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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 17, 2026
STORY · Metal
David Hasselhoff: From Knight Rider to German Rock Stardom
David Hasselhoff, born July 17, 1952 in Baltimore, became America's unlikely European rock sensation while simultaneously dominating 1980s television.
3 min read
Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
3 min read
STORY · Other
Mike Oldfield's Exposed: The Live Album That Broke His Stage Fright
In April 1979, Mike Oldfield released Exposed, his first live album. It captured the moment the reclusive multi-instrumentalist conquered his stage fright at Wembley Conference Centre.
3 min read
Cover of “Exposed” by Mike Oldfield. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
3 min read
STORY · Other
Laurel Aitken: From Cuban Harbors to Ska's Birth in London
Born in Cuba in 1927, Lorenzo 'Laurel' Aitken carried Caribbean sounds from Kingston's ports to London's Brixton, becoming the accidental architect of ska.
3 min read
Mbdortmund, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
3 min read
STORY · Electronic
Émilie Simon: The French Electronic Alchemist Turning 48
Conservatory-trained opera singer Émilie Simon, who shattered expectations with glitchy electronic pop, turns 48 this year.
3 min read
Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
3 min read
July 15, 2026
STORY · Alternative
Pyotr Mamonov: The Explosive Poet of Soviet Underground Rock
Pyotr Mamonov, who died five years ago today, was a street brawler with a poet's soul. As the frontman of Zvuki Mu, he became the voice of Soviet underground rock.
4 min read
Дмитрий Рузов, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
4 min read
July 12, 2026
STORY · Pop
Valentina Tolkunova’s Voice Beyond Pop
Valentina Tolkunova, born in 1946, worked as a dub actor and actor as well as a singer, bringing a rare versatility to Soviet music and film. She would have turned 80 this year.
1 min read
Министерство культуры Республики Татарстан, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
1 min read
July 14, 2026
STORY · Soundtracks
Nicholas Hooper's Half-Blood Prince Score Casts a Musical Spell
Nicholas Hooper's score for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince became the franchise's highest-charting soundtrack. Released July 14, 2009, it earned a Grammy nomination.
3 min read
Cover of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” by Nicholas Hooper. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
3 min read
STORY · Other
Igor Khoroshev: From Moscow Churches to Yes' Keyboards
Born in Moscow in 1965, Igor Khoroshev traded Soviet conservatories for Yes' synthesizers. The classically trained pianist carved a path from church organs to prog-rock arenas.
3 min read
Yes_19980619.jpg : P199 derivative work: FotoPhest ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
3 min read
STORY · Hip-Hop
Taboo Nawasha: From Boyle Heights to Black Eyed Peas
Taboo Nawasha went from breaking on the dance floors of Boyle Heights to becoming a pivotal member of the Black Eyed Peas. His journey was fueled by resilience and a unique cultural heritage.
3 min read
Walterlan Papetti, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
3 min read
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.
3 min read
Cover of “Alright, Still” by Lily Allen. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
3 min read
STORY · Metal
Kyle Gass: From 7UP Ads to Tenacious D Stardom
Kyle Gass's path to Tenacious D ran through a 7UP commercial, UCLA theatre school, and The Actors' Gang, where he met Jack Black and taught him guitar.
4 min read
Ralf Lotys (Sicherlich), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
4 min read
STORY · Rock
Pelageya: From Child Prodigy to Russia's Folk-Rock Icon
A four-year-old girl steps onto a Siberian stage, unaware she's beginning one of Russia's most unconventional musical journeys. Pelageya Khanova, born Polina Sm…
3 min read
Skrivuts, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
3 min read
STORY · Folk
Woody Guthrie: The Voice of American Folk Music
Born on July 14, 1912, in Okemah, Oklahoma, Woody Guthrie became the voice of American folk music. He chronicled the struggles of everyday people through songs like 'This Land Is Your Land'.
3 min read
AI-generated illustration
3 min read
STORY · Alternative
Dan Smith of Bastille: From Bedroom Composer to Synth-Pop Visionary
Dan Smith, the creative force behind Bastille, went from a teenager secretly writing songs in his London bedroom to a synth-pop visionary. His 2013 hit 'Pompeii' anchored a global breakthrough.
4 min read
Stefan Brending ( 2eight ), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
4 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.
1 min read
Cover of “History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One” by Grateful Dead. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
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.
1 min read
AI-generated illustration
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.
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
1 min read
STORY · Classical
Lorin Maazel: the violinist who conducted operas
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.
1 min read
Barbara Haws at English Wikipedia (Uploader claims to be 'Chris Lee'.), CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
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.
1 min read
Mirschel, Hansjoachim, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
1 min read
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.
1 min read
Cover of “A Passion Play” by Jethro Tull. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
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.
1 min read
MandyPettersen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
1 min read