And It Don't Stop on Substack
Robert Christgau's newsletter And It Don't Stop
appears three (or four) times a month on Substack. Subscribe
here.
Robert Christgau's Big-Hearted Theory of Pop
Book Reports features reviews of not only the pop-music
tomes you'd predict but also literary fiction, Marxist-adjacent
cultural commentary, feminist debates over pornography, and even books
about the past decade's financial crisis. It follows a collection that
Christgau published last year, Is It Still Good to Ya? Fifty Years
of Rock Criticism, 1967-2017, which includes Christgau's takes on,
among many other things, classic rock, Kanye West, the music of Desert
Storm, Lollapalooza, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and so-called guilty
pleasures--a category that Christgau rejects, since, for rock critics,
as he puts it, "pleasure is where meaning begins." Together, these
collections make the sneaky case that Christgau is not just the Dean
of American Rock Critics, his self-awarded and perhaps slightly
off-putting nickname, but one of America's
sharper public intellectuals of the past half century, and certainly
one of its most influential--not to mention one of the better stylists
in that cohort. Fun is a big part of why.
--David Cantwell, The New Yorker
News
Expert Witness: Parquet Courts Are Making Lou Reed Proud 
New in Expert Witness:
- Parquet Courts: Human Performance (Rough Trade) A
- The Coathangers: Nosebleed Weekend (Suicide Squeeze) A-
- Tacocat: Lost Time (Hardly Art) A-
- Tacocat: NVM (Hardly Art) A-
- Downtown Boys: Full Communism (Don Giovanni) *
- Gazebos: Die Alone (Hardly Art) *
- Swim Team: Swim Team (Infinity Cat) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2016-04-15] Expert Witness: Southern Blues Bonanza 
New in Expert Witness:
- Blind Willie Johnson: The Rough Guide to Blind Willie Johnson (World Music Network) A
- God Don't Never Change: The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson (Alligator) A-
- The Rough Guide to the Blues Songsters (World Music Network) A-
- Jane Voss & Hoyle Osborne: Never No More Blues (Ripple) ***
- Otis Taylor: Hey Joe Opus: Red Meat (TranceBluesFestival.com) ***
- The Rough Guide to Bottleneck Blues (World Music Network) **
- Toronzo Cannon: The Chicago Way (Alligator) **
- Blues Images Presents . . . 20 Classic Blues Songs From the 1920's: Vol. 13 (Blues Images) *
- Charlie McCoy: Jackson Stomp: The Charlie McCoy Story (Nehi) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2016-04-08] Expert Witness: Roots Rock Rebels 
New in Expert Witness:
- Robbie Fulks: Upland Stories (Bloodshot) A
- Waco Brothers: Going Down in History (Bloodshot) A-
- Robbie Fulks: Gone Away Backward (Bloodshot '13) A-
- The Mekons and Robbie Fulks: Jura (Bloodshot) A-
- The Waco Brothers: Cabaret Showtime (Bloodshot) ***
- Robbie Fulks: Revenge! (Yep Roc '07) **
- Richard Buckner & Jon Langford: Sir Dark Invader vs. the Fanglord (Buried Treasure '05) *
- Robbie Fulks: Happy (Boondoggle '10) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2016-04-01] Expert Witness: Stoned Soul Quick Picks 
New in Expert Witness:
- Rihanna: Anti (Deluxe Edition) (Westbury Road/Roc Nation) A
- The Internet: Ego Death (Columbia) A-
- Esperanza Spalding: Emily's D+Evolution (Concord) ***
- Kilo Kish: Reflections in Real Time (Kisha Soundscape + Audio) **
- Erykah Badu: You Caint Use My Phone (self-released) **
[posted by Webmaster on 2016-03-25] Expert Witness: West Coast Warriors 
New in Expert Witness:
- Kendrick Lamar: O.verly D.edicated (DatPiff download) A-
- Anderson .Paak: Malibu (OBE/Steel Wool/ArtClub/Empire) A-
- Kyle: Smyle (Indie-Pop) A-
- Kendrick Lamar: untitled unmastered (Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope) A-
