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Music

Eddie Van Halen Inspired a Generation of Guitar Dreamers

Thank you for your life, Eddie Van Halen. Long live the music, the joy, and all the little dreamers you inspired.
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Love in the Time of Coronavirus

All Kinds of Time: Adam Schlesinger's Pursuit of Pure, Peerless Pop

Adam Schlesinger was a poet laureate of pure pop music. There was never a melody too bright, a lyrical conceit too playfully dumb, or a vibe full of radiation that he would shy away from. His sudden passing from COVID-19 means one of the brightest stars in the power-pop universe has suddenly dimmed.

Music

Rush Drummer Neil Peart Passes Away at 67

Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart, one of the most technically gifted rock musician of his - or any - generation - passed away from brain cancer on 7 January, leaving behind an incredible legacy.

Music

Loneliness Is the Cloak You Wear: Scott Walker, 1943-2019

From 1960s teen idol to '70s crooner to latter-day experimental trailblazer, Scott Walker's artistic trajectory is one of the strangest and most admirable in music history.

Music

Aretha Franklin Before She Was the Queen of Soul

The Columbia recordings of Aretha Franklin between 1960 and 1965 are not her best, but they show us an artist learning her craft and gathering the tools that would change American music.

Music

The First Record: Aretha's Gold

The concept album that is Aretha's Gold follows the chronology of Aretha Franklin's hits, all released in 1967 and 1968, apex years of the decade not just in terms of numbers but also as an apogee of its cultural and political zeitgeist.

Music

10 Aretha Franklin Performances That Bridged the Gap Between Legendary and Unforgettable

A brief survey of songs from a six-year period (1968-1974) of Aretha Franklin's 61-year recording career shows there were many more levels to this singer/pianist/activist/songwriter than justifiable claim to original Queen of Soul Divahood.

Music

Debashish Bhattacharya: Hawaii to Calcutta

Classical Indian ragas meet Hawaiian roots music on Hawaii to Calcutta, an impassioned tribute to trailblazer Tau Moe.

Music

Teresa Cristina: Canta Cartola

It’s like listening through the walls of a conversation between lovers. The music is gracious, indulgent, and enchanting.

Music

Various Artists: Day of the Dead

Aaron and Bryce Dessner have masterfully assembled a dizzying array of contemporary artists to reinterpret the songs of the Grateful Dead.

Music

Various Artists: A Tribute to Pet Sounds

Some of the most respected experimental artists of the 21st century dish up their takes on the Beach Boys' classic album.

Music

Long Live the King: Remembering Michael Jackson

As the world mourns the passing of its definitive pop star, we must ask ourselves why his death means so much to us -- and where the legacy of one of the greatest entertainers of all time now stands.

Evan Sawdey
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Pulitzer-winning cartoonist, killed in car crash

Peter St. Onge and Jeri Krentz [McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)]
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Tribute to Mstislav Rostropovich (1927-2007)

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David Halberstam: Full of sound, fury and brilliance

Julia Keller [Chicago Tribune (MCT)]
Music

Soul Power

Though James Brown's body was lying in state at the Apollo Theater, on the streets of Harlem, his spirit seemed to be everywhere.

William Glasspiegel
Music

Ozzy Osbourne: Tribute

Adrien Begrand

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