Music & Culture
The 50 Best Albums Of 2017
Consensus wasn't easy to come by in 2017, but the best albums of the year were bolts of clarity, sonic companions for joy, grief and redemption, for battles hard won and for reckonings still to come.
The Prophetic Struggle Of Kendrick Lamar's 'DAMN.'
With faith and fate hanging in the balance, the most celebrated album of the year dares us to grapple with the politics of personal responsibility in America. But is anybody really listening?
Ranky Tanky Builds On The Music And Culture Of Slave Descendants
Three members of Ranky Tanky perform songs from their self-titled debut. The band's name and music derive from the tradition of the Gullah, slave descendants from the Georgia and South Carolina coast.
Australian Women In Music Publish #MeNoMore Open Letter
Inspired by a Sweden's letter, more than 300 women in Australia's music industry have signed no, in part to let others know they "are not alone."
JD McPherson On World Cafe
The Oklahoman who made retro rock sound modern with "North Side Gal" is back with a new album and home base in Nashville.
Don't Call Me Honey: In 2017, Women Confronted The Deep Roots Of Rock's Boys Club
Some of the best rock music of 2017 was made by women reckoning with a fundamental destructive truth of the genre: that it promises freedom to young female listeners but withholds actual liberation.
Lucy Dacus 'Night Shift' Will Be One Of 2018's Great Songs
The singer says the new track from her upcoming album, Historian, is a breakup song. But like the rest of the record, it's ultimately about hope and how far it can go.
Lemuria's 'Sliver Of Change' Is Sweet Comfort For The Restless
The indie-rock band's new album out this Friday, Recreational Hate, was originally offered as a "secret" vinyl for fans.