Dolly Parton performs at the UK Country Music Festival in an undated photo. Andrew Putler/Redferns. Our illustrious editor Roman Gokhman pointed out to me this week that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its nominees. I of course didn’t know this, because Halls of Fame are kind…

Clockwise from top left: Alice Merton, The Midnight Hour (Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge) featuring Loren Odeon, Grace Carter, Louis Prince, Basement Revolver and Harrison Storm. Every week, there’s a plethora of new music at our fingertips. Artists on platforms like Spotify and Bandcamp are plentiful, and the…

Editor Daniel J. Willis’ reaction to Smokepurpp at Outside Lands. Design: Roman Gokhman. We here at RIFF try to keep things positive. Music, like all art, should bring joy and understanding to the world. Even when music highlights society’s problems, it inspires us to understand and change the underlying…

While there was disappointment about A Tribe Called Quest’s postponement turning into a total (and mysterious) cancellation, Metallica’s spectacle of a performance more than made up for it. A band that’s been touring off and on for more than 35 years doesn’t really have bad shows anymore, but even by…

L to R: Buckwheat Zydeco, Prince Buster, Phife Dawg, Jean Shepard, Don Buchla. Art: Roman Gokhman It’s safe to say that 2016 has been something of an all-around dumpster fire, especially when it comes to the sheer volume of iconic artists we’ve lost. The list of familiar and life-changing…