just over 30 minutes long. At concerts, he has taken to playing a track called “Candy” twice. With repeat exposure, it all starts to click.“This record was supposed to feel like a little forest fire,” said Gordon, a boyish 27, with greasy hair and an understated murmur, from the porch of his Silver Lake, Calif., home and studio, in a rare interview. “Little refractions of perfect songs amid a lot of chaos and weird atonal moments,” he added, calling it “a new recipe” that he hasn’t quite perfected.Yet since the independent release of “Two Star & the Dream Police” in February, and especially since the sold-out spring tour where the album’s 12 songs blossomed, that fire, stoked by word of mouth, has been spreading wildly. And it’s putting Mk.gee’s status as a connoisseur’s cult figure — your favorite musician’s favorite musician’s favorite musician — at risk.Michael Gordon, who performs as Mk.gee, is bringing guitar music into unexpected places.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More