Album Reviews

It is to Mac Miller’s great credit that he became more compelling the further his career progressed. He would have made millions if he had stayed true to his humble teenage beginnings as a sentient snapback hat, Lord Finesse admirer and legal opponent, and Pittsburgh’s sauciest white boy since Terry …

At first glance, a deluxe, four-disc reissue of the second-worst Replacements album might seem like kind of an odd idea — albeit a uniquely Replacements-y one, utterly in keeping with the Minneapolis punk-rock icons’ gift for subverting even the simplest music-industry rituals to the point of needless self-sabotage. Maligned at …

There’s a live version of “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” from 1969 that captures Elvis Presley in a comical meltdown of uncontrollable laughter. It’s a favorite track for oldies-radio DJs to play during Sunday morning “Breakfast with the King” hours, but it’s rarely been heard in the context of the full …

When Drake posted “Dreams Money Can Buy” on his label’s blog in May 2011, two historic events were just over the horizon: the U.S. launch of Spotify in July and the inauguration of “YOLO” as the national catchphrase in November. These two things would, of course, help define the Drake …

Steve Goodman, Artistic Hair *** Steve Goodman, Affordable Art **** John Prine is rightly getting plenty of love right now, which makes it a good time to reconsider the life and work of his friend and occasional collaborator, Steve Goodman. Thirty-five years after his death, Goodman is now mostly remembered …