Rolling Stone Dec-03-15

VIDEO ANOTHER SIDE OF DAVID DUCHOVNY The first episode in our new series, “Off the Clock,” about artists and their hobbies: The actor embarks on a side career as a singer-songwriter while awaiting the return of The X-Files in early 2016. “For me to get up and sing live is insane,” says Duchovny. MUSIC ON THE ROAD WITH TYLER Two wild nights hanging out with Tyler, the Creator on his tour through the South. Read our in-depth portrait of one of the most controversial – and creative – talents in hip-hop. LIST BAD STARTS TO GREAT CAREERS Even the best can sometimes start out on the wrong foot. We ranked the worst-ever debut albums, by artists like Billy Joel, George Harrison and Lou Reed. NEWS NIGHTMARE IN NEW MEXICO An inside look at Tierra Blanca Ranch: a 20-year-old rehabilitation camp for…

It’s the Weeknd WELL-WRITTEN COVER story on the Weeknd by Josh Eells [“The Weeknd’s Dark Twisted Fantasy,” RS 1247]. I’ve been following Abel Tesfaye since Day One. When I heard his soothing falsetto and airtight production, I knew he was destined for fame. Leon Laing, Harrisburg, PA I WISH JOSH EELLS HAD hammered Tesfaye more on his misogyny, but I do love the Weeknd’s music. Beauty Behind the Madness is like dark R&B Phil Collins – the songs are supremely catchy. I’ve had some of those hooks in my head all day. Adam Lehrer, via the Internet WITH THE RELEASE OF HIS three mixtapes, Tesfaye gave kids and young adults who were completely lost a feeling of empowerment and confidence. I love all the hype and attention he’s getting – he’s earned it. Nick Matthews, via…

1. Cage the Elephant “Mess Around” Dan Auerbach produced the Kentucky crew’s new LP – and you can hear it in the way this killer fuzz-bomb of a song tightens up their sound for maximum catchiness. 2. Coldplay “Adventure of a Lifetime” The sad balladeers who made “The Scientist” are a distant memory on this sequin-spangled tune from Coldplay’s upcoming LP. It’s their sweetest plunge yet into full-on disco bliss. 3. Missy Elliott “WTF (Where They From)” video No one makes a video like Missy, whose latest clip features uncanny-valley puppets, freaky dance moves and so much more. 4. Aurora “Half the World Away” Over in England, this 19-year-old Norwegian singer-songwriter’s superpretty, bittersweet Oasis cover is already a big deal. Give her version a listen, and you’ll fall in love too. 5. Eleanor Friedberger “False Alphabet City” Longtime fans have always suspected that Eleanor…

“When I think of torch songs, I tend to go to a bygone era,” says the crooner, whose LP First Comes the Night is out now. “They remind me of that wistful, lonely feeling.” Elvis Presley “Can’t Help Falling in Love” A very romantic song, sung perfectly. There’s a richness and a believability in Elvis’ voice that nobody else can touch. Roy Orbison “It’s Over” Whisper secrets to the wind. . . . You won’t be seeing rainbows anymore.” If you’re breaking up with somebody, it’ll bring a tear to your eye. Vera Lynn “We’ll Meet Again” Singers now go for the high notes, but nobody goes for those low baritone notes anymore like this song does. Bing Crosby “True Love” What a haiku of a pop song! “Suntanned, windblown, honeymooners at last alone.” It doesn’t take many…

A FEW YEARS AGO , Chris Martin was feeling “depressed and overwhelmed.” He was in the final stages of his 10-year marriage to Gwyneth Paltrow, and he felt increasingly insecure about the music he was making. “I wasn’t looking at things in a healthy way,” he says. Then a friend gave him some books, including Man’s Search for Meaning, a memoir by psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, and a volume by the 13thcentury Persian poet Rumi. Martin says one poem, “The Guest House” – which suggests “inviting in” dark thoughts – helped him get through the period around his divorce. “It kind of changed my life,” he says. “It says that everything that happens to you is OK. The idea is to accept what happens to you and not run…

After more than 10 hard-touring years with the National, Matt Berninger wasn’t getting any better at adjusting to life on the road. “I love being a ‘rock star,’ but there’s a lot of it that’s just sad,” he says. “Staying out after a show is where it really tears you apart.” A few years ago, Berninger found a way to curb his post-gig excesses: Instead of going out, he would head back to his tour bus to work on new music using GarageBand. “It wasn’t a creative escape,” he says. “This was just a way to keep me from partying too much.” Those songs became El Vy’s Return to the Moon, a dance-y project with old friend Brent Knopf, of the Portland, Oregon, band Menomena. Taylor Swift is a fan, endorsing the…