Making Her Move: Olivia Newton-John’s ‘Physical’ Phenomenon Revisited
Producer John Farrar and the creative team behind Physical recall how Olivia Newton-John brought a Grammy-winning sensation from the studio to the screen.
Music Features
Glitch-Hop Pioneer Thavius Beck on the Beats and the Love That Inspired ‘LEO’
Glitch-hop pioneer Thavius Beck talks about Public Enemy, the Bomb Squad, and LEO, an album heavy with his baritone boom and pumping, catawampus beats.
The 10 Best Janis Ian Albums
The best Janis Ian albums are among the finest in the singer-songwriter sphere. Her touching, emotionally revealing lyrics burst with memorable turns of phrase.
Beyoncé’s Dance Pop ‘Renaissance’ Marks a New Era of Empowerment and Accessibility
Beyoncé’s Renaissance repackages traditional marketing and 1990s-inspired dance music, creating the ultimate combination of streaming sensibilities and feel-good anthems.
Barney Bubbles’ Labours of Love
The brilliant and troubled Barney Bubbles wanted to inspire and did so through his remarkable litany of album covers. A new retrospective tells his tale.
Newport Folk Festival: Joy in the Familiar and the Unexpected
The 2022 Newport Folk Festival was one for the books. Appearances from two legendary American musicians (Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell) left people weeping in joy.
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MetalMatters: The Best Heavy Metal Albums of July 2022
In the best heavy metal of July, Ashenspire’s weaponized avant-garde black metal thrills while Chat Pile relish reality with noise, sludge, and no wave applications.
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Hip-Hop Matters: The Best Hip-Hop of July 2022
This month in the best hip-hop has everything from deconstructing the genre by younger generations to the return of revered scene leaders.
IndieMatters: The Best Rising Indie Pop/Rock of July 2022
The first edition of our new monthly column IndieMatters highlights some of the best rising indie releases from July 2022, including PACKS, Queen Kwong, Rusty Santos, Atmos Bloom, and Seasoning.
Bette Midler’s 1995 LP ‘Bette of Roses’ Is a Warm Embrace
Mainstream pop albums like Bette Midler’s Bette of Roses work because the songs are inclusive of a broader range of audiences and the themes relate to most people.
Rickie Lee Jones’ ‘Pirates’ Is Much More Than a Breakup Album
On 1981’s Pirates, Rickie Lee Jones resisted the easy musical path in favor of one as meandering and complicated as her own life.
Sziget Festival 2022 Is Back with Joyful Exuberance
Europe’s arguably biggest music festival, Sziget Festival, is even better than before the pandemic shutdown and shows no sign of toning its enormous ambition down. Why should it?