- Anderson .Paak: Venice (Steel Wool/OBE) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2016-03-18] Expert Witness: Guitar Rock Grooves 
New in Expert Witness:
- Beauty Pill: Beauty Pill Describes Things as They Are (Butterscotch) A
- Wussy: Forever Sounds (Shake It) A-
- Ezra Furman: Perpetual Motion People (Bella Union) ***
- Animal Collective: Painting With (Domino) **
- The Dead Weather: Dodge and Burn (Third Man) **
- Adult Books: Running From the Blows (Lollipop) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2016-03-11] Expert Witness: South America Shines 
New in Expert Witness:
- Meridian Brothers: Devoción (Works 2005-2011) (Staubgold) A-
- Tom Zé: Tropicália Lixo Lógico (self-released) A-
- Tom Zé: Vira Lata na Via Láctea (self-released) A-
- The Rough Guide to Psychedelic Cumbia (World Music Network) B+
- The Rough Guide to Cumbia (World Music Network) ***
- Vintage Latino (Putamayo) ***
- The Rough Guide to Caribbean Cafe (World Music Network) ***
- Haiti Direct: Big Band, Mini Jazz & Twoubadou Sounds, 1960-1978 (Strut) **
- Sidestepper: Supernatural Love (RealWorld) *
- Anibal Velasquez y Su Conjunto: Mambo Loco (Analog Africa) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2016-03-04] Expert Witness: G.O.O.D. Music Abounds 
New in Expert Witness:
- Kanye West: The Life of Pablo (Def Jam/G.O.O.D. Music) A-
- Pusha T: My Name Is My Name (Def Jam) A-
- Lil Wayne: No Ceilings 2 (Free DatPiff download) ***
- Compton: A Soundtrack by Dr. Dre (Aftermath/Interscope) **
- Pusha T: King Push: Darkest Before Dawn--The Prelude (Def Jam/G.O.O.D. Music) *
- Travis Scott: Rodeo (Epic/Grand Hustle) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2016-02-26] Expert Witness: Poets, Playwrights, and Pranksters 
New in Expert Witness:
- Hamilton: Original Broadway Cast Recording (Atlantic) A
- Saul Williams: Martyr Loser King (Fader) A-
- Peaceful Solutions: Barter 7 (self-released) A-
Robert Christgau's memoir, Going Into the City: Portrait of a Critic
as a Young Man is now available in paperback.
[posted by Webmaster on 2016-02-19] Expert Witness: Post-Punk Springs Eternal 
New in Expert Witness:
- Colleen Green: I Want to Grow Up (Hardly Art) A-
- Shopping: Consumer Complaints (Milk) A-
- Shopping: Why Choose? (FatCat) A-
- Wetdog: Frauhaus! (Captured Tracks) ***
- All Dogs: Kicking Every Day (Salinas) **
- Sheer Mag: II 7" (Wilsuns RC/Katorga Works) **
Robert Christgau's memoir, Going Into the City: Portrait of a Critic
as a Young Man will be reprinted in paperback available February 16!
[posted by Webmaster on 2016-02-12] Expert Witness: Singer-Songwriters Endure 
New in Expert Witness:
- Robert Forster: Songs to Play (Tapete) A-
- Eszter Balint: Airless Midnight (Red Herring) A-
- Father John Misty: I Love You, Honeybear (Sub Pop) ***
- Thomas Anderson: Heaven (Out There) ***
- Steve Martin & Edie Brickell: So Familiar (Rounder) *
- Donnie Fritts: Oh My Goodness (Single Lock) *
- Stephen Kellogg: Blunderstone Rookery (Fat Sam/Elm City) *
Robert Christgau's memoir, Going Into the City: Portrait of a Critic
as a Young Man will be reprinted in paperback available February 16.
[posted by Webmaster on 2016-02-05] Expert Witness: Box Set Bonanza 
New in Expert Witness:
- The Velvet Underground: The Complete Matrix Tapes (UMe) A-
- Jon Savage's 1966: The Year the Decade Exploded (Ace) A-
- The Rolling Stones: Brussels Affair (Live 1973) (Rolling Stones) **
- Bob Dylan: 1965-1966: The Best of the Cutting Edge (Columbia) *
Dey Street Books announced that Robert Christgau's memoir, Going
Into the City: Portrait of a Critic as a Young Man will be reprinted
in paperback available February 16.
