Thursday, May 24 2012
In Defense Of… Rock Radio: A Force in Popular Culture
With Clear Channel recently purchasing Boston's WFNX, almost certainly with the intention of changing its format, we look at how important it is for alternative radio to exist -- and evolve.
Wednesday, May 23 2012
Confronting the Enemy: Rascal Flatts
I vigorously defend lots of country music that sends others running. Yet there is one band that drives me absolutely batty. I need to confront and dissect this visceral feeling that their music is the worst, ever. It's time to face my enemy: Rascal Flatts.
Tuesday, May 22 2012
Kraftwerk and Yamantaka // Sonic Titan Crash the High Art Party
What happens when the world of rock music collides with the world of the fine arts?
Friday, May 18 2012
Feeling ‘80s Spirit: Post-Hardcore Punk for the Plastic Generation
Moss Icon and Jason Farrell still sizzle in the present tense, despite years of obscurity.
Thursday, May 17 2012
In Defense Of ... Train Not Being Nearly as Bad as You Might Think
Sure, you may believe that it's not cool to like Train, but with the release of the unabashedly infectious California 37, the San Francisco trio brings fun back to pop music. And who ever said music can't -- or shouldn't -- be fun?
Wednesday, May 16 2012
Esperanza Spalding Stays the Jazz Course While Norah Jones Gets Indie
The two most recent albums by these jazz artists, Esperanza Spalding's Radio Music Society and Norah Jones' Little Broken Hearts, go in different (and good) directions.
Monday, May 14 2012
The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster: A Portrait in Freedom
Blues, gospel, and jazz singer Ruther Foster spent so much time on the road that her songwriting suffered -- yet the folk, Stax soul, and gospel that accompanied the sound of tires spinning on asphalt gave her a different kind of musical inspiration.
Thursday, May 10 2012
In Defense Of… Adele’s Next Album, Whenever That May Come
As the singer just turned 24, we look back on how gigantic her star has grown while looking forward with an open mind at whatever her next move may be.
Thursday, May 3 2012
Party Machine: The Rise of Canadian Electronic Music
If Toronto is having a Seattle moment, as The New York Times called it, it's fair to say that Canadian electronic music is having a Chicago/Detroit moment.
Wednesday, May 2 2012
Shemekia Copeland and Ronnie Baker Brooks Take a Class
Copeland and Brooks infected my classroom with the ‘existential freedom’ that allows each person to stare into the darkness, yet somehow and someway, find the words, the voice, and the courage to sing a sweet song. That is, they gave us all the blues.
Tuesday, May 1 2012
The Bloody Ballad of Charlie and Ira Louvin
The Louvin Brothers made heavenly sounds, but the road they took to get there was Hell on Earth.
Tuesday, April 24 2012
Black Country Communion: Darius Rucker and Lionel Richie
Despite country's southern roots, there remains a dearth of black artists. Darius Rucker dipped his toes in those muddy waters in the past, but alas, Lionel Richie's new country album doesn't wade in much deeper.
Thursday, April 19 2012
That Thing That Makes Funk Funky: ‘The One: The Life and Music of James Brown’
James Brown – an untrained musician, mind you, operating on not much more than feel, instinct and desire – revolutionized black pop music, setting off depth charges that would still be exploding a decade hence.
Wednesday, April 18 2012
Record Store Day: Spend Your Money on Music — It’s Better Than Therapy
Huddled behind the counter sat a thin-faced, sullen-looking guy hidden behind a pair of round, John Lennon-esque sunglasses hanging on the bridge of his nose.
Tuesday, April 17 2012
In Defense Of… Axl Rose Skipping the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Fans chanted obscenities and writers murdered him in print, but the contentious lead singer's actions may have been the most responsible thing he's ever done.
Friday, April 13 2012
Yes, It’s Genocide: Armenian Artists and the Obligations of History
For many artists of Armenian descent, engaging with the legacy of the 1915 genocide is more than dutiful; it's of crucial importance to how we understand and confront the modern world and its troubles.
Tuesday, April 10 2012
Grunge: Straining to Challenge the Status Quo
Grunge: Music and Memory casts grunge as the unsure middle weight stepping into the ring against one pop music brawler after another. Down goes Michael Jackson, down goes Guns 'n' Roses, and while Springsteen is putting the finishing touches onHuman Touch/Lucky Town, Nirvana and Pearl Jam release the most influential albums of the decade.
Monday, April 9 2012
Jazz’s Wizard of Wit—and Much More—Dave Frishberg
Pianist, singer and songwriter Dave Frishberg, something of a cracked lovechild of Stephen Sondheim and Woody Allen's, is a too-little known miracle. The writer of hip ditties like "Peel Me a Grape" is also much more.
Tuesday, April 3 2012
In Defense Of… Boy Band Mania
With acts such as Big Time Rush and One Direction beginning to achieve pop star success, we are reminded of how important it is for bubble gum pop to exist within the music world.
Monday, April 2 2012
When Politicians Hit Wrong Notes
From Reagan in the '80s to Limbaugh in 2012, Republicans have an uncanny knack for linking themselves to musicians who don’t support them. Just ask Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and John Mellencamp.
