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
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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
This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
- Two Fingers/Lukid:
- Two Fingers: Stunt Rhythms (Big Dada) A-
- Lukid: Lonely at the Top (Werkdiscs/Ninja Tune) A-
- Taylor Swift/Donald Fagen:
- Taylor Swift: Red (Big Machine) A-
- Donald Fagen: Sunken Condos (Reprise) A-
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-11-16] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
- Homeboy Sandman:
- Homeboy Sandman: Chimera EP (Stones Throw) B+
- Homeboy Sandman: First of a Living Breed (Stones Throw) A-
- The Mountain Goats/Ned Sublette:
- The Mountain Goats: Transcendental Youth (Merge) A
- Ned Sublette: Kiss You Down South (Postmambo) A-
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-11-09] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
Also in the Barnes & Noble Review:
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-11-02] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
- Odds and Ends 017:
- JD McPherson: Signs & Signifiers (Rounder/Histyle) ***
- John Mayer: Born and Raised (Columbia) ***
- Jens Lekman: I Know What Love Isn't (Secretly Canadian) ***
- M. Ward: A Wasteland Companion (Merge) **
- Roxanne Potvin: Play (Black Hen) **
- Stew & the Negro Problem: Making It (TNP) **
- Carsie Blanton: Idiot Heart (Carsie Blanton) **
- Carole King: The Legendary Demos (Rockingale/Hear Music) *
- Royal Band de Thiés/Thiossane Ablaye Ndiaye:
- Royal Band de Thiés: Kadior Demb (Teranga Beat) A-
- Thiossane Ablaye Ndiaye: Thiossane Ablaye Ndiaye (Syllart/Sterns) B+
Also in the New York Times Sunday Book Review:
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-10-26] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
- The xx/Kid Koala:
- The xx: Coexist (Young Turks) A-
- Kid Koala: 12 Bit Blues (Ninja Tune) A-
- Jamey Johnson/G.O.O.D. Music:
- Jamey Johnson: Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran (Mercury) A-
- G.O.O.D. Music: Cruel Summer (G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam) B+
Also at MSN Music:
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-10-19] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-10-12] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
- Iris DeMent/Carolyn Mark:
- Iris DeMent: Sing the Delta (Flariella) A-
- Carolyn Mark: The Queen of Vancouver (Mint) A-
- Odds and Ends 016:
- The Dirty Projectors: Swing Lo Magellan (Domino) ***
- The D.A.: You Kids! (self-released) ***
- Leland Sundries: The Foundry EP (L'Echiquier) **
- The Soft Pack: Strapped (Mexican Summer) **
- Carolina Chocolate Drops: Leaving Eden (Nonesuch) **
- Swearin': Swearin' (Salinas) **
- The Very Best: MTMTMK (Moshi Moshi)*
- Phineas and the Lonely Leaves: The Kids We Used to Be (lonelyleaves.com) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-10-05] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-09-28] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
- P.S. Eliot:
- P.S. Eliot: Sadie (Salinas) A-
- P.S. Eliot: Introverted Romance in Our Troubled Minds (Salinas) B+
- Patterson Hood/Dylan Hicks:
- Patterson Hood: Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance (ATO) B+
- Dylan Hicks: Sings Bolling Greene (Two Deuces) A-
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-09-21] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-09-14] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
Also at Barnes and Noble Review:
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-09-07] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
- Odds and Ends 015:
- Lyrics Born: As U Were (Decon) ***
- Nas: Life Is Good (Def Jam) ***
- Big K.R.I.T.: K.R.I.T. Wuz Here (Green Streets Entertainment download) ***
- Bang On!: [Sic] (Big Dada) **
- Radioinactive: The Akashic Record (Flying Carpet Studios download) **
- Killer Mike: R.A.P. Music (Williams Street) **
- Azealia Banks: Fantasea (free download) **
- Big K.R.I.T.: Live From the Underground (Def Jam) *
- Ab-Soul/Kendrick Lamar:
- Ab-Soul: Control System (Top Dawg download) A-
- Kendrick Lamar: Section.80 (Top Dawg download) B+
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-08-31] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
- Elle Varner/Saint Etienne:
- Elle Varner: Perfectly Imperfect (RCA) A-
- Saint Etienne: Travel Edition 1990-2005 (Sub Pop '04) A-
- Ry Cooder/Serengeti:
- Ry Cooder: Election Special (Nonesuch/Perro Verde) B+
- Serengeti: C.A.R. (Anticon) A-
Also at Barnes and Noble Review:
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-08-24] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
- Bessie Smith/Men Are Like Streetcars:
- Bessie Smith: The Essential Bessie Smith (Columbia '97) A-
- Men Are Like Streetcars . . . Women Blues Singers 1928-1969 (MCA '99) A-
- Ma Rainey:
- Ma Rainey: Heroes of the Blues: The Very Best of Ma Rainey (Shout Factory '03) A-
- Ma Rainey: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Yazoo '91) B+
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-08-17] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
- Odds and Ends 014:
- Guelewar: Halleli N'Dakarou (Teranga Beat) ***
- Koo Nimo: Highlife Roots Revival (Riverboat) ***
- The Rough Guide to African Roots Revival (World Music Network) ***
- Cheikh Lô: Jamm (World Circuit/Nonesuch) **
- Spoek Mathambo: Nombolo One (Motel11 download) **
- I Have My Liberty!: Gospel Sounds From Accra, Ghana (Dust-to-Digital) *
- Sibiri Samaké: Dambe Foli: Bamana Hunters Music (Kanaga System Krush) *
- The Funkees: Dancing Time (Soundway) *
- Linkoban/Owiny Sigoma Band:
- Linkoban: Super Into On It (Super Billion) A-
- Owiny Sigoma Band: Owiny Sigoma Band (Brownwood) B+
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-08-10] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
- Chuck Berry:
- Chuck Berry: The Chess Box (Chess '88) A
- Chuck Berry: The Definitive Collection (Geffen/Chess '06) A+
- Orchestra Baobab:
- Orchestra Baobab: La Belle Époque: Volume 2 1973-1976 (Syllart) A-
- Orchestra Baobab: La Belle Époque 1971-1977 (Syllart) B+
Also at MSN Music:
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-08-03] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
- Khaira Arby:
- Khaira Arby: Timbuktu Tarab (Clermont Music) B+
- Khaira Arby: Tchini Tchini (Clermont Music) A-
- Fiona Apple/Regina Spektor:
- Fiona Apple: The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Ever Do (Epic) A-
- Regina Spektor: What We Saw From the Cheap Seats (Sire) B+
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-07-27] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-07-20] New Pieces
New pieces by Robert Christgau:
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-07-18] This Week in Expert Witness
New posts this week in Robert Christgau's
Expert Witness blog:
- Blind Willie Johnson/Tommy Johnson:
- Blind Willie Johnson: The Complete Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia/Legacy '93) A
- Tommy Johnson: Essential Blues Masters (Goldenlane '09) B+
- Odds and Ends 013:
- Clams Casino: Rainforest (Tri Angle) ***
- Sao Paulo Underground: Três Cabeças Loucuras (Cuneiform) ***
- Jazz Punks: Smashups (Foam @ the Mouth) ***
- Cut Chemist: Sound of the Police (A Stable Sound/Soul Kitchen) ***
- Supreme Cuts: Whispers in the Dark (Dovecote) **
- The Dirty Dozen Brass Band: Twenty Dozen (Savoy Jazz) **
- Paolo Fresu & Omar Sosa: Alma (Otá) **
- Fernando Otero: Vital (World Village) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2012-07-13] Most Recent -- More Recent -- More Ancient
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