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Ian McCann
· posted in 🕺 Music RSS Feeds
epmd-strictly-business.jpg

Business? Not cool, is it? Stiffs in suits and ties grafting at a desk and thinking only of profit? Where’s the fun in that? EPMD found it. And let’s be clear – these guys were serious about profit. That’s why they were called Erick And Parrish Making Dollars. Their debut album, Strictly Business, did it for them; they made plenty of Benjamins. And the rest of us? We had a party from hearing them do it.


Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith emerged in the mid-80s. These united microphone princes of Brentwood, Long Island, cut their debut single, “It’s My Thing,” in 1987, for the Manhattan-based indie label Sleeping Bag, who put them on its Fresh imprint, which until that point had a rap roster mostly comprising the underrated giants T La Rock and Just Ice. EPMD would soon become Fresh’s biggest-selling act, enjoying a rise to pop chart success that began with Strictly Business, the 1988 album that made No.1 on Billboard’s R&B chart. It’s not hard to see why: downbeat, effortlessly funky, lean and raw, Strictly Business is strictly bigness: it’s irresistible.

Perfect product​


Kicking off with the title track, EPMD make their style clear from the off: their dry, relaxed voices talk to you without haranguing, stating their business and telling it as they see it. It’s here that you can immediately hear the numerous others they influenced; the vocal flow of UMCs and a proportion of the phrasing of Shock G of Digital Underground, for example. The deliberately unfussy use of beats, keeping it funky and direct, would sway some of the artists on Delicious Vinyl a few years later. And EPMD took beats where they found them: did Eric Clapton ever sound as funky as he does in inadvertent support of “Strictly Business”?

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“Let The Funk Flow” beautifully slices and re-edits The JB’s “(It’s Not The Express) It’s The JB’s Monaurail” to create a slow and heavyweight grind that churns below a here’s what’s happening right now lyric: you’re listening to the moment we’re creating while you’re hearing it. The mission statement “You Gots To Chill” (there is none more chilled than Erick and Parrish) betrays the influence of Eric B & Rakim’s “Paid In Full,” dropping as ashy as a saltfish in the Gobi desert and making good use of Zapp’s rubberfunk classic “More Bounce To The Ounce.” Chill? They do nothing else, even sounding utterly languid when warning off bitin’ rivals. The record went on to sway Snoop Dogg, one of many MCs to give it a nod of lyrical approval.

Even when the guys are messin’ wit’ ya, as on “The Steve Martin,” a dance-craze tune that didn’t quite start a dance craze, the beats still slide like an oiled sidewinder. “You’re A Customer,” with its alluring snatches of Steve Miller Band’s “Fly Like An Eagle” and the album’s second chunk of Kool & The Gang’s “Jungle Boogie,” still resonates through hip-hop today, with the mighty Parrish being particularly lyrically ripe, comparing rivals to something toilet paper might wipe off, and Erick paying off with the line that other MCs are basically paying to be sustained by their perfect verbal product.

EPMD’s debut single, the Lyn Collins-sampling “It’s My Thing,” and the “give the DJ some” “DJ K La Boss” are both in perfect step with the rest: this is an utterly cohesive affair. “I’m Housin’,” which made an exploratory showing in the UK charts after a chunky dance remix, shrugs along on a sample of Aretha’s “Rock Steady” that’s total groove. Like “Get Off The Bandwagon” and virtually every other track on Strictly Business, this is an assertion of EPMD’s right to be where their rivals are not.

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The real deal​


You could argue that EPMD’s debut record found a formula and stuck with it. But it never loses its gleam, being sufficiently varied and, yes, genuine enough to retain your attention. For purists, this is the real deal. For casual listeners, it shakes the butt and tickles the brain with mentions of, say, fabric softener and a brand of cooking oil. And there are innuendoes aplenty, delivered without the slightest mugging: when they suggest you take off your coat, you think they wanna leave it at that?

