Rufus Wainwright’s Fascination for Kurt Weill’s Music
Long obsessed with classic idols, Rufus Wainwright talks about his fascination with Kurt Weill and his new album of Weill’s strikingly relevant music.
traditional pop
Laufey’s Massive Rise Was Just a Matter of Time
Laufey is a prodigious talent, but also immensely relatable: she’s a nerd, and everyone was at the show because, well, we’re all nerds too.
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.
Laufey Enchants the Listener on ‘A Matter of Time’
Laufey’s A Matter of Time has many charms. Like a pretty girl who denies her attractiveness, she may try too hard to convince one of what’s not true.
Svetlana Highlights Female Artists with Cinematic Classics
With Reel to Remix, Svetlana takes the chance to use her talents and the power of nostalgia to uplift other women in music, and that’s admirable.
The Many Sounds of Bob Dylan’s Voice
Are Bob Dylan’s improved vocals in his later years a deliberate aesthetic choice? Has he re-focused his attention on the art of singing?
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Bob Dylan’s Art Is Best Served Naked
As Bob Dylan learned, only through baring of one’s soul does one show the way forward, providing both a glimpse into the other and perhaps the shape of things to come.
Bob Dylan’s ‘John Wesley Harding’ Was No Friend to the Poor
Bob Dylan’s 1967 album John Wesley Harding is more about what it is not than what it is. Does that hold true for the mythology of John Wesley Hardin himself?
Liza Minnelli Hung Up Her Feather Boa and Sequins for ‘Gently’
Gently is, in Liza Minnelli’s own words, a “make-out” album. The 1996 record reaches for the kind of rueful, ruminative romance found in a smoky bar.
Barbra Streisand Made Her Splashy Debut in 1963
The boldness of Barbra Streisand’s fully-formed persona makes The Barbra Streisand Album an integral part of 1960s pop culture, revolutionary in its own way.
Bob Stanley’s Book on the Birth of Pop Music Spins One Helluva Playlist
Bob Stanley provides an utterly comprehensive and much-appreciated reference guide for the world of pre-rock pop music. We just need to carve out a million hours to stream the music.
Bob Dylan Remains Hard to Pin Down with ‘The Philosophy of Modern Song’
In The Philosophy of Modern Song, Bob Dylan conveys his thoughts in his signature styles, as in his lyrics, he can be plainspoken, gnomic, and over the top.