The Brilliant Eartha Kitt Is “Miss Kitt” to You
Eartha Kitt’s best recordings from the 1950s represent the bedrock of her career and deliver a charming respite from a world in turmoil. Miss Kitt, to You is a revelation.
Kurt Wildermuth
Babymetal’s Classic “Gimme Chocolate!!” Mixes Pop, Art, and Id
Babymetal’s “Gimme Chocolate!!” video, like your favorite B-movie, combines one part pop culture, one part art, and one part id as well as catharsis.
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Marie-Paule Belle’s ‘Almanach’:Â Charming Chansons from 1978
Marie-Paule Belle has been crafting smart, sweet, and tart pop-rock since 1973. It’s time for her profile to be higher outside her native France.
‘The Cadets’ Greatest Hits’ Delivers Doo-Wop Worth Your Attention
In the late 1950s, the Cadets delivered doo-wop and R&B designed to yield pure pleasure. These Black singers’ talent and versatility keep the music fresh.
How One Innovative LP Carved a Dusty Trail to Alternative Country
Don’t Shoot collected country tracks by Los Angeles rockers in the mid-1980s. Cutting edge then, it presents a blueprint for today’s alternative country.
Elvis Costello’s ‘Almost Blue’ Was Rescued by Its Bonus Tracks… for a While
The release history of Elvis Costello’s Almost Blue provides a framework for examining how the delivery of recorded music can relate to our experience of it.
Minnie Riperton’s ‘Perfect Angel’ at 50: Imperfectly Angelic
Soul singer Minnie Riperton made full use of her multi-octave voice and songwriting talent on 1974’s Perfect Angel, with her still-beloved hit, “Lovin’ You”.
Hüsker Dü’s ‘Zen Arcade’ at 40: Do You Remember?
In the early 1980s, Hüsker Dü paved the way for alternative rock, adding the power, anger, and pain of hardcore punk to a mix of 1960s and 1970s pop-rock styles.
New York Dolls’ ‘Too Much Too Soon’ Lived Up to Its Title (More or Less)Â
The New York Dolls didn’t just play rock and roll. They swung, achieving a groove that set them apart from other rockers at the time and since.
Built to Spill’s ‘Keep It Like a Secret’ Still Surprises at 25
Has any songwriter used the words “things” and “sounds” and made small matters seem more significant and full of possibility as much as Built to Spill’s Doug Martsch?
Miles Davis’ ‘Filles de Kilimanjaro’ Makes a Jazz Noise
Miles Davis was a shapeshifter, and in his restlessness, he urged and created the groundwork for protean music that reflected shapes and shifts.
Pop-Rock Not for the Masses: Nellie McKay’s ‘Get Away From Me’ at 20
Nellie McKay is appealing but with an edge, offering hooks but also barbs, looking back at the past and ahead of her time. She could be a pop star in 2024.