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There is no such thing as a casual Sparks fan — there are only degrees of obsessiveness. Let’s say you’re someone who might have a lifelong attachment to the album that first turned you on to Ron and Russell Mael’s decades-old musical project, whether it was the post-glam hangover of 1974’s Kimono My House, or the influential, Giorgio Moroder-produced death disco of 1979’s No. 1 in Heaven, or the Kroq-friendly modern rock of 1983’s In Outer Space. On a scale of one to 10, you’re a four.

, Edgar Wright’s “The Sparks Brothers” is a beat-for-beat celebration of the band’s deathless creative odyssey, an irresistible invitation to join their small but devoted cult of diehard fans, and a beautifully wrapped gift to anyone who’s ever had angst in their pants about Ron and Russell Mael before. But most of all, Wright’s documentary is a gift to the Sparks brothers themselves — something these baby boomers have wanted ever since they were film-obsessed little kids in Westside Los Angeles — and we get to see them open it right before our eyes.

Under-rated, over-looked, and hugely influential all at the same time — to paraphrase one of the many stars who Wright arranges into a veritable galaxy of talking heads — Sparks has survived more than five decades in the music business due to their almost pathological inability to stagnate or write music for anyone but each other, an...

Edgar Wright, the British director behind Shaun of the Dead and Baby Driver, is a big fan of Sparks, the enigmatic pop band known for hits such as This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us and When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way’.

It’s clear that The Sparks Brothers, the documentary that premieres today at the Sundance Film Festival, is a passion project about a band, consisting of Ron and Russell Mael, that has produced over 25 studio albums in a 50-year period.

Having had the lightbulb moment while watching the band with The Lego Movie director Phil Lord at the El Rey in LA in 2017, Wright spent the next few years traveling the world with the band – to Japan, the UK and Mexico – and talking with fellow Sparks fans including Mike Myers, Beck, Neil Gaiman, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and Washington Post journalist...

The full trailer for The King’s Man has arrived, showcasing director Matthew Vaughn’s World War I-era origin prequel to the Kingsman film franchise, adapting Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar’s comic book series. Like the present-set films that preceded it, The King’s Man wears on its sleeve an action-packed over-the-top nature, except this time drawing upon historical elements to concoct a quasi-history for the formation of the franchise’s eponymous haberdashery-hidden spy organization.

With that said, check out the new trailer for The King’s Man just below!

“We are the first independent intelligence agency. Refined, but brutal. Civilized, but merciless.”

Indeed, the trailer showcases familiar Bond-esque imagery with a secret meeting of a rough-looking (steampunk-esque) sinister cabal—special membership rings and all—contrasting with real-life people and concepts, be it Rasputin, (ultimately successful) assassination attempts on Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the early WWI sinking of the Rms Lusitania and gunblades—well,...

The year was 1913. Babe Ruth was still a few months away from pitching his first game for the Boston Red Sox. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria had yet to be assassinated in an event that would soon plunge the world into war. And a deadly strain of virus called the "Spanish flu" was a few years off from infecting 28 percent of the country's population and killing an estimated 675,000 Americans. In 1913, a relatively innocent time, a novel phenomenon was making its mark for the first time in the U.S. judiciary system: Judges were ...

The year was 1913. Babe Ruth was still a few months away from pitching his first game for the Boston Red Sox. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria had yet to be assassinated in an event that would soon plunge the world into war. And a deadly strain of virus called the "Spanish flu" was a few years off from infecting 28 percent of the country's population and killing an estimated 675,000 Americans. In 1913, a relatively innocent time, a novel phenomenon was making its mark for the first time in the U.S. judiciary system: Judges were ...

Long ago, during a brief “ecstasy phase,” Eddie Vedder tried to write some techno music. “I was listening to all this stuff on ecstasy,” he told me in 2006, during an all-night chat in a Cleveland hotel room. “But I was wondering, ‘Are they writing it on ecstasy?’ I decided that the pure way to do it is to actually take ecstasy, and then write ecstasy music. That didn’t work out. But I enjoyed the ecstasy.” Around the same time, guitarist Stone Gossard revealed a desire to experiment with Pearl...

Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos responded with some dismay to the fact that his band had inadvertently started trending as people drew comparisons between the assassination of the group’s namesake, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and the United States’ assassination of Iran’s top military commander, Qassim Suleimani.

Suleimani was killed in a drone strike, which President Donald Trump authorized, at Baghdad International Airport Friday morning, as The New York Times reports. The move came after months of mounting tensions between the United States and Iran, and the assassination of Suleimani...

All Aubrie Sellers wants for Christmas is to beat her family in a game of “Nertz.”

Work commitments mean the singer-songwriter is hosting Christmas in L.A. this year instead of going to see the family in Texas, but despite the location change, some traditions will stay the same.

“Everyone cooks and we play a lot of music and have guitars all over the house,” she says, over the phone in Los Angeles on a recent afternoon, “but what we really love is playing games.”

Whether it’s a classic card game,...

Long before a “Class of 2006” banner pops up in “Looking for Alaska,” it’s pretty clear what year the new Hulu show’s characters are living through. Some of that comes from the on-screen MySpace references or the relative state of DVD menu design, but most of that mid-’00s feel comes from the show’s song choices.

As has become standard for shows created by the producing team of Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, the “Looking for Alaska” soundtrack is packed with a mix of cozy radio favorites — no chronicle of 2005 would be complete without The White Stripes and 50 Cent and Gorillaz and Jet and J-Kwon and The Killers — and below-the-surface cuts that might just end up linked with some of the series’ most emotional moments.

In addition to some of the most iconic tracks of the day, there are also a handful of covers of some enduring recognizable favorites.

“I make soulless electronic pop,” Lady Gaga once said. “But when you’re on Ecstasy in a nightclub grinding up against someone and my music comes on, you’ll feel soul.” That kind of contradiction — between the mechanical and the spiritual, between isolation and connection, between escapism and meaning — is the fuel supercharging Hot Chip’s seventh album. This is music that feels hot and cold in the same moment, in the grand tradition of Roxy Music and the Pet Shop Boys. Hedonistic? Philosophical? Why not both! The bass bounces and rolls,...

Franz Ferdinand surprised an audience in Porto, Portugal with a new song, “Black Tuesday.” The terse, swaggering track, captured and posted to YouTube by a fan, features the band’s edgy rock style. In the clip, shot during the North Music Festival, the musicians go all in on the performance, bringing the song to a rousing finish as the audience claps and cheers.

“Black Tuesday” marks the band’s first new music since last year’s album Always Ascending, the band’s fifth full-length, which dropped in February. The group...

Farhan Akhtar has released the new single, ‘Pain Or Pleasure, the latest track to be taken from his upcoming debut album Echoes, out April 12th. With his tuneful, universal debut album, this gifted musician is ready to speak to people in a fresh and cool new way.

Another new vibe from this amazing album, ‘Pain or Pleasure’ features brilliant vocals with a grungy, rough flavor, which is reminiscent of the likes of Chris Rea, Tom Petty and Marc Knopfler. This vibrantly wicked groove has a strong bassline punctuated with slick guitar licks.

Get a sneak listen here

The new single follows the release of ‘Seagull’, which was originally written as a poem 25 years ago, the song deals with the aftermath of a relationship that had reached a premature end.

Echoes is the story of Farhan’s life, a set of classic-sounding, self-written songs that reflect a childhood steeped in the...

Acclaimed Indian actor Farhan Akhtar, has shared the video for his new single, ‘Seagull’, the latest track to be taken from his upcoming debut album Echoes, out April 12th.

Originally written as a poem 25 years ago, the song deals with the aftermath of a relationship that had reached a premature end.

Farhan says, “It was dealing with having been in love with someone, and her having to move away from Mumbai to where she came from…. I knew that for practical reasons that relationship was over. It’s about remembering the good times, letting go of that person, and not hanging on to the negatives.”

Featuring footage of Farhan in the studio intercut with spacious and atmospheric shots of vast sea, the video is a touching interpretation of the sentiment of the track, conjuring a sense of freedom and liberation. It is absolutely gorgeous and moving!

The new single follows...

Gina Volpe, guitarist and co-founder of New York City punk band Lunachicks, channels modern angst via detuned metal guitars and rattling 808 beats on her new solo single, “Time to Come.”

“Old man, move aside/Your day has come, number’s up; the tide is high,” she snarls on the track, written in response to the Supreme Court hearings of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. “I’m pissed, and I’m not alone,” Volpe said in a statement. “So here is my contribution to the soundtrack of the resistance.”

“Time to Come,” which follows her debut solo Ep,...

Our first-ever podcast, Rolling Stone Music Now, hosted by Brian Hiatt, featured an eclectic collection of in-depth interviews this year. Here are some of the best of 2018:

Julian Casablancas and the Voidz: Casablancas explained exactly why he needs another band, delved into his radical politics and more.

Elvis Costello: The singer/songwriter delved into his new album, Look Now, and his entire career.

Kelly Clarkson: From her very first American Idol audition and her battles with her old label to her new album and her coaching gig on The Voice,...

This Scottish singer-songwriter has churned out reliably solid albums since “Dark Horse and the Cherry Tree” launched her career in 2009 with a pedal-loop heard around the world. These days when Ed Sheeran plays entirely pedal-looped stadium-show sets, he often thanks Tunstall for the inspiration. But if she’s eluded you so far, Tunstall’s latest album Wax is a perfect entry point – an album full of feverish rock grit produced by Franz Ferdinand’s Nick McCarthy, imbued with a fierce stomp from from start to finish.

Its standout “The River...

We first heard and loved the tune and now Farhan Akhtar has shared the video for his debut single, ‘Rearview Mirror’, the first single from his upcoming debut album Echoes, which will drop on January 25th.

Farhan says, “I wanted the video to reflect my own experience of moving on from a situation that seemed devastating into something new and hopeful. It’s about passing on the sentiment of looking forward and embracing positive change.”

The video follows three strangers as their stories interweave, from simply passing in the street to sparking life-changing outcomes, while Farhan sings. Accompanied by the euphoric track, the video visualises the song’s narrative of reflecting on changing personal circumstances.

Farhan has written and recorded his deeply personal debut album. Echoes is the story of his life, a set of classic-sounding, self-written songs that reflect a childhood steeped in the greats of both Indian music...

KT Tunstall’s visual for “The River” is stark, black-and-white and filmed in tight, angular shots.The singer-songwriter twirls in long scarves, embracing and posing with dancer Alex Thomas.Tunstall stares into the camera as director Alexo Wandael blends her obscured face with forest images.

In a statement, Tunstall said she wanted the video piece to match her “mantra” from the morning of the shoot: “Today, I am a dancer.” She added, “I know how this song makes me feel. I wanted the emotion of that to come through our faces,...

As we told you earlier this week Farhan Akhtar is getting his sing on and has been working on his debut album. Today, the actor-producer-director-singer has released his debut single, ‘Rearview Mirror’, the first track from his upcoming debut album, Echoes.

Channelling the timelessness of early David Bowie and with a tinge of Dire Straits, ‘Rearview Mirror’ is a cool blend of soft rock, with an underlying driving beat. With full of feeling vocals by Farhan, the track is emboldened with delicate melodies and introspecitive lyrics that all comes together to bring a new sound and cool groove.

Apparently the track is also a reflective take on changing personal circumstances. Accoridng to Farhan, the track deals with his recent separation from his wife. “It’s me dealing with the guilt of being the one who ended the relationship. But it’s important to move past the guilt so as to evolve.

Singer-songwriter KT Tunstall released a lavish new single titled “The River” on Thursday. The track will appear on Wax, her sixth LP, which is due out October 5.

“The River” opens in a place of frustration. “I’m holding on to something I don’t want to hold on to,” Tunstall sings. Sometimes a chorus serves as a source of hope, but this one offers little in the way of uplift. “I want to jump into the river, feel it on my skin,” Tunstall sings. “But the river is rocks and I’m already lost.

Franz Ferdinand performed their single “Lazy Boy” on Thursday’s Late Night With Seth Meyers. The Glasgow, Scotland rockers offered a straight rendition of the terse, swaggering tune and also took on the late night show’s Instagram Stories for the evening.

The track appears on the band’s fifth LP, Always Ascending, which they released in February. The album is the group’s first release under a new lineup after founding guitarist Nick McCarthy left the band.

Franz Ferdinand are currently promoting the record on a headlining world tour,...

The Lollapalooza music festival starts up Thursday and Red Bull TV is once again providing a live stream for all the fans who couldn’t make it out to Chicago.

Live coverage beings Thursday at 4 p.m. Pt and continues Friday, Saturday, and Sunday kicking off at 12 p.m. Pt from Grant Park.

The Weeknd, Bruno Mars, Jack White, Arctic Monkeys, Travis Scott, the National, Vampire Weekend, and Odesza are the main headliners with Tyler, the Creator, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Daniel Caesar, Logic, Brockhampton, and many others appearing.

On Channel 1, Franz Ferdinand kicks off the festival at 4:05 p.m. Pt(all times listed below are Pt), with the following acts being Khalid at 5 p.m. and Arctic Monkeys at 7 p.m. Channel 2 features Lany at 4:05 p.m., Chvrches at 5:05 p.m., and Rezz 6:10 p.m.

On Friday, Channel 1 showcases Rebelution at 1:15 p.

Red Bull TV will livestream Lollapalooza 2018 with performances from Jack White, Post Malone, Vampire Weekend, the Weeknd, Arctic Monkeys, the National, Odesza, Khalid, Chvrches, Zedd, LL Cool J, Walk the Moon, Manchester Orchestra and more. Coverage from Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois will begin Thursday, August 2nd at 7 p.m. Et and continue on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. Et each day.

BØRNS, Chromeo, Greta Van Fleet, Gucci Mane, James Bay, Logic, Lykke Li, the Vaccines, Tycho and Tyler, the Creator will also appear in Red Bull’s broadcast of the fest.

Sarah Silverman, Haley Williams, Snow Patrol and members of Franz Ferdinand, The National and others have taken to social media to mourn the death of Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison after the singer-guitarist’s body was discovered Thursday in Port Edgar, Queensferry, just west of Edinburgh, the Scottish capital.

Police Scotland issued a statement Friday from Hutchison’s family that said the Hutchison had been struggling with mental health problems. Authorities have not confirmed the cause of death.

Frightened Rabbit’s collective Instagram account shared a statement Friday morning honoring their bandmate. “There are no words to describe the overwhelming sadness and pain that comes with the death of our beloved Scott, but to know he is no longer suffering brings us some comfort,” the note reads. “Reading messages of support and hope from those he has helped through his art has helped immensely, and we encourage you all to continue doing this.

A body found Thursday night is that of missing Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison, police in Scotland confirmed Friday. The body was discovered about 8:30 p.m. local time Thursday (12:30 p.m. Pt) in Port Edgar, Queensferry, just west of Edinburgh, the Scottish capital.

No official cause of death was given. A statement from Hutchison’s family, issued Friday afternoon by Police Scotland, said the singer had been struggling with mental health problems.

“As a family, we are utterly devastated with the tragic loss of our beloved Scott,” the statement said. “Despite his disappearance, and the recent concerns over his mental health, we had all remained positive and hopeful that he would walk back through the door, having taken some time away to compose himself. Scott, like many artists, wore his heart on his sleeve and that was evident in the lyrics of his music and the content of...

The musical capital of the world?  It's not even close in my mind.

Glasvegas, who are Glasgow natives (see Camera Obscura, The Twilight Sad, Frightened Rabbit, Lloyd Cole, Teenage Fanclub, Belle and Sebastian, Paolo Nutini, Amy MacDonald, Mogwai, Franz Ferdinand and a host of others who have considerably brightened the musical landscape over the past ten years), have released a very, very fine self-titled debut album.

NME has dubbed them "the best new band in Britain," which is usually a sure sign of the Hype Machine in Overdrive. But this time they could be right. This is a surprisingly bracing combination of Jesus and Mary Chain guitar buzz, Proclaimers vocal bluster (complete with sometimes almost impenetrable Scots brogue), and, incredibly, impossibly, romantic '50s doo-wop. I like it a lot. The subject matter -- aimless violence, ennui, football yobs, endless pints, chasing skirts -- might be the best rock 'n...