‘Blue’, ‘Tapestry’, and Oil: Or, Oil Capitalism in Two Key Singer-Songwriter Albums
Joni Mitchell’s Blue and Carole King’s Tapestry were fueled by petroculture, which powered the rise of feminism in music. How? Read on.
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The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the ’90s: 100 – 81
The first part of our examination of the 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the ’90s looks at the “golden age” of alternative rock.
The 100 Best Alternative Singles of the ’80s: 20 – 1
Songs of anxiety, paranoia, freak-outs, chilling verses, feverish desire, harrowing lyrics — they all make for damn good music.
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The 100 Best Alternative Singles of the 1980s: 100 – 81
Beginning today and continuing all week, we present one critic’s best punk, post-punk, new wave, college rock, underground, modern rock, goth, industrial, new romantic, ska, power pop, hardcore, and indie rock of the ’80s.
The 20 Essential Pavement Songs
This stroll down memory lane’s shady lane only underscores how a collection of Stephen Malkmus’ sharpest turns-of-phrase comes off like a veritable Bartlett’s Famous Quotations for the Gen X indie set.
‘Lost Maya Cities’ Digs into the Nitty-Gritty of Archaeology
Slovenian archeologist Ivan Sprajc's memoir, Lost Maya Cities, is a pleasant read but it could have dug deeper.
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Peter Case Celebrates Late Dylan Masterpiece “Early Roman Kings” (premiere + interview)
Peter Case releases The Midnight Broadcast this March. It's his first album of new material since 2015 and a celebration of late-night travel, a meditation on loneliness, and the power of music.
It’s Business As Usual for the Hold Steady on ‘Open Door Policy’
Like the title implies, it's hard to see the Hold Steady's latest album as something more than just another shrewd career move.
The 11 Best Chick Corea Albums
Across 81 studio albums as a leader, another 25 live recordings as a leader, and then scores of albums as a sideman, Corea was an unerringly superb pianist, a thrilling soloist, a propulsive and sensitive accompanist, and a band member even though he was a superstar.
‘Firefly Lane’ Betrays the Golden Rule of Chekhov’s Gun
Netflix's Firefly Lane put the gun on the stage. Creator Maggie Friedman had the characters pick it up and play with it.
Cowpunk: A Brief Y’alternative History
Cowpunk is a reaction against conventional country music, yet embodies some of its distant and deepest traits. Likewise, it's also a reaction against punk, yet manifests as one of its purest expressions.