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Light in the Attic Records Country Music's Adventurous Streak
Despite its reputation for traditionalism, the genre has long welcomed outside influences—a fact that's as true today as it was in the period covered by Country Funk 1967-1974.
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Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Miranda Lambert: Evangelizing for Country Music While Subverting It
Both fans and skeptics of Nashville need to hear her excellent new album, Platinum.
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'Rubbish,' 'Tiresome,' 'Whoa-Yuk!': The Beatles' Early Haters
A recent history of the Beatles' BBC appearances points out an oft-forgotten fact: 50 years ago, most people didn't like them.
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How R. Kelly Lost His Edge
His lyrical filth used to come with a dose of musical innovation, but no longer.
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Donny Hathaway's Way-Underrated, Tragically Brief Soul Catalog
Depression derailed his career (and claimed his life), but a new box set reminds that Hathaway's eclectic, politically charged soul music deserves a spot among 1970s R&B greats.
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AP Purple Snow: What Came Before Purple Rain
A new compilation chronicles the influential Minneapolis R&B sound of the 1970s and early 1980s—right before Prince shared his Dirty Mind with the world.
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The Immortal Soul of the Drum Machine
808s and MRK-2s aren't hollow replacements for live percussion—they're influential, boundary-pushing instruments of their own, as a new book documents.
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Why Eminem Matters Right Now
On The Marshall Mathers LP 2, he offers what's been missing from hip hop lately: aggressive, commercially viable, virtuoso rapping.
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The Inevitable Death of All Music Scenes
NYC's art-punk golden age, Chapel Hill's indie-rock community, and Memphis's Stax Records all declined in about the same way: The underdogs became the establishment.
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The Depressing Familiarity of the '90s Alt-Rock Reunion Boom
Bands like Mazzy Star, the Pixies, and Sebadoh have been regrouping and releasing new music in much the same, cash-in spirit the boomers did.
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The Inimitability of Sly Stone
Today's R&B stars borrow liberally from their predecessors, but Sly Stone's production quirks and messy rhythms have rarely been duplicated.
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Tremolo Productions The Tough, Unanswered Questions About Backup Singers
The documentary 20 Feet From Stardom showcases an oft-ignored part of the music industry while still minimizing issues of race and gender.
