Chris Richards

Column | Geese is the best new band you’re sick of hearing good things about For the acclaimed young New York quartet, rock and hype feel tightly intertwined.

It feels better to wonder if GEESE are important than to know it

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Howard Wuelfing chronicled the dawn of D.C. punk. The stories still echo. A hefty new double anthology of the rock writer’s Descenes and Discords fanzines captures the start of a scene — locally and nationally.

In his recently anthologized DESCENES and DISCORDS fanzines, Howard Wuelfing captured the harDCore scene in its predawn light

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Review | Playboi Carti might be the greatest vanishing act rap has ever seen On his current arena tour, the Atlanta rap visionary practically disappears into a swirl of thick fog, big noise and deep meaning.

Last night, PLAYBOI CARTI gave one of the greatest arena performances I’ve ever seen — even if I could barely see it

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Abe Mamet is making quiet music for a noisy world In his dynamic Septet, the rising composer and improviser is exploring the idea of doing less with more.

Spoke with the terrific ABE MAMET about making quiet jazz in world that keeps getting louder and louder

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Review | Rosalía’s ‘Lux’ is taking prestige pop to new levels Rosalía’s new album, “Lux,” wants to blow your mind. Give it your undivided attention instead.

If you’ve already figured out that the promise of AI is nothing more than a corporate attack on human curiosity, contemplation, critical thinking and free will, ROSALÍA’s “Lux” will sound like a new kind of feel-good music.

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Column | Music’s biggest night is finally changing its tune on rap Kendrick Lamar leads the list of new Grammy Award nominees. Will rap music finally rule on music’s biggest night?

Is this strange, unfamiliar sensation upon learning that half of the GRAMMY NOMINEES for album of the year make rap music… optimism?

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The 10 best sports theme songs of all time — and what makes them great Our list of the greatest sports theme music includes John Tesh’s iconic “Roundball Rock,” several dark riffs on football and a whole lot of nostalgia.

If you want to improve your life, spend some time with this absolutely terrific piece by @davesheinin.bsky.social who gets behind the damn piano to show us how iconic sports theme music works

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Review | This Springsteen movie doesn’t live up to the album that inspired it The rock-and-roll biopic is a cursed form. “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” is an attempt to make a few fixes.

The rock-and-roll biopic remains a cursed proposition but I felt like “SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE” made a few nudges in the direction of progress

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Made some posters for KEEP YOUR EAR TO THE GROUND - A HISTORY OF PUNK FANZINES IN WASHINGTON D.C.

(The design references an old “D.C. tour” poster c. 1999)

Come ask John questions about his incredible book and grab a poster at these upcoming events!

Bri3 is turning teenage intuition into rainbow-bright rap music The rising Waldorf phenom wants her listeners to feel good. It’s working.

“What a teen girl goes through is what a teen girl wants to hear” — BRI3 on rap music as truth-telling/truth-receiving

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Column | D’Angelo showed us what the 21st century should sound like His visionary R&B music — from “Brown Sugar” to “Voodoo” to “Black Messiah” — rearranged our ideas about timelessness.

D’ANGELO

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I love you, my friend

Rafiq Bhatia’s idea of jazz has grown into a force of nature The guitarist’s immersive new album, “Environments,” channels the unknowability of the outside world.

Talking about the weather with the great RAFIQ BHATIA

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In bed at 9pm, up at 3am, filed at 9am. It works! Thanks for reading

A race to post that one haha 🤓

But you are still right and everything is related/connected

☀️

Review | Punk’s next frontier: Revolutionizing the rock-and-roll memoir? Exciting new books from punk heroes Huggy Bear, Swiz and Billy Childish might be reinventing the form.

I love how these excellent newish books by/about SWIZ, HUGGY BEAR and BILLY CHILDISH tell bigger, broader punk rock truths

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Review | Taylor Swift returns with an album of mixed emotions — and mixed results “The Life of a Showgirl” wants to feel good, but other feelings keep getting in the way.

Mixed feelings about TAYLOR SWIFT’s mixed feelings

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Dogo du Togo and the Alagaa Beat Band want to transport you Though a travel ban has made things difficult for the Togolese group and its D.C. bandleader, the music remains.

DOGO DU TOGO AND THE ALAGAA BEAT BAND can take you there (even when it’s hard to come here)

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Review | Addison Rae stepped into reality and became the perfect pop star In concert, the former TikTok sensation wants to show us what dreams are made of.

I have seen ADDISON RAE in concert and the dream is real is the dream

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The 101 greatest movies, songs, books, artworks (and more!) about Washington, D.C. Introducing the D.C. Canon, starring Chuck Brown, Olivia Pope, George Washington, Leonardo da Vinci, Duke Ellington, Rites of Spring and — who could forget? — Gort.

THE D.C. CANON!

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Review | El Cousteau grew up to become your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper Earl Sweatshirt and A$AP Rocky want to rap with him. On his sharp new album, “Dirty Harry 2,” the stylish D.C. native shows why.

It’s been a legit joy to watch EL COUSTEAU grow up/level up

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🙏🏻🎵

Review | Oasis is back. And this time, the whole world is singing along. Oasis, the reunited Brit-pop act, finally sounds like the classic rock band it always wanted to be.

This OASIS reunion packs the life-affirming power of 10,000 karaoke nights but if you’re reticent to sing along, I invite you to join me in pondering the meaning of Liam Gallagher’s slouch

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🙏🏻 🎵

Review | Is Sabrina Carpenter the funniest pop singer alive? “Man’s Best Friend” is a pop album that feels as zesty, clever and cathartic as stand-up comedy.

This new SABRINA CARPENTER is a gas (and maybe a new kind of pop album, too)

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