New Rock & Roll & column at Barnes & Noble Review:

• Dad-Rock Makes a Stand: 2011 in rock & roll &
• The Dean's List: Christgau's Best of 2011: longest year-end list ever

New posts this week in Robert Christgau's Expert Witness blog:

• Odds and Ends 003:
  • Canibus: C of Tranquility (iM) ***
  • Scroobius Pip: Distraction Pieces (Strange Famous) ***
  • Del the Funky Homosapien: Golden Era (The Council) ***
  • Murs: Love and Rockets Vol 1: The Transformation (DD172/Bluroc) **
  • Open Mike Eagle: Unapologetic Art Rap (Mush) **
  • Awol One & Factor: The Landmark (Fake Four) **
  • Lupe Fiasco: Lasers (Atlantic) *
  • Pharoahe Monch: W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) (W.A.R. Media/Duck Down Music Inc.)
• Piano Blues/19 Classic Blues Songs From the 1920s:
  • Piano Blues: A Film by Clint Eastwood (Columbia/Legacy '03) A
  • 19 Classic Blues Songs From the 1920's: Vol. 9 (Blues Images) A-

New posts this week in Robert Christgau's Expert Witness blog:

• Childish Gambino:
  • Childish Gambino: Culdesac (free download) A-
  • Childish Gambino: Camp (Glassnote) A-
• Big K.R.I.T./Childish Gambino:
  • Big K.R.I.T.: Return of 4Eva (free download) B+
  • Childish Gambino: EP (free download) B+

New Rock & Roll & column at Barnes & Noble Review: Dark Night of the Quants: Ten books on banking:

• Michael Lewis, The Big Short
• John Lanchester, I.O.U.
• Ha-Joon Chang, 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism
• Richard Posner, A Failure of Capitalism
• Matt Taibbi, Griftopia
• Robert Scheer, The Great American Stickup
• Gretchen Morgenson and Joshua Rosner, Reckless Endangerment
• Danny Schechter, The Crime of Our Time
• Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera, All the Devils Are Here
• Henry M. Paulson, Jr., On the Brink

New posts this week in Robert Christgau's Expert Witness blog:

• Rihanna/David Guetta:
  • Rihanna: Talk That Talk (Deluxe Edition) (Def Jam) A-
  • David Guetta: Nothing but the Beat (Astralwerks/Capitol) B+
• Bachata Roja/Vijana Jazz Band:
  • Bachata Roja: Amor y Amargue (iASO) A-
  • Vijana Jazz Band: The Koka Koka Sex Battalion: Rumba, Koka Koka & Kamata Sukuma: Music From Tanzania 1975-1980 (Sterns) B+

New posts this week in Robert Christgau's Expert Witness blog:

• Scott Miller/Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks:
  • Scott Miller: Christmas Gift (FAW) A-
  • Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks: Crazy for Christmas (Surfdog) B+
• Billboard Greatest Christmas Hits/Wee Hairy Beasties:
  • Billboard Greatest Christmas Hits (1955-Present) (Rhino '89) A
  • Wee Hairy Beasties: Holidays Gone Crazy (Wee Beatz '08) A-

Update today: Consumer Guide database up to date, new articles (or at least stubs), new old articles, better cross-references. For details, see:

• Change Log

New posts this week in Robert Christgau's Expert Witness blog:

• Lookin' Fine on Television:
  • Nadya & Bob Gruen: Lookin' Fine on Television (MVDvisual)
• The Roots/Action Bronson:
  • The Roots: Undun (Def Jam) B+
  • Action Bronson: Dr. Lecter (Fine Fabric Delegates) B+

Also of interest:

• The Roots: A Righteous Live 'undun' Preview
• Making a Career of It: ARTicles blog post on Robert Hilburn.
• Emma Mustich: Round table: Are there too many "best of" lists?: contributions from Christgau, Rob Sheffield, Will Hermes, etc.

New posts this week in Robert Christgau's Expert Witness blog:

• Pietra Montecorvino/The Sway Machinery:
  • Pietra Montecorvino: Napoli Mediterranea (Taranta Power/Rai Trade) A-
  • The Sway Machinery: The House of Friendly Ghosts, Vol. 1: Featuring Khaira Arby (JDub) B+
• Tom Waits/Pusha T:
  • Tom Waits: Bad as Me (Anti-) A-
  • Pusha T: Fear of God II: Let Us Pray (GOOD/Decon/Re-Up Gang) A-

Also new, in The New York Times' Sunday Book Review:

• The Rock Days of Disco: review of Nile Rodgers: Le Freak

New posts this week in Robert Christgau's Expert Witness blog:

• 40 Odd Years:
  • Loudon Wainwright III: 40 Odd Years (Shout Factory)
• Mates of State:
  • Mates of State: Team Boo (Polyvinyl '03) B+
  • Mates of State: Re-Arrange Us (Barsuk '08) A-

Also new, in The New York Times' Sunday Book Review:

• Enthusiasms: review of Jonathan Lethem's The Ecstasy of Influence

New Rock & Roll & column at Barnes & Noble Review:

• Pioneer Days: Ellen Willis, Paul Nelson

New posts this week in Robert Christgau's Expert Witness blog:

• Wussy:
  • Wussy: Strawberry (Shake It) A
  • Wussy: Funeral Dress II (Shake It) A
• Odds and Ends 002:
  • Wilco: The Whole Love (Anti-) ***
  • The Mountain Goats: All Eternals Deck (Merge) ***
  • Radiohead: The King of Limbs (XL/TBD) **
  • Comet Gain: Howl of the Lonely Crowd (What's Your Rupture?) **
  • Giant Sand: Blurry Blue Mountain (Fire) **
  • Faust: Something Dirty (Bureau) **
  • Wire: Red Barked Tree (Pink Flag) **
  • New York Dolls: Dancing Backwards in High Heels (429) *

New posts this week in Robert Christgau's Expert Witness blog:

• Pistol Annies/Miranda Lambert:
  • Pistol Annies: Hell on Heels (Columbia) A
  • Miranda Lambert: Four the Record (RCA) A-
• Black Stars/Sofrito:
  • Black Stars: Ghanas Hiplife Generation (Out Here '08) A-
  • Sofrito: Tropical Discotheque (Strut) A-

New posts this week in Robert Christgau's Expert Witness blog:

• Mayer Hawthorne/J. Cole:
  • Mayer Hawthorne: How Do You Do (Universal Republic) A-
  • J. Cole: Cole World: The Sideline Story (Roc Nation/Columbia) B+
• Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton/Nils Petter Molvaer:
  • Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton: Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton Play the Blues: Live From Jazz at Lincoln Center (Reprise Jazz) A-
  • Nils Petter Molvaer: Baboon Moon (Thirsty Ear) A-

New posts this week in Robert Christgau's Expert Witness blog:

• Odds and Ends 001:
  • Ruth Gerson: Deceived (Wrong) ***
  • Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs: No Help Coming (Transdreamer) ***
  • Jonny Corndawg: Down on the Bikini Line (Nasty Memories) ***
  • Amy LaVere: Stranger Me (Archer) ***
  • Rod Picott: Welding Burns (Welding Rod) **
  • Blake Shelton: Red River Blue (Warner Bros.) **
  • Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside: Dirty Radio (Partisan) **
  • Martina McBride: Eleven (Republic Nashville) *
• Deer Tick/Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams:
  • Deer Tick: Divine Providence (Partisan) A-
  • The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams (Egyptian/CMF/Columbia) B+

New posts this week in Robert Christgau's Expert Witness blog:

• Ian Dury and the Blockheads/B-52s:
  • Ian Dury and the Blockheads: Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll: The Best of Ian Dury and the Blockheads (Rhino '92) A
  • The B-52s: With the Wild Crowd! (Eagle) A-
• Jeffrey Lewis/Kimya Dawson:
  • Jeffrey Lewis: A Turn in the Dream-Songs (Rough Trade) A-
  • Kimya Dawson: Thunder Thighs (Great Crap Factory) B+

New posts this week in Robert Christgau's Expert Witness blog:

• Charlie Parker/James Carter Organ Trio:
  • Charlie Parker: In a Soulful Mood (Music Club '96) A
  • James Carter Organ Trio: At the Crossroads (EmArcy) B+
• Eric Church/Dirt Drifters:
  • Eric Church: Chief (EMI) A-
  • The Dirt Drifters: This Is My Blood (Warner Bros.) B+

New posts this week in Robert Christgau's Expert Witness blog:

• Our Dreams Are Our Weapons/Plastic People:
  • Our Dreams Are Our Weapons: From the Kasbah/Tunis to Tahrir Square/Cairo and Back (Network) B+
  • The Plastic People of the Universe: Magical Nights (Munster) A
• Emperor X/Merle Haggard:
  • Emperor X: Western Teleport (Bar/None) A-
  • Merle Haggard: Working in Tennessee (Vanguard) A-

Also new on NPR:

• Woody Guthrie's 'Note Of Hope' From Beyond The Grave

New posts this week in Robert Christgau's Expert Witness blog:

• Radioclit/BLNRB:
  • Radioclit Presents: The Sound of Club Secousse Vol. 1 (Crammed Discs) B+
  • BLNRB: Welcome to the Madhouse (Out Here) A-
• Ry Cooder/Note of Hope:
  • Ry Cooder: Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down (Nonesuch) A-
  • Note of Hope (429) A-

Also new on NPR:

• Mates of State: Reaching Surprising New 'Mountaintops'

New posts this week in Robert Christgau's Expert Witness blog:

• Jens Lekman/Fruit Bats:
  • Jens Lekman: An Argument With Myself (Secretly Canadian) A
  • Fruit Bats: Tripper (Sub Pop) A-
• Das Racist/Ice Cube:
  • Das Racist: Relax (Greedhead) A
  • Ice Cube: The Essentials (Priority '08) A-