Arthur Russell’s Endless Reinventions Arthur Russell’s Endless Reinventions
Since his death, his music has only become more influential and more mysterious.
Jun 20, 2023 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu
What the Oscars Represent: Meritocracy Without Merit What the Oscars Represent: Meritocracy Without Merit
In Michael Schulman’s extensive history of the awards, Oscar Wars, he documents how the institution’s reactionary origins still leak into today’s film culture.
Mar 8, 2023 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu
The Best Albums of 2022 The Best Albums of 2022
David Hajdu’s favorite albums encompass everything from Bad Bunny to English metal to Afrobeat.
Dec 29, 2022 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu
Julius Eastman’s Great Expectations Julius Eastman’s Great Expectations
The neglected music of a revolutionary 20th-century composer continues to shock and awe.
Aug 12, 2022 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu
The Best Albums of 2021 The Best Albums of 2021
Our music critic’s 10 favorite pieces of music from this year.
Dec 24, 2021 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu
The Last Days of the Beatles The Last Days of the Beatles
Does Peter Jackson’s eight-hour documentary give us the fullest picture of the band’s late history?
Dec 15, 2021 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu
What the Harlem Cultural Festival Represented What the Harlem Cultural Festival Represented
Questlove’s debut as a director, the documentary Summer of Soul, revisits a musical event that encapsulated the energies of Harlem in the 1960s.
Jul 29, 2021 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu
St. Vincent’s Journey Into Musical Memory St. Vincent’s Journey Into Musical Memory
An exploration of her father’s past and the rock music of the 1970s is a new challenge for the artist.
Jul 7, 2021 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu
The Music We Made in Lockdown The Music We Made in Lockdown
On the artists who found new sounds in our collective solitude.
Feb 17, 2021 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu
The Best Albums of 2020 The Best Albums of 2020
Our music critic’s 11 favorite pieces of music from this year.
Dec 18, 2020 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu