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Daily stories about music and vinyl: albums, artists, labels. Read on the web or in the CrateCore app.
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July 14, 2026
STORY · Pop
Lily Allen's Alright, Still: A MySpace-Fueled Pop Revolution
Lily Allen's debut album Alright, Still arrived in July 2006 after a MySpace-fueled buzz. It blended pop, ska, and hip-hop into a candid manifesto that bypassed traditional industry gatekeepers.
July 14, 2026 · 3 min read
Cover of “Alright, Still” by Lily Allen. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
July 14, 2026
3 min read
July 13, 2026
STORY · Rock
When the Grateful Dead Told Their Own Story on Vinyl
In 1973, the Grateful Dead broke from their studio albums to release a live compilation, 'History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One.' 53 years later, it stands as a time capsule of a band in flux.
July 13, 2026 · 1 min read
Cover of “History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One” by Grateful Dead. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
July 13, 2026
1 min read
STORY · Jazz
Albert Ayler would’ve turned 90 today—still out of tune with the world
Nine decades after his birth, Albert Ayler's raw ESP-Disk wails still split listeners between noise and prophecy. His freedom never came in pleasing tones.
July 13, 2026 · 1 min read
Photographer uncredited, but the photo was almost certainly taken by Chuck Stewart (1927–2017), who is credited with the photography on Love Cry and most of the photography for the rest of Ayler's ABC/Impulse! releases. Published by ABC/Impulse! Records., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
July 13, 2026
1 min read
STORY · Soul
Gerald Levert’s velvet voice bridged four decades of soul
Gerald Levert, son of O'Jays vocalist Eddie Levert, was already shaping R&B before he was legally old enough to drink. He moved fluidly across new jack swing, quiet storm and contemporary soul.
July 13, 2026 · 1 min read
AI-generated illustration
July 13, 2026
1 min read
STORY · Classical
The violinist who conducted operas left his baton 12 years ago
Lorin Maazel never picked between the violin and the podium, and the RCA Records artist, who died in 2014, mastered both. Twelve years on, his precision still startles.
July 13, 2026 · 1 min read
Barbara Haws at English Wikipedia (Uploader claims to be 'Chris Lee'.), CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
July 13, 2026
1 min read
STORY · Classical
Carlos Kleiber: The Conductor Who Recorded Less and Meant More
Carlos Kleiber left behind only a handful of recordings for Deutsche Grammophon before his death in 2004, yet each one became a benchmark.
July 13, 2026 · 1 min read
Mirschel, Hansjoachim, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
July 13, 2026
1 min read
July 12, 2026
STORY · Other
Jethro Tull's most divisive album turns 53
Jethro Tull released 'A Passion Play' in 1973 on Chrysalis Records, trading conventional songs for one continuous 53-minute suite. Rolling Stone called it a disaster, but prog fans never let it go.
July 12, 2026 · 1 min read
Cover of “A Passion Play” by Jethro Tull. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
July 12, 2026
1 min read
STORY · Pop
Ulrikke Brandstorp turns 31: the voice that refuses to be boxed in
Norwegian artist Ulrikke Brandstorp turns 31 this year, having already built a career across pop music, composition and acting. Her path rebels against being boxed into a single lane.
July 12, 2026 · 1 min read
MandyPettersen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
July 12, 2026
1 min read