Music

"I don't care much about music. What I like is sounds." — Dizzy Gillespie

Cyborg Manifesto: On Beyoncé’s “Renaissance”
Enzo Escober reviews Beyoncé’s new concert movie, "Renaissance."
Enzo EscoberJan 4, 2024
Waving or Drowning: On Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro”
Tim Riley reviews “Maestro” and puts Bradley Cooper’s account against the real-life biography of Leonard Bernstein.
Tim RileyDec 28, 2023
Soy Califa! On Dexter Gordon’s Life and Music
Alex Harvey examines the life and music of jazz legend Dexter Gordon.
Alex HarveyDec 22, 2023
- Biography & Autobiography
- Music
The Callas Myth
Olivia Giovetti surveys memoirs about the opera diva Maria Callas, on the centenary of her birth.
Olivia GiovettiDec 21, 2023
One Gig Is Worth 10 Rehearsals: On Ray Padgett’s “Pledging My Time”
Tim Riley reviews Ray Padgett’s “Pledging My Time: Conversations with Bob Dylan Band Members.”
Tim RileyDec 17, 2023
Electricity In, Electricity Out: A Conversation with Will Hermes
Andrew Holter interviews Will Hermes about his new biography “Lou Reed: King of New York."
Andrew HolterDec 3, 2023
- Biography & Autobiography
- Music
The Wisdom of Oscar Hammerstein II: A Conversation with Laurie Winer
Joy Horowitz speaks with Laurie Winer about her book “Oscar Hammerstein II and the Invention of the Musical.”
Joy HorowitzNov 22, 2023
- Biography & Autobiography
- Music
Pass the Mic: On Yasmine El Rashidi’s “Laughter in the Dark” and Egyptian Festival Rap
Peter Holslin reviews Yasmine El Rashidi’s “Laughter in the Dark: Egypt to the Tune of Change.”
Peter HolslinNov 19, 2023
- Around the World
- Music
The Great Leap to Valhalla: Wagner in China
Melissa Chan writes about the performance of Wagner operas in China.
Melissa ChanNov 13, 2023
A Deep, Unerring Camaraderie: On “The Elephant 6 Recording Co.”
Grant Sharples reviews the new music documentary “The Elephant 6 Recording Co.”
Grant SharplesNov 8, 2023
- Film
- Music
The Air We Breathe Is Holy: Exvangelical Indie Rock
In a preview of LARB Quarterly no. 39: “Air,” Matthew Mullins explores exvangelical indie rock and reevaluates his own identity within the American evangelical movement.
Matthew MullinsOct 23, 2023
After the Party: A Walking Tour of Manchester with Andy Spinoza
Chandler Dandridge takes a tour of Manchester with Andy Spinoza, author of “Manchester Unspun: Pop, Property, and Power in the Original Modern City.”
Chandler DandridgeOct 10, 2023
- History
- Music