Thirty years ago, a friend who had played in bands in NYC in the mid-1980s told me of an interesting phenomenon. At that time, Sonic Youth were rapidly ascending from the herd of underground, post-hardcore bands. Especially on these shores, Sonic Youth were a quixotic and enigmatic band: using alternative guitar tunings and songs that could shift from dreamlike to …
Best Music Reads of 2023
It’s been an excellent year in music writing. Here are our top recommendations for new books about music, ranging from history texts to personal memoirs to novels that emphasize music culture. 60 Songs That Explain the ‘90s by Rob Harvilla “I have nothing against The Beatles,” author and podcast host Rob Harvilla told CBS, “but the Beatles got nothing on …