Art Rupe’s little Hollywood label, Specialty Records celebrated Black culture’s boundless beauty, energy, joy, and excitement. It was also an originator of the rock ‘n’ roll sound.
Elvis historian Eric Wolfson's 33 1/3 book, Elvis Presley's From Elvis in Memphis, examines perhaps the greatest artistic accomplishment of Elvis' career: a comeback album that reinstated his relevance.
Ikette Claudia Lennear, rumored to be the inspiration for Mick Jagger's "Brown Sugar", often felt disconnect between her identity as an African American woman and her engagement with rock. Enjoy this excerpt of cultural anthropologist Maureen Mahon's Black Diamond Queens, courtesy of Duke University Press.
Laura Nyro, a witchy, queer, ethnic Russian Jew, died young, but her non-conformist anthem, "Save the Country", carries forth to these troubled times.
Little Richard is remembered best for his groundbreaking run of 1950s hits, but the late "Tutti Frutti" belter sporadically recorded gems over his last 50 years.
New York quartet Wildlife has plenty of glam and pop swagger to go around on single "Automatic" from upcoming LP Year of the Snake.
Eclectic Chicago quartet, the Claudettes, return with High Times in the Dark, which spotlights their musical ferocity and flexibility. Hear the new single "24/5".
In 1972, the Rolling Stones were holed up in a rickety mansion in the South of France, writing an epic love letter to American music. Counterbalance examines the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St and separates the fever from the funk house—now!
The new solo album by the Deslondes' Sam Doores is a beguiling brew of old rock 'n' roll and New Orleans R&B, with a hint of Berlin experimentalism.
Blues rocker Mike Zito pairs with axeman Walter Trout for an incendiary version of Chuck Berry's seminal rock 'n' roll song, "Johnny B. Goode".
Niko Giaimo and Allee Futterer are spreading their wings as co-founders of the Astronots, a Los Angeles-based rock outfit that sounds like a blast from the past going back to the future.
The exploration of Alex Chilton's recording career and legacy is expanded by Bar/None Records' dual release of From Memphis to New Orleans and Songs from Robin Hood Lane.
