Music Reviews

Music & Culture

Music Review: 'Final Wild Songs,' The Long Ryders

4:30pm March 11, 2016

The Long Ryders are an '80s band. Smart lyrics mix with garage rock, psychedelic sounds and country. After five years of recording and touring, they called it quits in 1987. Now, almost 20 years after their separation, the band is back together and heading on tour. Reviewer Meredith Ochs says the newly released album of their classic songs cements their legacy.

Music & Culture

ORA's Contemporary Twist On A 16th-Century Mass

9:06am March 10, 2016

by Tom Huizenga

Founded in 2014, this vibrant, new choral group juxtaposes William Byrd's Renaissance classic with newly commissioned inspirations.

Alfredo Rodriguez's new album, Tocororo, is out now.

Music & Culture

On 'Tocororo,' Alfredo Rodriguez Brings Cuba To The World — And The World To Cuba

6:34pm March 08, 2016

by Michelle Mercer

The pianist and composer left his home country seven years ago. Michelle Mercer says Rodriguez's latest album is the sound of a prodigiously talented Cuban embracing the wider world of music.

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Music & Culture

Roman Diaz Makes A Spiritual Statement With 'L'ó Dá Fún Bàtá'

3:10pm March 08, 2016

by Milo Miles

Percussionist Roman Diaz arrived in New York from Havana in 1999 and has since become a mainstay in the avant-garde jazz and Afro-Cuban music communities. Critic Milo Miles reviews his debut album.

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Kendrick Lamar performs on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in January 2016, debuting one of the nameless songs that would pop up on the newly released untitled unmastered.

Music & Culture

Listening To Kendrick's Past In The Present

6:43pm March 05, 2016

by Kiana Fitzgerald

Out of nowhere, Kendrick Lamar dropped a new record this week, called untitled unmastered. Reviewer Kiana Fitzgerald says that listening to these demos "feels like we're playing catch-up."

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Music & Culture

Waco Brothers Mix Country And Punk On 'Going Down In History'

3:52pm March 03, 2016

by Ken Tucker

The Waco Brothers recently released their first album of original material in more than a decade. Rock critic Ken Tucker says the music on Going Down in History is "urgent, precise and pointed."

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Kanye West reaching for his audience during 102.7 KIIS FM's 2015 Wango Tango in Los Angeles, May 2015.

Music & Culture

What We Talk About When We Talk About 'TLOP'

8:00am February 26, 2016

by Frannie Kelley

When people speak on Kanye, they show themselves. I don't know if that means he's a superior artist or not; I do know that's why we're spilling all this ink.

Music & Culture

'All My Yesterdays' Captures The Beginning Of A 50-Year Engagement

1:30pm February 24, 2016

by Kevin Whitehead

Music from Thad Jones and Mel Lewis' first and seventh Mondays at the Village Vanguard is out on a new two-CD set. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says All My Yesterdays explodes with creative energy.

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Music & Culture

Bonnie Raitt Explores Her Roots In 'Dig In Deep'

1:55pm February 23, 2016

by Ken Tucker

Raitt's new album is dominated by uptempo songs, R&B sounds and complex emotions. Rock critic Ken Tucker says the singer's distinctive style gives Dig In Deep a "vital glow."

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Music & Culture

Music Review: 'Livin' On A High Note,' Mavis Staples

4:29pm February 19, 2016

by Tom Moon

Music reviewer Tom Moon says the latest from gospel-soul icon Mavis Staples is the most stirring of her recent releases. He reviews Livin' on a High Note.