Released on June 7, 1988, Strictly Business may be a debut album, but it fed numerous other MCs as well as EPMD’s own soon-to-be-soaring status. And they left calling cards for their future work: all their albums have “Business” in their title, plus the record closes with “Jane,” the opening assault in a sex and dissin’ saga that has helped sustain the duo for decades. Strictly Business is strictly cool. And when an album is this good, no wonder Erick and Parrish made dollars.

Listen to Strictly Business now.

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BrooklynVegan Staff
· posted in 🕺 Music RSS Feeds
Before its shortened Saturday, the 2026 edition of Governors Ball kicked off Friday (6/5) at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Lorde, returning to the festival for the first time since 2017 (when she played a little earlier in the afternoon), closed out the night, beginning her set with the live debut of an unreleased song. She ended her set with “Ribs,” coming down offstage to sing right to fans at the barricade. Friday at Governors Ball also featured Baby Keem, Katseye, The Beths, Pierce the Veil, Turnover, The Dare, King Princess, Confidence Man, Audrey Hobert, and more. See photos (most are by Toby Tenenbaum, Turnover photos are by Charles Reagan and Lorde photos are by Okaynicolita, Roger Ho, and Charles Regan) below.
Governors Ball 2026

photo by Toby Tenenbaum
Governors Ball 2026

photo by Toby Tenenbaum
Audrey Hobert at Governors Ball 2026

Audrey Hobert (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Audrey Hobert at Governors Ball 2026

Audrey Hobert (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Audrey Hobert at Governors Ball 2026

Audrey Hobert (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Audrey Hobert at Governors Ball 2026

Audrey Hobert (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Audrey Hobert at Governors Ball 2026

Audrey Hobert (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Audrey Hobert at Governors Ball 2026

Audrey Hobert (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Audrey Hobert at Governors Ball 2026

Audrey Hobert (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Confidence Man at Governors Ball 2026

Confidence Man (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Confidence Man at Governors Ball 2026

Confidence Man (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Confidence Man at Governors Ball 2026

Confidence Man (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Confidence Man at Governors Ball 2026

Confidence Man (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Governors Ball 2026

photo by Toby Tenenbaum
Governors Ball 2026

photo by Toby Tenenbaum
King Princess at Governors Ball 2026

King Princess (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
King Princess at Governors Ball 2026

King Princess (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
The Dare at Governors Ball 2026

The Dare (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
The Dare at Governors Ball 2026

The Dare (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
The Dare at Governors Ball 2026

The Dare (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
The Dare at Governors Ball 2026

The Dare (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
The Dare at Governors Ball 2026

The Dare (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Governors Ball 2026

photo by Toby Tenenbaum
Turnover at Governors Ball 2026

Turnover (photo by Charles Reagan)
Turnover at Governors Ball 2026

Turnover (photo by Charles Reagan)
Pierce the Veil at Governors Ball 2026

Pierce the Veil (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Pierce the Veil at Governors Ball 2026

Pierce the Veil (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Pierce the Veil at Governors Ball 2026

Pierce the Veil (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Pierce the Veil at Governors Ball 2026

Pierce the Veil (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Pierce the Veil at Governors Ball 2026

Pierce the Veil (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Pierce the Veil at Governors Ball 2026

Pierce the Veil (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Governors Ball 2026

photo by Toby Tenenbaum
Governors Ball 2026

photo by Toby Tenenbaum
Governors Ball 2026

photo by Toby Tenenbaum
Governors Ball 2026

photo by Toby Tenenbaum
The Beths at Governors Ball 2026

The Beths (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
The Beths at Governors Ball 2026

The Beths (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
The Beths at Governors Ball 2026

The Beths (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
The Beths at Governors Ball 2026

The Beths (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
The Beths at Governors Ball 2026

The Beths (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Katseye at Governors Ball 2026

Katseye (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Katseye at Governors Ball 2026

Katseye (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Katseye at Governors Ball 2026

Katseye (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Katseye at Governors Ball 2026

Katseye (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Katseye at Governors Ball 2026

Katseye (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Katseye at Governors Ball 2026

Katseye (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Katseye at Governors Ball 2026

