music history
A New History of Rave Music
Ed Gillett's book “Party Lines” challenges myths, tracing the influence of Black culture, queer spaces, and age-old rituals on Britain's dance scene.
British Exhibit Argues That Minimalism is the Music of America
A new exhibition explores how Steve Reich, Philip Glass and John Adams created a uniquely American sound.
How Casio’s Tinny Keyboards Quietly Inspired a Music Revolution
Casio claimed it could fit the sounds of dozens of musical instruments into its keyboards. Maybe it wasn't totally true, but the Casiotone gave us a lot.
A Compilation of 60s Teenaged Garage-Punk Rage Is the Best Album of the Year
Why sounds from a half-century ago keep coming back and forcing us to listen.
Magic Transistor Is the Best and Weirdest Thing to Ever Happen to Internet Radio
It's the opposite of Pandora—it doesn't play what you already like, it plays what you might end up loving.
Northern Soul Is Responsible for English Club Culture
I interviewed director Elaine Constantine about her film about the British subculture that was all about soul music, bowling shirts, and slick dancing.
Pissing In The Wind
Once upon a time, English punk meant violence, passion, political engagement and an old-fashioned approach to personal hygiene. It did not mean the guy from the Automatic, his iPhone app tie-in deal and the Krazy Tent Tour sponsored by Monster (or...