Rolling Stone June 14, 2018

MOVIES BEST COMEDIES OF THE CENTURY From crazed anchormen to insane bridesmaids, Borat to Lady Bird – we have everything you need to know about the 50 funniest movies of the millennium. MUSIC FLAMING LIPS’ EARLY DAZE With the release of a new older-era box set, Wayne Coyne reflects on the psych-rock group’s pre-fame days. LIST BEST OF THE CMA FESTIVAL The key performances from country’s top stars like Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Devin Dawson and more. CULTURE CRIME ABOVE THE CLOUDS? When elaborate trips organized by an odd young man began unraveling, guests started to wonder if it was all a con. ROLLING STONE MUSIC NOW PODCAST: QUESTLOVE The Roots drummer talks with host Brian Hiatt about his new book, why he blindfolds himself to play more like Stevie Wonder, and the drumming genius of Meg White. Rolling Stone Music Now airs…

Rock-Solid Dude even more now [“Dwayne’s World,” RS 1311/1312]. This cover story makes me want to Google “Just how big is the Rock?” It also makes me want to go back and watch his entire filmography, even his slightly embarrassing kid movies. Sue Torrey Southbury, CT sion that he didn’t bother to vote to be unacceptable. How can you express concern over how NFL protesters taking a knee were viewed when the guy who won the election mocks them and refers to them as “sons of bitches”? The message Johnson should have been sending is that you should vote in every single stinking election. John B. Allen, via e-mail mirable Hollywood success, the Rock is also a great guy, as this story shows – not just empathetic and genuine but a beautiful soul. Simone Melo, East…

1. Mitski “Geyser” Brooklyn singer-songwriter Mitski Miyawaki’s 2016 album, Puberty 2, was a marvel of explosive intimacy. Her new LP, Be the Cowboy, will be out in August, and its first single is just as awesome – a shy-beast love song that opens soft and unguarded, then hulks out like Kate Bush fronting My Bloody Valentine. The result: The year’s best indie-rock power ballad. 2. Anderson Paak “Bubblin” In the video for this hyped-up ode to living extra large, Cali rapper Paak does a front flip into a poolful of money. Not a bad way to start your day. And he has the motormouth flow to back up his boasts. 3. Gallant “Doesn’t Matter” “Let’s go out with a bang,” R&B smoothie Gallant sings, finding elation in doomed romance. But it’s his steroid falsetto that really brings the…

5 Great Women-Produced Songs “While female-identifying artists are getting more love, the producers are still relatively invisible,” says Case, whose LP Hell-On just landed in stores. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five “The Message” Producer Sylvia Robinson was a lifelong innovator. This song is singular, gorgeous and as important as art and music can be. Pauline Oliveros “A Love Song” This is the tear-jerking sound of longing. Oliveros was a musician, composer, professor and electronic-music pioneer. Danielle Dax “Bed Caves” I was so entranced by this song when it came out, in 1983. It’s so strange, compelling and even jarring. Experimental, semi-industrial. Suzi Analogue ft. Jax “Numba 1” I love doing work while listening to this song. It’s a helpful, meditative engine. Suzi is a beatmaker, label head, musician and spreader of positivity. Miho Hatori “Barracuda” This song takes me out of the world to a…

Before they went into rehearsals for their 2018 Experience + Innocence Tour, U2 made a bold decision: Their new show wouldn’t feature a single song from The Joshua Tree, the 1987 classic that has been the backbone of their live show for three decades. The band had spent the previous year playing the album – which includes “Where the Streets Have No Name” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” – straight through in stadiums. “We drew a line in the sand,” says bassist Adam Clayton. “If you really wanted those songs, we did it. It’s done. We’re moving on here.” The reset has helped U2 launch one of their most radical tours ever – a technology-heavy run through the hidden back corners of their catalog, along with the…

If you visited austin’s waterloo Records recently, you might have noticed a construction project that was unthinkable not so long ago: The 36-year-old Austin music staple was replacing 24 feet of CD racks with space for more vinyl. “After 30 years of CDs, a lot of people are moving on from that format,” says Waterloo owner John Kunz. “Whether they’re going back to vinyl, or streaming, people are selling off those CDs.” As streaming gives the music industry its biggest profits in a decade, the CD business continues to plunge. CD sales have fallen 80 percent in the past decade, from roughly 450 million to 89 million. Since Tesla began manufacturing cars without CD players, other companies like Ford and Toyota have recently followed. Downloads – once seen as the CD’s…