In Fred Moten’s Music, Theory Is Put Into Practice In Fred Moten’s Music, Theory Is Put Into Practice
In the poet’s recent musical projects, he has pushed the sonic potential of verse to its limits.
Mar 26, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Nate Wooley
Trump Took Over the Kennedy Center, but Silencing the Arts Will Not Be So Easy Trump Took Over the Kennedy Center, but Silencing the Arts Will Not Be So Easy
Our last best hope for sharing, shaping, and wrangling over independent ideas may turn out to be America’s scrappy and disparate arts spaces—if they can hang on financially.
Mar 18, 2025 / Alisa Solomon
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Voice From the Past Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Voice From the Past
The Pakistani qawwali icon sang words written centuries ago and died decades ago. He’s got a new album out.
How the “Subversive Genius” of Kendrick Lamar Sent Trump Home a Loser How the “Subversive Genius” of Kendrick Lamar Sent Trump Home a Loser
The Philadelphia Eagles and Kendrick Lamar’s collective of geniuses made this the Super Bowl we needed.
Feb 10, 2025 / Dave Zirin
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
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
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
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
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
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