Tuesday, July 12 2011
Bought on the Fourth of July
With The Homeland Directive writer Robert Venditti offers a deep and meditative work on the nature of personhood in an era of mass marketing. Easily the equal of the illustrious works of John Reed or Jonathan Franzen, The Homeland Directive elevates both the political thriller genre and the comics medium.
Monday, May 23 2011
Rocking Chair Blues: Howlin’ Wolf - “Tell Me”
In this final installment of the Between the Grooves series dedicated to Howlin’ Wolf’s Rocking Chair album, George de Stefano states that Wolf's music is so compelling because it seems such a direct, unmediated expression of his singular personality.
Monday, April 25 2011
Rocking Chair Blues: Howlin’ Wolf - Goin’ Down Slow
"Goin' Down Slow" is a dramatic tour de force in three minutes and 18 seconds, standing as the most emotionally-shattering performance on Rocking Chair.
Monday, April 11 2011
Rocking Chair Blues: Howlin’ Wolf – “Little Baby”
“Little Baby”, penned by Willie Dixon, is a well-crafted, catchy pop tune with clever lyrics, and Howlin’ Wolf sounds like he’s having a great time with it. You’d never guess that his partnership with its writer was so fraught with anger and resentment.
Monday, March 28 2011
James Cotton: Giant
The blues harmonica legend is back with his first album in six years, and it's dedicated to the memory of Koko Taylor.
Monday, March 7 2011
Rocking Chair Blues: Howlin’ Wolf - “Shake for Me”
In this new Between the Grooves series, George de Stefano digs beneath the nondescript cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Rocking Chair" album -- an urtext for many rock and R&B artists who have been inspired by it or covered its songs -- to examine some of the greatest blues ever recorded.
Wednesday, June 23 2010
The Howling or, 100 Years of the Big Bad Wolf
Howlin' Wolf remains an artist who cannot be imitated and whose unmistakable growl can probably never be adequately explained or understood.
Tuesday, April 7 2009
Waltzing with Wilco
As any experienced concert-goer knows, a lively audience can mean the difference between a lackluster event and a memorable night. Sometimes, it’s more important than the band's actual performance.
Thursday, February 12 2009
Laughing Through the Tears: The Enduring Journey of Etta James
As much as Etta James used her songwriting and vocal skills as primary sources for empowerment and critique, her performances and image were equally significant in reflecting a public persona bursting with wit, wildness, and sassy radicalism.
Friday, August 8 2008
Retelling the History of Black Music: The Beautiful Music All Around John Work III
Work recorded the soundtrack of people’s lives, and captured the earliest stirrings of much of the music we’ve enjoyed since World War II.
