And It Don't Stop on Substack
Robert Christgau's newsletter And It Don't Stop
appears three (or four) times a month on Substack. Subscribe
here.
Robert Christgau's Big-Hearted Theory of Pop
Book Reports features reviews of not only the pop-music
tomes you'd predict but also literary fiction, Marxist-adjacent
cultural commentary, feminist debates over pornography, and even books
about the past decade's financial crisis. It follows a collection that
Christgau published last year, Is It Still Good to Ya? Fifty Years
of Rock Criticism, 1967-2017, which includes Christgau's takes on,
among many other things, classic rock, Kanye West, the music of Desert
Storm, Lollapalooza, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and so-called guilty
pleasures--a category that Christgau rejects, since, for rock critics,
as he puts it, "pleasure is where meaning begins." Together, these
collections make the sneaky case that Christgau is not just the Dean
of American Rock Critics, his self-awarded and perhaps slightly
off-putting nickname, but one of America's
sharper public intellectuals of the past half century, and certainly
one of its most influential--not to mention one of the better stylists
in that cohort. Fun is a big part of why.
--David Cantwell, The New Yorker
News
Consumer Guide: October, 2021 Robert Christgau published his
Consumer Guide: October, 2021:
Songwriters from Austin, Chattanooga, and Nashville. Rappers from London by way of Nigeria and Belgium by way of the Congo. Also: a worldly sophisticate, a genuine adult, and a Wolf who howls.
Reviews of:
Thomas Anderson,
Baloji,
Nathan Bell,
The Contraptionists,
Dave (2),
Mickey Guyton,
Lil Nas X,
Sho Madjoi,
Man on Man,
John R. Miller,
Homeboy Sandman,
Kalie Shorr,
Howlin' Wolf.
This is part of his subscription newsletter,
And It Don't Stop.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-10-13] The Big Lookback: The Yankees Learn to Lose Robert Christgau published a Big Lookback piece,
The Yankees Learn to Lose -- As a topsy-turvy, streaky season draws to a close (or does it?) some thoughts on this year's Yankees and the Yankees of 47 years ago --
as part of his subscription newsletter,
And It Don't Stop.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-10-05] Avoiding Wet-Bulb 35C Robert Christgau published a piece,
Avoiding Wet-Bulb 35C, a review of
Kim Stanley Robinson's book The Ministry for the Future,
as part of his subscription newsletter,
And It Don't Stop.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-09-29] Favorite vs. Best vs. Whatever Robert Christgau published a piece,
Favorite vs. Best vs. Whatever -- Ballots for Rolling Stone's 500
Greatest Songs poll and some thoughts on precious dollops of pleasure --
as part of his subscription newsletter,
And It Don't Stop.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-09-27] Xgau Sez Robert Christgau published his monthly
Xgau Sez q&a section -- The rock-critic economy, rumba reading, not sucking in your 70s, Van the Prick, and the meaning of meaning-mongering --
And It Don't Stop. Like all of Xgau Sez, this is
archived here.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-09-22] The Big Lookback: Ghost Dance Robert Christgau published a Big Lookback piece,
Ghost Dance -- The struggle to make sense of how things felt--and
sounded--20 years ago --
as part of his subscription newsletter,
And It Don't Stop.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-09-14] Consumer Guide: September, 2021 Robert Christgau published his
Consumer Guide: September, 2021:
A decade worth of New Jersey indie rock, Tune-Yards' very best, erotic
engagement and ennui from the '20s (the 1920s, that is), and Lucy Dacus's
verbally and musically detailed religious apostasy.
Reviews of:
Adult Mom,
Leroy Carr,
Lucy Dacus,
The Front Bottoms (5),
Dylan Hicks
Tommy James & the Shondells,
James McMurtry,
More Girl Group Greats,
Sztu,
Tune-Yards.
This is part of his subscription newsletter,
And It Don't Stop.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-09-08] The Big Lookback: Little Records With Big Holes Robert Christgau published a Big Lookback piece,
Little Records With Big Holes -- A 1971 piece on singles from Tommy
James, Jean Knight and Freda Payne, the joys of AM radio and the dark
forces of shlock-rock --
as part of his subscription newsletter,
And It Don't Stop.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-09-01] Out of the Box Robert Christgau published a piece,
Out of the Box, a review of
Mike Hull's film Betrayal at Attica, on the 1971 massacre of
prisoners (and guards) ordered by New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller,
as part of his subscription newsletter,
And It Don't Stop.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-08-25] Xgau Sez Robert Christgau published his monthly
Xgau Sez q&a section -- Pleasure without guilt, inspirational verses, the generosity of Sonny Rollins and David Bowie (et. al.), bridging the language gap (or not), and the selling of bridges and other products of capitalism --
And It Don't Stop. Like all of Xgau Sez, this is
archived here.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-08-18] Consumer Guide: August, 2021 Robert Christgau published his
Consumer Guide: August, 2021:
Discontented candor, miraculous West Indian guitar, political hip-hop
with aesthetic vortex, and punk-sparked roots. Plus: Ghanaian
Afrofunk, a happy armed robber, and rhythm as a unit of meaning.
