Robert Christgau: Dean of American Rock Critics

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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

Xgau Sez

Robert Christgau published his monthly Xgau Sez q&a section -- The Consumer Guide in the streaming era, the A Lists (the missing years), softening on Madonna and Taylor (but in different ways), spending time (see: fleeting) relistening to Randy Newman. -- in his Substack newsletter And It Don't Stop. Like all of Xgau Sez, this is archived here.

Some Talking Points from TPM

Robert Christgau published a piece, Some Talking Points from TPM: Knowledge is power -- as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop. Also archived here.

The Big Lookback: Randy Newman

Robert Christgau published a piece, The Big Lookback: Randy Newman: "Irony, Compassion and Randy Newman," from Newsday, October 29, 1972 -- as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop. Also archived here.

A Few Words in Praise of Randy Newman

Robert Christgau published a piece, A Few Words in Praise of Randy Newman: Robert Hilburn, "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country: The Biography of Randy Newman" (2024, 544 pp.) -- as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop. Also archived here.

We've also added a 1978 article Christgau wrote about Newman: Don't Want No Smart People 'Round Here.

Consumer Guide: January, 2025

Robert Christgau published his Consumer Guide: January, 2025: A post-riot-grrrl trio that hasn't given up on love; grooves that break into tunes, sound effects, or both; alt-rappers with sonic treats; and not-one-but-three releases from our heroes in Cincinnati. Reviews of: Bright Eyes, Kim Deal, Fake Fruit, Inert, Kendrick Lamar, Willie Nelson, Phelimuncasi & Metal Preyers, Previous Industries, Allen Ravenstine, Rosali, Lucinda Williams, Wussy (3). This is part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop. Also archived here.

The Big Lookback: Jimmy Carter's Inaugural

Robert Christgau published a piece, The Big Lookback: Jimmy Carter's Inaugural: From The Village Voice, Jan. 31, 1977: "Whose People Were at the People's Inaugural?" -- as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop. Also archived here.

Definitions of Love

Robert Christgau published a piece, Definitions of Love: Some thoughts on the vocabulary of marriage -- as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop. Also archived here.

Xgau Sez

Robert Christgau published his monthly Xgau Sez q&a section -- Moral compasses and the election, coming soon to Bluesky, morning TV avoided, the second sex comes first, Randy Newman upgrades, and song by song by Christgau -- in his Substack newsletter And It Don't Stop. Like all of Xgau Sez, this is archived here.

The Big Lookback: You Never Can Tell

Robert Christgau published a piece, The Big Lookback: You Never Can Tell: Thoughts on music for a wedding celebration, from 'The Village Voice,' March 3, 1975 -- as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop. Also archived here.

Live From Cincinnati: Wussy

Robert Christgau published a piece, Live From Cincinnati: Wussy: A guest post from RJ Smith on Wussy's November 15th show at the Woodward Theater in Cincinnati. -- as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop. Also archived here.

Xgau Sez

Robert Christgau published his monthly Xgau Sez q&a section -- Thoughts on Kamala and the election, Elton and listening time, Young Thug and trap, bohemia (what dat?) Billy Bragg and Woody Guthrie, and genius (again: what dat?). -- in his Substack newsletter And It Don't Stop. Like all of Xgau Sez, this is archived here.

Consumer Guide: November, 2024

Robert Christgau published his Consumer Guide: November, 2024: Hip-hop from 52-year-old grandpa-to-be, demure grooves from a 31-year-old producer-frontman, dreamlike and bone-simple songs from a Belgium-based 83-year-old, and radical politics from the beyond. Reviews of: Blue Muse, The Devil & God Meet in Church, Eminem, Fred Again.., Hinds, M.J. Lenderman, The Linda Lindas, LL Cool J, MC5, Thurston Moore, Trout Fishing in America, Tyler the Creator, Neil Young & Promise of the Real, Tucker Zimmerman & Friends. This is part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop. Also archived here.

Louis Jordan: The Grandfather of Rock and Roll

Robert Christgau published a piece, Louis Jordan: The Grandfather of Rock and Roll: Formally, this jump-blues pioneer presaged rock and roll, though he was decades older than Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, or Little Richard -- as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop. Also archived here.

Xgau Sez

Robert Christgau published his monthly Xgau Sez q&a section -- At the Apollo, in the library, ABBA reconsidered (briefly), the end considered (also briefly, and not the one involving the Doors), thoughts on music writing, and a reading list. -- in his Substack newsletter And It Don't Stop. Like all of Xgau Sez, this is archived here.

Consumer Guide: October, 2024

Robert Christgau published his Consumer Guide: October, 2024: Guitar rock verging on the philosophical, boom-bap from an alt-rapper here to stay like that shit in your panties, a titanic work of art from 1956, & East African dance records from a DJ on a mission. Reviews of: Bad Moves, The Dare, Guy Davis, Doechii, Ekko Astral, Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong, Adekunle Gold, Kampire Presents: A Dancefloor in Ndola, Miranda Lambert, Jenny Lewis, Mannequin Pussy, El Michels Affair & Black Thought, Gurf Morlix, Serengeti. This is part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop. Also archived here.

Behind Closed Doors

Robert Christgau published a piece, Behind Closed Doors: Roddy Doyle, The Women Behind the Door (2024, 262 pp.) -- as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop. Also archived here.

Xgau Sez

Robert Christgau published his monthly Xgau Sez q&a section -- Consumer Guide music discovery, some subjects for further research, dancing to "Africa Dances," John and Faith Hubley, the hottest young male newcomer in the biz, and Geoffrey Stokes remembered. -- in his Substack newsletter And It Don't Stop. Like all of Xgau Sez, this is archived here.

Consumer Guide: September, 2024

Robert Christgau published his Consumer Guide: September, 2024: Louis Armstrong lively ups London in '68, the Unholy Modal Rounders do the same to NYC in '77, Chris Smither sings into the void, and Morgan Wade sings with sweetness about the ones that got away. Reviews of: Laurie Anderson, Louis Armstrong (2), Bluesin' by the Bayou, Zach Bryan, Joe Fahey, Georgia Sea Island Singers, Illuminati Hotties, Khaligraph Jones, Kate Nash, Romy, Chris Smither, Unholy Modal Rounders, Morgan Wade. This is part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop. Also archived here.

The Big Lookback: The Old 97's

Robert Christgau published a piece with Carola Dibbell, The Big Lookback: The Old 97's -- "You May Think It's Stupid, Rhett Miller Thinks It's Art," The Village Voice, Mar. 27, 2001 -- as part of his subscription newsletter, And It Don't Stop. Also archived here.

Xgau Sez

Robert Christgau published his monthly Xgau Sez q&a section -- Howard Keel-Tommy James-Springsteen connection explained, the Jazz King of Corona (and everywhere else), Louis Jordan, Dylan gone electric-acoustic-whatever, Wes Goodwin remembered, Honky Tonkin'. -- in his Substack newsletter And It Don't Stop. Like all of Xgau Sez, this is archived here.

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