Katseye (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Katseye at Governors Ball 2026

Katseye (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Katseye at Governors Ball 2026

Katseye (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Katseye at Governors Ball 2026

Katseye (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Katseye at Governors Ball 2026

Katseye (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Baby Keem at Governors Ball 2026

Baby Keem (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Baby Keem at Governors Ball 2026

Baby. Keem (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Baby Keem at Governors Ball 2026

Baby Keem (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Baby Keem at Governors Ball 2026

Baby. Keem (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Baby Keem at Governors Ball 2026

Baby Keem (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Baby Keem at Governors Ball 2026

Baby Keem (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Baby Keem at Governors Ball 2026

Baby Keem (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Baby Keem at Governors Ball 2026

Baby Keem (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Baby Keem at Governors Ball 2026

Baby Keem (photo by Toby Tenenbaum)
Lorde at Governors Ball 2026

Lorde (photo by Okay Nicolita)
Lorde at Governors Ball 2026

Lorde (photo by Roger Ho)
Lorde at Governors Ball 2026

Lorde (photo by Charles Reagan)
Check out pictures from Saturday at Governors Ball here.

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Max Pilley
· posted in 🕺 Music RSS Feeds
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Gorillaz were introduced at Primavera Sound by Palestinian activist Aarab Barghouti, the son of imprisoned politician Marwan Barghouti.


Damon Albarn and co. played on the Barcelona festival’s Estrella Damm stage on Saturday night (June 6) and invited Barghouti to give a speech to open their set.

The activist’s father has served as an elected legislator in Palestine and has been tipped as a potential future leader, but he has been imprisoned by Israel since 2002 after being convicted on charges related to deadly attacks during the Second Intifada. He has consistently denied responsibility for those attacks and rejected the legitimacy of the Israeli court that tried him.

At Primavera, Aarab Barghouti said from the stage: “My father is one of 10,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, but for millions of Palestinians he represents something that Israel cannot imprison: hope.”

Gorillaz were introduced at Primavera Sound by Aarab Barghouti, a Palestinian activist and son of imprisoned Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti.

📸
: reddit pic.twitter.com/nj0KoCT7Ko

— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) June 7, 2026


“Hope that Palestinian children will grow up in peace,” he continued. “Freedom won in South Africa, in Ireland, and in Algeria, because people like you refused to look away, refused to give up. So keep fighting for Palestine, for Gaza, and for justice.”

Massive Attack were scheduled to play at Primavera on Thursday night (June 4) but their set was one of those cancelled due to extreme weather.

The group’s Robert Del Naja posted an image of himself with Barghouti backstage at the festival, however, and noted: “The one moment of light during the Primavera storm was sharing time with our guest Arab Barghouti, who we’d invited to speak on behalf of his father Marwan to appeal for his release.”



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Albarn has been outspoken on Palestinian rights consistently in recent years and appeared at the Together For Palestine show in London last September, organised by Brian Eno. He played a medley of Palestinian traditional songs with the London Arab Orchestra and the Juzour Dance Collective, while Gorillaz later played ‘Damascus’, which went on to be included on their recent album ‘The Mountain’.

In other Gorillaz news, they recently announced their first ever shows in India, to take place in January 2027. The country’s musical and spiritual traditions were huge influences on ‘The Mountain’.

Albarn also confirmed he is scoring Luca Guadagnino’s OpenAI movie about the founders of ChatGPT, titled Artificial. Speaking about the technology, he said: “Once it becomes easy, it’s meaningless. In a way, it’s the things you don’t see or hear that make it art. It’s a weird intuition that the listener has that picks up on the journey that the artist has been through to make that particular thing with the tone of the voice, etc. You can’t replace that.”

The post Gorillaz introduced at Primavera Sound by Palestinian activist Aarab Barghouti appeared first on NME.

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Max Pilley
· posted in 🕺 Music RSS Feeds
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Fontaines D.C.’s Grian Chatten joined Kneecap for a performance of ‘Better Way To Live’ at Primavera Sound – watch below.


