Music

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

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
The End of Something: On Sufjan Stevens’s “Javelin”
Justin Gautreau reviews singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens’s new album “Javelin.”
Justin GautreauOct 9, 2023
- Music
dude I’m not dead!!! On Alissa Bennett’s “Taxidermist’s Handbook”
Ariella Garmaise reviews Alissa Bennett’s compilation of celebrity-themed zines, collectively titled “Taxidermist’s Handbook.”
Ariella GarmaiseSep 13, 2023
Misunderstood Musical Genius: On Harvey Sachs’s “Schoenberg”
Musicologist Judith Finell reviews Harvey Sachs’s new biography of the influential and misunderstood 20th-century musical genius Arnold Schoenberg, titled “Schoenberg: Why He Matters.”
Judith FinellAug 29, 2023
- History
- Music
Lack of Charisma Can Be Comforting
Anna Dorn learns to love Taylor Swift.
Anna DornAug 21, 2023
- Film
- Music
Comment for Comment: On Michael Tedder’s “Top Eight”
Grant Sharples reviews Michael Tedder’s “Top Eight: How MySpace Changed Music.”
Grant SharplesAug 20, 2023
- Music
- Science & Technology
Through the Wreckage: On Joe Molloy’s “Acid Detroit”
Alexander Billet reviews Joe Molloy’s “Acid Detroit: A Psychedelic Story of Motor City Music.”
Alexander BilletAug 19, 2023
- Music
Measured Longings and Layered Stories: On Jonathan Leal’s “Dreams in Double Time”
Sam V.H. Reese reviews Jonathan Leal’s “Dreams in Double-Time: On Race, Freedom, and Bebop."
Sam V. H. ReeseAug 9, 2023
- Music
- Nonfiction
A Poet of the Anticipation of Joy: On Laurie Winer’s “Oscar Hammerstein II and the Invention of the Musical”
Tim Riley reviews Laurie Winer’s “Oscar Hammerstein II and the Invention of the Musical.”
Tim RileyJul 6, 2023
- Biography & Autobiography
- Music