Kanye’s Discontents Kanye’s Discontents
At his best, Kanye West could be something of a Walt Whitman with Pro Tools. His new album, Ye, sadly feels like something halted in mid-sentence.
Jun 8, 2018 / David Hajdu
Away With Monsieur Periné Away With Monsieur Periné
The Colombian band delicately balances their idiosyncratic swing sound with elements of Latin pop music.
Jun 1, 2018 / Books & the Arts / Julyssa Lopez
The Progression of Flatbush Zombies The Progression of Flatbush Zombies
On Vacation in Hell, the group is more interested in expressing their political views and touching on subjects far beyond their roots in “psychedelic hip-hop.”
May 11, 2018 / Steve Erickson
Mary Halvorson’s Kinetic Improvisation Mary Halvorson’s Kinetic Improvisation
The guitarist’s music is exhilarating, unapologetically smart, and unspoiled by phoniness or pretense.
May 10, 2018 / David Hajdu
Moby’s Relentless Pursuit of Authenticity Moby’s Relentless Pursuit of Authenticity
His new album, Everything Was Beautiful, and Nothing Hurt, sounds teleported directly from 1999.
May 3, 2018 / Books & the Arts / Bijan Stephen
Cardi B’s Best Life Cardi B’s Best Life
What some would consider missteps, the rapper has turned into the stuff of stardom, and Invasion of Privacy is a momentous testament to perseverance.
May 3, 2018 / Books & the Arts / Briana Younger
The Lamentations of Mount Eerie and David Byrne The Lamentations of Mount Eerie and David Byrne
Mount Eerie’s Now Only and David Byrne’s American Utopia both try to find meaning in a world of loss and death.
Apr 24, 2018 / Books & the Arts / Bijan Stephen
Behind Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Selection Behind Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Selection
Our charge as the jury was pretty much the same as my job as a critic: to listen carefully, with open ears and an equally open mind.
Apr 23, 2018 / David Hajdu
Young Fathers Find a New Sound Young Fathers Find a New Sound
The band’s sense of what would pass for fitting into the pop-music mainstream is draped in their own idiosyncrasies.
Mar 29, 2018 / Books & the Arts / Briana Younger
The Genre of Post-Genre The Genre of Post-Genre
William Brittelle has drawn from classical music, punk rock, and electronica to produce music that is at once free-ranging and a thrill to experience.
Mar 13, 2018 / David Hajdu