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Music Reviews Music reviews of new albums in pop, rock, folk, jazz, blues, classical, world, and hip-hop.

Music Reviews

Music Review: 'Steel Guitar Rodeo' from Jon Rauhouse

Jon Rauhouse plays the pedal steel guitar — he also plays western swing music. To do those things well, while respecting the traditions, is a challenge. Reviewer Meredith Ochs says that unlike most musicians that tackle the task, Rauhouse has the technique and the sensibilty to keep his new album Steel Guitar Rodeo from sounding like a cheap imitation of the great music made famous by Bob Wills.

Music Review: 'Steel Guitar Rodeo' from Jon Rauhouse

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Music Review: 'Sayin' Hello to the Folks' from Jules Shear

Fresh Air

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new album from Jules Shear. It's a collection of cover tunes by artists ranging from Bob Dylan to the Dave Clark Five.

Music Review: 'Sayin' Hello to the Folks' from Jules Shear

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N.E.R.D. Brings Rock, Hip-Hop on Tour

The Virginia Beach studio wizards known as the Neptunes have produced hit songs for everyone from Snoop Dogg to Britney Spears. But now the masters of the mixing board have hit the road with a real band and real instruments, calling themselves N.E.R.D. — for "no one ever really dies." NPR's Ben Gilbert reports.

N.E.R.D. Brings Rock, Hip-Hop on Tour

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Music Review: 'A Ghost Is Born' from Wilco

The rock band Wilco's latest CD, A Ghost is Born, was recorded during the lead singer's battle with an addiction to painkillers, among other distractions. Many of the Chicago group's songs reflect this tense and hallucinatory period in the singer's life. Critic Tom Moon has a review.

Music Review: 'A Ghost Is Born' from Wilco

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Director's Cuts

Director's Cuts: Dads and Kids

Weekend Edition Sunday music director Ned Wharton reviews the work of two artists with famous musician dads who're blazing their own unique paths: Emilie Berstein, daughter of film score composer Elmer Bernstein, and pianist Peter John Stoltzman, son of Grammy-winning clarinetist Richard Stoltzman.

Director's Cuts: Dads and Kids

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Prog-Rock's Return: The Lasting Appeal of Yes

The U.K. progressive rock band Yes is celebrating 35 years together. Members have come and gone and come again, but the band has a signature sound, full of time changes, electronic keyboards and a tight mix of guitar bass and drums. Music writer Tom Terrell says the white band from Britain had a strange attraction for black kids — like him — from New Jersey.

Prog-Rock's Return: The Lasting Appeal of Yes

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Music Review: 'The World of Arthur Russell'

In the 1970's and early 1980's, musician Arthur Russell composed music with danceable rock and avant-garde classical music influences. Much of his music was made into 12" discs for DJs to play in dance clubs. It featured many instruments drifting in and out of hearing range. Russell has since died of AIDS — but his many tapes are finally being put together in a number of compilations, the first being a CD called The World of Arthur Russell.

Music Review: 'The World of Arthur Russell'

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Music Review: 'The Ride' from Los Lobos

The Ride is the latest album from Los Lobos, a band known for mixing folk, blues, rock and Latin rhythms. The group, which marks its 30th anniversary this year, was formed by classmates at an East Los Angeles school. The Ride, their 12th album, is on the Hollywood Records/Mammoth label. Critic David Greenberger has a review.

Music Review: 'The Ride' from Los Lobos

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Music Review: 'A Grand Don't Come for Free' from The Streets

Rapper Mike Skinner is Britain's version of the hip-hop star, but his second CD is more soap opera than thug life. Known as "The Streets," Skinner tells an entire story from start to end, involving girls, drugs, and returning video rentals. Critic Will Hermes a review the new CD, A Grand Don't Come for Free.

Music Review: 'A Grand Don't Come for Free' from The Streets

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Gainsbourg's 'Aux Armes et Caetera'

The late French musician Serge Gainsbourg's landmark double album Aux Armes et Caetera, originally issued in 1979, is being reissued accompanied with new versions of the original reggae-style songs. Gainsbourg, known both for his provocative lyrics and world-weary delivery, died in 1991. Music critic Michelle Mercer has a review.

Gainsbourg's 'Aux Armes et Caetera'

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Music Review: 'Magic Hour' from Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Marsalis plays the trumpet — he's not just a Grammy award winning trumpet player, but a Pulitzer award-winning trumpeter. Wynton has released his first small ensemble jazz cd in 5 years. It's called The Magic Hour. Reviewer Jim Fusilli finds delight in the record, with clever performances. He also finds some of the jazz Wynton plays sometimes backward looking.

Music Review: 'Magic Hour' from Wynton Marsalis

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