The 10 best world music albums of 2020 remind us that we are all part of the same global system, an understanding that we can imbue with endless possible meanings as, like the musicians named here, we find new ways to build connections.
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Nine Inch Nails' 1992 EP is half an hour of visceral, undiluted anger delivered through muscular, caustic guitars and Trent Reznor's anguished screams. It's concise, focused, and arguably the pinnacle of Nine Inch Nails' discography.
Black Sabbath created the template for heavy metal and thrash. But it's instructive to acknowledge just how unique Black Sabbath were when they first emerged. Those first eight albums are essential.
Starting Over doesn't do so much of what its title suggests as it builds on Chris Stapleton's solid foundation across rootsy music for another decisive step forward.
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings always brought joy and energy to their music. Hearing them cut loose on these covers lets us appreciate the verve with which they approached their art in any setting.
Sophisti-pop singer Basia's 1990 album, London Warsaw New York, speaks to a friendly pop-globalism and the spirit of internationalism that would lead to the forming of the European Union in 1993.
David Menconi's Step It Up is an absorbing love letter to the artists, scenes, and sounds of North Carolina's contributions to American popular music.
The Beach Boys Today! is an often overlooked gem in the band's catalog. We dive into each track and discover how they fit into the Beach Boys' musical growth, while also examining the recording process and release history.
Growing up listening to sludge-metal and goth-rock, drag queen Katya rose from complete obscurity to become a multi-hyphenate comedy icon. With the release of an album deeply indebted to industrial metal, guided meditations, and Russian dance-pop, she finds solace in giving us the truly unexpected.
Kelsey Waldon covers seven famous protest songs to declare war on injustice today.
This phase of Coil, explained by them as more "feminine", "lunar consciousness musick" in contrast to their previous "solar" phase, featured extensive use of organs, electric viola, and other synthesizers, a greater range of vocal experimentation.
New Order's danceable rhythms and quick, clean melodies inspired a slew of paler imitators then and a new onslaught of dance-punk bands in the past few decades.
Jazz's Joe Castro is always in the groove and the other players in the pocket. There's a uniformity of taste on these records despite their different sources, styles, and periods from which they originally emerged.
In this third and final installment of our retrospective of music videos from the 1980s, we focus on 20 promos that the passage of time has been especially unkind to.
In this second installment of the retrospective of music videos from the 1980s, we focus on 20 promos that have, remarkably, stood the test of time.
Between the Grooves takes a deep dive into Tom Waits' Bone Machine. It's the one fans keep hidden amongst themselves, a secret treasure only the devout are privy to and the seasoned are worthy of. Simply put, it is not for the faint of heart.
Tristan Perich's Drift Multiply is essential listening regardless of your tastes, the combination of violins and one-bit processors has never sounded so graceful.
Compass Confusion is the long-awaited sequel to Craig Taborn's groundbreaking 2004 recording that mixed jazz, electronica, and new music composition. What once sounded like the future still sounds fresh.
Do six disparate pieces, culled from the dusty corners of Yo La Tengo's career make a satisfying whole?
From major artists like the Clash, David Bowie, and U2 to less famous brethren such as Haysi Fantayzee and Grandmaster Caz, these are the unsung videos from that decade that might have missed your attention the first time around.
Cherry Red's new box set finds Iggy Pop and the Stooges on their final death trip, falling apart for audiences between September 1973 and February 1974.
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