The Belfast rap trio played on the Occident Stage at the Barcelona festival at 1am on Saturday night (June 6) and brought out their friend and collaborator Chatten for a rendition of the 2023 single together.

Released as the lead track from Kneecap’s debut album ‘Fine Art’, ‘Better Way To Live’ is, in the band’s words, about “finding that little spark of joy in the monotony”, and Chatten reprised his guest vocals for the festival appearance.

Watch footage of the performance here:



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While on site at the Parc del Fòrum, Chatten made the most of the music on offer and was spotted rocking out during The Cure’s two-and-a-half hour set on Thursday night (June 4), their first live show in more than 18 months.



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Chatten and Kneecap have played ‘Better Way To Live’ live together before, including on Ireland’s Late Late Show in February 2024, during Kneecap’s Glastonbury 2024 set on the Peace Stage, in London’s Finsbury Park last summer and in Manchester’s Wythenshawe Park a few weeks later.

Chatten has consistently defended Kneecap during their legal battles in recent years too, describing the terror charge against Mo Chara “a witch hunt” last year. “That’s fairly plain to see to anyone who has a discerning eye,” he said. “I stand by their side, and I’m totally unafraid to do so. I think all of us are.”

His bandmate Deego told NME last year that he agreed with that take, saying: “I think it’s amazing what they stand up for…I think that it is a witch hunt. They’re trying to make an example of them, clearly.”



Fontaines are making their live return with three shows in Spain this summer, ahead of their headline slots at Reading & Leeds and Electric Picnic. Their first shows since last August will be in Cadiz, Alicante and Pamplona in August and you can find any remaining tickets here.

Kneecap, meanwhile, released their second album ‘Fenian’ last month and entered the chart at Number Two, the highest ever UK chart position for an Irish language album. They have donated all earnings from the album’s sales to charities supporting the Palestinian people and Irish community groups.

The album was given a four-and-a-half-star review from NME, which read: “Put all the rage-bait headlines aside and what you’re left with is a solid, progressive and fearless album from a group that could just as easily be dicking around instead of making music that matters. In that sense at least, their day has come.”

The post Watch Fontaines D.C.’s Grian Chatten join Kneecap on stage and rock out to The Cure at Primavera Sound 2026 appeared first on NME.

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Max Pilley
· posted in 🕺 Music RSS Feeds
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Bruce Springsteen was joined by Bon Jovi, Public Enemy and others at a star-studded New Jersey event – see footage below.


The two-day concert series was thrown for the opening of the new Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey this week (June 4 and 5). The institution officially opens on June 13.

The shows celebrated 250 years of American music, with the first night focusing on pioneering artists such as Robert Johnson, Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams, while the second saw performances of songs by Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Dion and Public Enemy.

The latter two artists were on hand, as were Darlene Love, Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne, Nils Lofgren and Gary Clark Jr., while Little Steven’s Disciples of Soul served as the house band.



Springsteen covered Presley’s ‘Jailhouse Rock’ and ‘Burnin’ Love’ and joined Sheryl Crow for Bob Dylan’s ‘I Shall Be Released’ and Gary Clark Jr. for Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland’s ‘Further Up The Road’. Jon Bon Jovi then took to the stage for a version of Chuck Berry’s ‘Johnny B. Goode’, his first time singing in his home state since 2018.



Bon Jovi, Jackson Browne and Public Enemy joined forces for a rendition of Eddie Floyd’s ‘Raise Your Hand’, while Springsteen brought the show to a close with a solo version of ‘Land Of Hope And Dreams’.

“My God,” Springsteen told the crowd. “At 19, I was on this campus…not going to school. But played here on the steps over at the big building they have over there. If you had told me then, in 1969, that anything like this would ever, ever occur, I would’ve said, ‘You are out of your fuckin’ mind, my friend’.”


Springsteen has playing on his ‘Land Of Hope And Dreams’ tour in recent months, using his time on stage to mount criticisms of the Donald Trump regime. It was prompted by the killing of two Minneapolis citizens by ICE agents earlier in the year, with the Boss saying that US citizens are “living through some very dark times” as the “American values that have sustained us for 250 years are being challenged as never before”.