Reviews of:
Gyedu-Bley Ambolley,
Directions in Music 1969 to 1973,
Emily Duff,
Billie Eilish,
Robert Finley,
The Goon Sax,
Anthony Joseph,
Los Lobos,
Mach-Hommy,
Billy Nomates,
Amy Rigby,
Joseph Spence,
Star Feminine Band.
This is part of his subscription newsletter,
And It Don't Stop.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-08-12] Storytellers Robert Christgau published a piece,
Storytellers, a review of
Liz Phair: Horror Stories;
Marc Ribot: Unstrung: Rants and Stories of a Noise Guitarist;
Jim Flannigan: Don the Burp and Other Stories;
as part of his subscription newsletter,
And It Don't Stop.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-08-04] Xgau Sez Robert Christgau published his monthly
Xgau Sez q&a section -- Generalizations too vast to swear by, instrumentals worth hearing, the algorithm vs. the people, and Frank Zappa vs. George Clinton -- as part of his subscription newsletter
And It Don't Stop. Like all of Xgau Sez, this is
archived here.
By the way, also added a note on
Robert Quine from 2004.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-07-28] The Big Lookback: Biz Markie Robert Christgau published a piece,
The Big Lookback: Biz Markie -- as part of his subscription
newsletter,
And It Don't Stop.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-07-20] Consumer Guide: July, 2021 Robert Christgau published his
Consumer Guide: July, 2021:
Underwear-clad quarantine broadcasts, bouncy Sleater-Kinney, mood music
for a time of perpetual disquiet, and Cobain variations. Plus: strong
women on love, cheerleaders and the men who rule the world
Reviews of:
Aesop Rock,
Body Meπa,
Matt Caflisch,
Cloud Nothings,
Garbage,
John Kruth,
Low Cut Connie,
Nirvana,
Liz Phair,
Pom Pom Squad,
Sa-Roc,
Sleater-Kinney,
Sons of Kemet.
This is part of his subscription newsletter,
And It Don't Stop.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-07-15] The Big Lookback: The Rolling Stones Robert Christgau published a piece,
The Big Lookback: The Rolling Stones -- as part of his subscription
newsletter,
And It Don't Stop.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-06-30] Combating the Sound of Whiteness Robert Christgau published a piece,
Combating the Sound of Whiteness, a review of articles by Amanda
Petrusich and Geoff Mann on country music and its "overwhelming whiteness,"
as part of his subscription newsletter,
And It Don't Stop.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-06-23] Xgau Sez Robert Christgau published his monthly
Xgau Sez q&a section -- lousy (or not) Stones albums, world
champion Beatles albums, some musical geniuses, some upbeat albums,
and whither rock & roll? Plus: the story of 1974's Consumer Guide
to America's Yogurts -- as part of his subscription newsletter
And It Don't Stop. Like all of Xgau Sez, this is
archived here.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-06-16] Consumer Guide: June, 2021 Robert Christgau published his
Consumer Guide: June, 2021:
Seeing the light with Loretta Lynn, driving with Olivia Rodrigo,
mourning cats with Dry Cleaning, and wrapping your troubles in Lou
Reed's dreams. Plus: sounds from Ghana, Japan, Norway, and Chicago.
Reviews of:
Gyedu-Blay Ambolley,
Chai,
J. Cole,
Dry Cleaning,
Girl in Red,
Loretta Lynn,
Vic Mensa,
Mdou Moctar,
Olivia Rodrigo,
Spillage Village,
Wau Wau Collectif,
What Goes On: The Songs of Lou Reed.
This is part of his subscription newsletter,
And It Don't Stop.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-06-09] The Big Lookback: Joy of Cooking Robert Christgau published a piece,
The Big Lookback: Joy of Cooking -- as part of his subscription newsletter,
And It Don't Stop.
[posted by Webmaster on 2021-06-02] More Ancient
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