And It Don't Stop on Substack
Robert Christgau's newsletter And It Don't Stop
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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
Consumer Guide (September 2009) New Consumer
Guide for September 2009. Featured albums:
- The Dead Weather: Horehound [A-]
- Deer Tick: Born on Flag Day [A-]
- The Morells: The Best Bar Band Ever! Live in '84 [B+]
- Willie Nelson: American Classic [B+]
- Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel: Willie and the Wheel [A]
- Brad Paisley: American Saturday Night [A]
- Various artists: The Panic Is On [A-]
- Bobby Pinson: Songs for Somebody [A-]
- Wilco: Wilco (The Album) [A-]
- Rascal Flats: Greatest Hits Volume 1 [C+]
Honorable Mentions: The Bottle Rockets, Willie Nelson, Hank
III, In the Pines, Tanya Tucker, Swamp Dogg; Kitty, Daisy &
Lewis; Deer Tick, Levon Helm, John Anderson, The Wingdale Community
Singers, Elvis Costello, The Monks, Aaron Tippin, James Luther
Dickinson, Kissing Cousins, Pat Green, Zac Brown Band, Eric Church,
Rodney Carrington.
Choice Cuts: Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, Dan Hicks &
the Hot Licks, Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women, Charlie Robison, Keith
Urban, The Boxmasters.
More Duds: Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, Billy Curlington,
John Doe and the Sadies, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Sonseed,
Yim Yames.
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-09-01] Rock & Roll &: Unbeautiful Winner: Leonard Cohen
New Rock&Roll& column at Barnes & Noble Review:
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-08-17] Consumer Guide (August 2009) New Consumer
Guide for August 2009. Featured albums:
- An Horse: Rearrange Beds (Mom & Pop) [A-]
- J Dilla: Jay Stay Paid (Nature Sounds) [B+]
- Patterson Hood: Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs) (Ruth St.) [A-]
- Kronos Quartet: Floodplain (Nonesuch) [A-]
- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (Slumberland) [A-]
- Panama! 2 (Soundway) [A-]
- The Rough Guide to Dub (World Music Network) [A-]
- Oumou Sangare: Seya (Nonesuch) [A-]
- Regina Spektor: Far (Sire) [A-]
- Grizzly Bear: Veckatimest (Warp) [C+]
Honorable Mentions: The Rough Guide to Cuban Street
Party, J Dilla, Metric, Bjork, Ida Maria, Crystal Castles, The
Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Général Defao, Tiny Masters of Today, Touchers,
Jarvis Cocker, The Clean, The Rough Guide to Latin Street
Party, Busdriver, Manchester Orchestra, The Rough Guide to the
Music of Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Mika Miko, Xrabit + DMG$
Choice Cuts: The Juju Orchestra, Grizzly Bear, Sultana, Los
Exagerados, Megapuss
More Duds: Crystal Antlers, Crystal Stilts, Department of
Eagles, Grizzly Bear, Jason Lytle, The Music Tapes, Eddi Reader
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-08-01] Rock & Roll &: Forty Years of History, Thirty Seconds of Joy
New Rock&Roll& column at Barnes & Noble Review:
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-07-13] Rolling Stone (July 9-23, 2009) New review in the July 9-23, 2009 Rolling Stone:
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-07-09] Consumer Guide (July 2009) New Consumer
Guide for July 2009. Featured albums:
- Mulatu Astatke/The Heliocentrics: Inspiration Information (Strut) [A-]
- Rhett Miller: Rhett Miller (Shout! Factory) [A-]
- Moby: Wait for Me (Mute) [A-]
- Mos Def: The Ecstatic (Downtown) [A]
- Serengeti: Dennehy (Lights, Camera, Action!) (audio8.com) [A]
- Todd Snider: The Excitement Plan (Yep Roc) [B+]
- Sonic Youth: The Eternal (Matador) [A-]
- Allen Toussaint: The Bright Mississippi (Nonesuch) [A-]
- Jozef van Wissem: A Rose by Any Other Name: Anonymous Lute Solos of the Golden Age (Incunabulum) [A-]
- Green Day: 21st Century Breakdown (Reprise) [C]
Honorable Mentions: Helicoentrics, Pet Shop Boys, Justin
Adams & Juldeh Camara, Nils Petter Molvaer, Marshall Crenshaw,
Hi-Fidel, Cracker, Rancid, Busta Rhymes, Tom Morello/Boots Riley,
Dubblestandart, DJ Muggs & Planet Asia, Cut Copy, Roy Nathanson,
Bell Orchestre, Placebo, Yoome, A.R. Rahman, Airborne Toxic Event,
Bike for Three, Friday Night.
Choice Cuts: Joey + Rory, Serengeti & Polyphonic, Justin
Townes Earle.
More Duds: The Brighton Port Authority, Steve Earle, Tom
Morello: The Nightwatchman, Thermals.
