Music Reviews

Music & Culture

Remixed Pere Ubu Albums Bring Fresh Intimacy To The Band's Vocals

1:21pm September 30, 2021

by Ken Tucker

Pere Ubu leader David Thomas remixed two of his favorite Ubu albums, 1998's Pennsylvania and 2002's St. Arkansas, saying that the remixes are so substantial, they amount to being two new albums.

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Rather than a heroic journey, the story at the center of Blanchard's opera is one of self-discovery, with an assured, tactile specificity which includes a boistrous fraternity step routine that opens Act III.

Terence Blanchard's Met Opera Debut Is A Singular Achievement And A Shared Success

6:20pm September 28, 2021

by Nate Chinen

The composer's magnetically powerful Fire Shut Up in My Bones lands with a force of authenticity, a too-rare window into Black life in an operatic setting.

At 91, Clint Eastwood Isn't Slowing Down. 'Cry Macho' Is His Latest Film

5:51am September 23, 2021

NPR's A Martínez talks to film critic Kenneth Turan about Cry Macho — the latest film from director and actor Clint Eastwood. The nonagenarian started directing films 50 years ago.

Music & Culture

Saxophonist Joel Frahm Proves Himself A Master Storyteller On 'The Bright Side'

2:21pm September 14, 2021

by Kevin Whitehead

Frahm has a brawny tenor sax sound, strong and consistent from top to bottom. His new trio album shows off his ability to use pacing and momentum to tell a compelling story.

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Music & Culture

Actor Karen Black Shines As A Singer/Songwriter On 'Dreaming of You'

1:57pm September 13, 2021

by Ken Tucker

Best known for her roles in films like Five Easy Pieces and Easy Rider, Black, who died in 2013, also recorded music in the 1970s. A new album highlights some of her strongest work.

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Vocalist Brendan Yates directing the dance at Turnstile's Glow On release show at Clifton Park Bandshell in Baltimore.

Music & Culture

Get Your Booty On The Floor. Turnstile Is Here To Help

10:50am September 07, 2021

by Zachary Lipez

Turnstile's nothing but true to the sprawling, rambunctious spirit of hardcore. But overlooked — or at least hidden in plain sight — is the band's allegiance to funk.

Pianist Víkingur Ólafsson sets the music of Mozart amid his peers to offer a fresh take on the master composer.

Music & Culture

Víkingur Ólafsson Wants To Change Your Mind About Mozart

4:43pm September 03, 2021

by Tom Huizenga

On his new album, Mozart & Contemporaries, the deep-thinking pianist from Iceland aims to debunk the image of Amadeus as the giggling savant by contrasting his music with that of his peers.

Kanye West is seen at a Donda listening event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 22, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Music & Culture

From A Small House In a Big Stadium, Kanye Comes Up Empty-Handed

7:47pm September 02, 2021

by Mano Sundaresan

After a personally eventful year, the artist undertook another – and perhaps his most – ambitious, sprawling introduction of a new album. The results seem to be inversely proportional.

Music & Culture

Songs Of Summer, From Olivia Rodrigo, Willow And Japanese Breakfast

1:22pm August 13, 2021

by Ken Tucker

Critic Ken Tucker compiled his list of 2021 summer songs while traveling on vacation. His picks are "Brutal," by Olivia Rodrigo; "Transparent Soul," by Willow; and "Be Sweet," by Japanese Breakfast.

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Music & Culture

Newcomer Samara Joy Makes An Imposing Debut On Her Self-Titled Album

7:21pm August 12, 2021

by Kevin Whitehead

Joy sang some jazz in high school, but didn't get serious about it until later. Her debut album, which she recorded as a college student, could be a public service announcement for jazz education.

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