In response, Trump has labelled Springsteen as a “pushy, obnoxious JERK” and a “dried out prune of a rocker”, although the musician took a principled stand in the wake of a recent assassination attempt on the President.

The post Watch Bruce Springsteen joined by Bon Jovi, Public Enemy and others at star-studded New Jersey show appeared first on NME.

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Bill Pearis
· posted in 🕺 Music RSS Feeds
While the second day of Governors Ball 2026 wasn’t exactly a wash, severe weather cut the festival short, with a number of sets nixed, including Kali Uchis, Amyl and the Sniffers and Blood Orange, while Stray Kids and Major Lazer played earlier than they were originally scheduled. Pre-storm temperatures hit 90°, making things very sweltering.

GovBall have announced that Blood Orange has now been added to Sunday’s lineup and set times have been adjusted to accommodate:

We appreciate your patience as we had to make some difficult scheduling decisions tonight due to the incoming weather. Safety remains our top priority but we understand that some of these decisions were disappointing to many of you.

In an effort to remedy the situation, we have some good news to share! We are thrilled to announce that Blood Orange has graciously agreed to come back to perform tomorrow, 6/7 at 4pm on the Snapchat Stage. The Sunday schedule has been updated, so please check it out before heading to the park tomorrow.

And more good news: Both the Box Office and Gates will open early tomorrow. Box Office at 10am, Gates at 11am.

Sunday’s lineup includes A$AP Rocky, Geese, Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist, Hot Mulligan, Japanese Breakfast, Slayyyter, Fuckers, Dominic Fike, and more. Check out the updated Sunday GovBall lineup below, and stay tuned for pictures from days one and two.



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Charles Waring
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Header image for best Dean Martin songs feature

“In a tuxedo, I’m a star. In regular clothes, I’m a nobody.” So said Dean Martin, a man of many faces. Velvet-voiced crooner of some of the best songs of the 20th century. Hollywood movie icon. Genial TV show host. Wise-cracking comedian. Golden Globe winner. Welterweight boxer. Celluloid secret agent Matt Helm. The list goes on. Though his accomplishments were many and varied, his jokey demeanor and casual manner often masked the fact that he was a supremely talented all-round entertainer. Debonair Martin didn’t have to try hard to be cool, it came naturally and effortlessly, along with his vocal talent, comedic timing, and good-natured affability.


“It’s Frank’s world, we just live in it,” Martin once famously quipped. Perhaps because of that, some regarded Martin as little more than a satellite orbiting around the shining sun that was Sinatra. But one look at his career stats reveals that he never lived in Ol’ Blues Eyes’ shadow. He appeared in 58 feature movies, hosted 264 episodes of the Golden Globe-winning The Dean Martin Show, and enjoyed more than his fair share of hit records during a storied music career that saw him release 125 singles and 35 studio albums between 1948 and 1985. Since his passing in 1995, Martin hasn’t been forgotten, and his music, which has appeared in countless movie soundtracks in the last 30 years, ranging from Casino to Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, has inextricably woven itself into the fabric of popular culture.

Ranging from lush, Italian-style romantic ballads and cool, finger-clicking big band swingers to easy-listening lounge pop and storytelling country and western songs, Martin could do just about anything. Just how versatile he was is reflected in the songs highlighted below, a mixture of familiar signature songs, fan favorites, and some overlooked gems. They are all rendered with the cool panache that became synonymous with the singer whom Sinatra once described as “the best partner I ever had.”

Looking for the best Dean Martin songs? Order Dean Martin’s Greatest Hits on vinyl now.

Rising to the top​


Born Dino Paul Crocetti in Steubenville, Ohio, in 1917, Dean Martin was the son of an Italian barber who arrived in America four years earlier and married a local Italian-American girl. Music captured young Dino’s attention at an early age, but when he quit school at ten, claiming he knew more than his teachers, pursuing a music career seemed the last thing on his mind. As a teenager, he went through many unfulfilling jobs, from being a drugstore soda jerk to a gas station pump jockey. He also bootlegged liquor on the side, and earned a few dollars as an amateur welterweight boxer under the alias “Kid Crochet.”