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-07-01] Rock & Roll &: Character References
New Rock&Roll& column at Barnes & Noble Review:
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-06-15] Consumer Guide (June 2009) New Consumer
Guide for June 2009. Featured albums:
- African Pearls: Senegal 70: Musical Effervescence (Syllart) [A-]
- Leonard Cohen: Live in London (Columbia) [A]
- Doom: Born Like This (Lex) [A-]
- Bob Dylan: Together Through Life (Columbia) [B+]
- Béla Fleck: Throw Down Your Heart (Rounder) [A-]
- PJ Harvey & John Parish: "A Woman a Man Walked By (Island) [A-]
- The Hold Steady: A Positive Rage (Vagrant) [A-]
- New York Dolls: 'Cause I Sez So (Atco) [A-]
- Occidental Brothers Dance Band International: Odo Sanbra (Occidental Brothers) [A-]
- Eminem: Relapse (Aftermath/Interscope) [B-]
Honorable Mentions: Extra Golden, Strange Boys, PJ Harvey,
On Ka'a Davis, Asher Roth, Buraka Som Sistema, The Rough Guide to
Afrobeat Revival, Conor Oberst, Marnie Stern, Sir Lord Von Raven,
The Girls, Marnie Stern, brakesbrakesbrakes, Cursive, Titus
Andronicus.
Choice Cuts: Keri Hilson, Anjani, Lucky Dube.
More Duds: Bon Iver, Ciara, Peter Doherty, Fleet Foxes,
Peter Bjorn and John, Jayme Stone & Mansa Sissoko.
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-06-01] Rock & Roll &: Positive Harangues
New Rock&Roll& column at Barnes & Noble Review:
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-05-11] Blender (RIP) The May 2005 issue of Blender did not, and will not, appear.
Some leftover reviews intended for the issue have, however, appeared
on the website:
For more info on Blender, see
here.
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-05-01] Consumer Guide (May 2009) New Consumer
Guide for May 2009. Featured albums:
- Art Brut: Art Brut vs. Satan (Downtown) [A-]
- Jonatha Brooke: The Works (Bad Dog) [A-]
- The Coathangers: Scramble (Suicide Squeeze) [A-]
- The Fugs: Greatest Hits 1984-2004 (Fugs) [A-]
- Lady Sovereign: Jigsaw (Midget) [A-]
- The Lonely Island: Incredibad (Universal Republic) [A-]
- Wussy: Be Here Now (Shake It) [A]
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It's Blitz! (Interscope) [A-]
- Neil Young: Fork in the Road (Reprise) [A-]
- Bat for Lashes: Two Suns (Astralwerks) [C]
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-05-01] Rock & Roll &: Charity Cases
New Rock&Roll& column at Barnes & Noble Review:
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-04-13] Consumer Guide (April 2009) New Consumer
Guide for April 2009. Featured albums:
- Lily Allen: It's Not Me It's You (Capitol) [A]
- Amadou & Mariam: Welcome to Mali (Nonesuch) [A]
- The Baseball Project: Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails (Yep Roc) [A]
- Dark Was the Night (4AD) [A-]
- Marianne Faithfull: Easy Come Easy Go (Decca) [A]
- Golem: Citizen Boris (JDub) [B+]
- Staff Benda Bilili: Très Très Fort (Crammed Disc) [A-]
- White Denim: Workout Holiday (Full Time Hobby) [A-]
- Shearwater: Rook (Matador) [C-]
PS: Original post repeated March's "More Duds"; this will be
corrected.
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-04-01] Blender (April 2009) New reviews:
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-03-25] Rock & Roll &: Remembrance of Seasons Passed
New Rock&Roll& column at Barnes & Noble Review:
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-03-16] Consumer Guide (March 2009) New Consumer
Guide for March 2009. Featured albums:
- Abe Vigoda: Skeleton (PPM) [A-]
- Buck 65: Dirtbike (no label) [B+]
- Clipse: Re-Up Gang Records Present: Re-Up Gang: The Saga Continues (BCD) [A-]
- DJ /rupture: Uproot (The Agriculture) [A-]
- Eddy Current Suppression Ring: Primary Colours (Goner) [A-]
- Kal: Radio Romanista (Asphalt Tango) [B+]
- K'naan: Troubadour (A&M/Octone) [A-]
- La Cherga: Fake No More (Asphalt Tango) [A-]
- The Living Things: Habeas Corpus (Jive) [A-]
- The Knux: Remind Me in 3 Days . . . (Interscope) [B-]
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-03-01] Rock & Roll &: Lily Allen
New Rock&Roll& column at Barnes & Noble Review:
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-02-16] Blender (March 2009) New reviews:
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-02-07] Consumer Guide (February 2009) New Consumer
Guide for February 2009. Featured albums:
- Calle 13: Los de Atras Vienen Conmigo (Norte) [B+]
- Calle 13: Residente o Visitante (Norte) [A-]
- Glasvegas: Glasvegas (Columbia) [A]
- Guns N' Roses: Chinese Democracy (Geffen) [B+]
- Nine Inch Nails: Ghosts I-IV (The Null Corporation) [A-]
- Jay Reatard: Blood Visions (In the Red) [A-]
- Jay Reatard: Matador Singles '08 (Matador) [B+]
- Sleeping in the Aviary: Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel (Science of Sound) [A-]
- The So So Glos: Tourism/Terrorism (Green Owl) [A-]
- Fall Out Boy: Folie à Deux (Island) [B-]
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-02-01] Dean's List The long-awaited 2008 Dean's List is now available
here.
The Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll results are available
here.
[posted by Webmaster on 2009-01-22] Most Recent -- More Recent -- More Ancient
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