Three pins, and nearly every signal in this business passes through them.

The magazine is named after the cable: the microphone in the booth, the line to the desk, the DMX run that fires the lights. Studio, stage and rig share the same cable. Most magazines pick one of the three. This one covers all of it, because the people we read do too — the engineer mixing a record on Tuesday is on front of house by Saturday.

Around a hundred and sixty sources, in English, Japanese, Spanish, German, French, Chinese and Italian: makers and their release notes, reviewers who put a hand on the thing, studios and touring crews, the producers and collectives surfacing this month and the scenes they came out of. Synths and modular, plugins and DAWs, guitars and drums, microphones, monitors, PA and lighting. What the trade is talking about is counted and plotted. The editor's letter has just started; it will find its rhythm.

For each story: a headline, a short excerpt, one picture and the link out. We never reprint the article, and the picture belongs to the maker or the photographer. A German review appears in German and a Japanese one in Japanese, as the writer published it; the link goes to the original.

Nothing is sold on this site. When a link leads to a shop, it is the maker's shop, not ours.

← XLR MAG Archive

Rolling Stone MusicScenes

See Fall Out Boy Rock an L.A. Mall Ahead of Stadium Tour

11.11

Group gave “Aces” its live debut as it teased upcoming Twilight of the Punks Tour

Read at Rolling Stone Music ↗

One letter a week, starting soon.

Latest

See Fall Out Boy Rock an L.A. Mall Ahead of Stadium Tour

More from Rolling Stone Music on XLR MAG

ScenesChris Stapleton on the Overlooked Album That Changed His Life Rolling Stone Music

ScenesWatch Tinashe Showcase ‘Popstar,’ ‘Melatonin’ on ‘Fallon’ Rolling Stone Music

ScenesDua Lipa, Tame Impala, SZA to Headline 2027 Coachella Rolling Stone Music

ScenesAfter Online Uproar, Sammy Kershaw Is Invited to Walk CMA Awards Red Carpet Rolling Stone Music

ScenesSade Are Not Attending Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Rolling Stone Music

ScenesMegan Thee Stallion and Daniel Radcliffe Reunite for Season Two of ‘Reggie Dinkins’ Rolling Stone Music