Music Features

Meshell Ndegeocello's album Ventriloquism is a collection of covers of R&B songs from the 1980s and '90s. Charlie Gross/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Trixie Mattel attends the RuPaul's Drag Race finale on May 19, 2015 in Los Angeles. In the years since, Mattel has released two albums, brought a YouTube show into the Vice fold and won RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season three. Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Logo TV hide caption

In 2013, Kacey Musgraves emergence onto the country music scene hinted at changes that would arrive over the next five years. Musgraves' new album, Golden Hour, might signal her freedom from that same landscape. Kelly Christine Sutton/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Brad Paisley performs at an inaugural ball for Barack Obama in January 2013. A few months later, Paisley's song "Accidental Racist" would make the country singer the focus of ridicule and satire. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

David Bowie Is will run from March 2, 2018 through July 15, 2018 at the Brooklyn Museum. Jonathan Dorado/Courtesy of Brooklyn Museum hide caption

Recording Academy and MusiCares president and CEO Neil Portnow, onstage during the Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 28 in New York City. Michael Kovac/Getty Images for NARAS hide caption

Jay-Z (center), who was nominated for eight Grammys but won no awards Sunday, with his wife, Beyoncé (left) and daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, during the ceremony on Sunday. Christopher Polk/Getty Images for NARAS hide caption

The sole member of The Fall who remained through its four decades, Mark E. Smith was synonymous with the band. Lex van Rossen/MAI/Referns/Getty Images hide caption

Michael Davenport (left) and Kris Roe of The Ataris perform in 2003 in Mountain View, Calif. Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images hide caption

The futurist artist Luigi Russolo (left) with his noise machine, invented for futurist "symphonies," one of which was performed at the London Coliseum in June 1914. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption

Damon Krukowski's book, The New Analog, and podcast, Ways of Hearing, explore the ways digital culture has changed how music is both heard and made. Naomi Yang/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Tatsuya Takahashi at his home workshop in early 2017, surrounded by a few of his signature machines. Akemi Kurosaka/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Reggie "Combat Jack" Ossé attends the Spotify Mogul launch party in May 2017. The hip-hop personality has passed away at the age of 53. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images hide caption

Rapsody released Laila's Wisdom, her sophomore album and first since partnering with Jay-Z's Roc Nation, in September. Roc Nation/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Katie Alice Greer of Washington, D.C.'s Priests. The band released its full-length debut, Nothing Feels Natural, in the early weeks of 2017. Katie Alice Greer/Courtesy of the artist hide caption