Noah Berlatsky

The church has produced R and B stars from Sam Cooke to Beyoncé. This isn’t exactly a secret, but at the same time it’s not nearly as obvious as the fact that many country greats also came up singing from ...

Sade was neo-soul before soul knew it needed a neo. Smooth, classy, just a little funky, but not too much—her music was R&B for the middle-aged who wanted to get their groove on (gently) without having to put a drape ...

Luk thung is often characterized as Thai country music, which is both accurate and misleading. It’s accurate in that, yes, luk thung is mostly created and consumed by folks from rural backgrounds. It’s misleading, though, in that luk thung doesn’t ...

Los Angeles-based Dengue Fever has dedicated its career to bringing Cambodian rock to American audiences. This compilation, collecting classic tracks from 1960s Cambodia, is a natural outgrowth.

Apparently the band listened to Paul Simon’s Graceland and said to themselves, “Oh, tee hee—this would be sooo great if it were just a little less funky.”

Despite the avant-garde title, the aggressively abstract, oversized slipcover design, and the fact that only 150 copies of this CD were pressed, Improvisations #1 is a surprisingly accessible disc.

Grond is the second of a trilogy of albums by Nihill. The first was Krach, and I’m not sure I’ll be rushing out to get it. Not that Grond is a bad album—on the contrary, if you like your doom-laden ...

Compiler Mike McGonigal has deliberately skipped over the best-known gospel styles—basically quartet and choral—in favor of street-corner evangelists, bluesy guitarists, and other less familiar paths on Fire in My Bones.

Our critics pick the best music of 2009.

“I just want you to feel a sense of freedom, I want you to feel out-of-the-box, feel inspired,” Alicia Keys said about her new album on BET. And The Element of Freedom sounds exactly like she wants you to feel ...