Friday, May 17 2013
Latitudes and Longitudes of Darkness: Four Remarkable 2013 Black Metal Albums
Black metal's compass may be spinning in many different directions in 2013, but at its best, the genre remains neither safe nor accommodating.
Wednesday, May 15 2013
David Sanborn May Not Be Cool—But He’s Sure Copied a Lot
David Sanborn may be the most imitated man in instrumental music. His ripe rasp on alto saxophone has been aped a thousand times over. Yet he's gotten little respect in true jazz circles.
Wednesday, May 8 2013
Pink Floyd: The Prog Rock Archetype
Although they became hugely successful, Pink Floyd championed a type of integrity that seems uniquely associated with progressive rock: they never imitated anyone else or copied their own previous efforts.
Monday, May 6 2013
Same Old Song: Tributes to Kris Kristofferson
There are at least four various artists tribute albums to Kris Kristofferson, all released in the last 11 years. Why him? Is it about the songwriter or the songs? The musicians or the listeners? The present or the past? The albums themselves might provide the answers.
Wednesday, May 1 2013
In Defense Of ... The Music Collector
With the rise of streaming services and viral videos, many argue that the art of collecting may be facing its imminent demise sooner than later. For true believers, however, the digital age may be the single most convenient time in the history of music consumerism.
Thursday, April 25 2013
The Death Knell Sounds Again: The History of Music Industry Whining
A business which makes billions a year can’t stop whining about how illegal downloading, streaming, and Internet radio is sending it to the poor house.
Tuesday, April 23 2013
In Defense Of ... The Rock Drummer
Bobby Gillespie once said it best: You can't have a good band if you don't have a good drummer. As rock music has proved over the years, that adage is far more true than one might think.
Friday, April 19 2013
How to (Be a French Pop Band and) Make It in America
Through an analysis of Daft Punk and Phoenix’s recent careers, a recipe for success may be unearthed for those French bands aspiring to win a Grammy or two.
Thursday, April 18 2013
Saturday Night, Sunday Morning: Gospel Music in a Secular World
Critically, commercially and historically, gospel is the great overlooked American music, maybe because few genres of music force you to confront your beliefs so immediately.
Wednesday, April 17 2013
Ode to the Return of the Clarinet
Why did you leave jazz, O Clarinet? Did you ask too much of us, or did we ask to much of you? Either way, you've returned with a sleek, expressive vengeance!
Wednesday, April 10 2013
What Comes After the Jason Molina Is Gone Blues?
The late Jason Molina was never anything but honest about his trials and errors, his long dark blues, and his farewell transmissions.
Tuesday, April 9 2013
Time Stand Still: Why Rush Belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rush, as much as any rock band, represents the eternal present tense: they adapted and evolved in real time, reflecting the issues, sounds and styles of their day.
Friday, April 5 2013
In Defense Of ... Hip-Hop Receiving the Respect It Deserves
In Ice-T's 2012 documentary, Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap, he asks why rap music doesn't garner the same amount of respect afforded to jazz and blues music.
Wednesday, April 3 2013
Always It’s You: Why the Everly Brothers Still Matter
Dawn McCarthy and Bonnie “Prince” Billy pay tribute to the Everlys with What the Brothers Sang, and the Chapin Sisters with A Date With the Everly Brothers, in their new tribute albums.
Monday, April 1 2013
Kafka on Kickstarter: Crowdsourcing, Capitalism and Art
From the Kickstarter-fuelled resurrection of Veronica Mars to Amanda Palmer's 'art of asking', the influence of crowdsourcing is impossible to ignore. Can it provide a new perspective on the relationship between art and money?
Thursday, March 28 2013
Wynton Marsalis’ ‘Blood on the Fields’, Still Genius
Is anything ever as wonderful as it seemed when you first fell in love with it? Some things are. Some things become even sweeter over time.
Wednesday, March 27 2013
The Heaviest Dose: Metal Is My Preeminent Medication
Without heavy metal I simply wouldn't be alive today. I lit the torch for my recovery, and while metal was not the sole source of illumination on the path, it stoked the flames when I couldn't see a positive outcome for all the gloom.
Tuesday, March 26 2013
Polymorphously Inclined: Comics as Influence, Comics Influenced
'Poaching' and 'copying' goes on in the making, reading, and interpreting of all forms of art and expression. The manner in which comics seem to invite connections to other media is what makes them vital artifacts of pop culture.
Wednesday, March 20 2013
Production in Flux: What’s Next for Electronic Dance Music?
Is recorded music the only real kind of music? Of course not. That is... unless music recordings are your only access to music. Then those recordings are no less 'real' to you.
Alicia Keys Got Blackberry and Kanye West is Seething
Many forward-thinking companies are bringing musicians onto their staffs to help guide their brands. For those that aren't there yet, here's a little help with who they should hire.
