Search results for

Case has one of those huge, powerful voices that pulls you in and swirls you around, kind of like a tornado. For her latest album, Middle Cyclone, Case filled a barn with pianos, recorded the sounds of tree frogs and channeled a lovestruck tornado. Here, Case discusses the process of writing Middle Cyclone and working with her other band, The New Pornographers.

Fela Kuti fathered the musical movement Afrobeat and its crown prince, 25-year-old Seun Kuti. The Nigerian singer is leading his father's band, Egypt 80. On his self-titled debut album, he's added some American influences but kept his songs sharply pointed and political.

Tucker, a founding member of the band Sleater-Kinney, is back with a new group, The Corin Tucker Band, and an album called 1,000 Years. Rock critic Ken Tucker says the record has an "air of heavy but often beautiful melancholy."

Pacheco was a prolific songwriter and musical arranger whose work helped fuel the careers of Celia Cruz and Ruben Blades.

Though his music honors mid-century sounds with laser precision, the Tulsa rocker takes so many little chances in his songs that they never sound like mere replicas.

Catharsis comes heavy and often in the Staten Island band's raucous-yet-refined rock sound, which reflects a new generation's willingness to look back on the '80s and '90s with fresh eyes and ears.

The Decemberists' albums have been characterized by a wide variety of styles, from indie-rock minimalism to art-rock expansiveness. Rock critic Ken Tucker says the band's new album, The King Is Dead, is its best album so far.

Bassist Andy Noble and vocalist Black Wolf are leaders of the Milwaukee-based soul band Kings Go Forth. They're also part of an international soul revival that includes Duffy and Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings. Kings Go Forth's debut album, The Outsiders Are Back, looks to hip-hop for inspiration.

After the crossover success of 2013's Sunbather, New Bermuda is a resounding rebuttal to complacency. Entrenched in dark and decidedly classic metal moves, it's got a seeking spirit that rages.

Formed in the late '90s by guitarists and singer-songwriters Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley, the Drive-By Truckers hit a peak of critical success with its 2001 release Southern Rock Opera. Critic Ken Tucker says their latest album, The Big To-Do, is "head-clearingly refreshing."