Martin’s career path changed to music when he worked as a blackjack croupier at a local gambling joint. Relaxing after work at Walker’s Cafe, he was overheard singing by bandleader Ernie McKay, who was struck by Martin’s smooth Bing Crosby-influenced baritone croon and offered him $50 a week to sing with his band. Adopting the stage name Dino Martini, Martin was quickly poached by another bandleader Sammy Watkins, who signed him to a ten-year contract and persuaded him to become Dean Martin. He cut his first record, “Which Way Did My Heart Go,” a single for Diamond Records, before joining Capitol Records in 1948. By then, Martin had also teamed up with comedian Jerry Lewis to create a slapstick double-act. Their growing popularity rapidly saw them go from nightclubs to radio broadcasts, TV, and eventually, movies. Martin had already begun his ascent as a popular solo artist before they split in 1956. By 1962, when he joined Frank Sinatra’s Reprise label, Dean Martin – already a pop idol and bankable movie star – was the undisputed king of cool.

Dean Martin’s biggest songs​


Dean Martin racked up an incredible 56 US hit singles between 1949 and 1985. The biggest of them all was 1964’s “Everybody Loves Somebody.” Martin originally recorded the song with a jazz quartet for his fifth Reprise album, Dream With Dean, before re-recording a more upbeat single version with strings and syrupy background vocals. It became his most successful song, toppling The Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night” from the US No. 1 spot. In 2024, proof of the song’s undying popularity came when “Everybody Loves Somebody” was certified platinum.

Martin’s first international No. 1 single was 1953’s “That’s Amore” which rose to the top spot in Australia; it hit No. 2 in the US and UK. Martin first sang it in The Caddy, his 1953 movie with Jerry Lewis before cutting it for a Capitol EP Sunny Italy. A go-to entry in Martin’s canon, it has appeared on the soundtrack to several movies, including 1987’s Cher-starring Moonstruck.

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Recorded the same year, “Sway (Quien Sera)” was also a big hit in Australia, reaching No. 1. Co-written by the Mexican bandleader Pablo Beltrán Ruiz, the infectious track framed Martin’s silken voice with swooning violins and a Latin-style bolero-meets-mambo groove.

Two years later, Martin scored his biggest 50s smash with “Memories Are Made Of This,” a nostalgic ode first recorded by US pop chanteuse, Mindy Carson. Featuring the tune’s composers – Terry Gilkyson, Richard Dehr, and Frank Miller – singing background vocals behind Martin’s immaculate velour croon under the name The Easy Riders, the song reached No. 1 in the US, UK, and Australia in 1956.

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Any discussion of Martin’s biggest hits must also include “Volare (Nel Blu Di Pinto Di Blu),” his swinging remake of Italy’s 1958 Eurovision Song Contest entry by its co-writer Domenico Modugno. “Volare” topped the US magazine Cashbox’s chart and peaked at No. 2 in the UK where Martin enjoyed a large, enthusiastic fanbase.

Dino The Swinger​


Few would dispute that Dean Martin’s forte was wrapping his caressing croon around luxurious romantic ballads. With his smooth velvety tone, he built his career on slower numbers, but he showed in 1960 via an exciting collaboration with Sinatra’s famed arranger, Nelson Riddle, that he was more than comfortable singing alongside a swinging, horn-heavy big band.

The pinnacle of Martin’s satisfying dalliance with big band swing was the gloriously punchy “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head,” where the singer sounded cooler than a Scotch on the rocks. Recorded during sessions for the Riddle-arranged LP This Time I’m Swingin’, the song appeared in the soundtrack to the 1960 Rat Pack movie Ocean’s 11. Capitol released it as a non-album single but the tune flopped. In later years “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head” grew in stature, seen as a quintessential Martin tune.

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From the same recording session came Martin’s pitch-perfect versions of the standards “Just In Time” and “You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You,” the latter a cover of a 1946 hit for its co-writer Russ Morgan. Both cuts had Vegas showroom-style razzamatazz, and this was even more apparent on the 1962 Dean Martin song, “Baby-O,” a hilarious playboy anthem arranged by Neal Hefti with echoes of “Mack The Knife” in its vocal phrasing and addictive rhythms.

Dino The Cowboy​


As a child, Dean Martin avidly watched cowboy movies and, according to his daughter Deana, loved listening to country music. “He talked about country music all the time,” she remembered. “Country songs really appealed to him. He would say, ‘They just feel right, as if you’re singing from your soul.’”

In 1956, Martin realized a childhood dream by starring in his first Western, Pardners, with Jerry Lewis but his first serious cowboy role was in 1959’s Rio Bravo opposite John Wayne. Martin crooned the film’s plaintive title song but it was his evocative rendition of “My Rifle, My Pony, and Me” – accompanied by a lonesome harmonica, a male chorus, and soft guitar chords – that caught most people’s ears. The Western Writers of America voted the tune one of the all-time Top 100 Western songs.

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After joining Reprise in 1963, he donned a Stetson, morphed into Dean “Tex” Martin, and cut Country Style, the first of many full-length country-inflected albums. One of his most famous country tunes was 1967’s “Little Ole Wine Drinker, Me,” rendered in a style dubbed “countrypolitan,” a hybrid of big-city pop and Hollywood’s take on Nashville music. In a similar vein was 1965’s “Houston,” a track with twangy guitar and howling harmonica penned by Lee Hazlewood. Martin’s leisurely version strolled to No. 21 on the US Hot 100.

Martin’s biggest success with country music, however, came in 1969 with the smooth makeover he gave to Glen Campbell’s Grammy-winning 1968 hit “Gentle On My Mind.” A modest chart entry in the US, in the UK, Martin’s version proved a surprise smash, rocketing to No. 2.

Dean Martin’s Italian Songs​


With its sumptuous velour contours, Dean Martin possessed a voice that could reduce the hardest-hearted Mafioso to tears. Especially when he sang sentimental Italian ballads. Several of his early singles – including his playful 1955 take on Rosemary Clooney’s “Mambo Italiana” – emphasized his Italian roots but in 1962, he devoted an album to songs from the “old country.”

Reaffirming his connection to his musical heritage, Dino: Italian Love Songs contained the cheerily romantic “On An Evening In Roma (Sott’er Celo de Roma),” whose arrangement featured an accordion, which added a touch of Roman atmosphere. Two of Martin’s finest Italian-style songs were non-album singles from 1962: the pleading “From The Bottom Of My Heart (Dammi Dammi Dammi),” and the dreamily luminous “Senza Fine,” featuring one of Martin’s most sensuous vocal performances as a balladeer.

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The Christmas Classics​


Dean Martin’s vocal idol Bing Crosby pioneered the now-commonplace Christmas album, which was an innovation that blossomed with the introduction of the 33 rpm LP in 1948. One of the highlights of Martin’s first Christmas album, 1959’s A Winter Romance, was his inimitable refashioning of the Yuletide evergreen, “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow.” His version has become the signature take. Also included on the album: Dino playfully finding his way through Frank Loesser’s “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” In 1966, the singer released a second Holiday long-player, The Dean Martin Christmas Album, whose standout was a glistening interpretation of “Silver Bells” enlivened by candy-cane strings and glowing choral harmonies.

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Dean Martin’s Legacy​


When Dean Martin passed on Christmas Day 1995, the world lost one of its most distinctive and immediately recognizable voices. Behind the easy-going playboy persona he created for the public was a hard-working husband and father. Though he was a bonafide Hollywood movie star and ubiquitous TV personality, it was as a singer that he perhaps resonated most. From lush romantic ballads and glitzy big-band pizzazz to polished MOR and catchy country-pop excursions, the best Dean Martin songs reflect the easy-on-the-ear charm of a singer who found the perfect balance between a natural, unpretentious self-assuredness and urbane sophistication. Or what some people might call “cool.”

Looking for the best Dean Martin songs? Order Dean Martin’s Greatest Hits on vinyl now.

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S
Last reply · posted in ☕ General Discussion
mine was this pack of "smart" sticky notes that are supposedly reusable but i have no idea how to actually reuse them without ruining the adhesive?? now theyre just sitting on my desk looking sad lol... also yesterday i bought a book about obscure 17th century marine chronometers because of course i did... like i dont even know why i thought i needed that but here we are what about you guys?? anything you bought recently that made you go “why did i think this was necessary”?? haha
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Aragon
Staff member
· posted in 📢 Station Announcements
Ok folks I have added a cool little addon that will let you style your username and more... Just go to your account dropdown and select Persona from the list, or visit this link: https://lilrawkersradio.net/persona/

Enjoy!
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Poppy Burton
Last reply · posted in 🕺 Music RSS Feeds
The Black Crowes


The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson has spoken out about the controversy caused by recent comments made onstage at Tampa’s MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre.

The band performed at the Florida venue on May 31 as part of their ongoing ‘Southern Hospitality tour’, and after a section of the crowd broke into chants of “U-S-A!”, Robinson hit out at the crowd.

According to TMZ, a visual of the Black Crow mascot dressed as Uncle Sam was displayed on the screen behind them. Before launching into ‘She Talks To Angels’, the frontman stopped for a moment to talk to the crowd. “Thanks for the geography lesson,” he said, before adding: “I don’t know what you have to be so proud of right now.”

From there, some concertgoers were heard booing him, while some others seemingly chose to leave after his comments. “For those of you fucking booing us, some of us are not afraid. And we most assuredly are not fucking ignorant.”

Now, he’s shed light on the incident while speaking to Ultimate Classic Rock. “I think the whole thing was, of course, blown out of context so people can get clicks and people can stir up the animosity,” he said.

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EXCLUSIVE: The fallout from The Black Crowes' onstage political dust-up on Sunday didn't end with boos … it kept rolling straight toward the exits. pic.twitter.com/PSFZy9iMi4

— TMZ (@TMZ) June 2, 2026


“But be most assured – in a week, something else will come up that stirs up the hornets’ nest.” He also cleared up another misconception about his comments, clarifying: “No matter what I ever would say or do or feel about things, there’s no way I would disrespect our veterans.

“For the people who’ve put their lives on the line and made that sacrifice and dedication, I wouldn’t do that. But I have to speak my mind. I don’t have an agenda or anything — I’m just trying to make a soulful connection with people.”

Robinson isn’t usually one to use his platform to make many political statements, although Variety highlights that he did make a subtle swipe at President Donald Trump in 2017, sharing that he was not too pleased that “Donald Trump is president, John Mayer is in The Grateful Dead, and my brother’s in a Black Crowes tribute band.”

The Black Crowes were nominated to be inducted into the 2026 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame recently, although they didn’t make the cut.

Others who didn’t make the list from the 17 nominations included New Edition, Mariah Carey, Ms Lauryn Hill, INXS, P!nk, Jeff Buckley and Shakira, but those who will join the Rock Hall this year include Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Sade, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan.

The Atlanta rock band will be performing at the 10th anniversary edition of Madrid’s Mad Cool later this summer, and that festival will see headline slots from Pulp, Foo Fighters, Florence & The Machine, and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

The post The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson addresses backlash after calling Florida crowd “ignorant”: “There’s no way I would disrespect our veterans” appeared first on NME.

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S
· posted in 🎤 DJ Booth
i saw one the other day that was literally “bassdrop mcflurry” and i cant stop thinking about it... why mcflurry?? did they love dairy queen that much?? or was it just a vibe?? im so curious!! also does anyone else think some djs pick names that sound cooler than their actual music... not trying to be mean but ive seen it happen way too many times... 😭 like i get hyped for the name and then the set is just kind of meh... anyway id love to know if yall have spotted any wild ones lately or if theres a story behind a name youve heard!!
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