[posted by Webmaster on 2016-01-29] Expert Witness: A Blast From the Balkans 
New in Expert Witness:
- Taraf de Haďdouks: Of Lovers and Parachute Skirts (Crammed Discs) A-
- New York Gypsy All Stars: Romantech (Traditional Crossroads) B+
- New York Gypsy All Stars: Dromomania (self-released) A-
- Boban & Marko Markovic Orchestra: Gipsy Manifesto (Piranha) ***
- This Way to the Egress: Great Balancing Act (self-released) **
- Asphalt Orchestra: Asphalt Orchestra (Cantaloupe) **
[posted by Webmaster on 2016-01-22] Expert Witness: Music Meets Comedy 
New in Expert Witness:
- Childbirth: Women's Rights (Suicide Squeeze) A-
- Lil Dicky: Professional Rapper (Lil Dicky) A-
Also new:
[posted by Webmaster on 2016-01-15] Expert Witness: Up the Alt 
New in Expert Witness:
- Speedy Ortiz: Foil Deer (Carpark) A-
- Foxymorons: Fake Yoga (Foxyphonic) A-
- Ought: Sun Coming Down (Constellation) A-
- Lord Huron: Strange Trails (IAmSound) B+
- Beach House: Depression Cherry (Sub Pop) **
- Beach House: Thank You Lucky Stars (Sub Pop) **
- Low Cut Connie: Hi Honey (Contender) **
- Speedy Ortiz: Major Arcana (Carpark) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2016-01-08] Expert Witness: Ladies First 
New in Expert Witness:
- Lana Del Rey: Honeymoon (Polydor/Interscope) A-
- Jazmine Sullivan: Reality Show (RCA) A-
- Halsey: Badlands (Astralwerks) A-
- Lana Del Rey: Ultraviolence (Polydor/Interscope) ***
- Carly Rae Jepsen: Emotion (Schoolboy/Interscope) ***
- Adele: 25 (XL/Columbia) **
- Madonna: Rebel Heart [Deluxe] (Interscope) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2016-01-01] Expert Witness: Grimes Embodies Hyperfeminist Individualism for a Post-Rock Mindset 
New in Expert Witness:
- Grimes: Art Angels (4AD) A
- Sophie: Product (Numbers) A-
- Janelle Monae: The Electric Lady (Bad Boy/Wondaland) ***
- Björk: Vulnicura (One Little Indian) *
- Grimes: Visions (4AD) *
Also, thanks to Chris Drumm for transcribing this oldie:
[posted by Webmaster on 2015-12-25] Expert Witness: Long Beach Lingers 
New in Expert Witness:
- Aesop Rock & Homeboy Sandman: Lice (Rhymesayers/Stones Throw) A-
- Vince Staples: Hell Can Wait (Def Jam) A-
- Vince Staples: Summertime '06 (Def Jam) B+
- Lady Leshurr: Mona Leshurr (Gutter Strut) ***
- A$AP Rocky: At.Long.Last.A$AP (Polo Grounds) **
- Big Grams: Big Grams (Epic) **
- Homeboy Sandman: White Sands (Stones Throw) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2015-12-18] Expert Witness: String Band Folk Still Moves 
New in Expert Witness:
- Have Moicy 2: The Hoodoo Bash (Red Newt) A-
- Asylum Street Spankers: The Last Laugh (Yellow Dog) A-
- The Ragpicker String Band: The Ragpicker String Band (Yellow Dog) A-
[posted by Webmaster on 2015-12-11] Expert Witness: Cybergrunge and Future Electronics 
New in Expert Witness:
- Oneohtrix Point Never: Garden of Delete (Warp) A-
- Arca: Mutant (Mute) A-
- Arca: Stretch 2 (UNO NYC) B+
- The Knife: Shaken-Up Versions (Brille/Mute) ***
- Arca: Stretch 1 (UNO NYC) ***
- Arca: Xen (Mute) **
Robert Christgau's memoir, Going Into the City, was picked in
Seattle Times critics' best books of 2015.
[posted by Webmaster on 2015-12-04] Most Recent -- More Recent -- More Ancient
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