Music

Jamie XX performing in London in 2024.

The Introspective Club Hits of Jamie xx The Introspective Club Hits of Jamie xx

With In Waves, Jamie xx—whose real name is James Smith—has perfected what he explored in In Colour: an album full of searching tunes that can double as dance songs.

Jan 16, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Bijan Stephen

The Nation’s Early Experiments in Jazz

The Nation’s Early Experiments in Jazz The Nation’s Early Experiments in Jazz

When the magazine began covering jazz in the 1920s, it often struggled to catch the beat.

Jan 14, 2025 / Richard Kreitner

A Listener’s Guide to Jazz From 1964–1972

A Listener’s Guide to Jazz From 1964–1972 A Listener’s Guide to Jazz From 1964–1972

A selection of the best recorded examples of the otherwise mostly undocumented music heard in jazz clubs like Slugs’.

Jan 14, 2025 / Feature / Ethan Iverson

Jazz Off the Record

Jazz Off the Record Jazz Off the Record

In the late 1960s, the recording industry lost interest in America’s greatest art form. But in a small, dark club on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, jazz legends were ...

Jan 14, 2025 / Feature / Ethan Iverson

What Do We Want From Bob Dylan’s Story?

What Do We Want From Bob Dylan’s Story? What Do We Want From Bob Dylan’s Story?

In James Mangold's film A Complete Unknown, we get a cautious and reverent story of a musician who has always sought to transcend the limits imposed upon him.

Jan 9, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Sam Adler-Bell

Chappel Roan; Tyler, the Creator; Willie Nelson.

The Best Albums of 2024 The Best Albums of 2024

This year’s best music, our critic thinks, defied conventions of genre and doctrine, showing how hybrid and fluid the art has become.

Dec 23, 2024 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

Esperanza Spalding and Milton Nascimento’s Endless Reinventions

Esperanza Spalding and Milton Nascimento’s Endless Reinventions Esperanza Spalding and Milton Nascimento’s Endless Reinventions

In a collaborative work, the two artists find a fusion of old and new that charts a path forward for jazz and pop’s future.

Oct 2, 2024 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

Kris Kristofferson circa 1970.

How Kris Kristofferson Beat the Devil How Kris Kristofferson Beat the Devil

The country singer and actor has died at 88. His hard-won political commitments were fundamental to his closely observed, heartfelt writing.

Oct 1, 2024 / Obituary / Chris Lehmann

Macklemore, wearing sunglasses and a jacket with a Palestinian flag, gestures at a crowd in a concert.

Macklemore Is a Seattle Sports Superfan. Now, He Is Also a Target. Macklemore Is a Seattle Sports Superfan. Now, He Is Also a Target.

The Seattle sports establishment loved the Grammy Award–winning rapper until he dared criticize the United States for funding Israeli war crimes.

Sep 25, 2024 / Dave Zirin

The Myrtle-Broadway subway station in Brooklyn, 2024.

The Rise and Fall of New York Clubbing The Rise and Fall of New York Clubbing

Emily Witt’s memoir of Brooklyn's rave scene accomplishes something that even the cynical among us cannot deny: It will make you want to go dancing.

Sep 23, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Kevin Lozano

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