Robert Christgau: Dean of American Rock Critics

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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

Consumer Guide: November, 2022

Robert Christgau published his Consumer Guide: November, 2022: From Nova Scotia, a proud alum of Altered State University; from Montreal, guitar & sour fiddle; from Nashville, a concept album with its pants down; and from the road, the return of the Storyteller. Reviews of: Buck 65, Armani Caesar, Coco & Clair Clair, Nicholas Craven & Boldy James, Dr. John, Stella Donnelly, Dry Cleaning, Girls With Guitars Gonna Shake!, Mama's Broke, New York City Blues, Todd Snider, They Might Be Giants, Billy Woods. This is part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop.

Guest Post: Brad Luen

Robert Christgau published a Guest Post, by Brad Luen, "a review of catastrophic and existential risks," as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop.

Crime Does Too Pay

Robert Christgau published a piece, Crime Does Too Pay, a review of Colson Whitehead, Harlem Shuffle, as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop.

Xgau Sez

Robert Christgau published his monthly Xgau Sez q&a section -- On identifying left Democrat but not audiophile, rooting for Harry Styles, missing Gram Parsons, avoiding the b-word, and loving Canada (but not the Tragically Hip) -- in his Substack newsletter And It Don't Stop. Like all of Xgau Sez, this is archived here.

Consumer Guide: October, 2022

Robert Christgau published his Consumer Guide: October, 2022: A Ukrainian revolutionary, an always-say-die grouch, a profusion of differently complicated sex lives, and a nuanced trifecta-of-sorts from the world's hottest under-30 pop star. Reviews of: The Beths, The Chats, Ezra Furman, Gogol Bordello, Dylan Hicks, Rhett Miller, Angel Olsen, Amanda Shires, Harry Styles (3), Sudan Archives, Loudon Wainwright III. This is part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop.

The Big Lookback: Spring Heel Jack

Robert Christgau published a Big Lookback piece, Spring Heel Jack -- From The Village Voice, Oct. 22, 1996: "Prog Jungle" -- as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop.

Also added: the liner notes to Hit by a Train: The Best of the Old 97s.

Awaiting 62

Robert Christgau published a piece, Awaiting 62, "On Aaron Judge's pursuit of a home-run record," as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop.

Xgau Sez

Robert Christgau published his monthly Xgau Sez q&a section -- Spotify praxis, a stupid feud, the greatness of the Funk Brothers, a sense of destiny that comes out in the sound, pop queens filed under 'B,' and right-wingers lie about everything (including punk) -- in his Substack newsletter And It Don't Stop. Like all of Xgau Sez, this is archived here.

Consumer Guide: September, 2022

Robert Christgau published his Consumer Guide: September, 2022: Guitars for those who believe in hope and those that don't, the finest album of one of hip-hop's most prolific careers, and rock-as-electrodance about struggle not devoid of satisfaction. Reviews of: Etran de l'Aïr, Fox Green, Freedy Johnson, Kabaka International Guitar Band, Mach-Hommy, Mista Savona Presents Havana Meets Kingston Part 2/Toma 2, The Mountain Goats (2), Petrol Girls, Homeboy Sandman, Santigold, Dusty Springfield, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Kate Vargas. This is part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop.

The Big Lookback: The Singles vs. Albums Debate

Robert Christgau published a Big Lookback piece, The Singles vs. Albums Debate -- Remarks from a 2013 New Music Seminar panel -- as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop.

Xgau Sez

Robert Christgau published his monthly Xgau Sez q&a section -- The greatest jazz composer as a player, considering Zappa and 'Pet Sounds,' the internet's capacity for evil, Christian nationalists' capacity for same, and thoughts not from the killing floor -- in his Substack newsletter And It Don't Stop. Like all of Xgau Sez, this is archived here.

Consumer Guide: August, 2022

Robert Christgau published his Consumer Guide: August, 2022: Women having fun (with and without Basquiat-buying power), the best-sounding battle rap you're likely to hear this year, adulthood alt-rock narratives, and pop-rock devoted to the arts. Reviews of: Beyoncé, Dan Ex Machina, Danger Mouse & Black Thought, Kari Faux, Folk and Great Tunes From Siberia and Far East, Jinx Lennon, Lizzo, The Paranoid Style, Phelimuncasi (2), The Regrettes, Derek Senn, Viagra Boys, Billy Woods. This is part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop.

The Big Lookback: Bette Midler

Robert Christgau published a Big Lookback piece, Bette Midler -- From The Village Voice, September, 1993: Bette Midler Sings . . . Everything -- as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop.

Just Enough Monkey Business

Robert Christgau published a piece, Just Enough Monkey Business, about Our Great National Parks, -- Sophie Todd (series producer), Barack Obama (executive producer, narrator) -- as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop.

Xgau Sez

Robert Christgau published his monthly Xgau Sez q&a section -- Francophone bias, loving the '90s without loving grunge, quoting a misogynist without endorsing a misogynist, B sides, don't stop can't stop won't stop, and a few words from the estimable C.D. -- in his Substack newsletter And It Don't Stop. Like all of Xgau Sez, this is archived here.

Consumer Guide: July, 2022

Robert Christgau published his Consumer Guide: July, 2022: Songs from New York, Pretoria, Berlin, and São Paulo, as delivered by performers ranging in age from 20 to 95. Plus: guitar rock from Nashville and Cambridge, drones from North Jersey, and more. Reviews of: Arcade Fire, Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga, DakhaBrakha, DJ Black Low, Elucid, Emperor X, Craig Finn, Gonora Sounds, Mammoth Penguins, Matt North, Regina Spektor, The Trypes, Tommy Womack, Tom Zé. This is part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop.

The Big Lookback: Hillary Clinton

Robert Christgau published a Big Lookback piece, Hillary Clinton -- an Oct. 11, 2016 Village Voice piece, "Putting In Work for HRC" -- as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop.

They're Not Gonna Live Forever

Robert Christgau published a piece, They're Not Gonna Live Forever, about Selo i Ludy: Live and Unconquered, as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop.

Xgau Sez

Robert Christgau published his monthly Xgau Sez q&a section -- Standing by some old judgments; grade-grubbing Nas, Al Green, and A Tribe Called Quest; appreciating Billy Joel's attention to prose; and an encomium to the estimable C.D. -- in his Substack newsletter And It Don't Stop. Like all of Xgau Sez, this is archived here.

Consumer Guide: June, 2022

Robert Christgau published his Consumer Guide: June, 2022: Songlets from Africa, songs from Brooklyn, thoughts on fame and sudden wealth from a Pulitzer winner, and unique music to match unique rhymes. Reviews of: Drive-By Truckers, Mary Gauthier, Hata Unacheza, Kendrick Lamar, Leikeli47, My Idea, Youssou N'Dour, Bonnie Raitt, Homeboy Sandman, Vince Staples, Pusha T. This is part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop.

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