And It Don’t Stop

What's in a name, live vs. recorded, tuneful vs. melodic, Pulnoc at P.S. 122, a lost Clash cassette, and a half-century-plus of delightful rhetoric.

"Preaching Agnosticism (With Laugh Lines)," from "The Barnes & Noble Review," April 30, 2012

Shameless beauty track after track, an inspirational Afropop surprise, mood pieces suitable for the despondent historical moment, and a country album that fights the blues with more blues.

From her first solo album in 1955 at 19 to her Last Farewell tour earlier this year at 90, Peggy Seeger has sung with effervescence, power, and a feminist edge.

'Famous Last Words: Dr.Jane Goodall' (2025)

Let us praise first-rate collections of first-rate songs but let us skip the twenty-four albums awarded some variation of the E grade. Also: albums vs. songs, Mary J. Blige, Geese, and chansons.

Nearly half an hour of covers that qualify as beautiful, a remarkably warm and rich love album, facing down this grim moment with perky bad-assness, and amorous vulnerability intensified by a croak.

An excerpt from Carola Dibbell's memoir "Young Me: Travels With an Old Self 1967-1970"

African American science fiction, Eno before and after rocking, where (or who) in the world is Stephen Malkmus, first musical loves, variants of the art-rock mindset, and listening without prejudice.

Soul jingles meet ad jingles, "Dumb Luck” rhymes with “IDGAF,” three L.A. sisters savor sex and tunes, and the Mahotella Queens shine on their own.

Sacha Jenkins, ‘Sunday Best’ (2025)

Thoughts on AI, advice to young critic, the Angry Samoans as dinner music, "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll" as ASMR, the road to humane politics, and 21 Louis Armstrong albums in no particular order.

Kentucky road dog goes global/cosmic, no longer pure heroine has erotic adventures, Afro-prop variants assembled into a congruent groove, and gifted singer-songwriter essays a concept album.

"The Curse of the Mekons," from "The Village Voice," 1991

The Mekons at the Bowery Ballroom, July 17th, 2025

Top three dream gigs, A plus upgrades briefly considered, enjoyable (not remarkable) bluegrass, the joy of doc (Swamp Dogg edition), the joy of disc (compact edition), and the TV party that wasn't.

Sparse, quiet music that's anything but insubstantial, Chuck D in conversational-philosophical mode, Chuck and Flav in politically conscious collective mode, and

A B minus no longer

Stopping the car for the Beach Boys, choice Leadbelly collections, best of the '80s, Hong Fat and Michael Hurley remembered, and dud vs. neither (Warren Zevon edition).

A guest post from Tom Smucker, author of "Why the Beach Boys Matter"