The group’s funk, disco and pop songs have been sampled over 1,800 times, but haven’t collected the same accolades as many contemporaries. A new boxed set takes a look back.
Tag Archives: Music
Arnold Skolnick, Whose Poster Embodied Woodstock, Dies at 85
On short notice, he created the bird-on-a-guitar design that advertised the 1969 festival — and became a symbol of the era.
The Netrebko Question
The Russian soprano Anna Netrebko is opera’s biggest star. But her career is in disarray because of her ties to Putin, and arts companies around the world are divided on whether to welcome her back.
Rebuilding Elementary School Band Class After the Pandemic
Young violists and sax players in Brooklyn get reacquainted with their instruments, and with one another: “You have to play in harmony.”
Happy Father’s Day to Roy Ayers, My Brilliant, Absent Dad
Most of us with absent fathers think, “What about me?” We rarely stop to ask, “What about him?”
Summer Begins
The season is almost here, finally, with all its sun-dappled splendor and glorious clichés.
BTS Says It’s Taking a Break, but Promises It’s Not Permanent
Members of the K-pop juggernaut said in a video conversation that they wanted time to explore their individual artistic identities.
Best and Worst Moments of the Tony Awards
With Joaquina Kalukango’s high notes and Billy Crystal’s lowbrow jokes, the Tonys celebrated Broadway’s return after a tumultuous season.
Blue Jays Manager Charlie Montoyo Moonlights at Salsa Clubs
His passion is playing percussion at salsa clubs, but Charlie Montoyo also thrives at his day job: managing the Toronto Blue Jays.
Mariachis Ride Into Uvalde With Songs of Heartache and Hope
With trumpets, strings and serenades, their music traces the arc of life. It often accompanies moments of jubilation, but it can also speak to a community’s profound sorrow.
Why ‘This Is How We Do It’ Is Actually a Country Song
Wesley Morris has a revelation about Montell Jordan’s 1995 R&B hit.
The Colorful Mozart of Gen Z
Jacob Collier, the singer, songwriter and composer, who fancies crayon colors, clashing patterns and tie-dyed Crocs, doesn’t fit easily into any box. He’s OK with that.
The ‘Philosopher King’ of Percussion Starts His Next Chapter
Steven Schick, a renowned figure in contemporary music, had nearly burned out as a performer. But a new recording project shows he’s hardly finished.
Bob Neuwirth, Colorful Figure in Dylan’s Circle, Dies at 82
He was a recording artist and songwriter himself, but he also played pivotal roles in the careers of Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin.
Rosmarie Trapp of the ‘Sound of Music’ Family Dies at 93
She was the last surviving daughter of the baron and the would-be nun depicted in the stage musical and 1965 film.
A Boxed Set for the Birds Hopes to Save Them, Too
A star-studded, 242-track trove of songs and poems inspired by birdsong is the latest project in a series of releases raising awareness about its own threatened sources.
Eurovision 2022: What to Know and How to Watch
The international song contest takes place in Italy this year. Here’s how the war in Ukraine has affected the competition and what to expect from this edition.
‘What New York Is All About’: Welcome Back to the Piano Bar
On any night of the week, New Yorkers can be found in piano bars that carry on the city’s tradition of live performance.
Apple Stops Production of iPods, After Nearly 22 Years
After nearly 22 years, Apple is stopping production of the devices that changed consumer electronics and led to the creation of the iPhone.
In ‘American Song Contest,’ It’s About the Songs, Not Just the Lungs
Ahead of this week’s final round, a writer and photographer went backstage for this state-versus-state competition based on Eurovision. The singers get it. Does America?
Judy Henske, a Distinctive Voice on the Folk Scene, Dies at 85
Her versatile vocals were a trademark, as was her comic stage patter. The character Annie Hall owed her a debt.
Discs vs. data: Are we helping the environment by streaming?
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images)
Earth Day was April 22nd, and its usual message—take care of our planet—has been given added urgency by the challenges highlighted in the latest IPCC report. This year, Ars is taking a look at the technologies we normally cover, from cars to chipmaking, and finding out how we can boost their sustainability and minimize their climate impact.
Gone are the days of going to Blockbuster to pick out a film for a night in. Physical media like CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, Sony’s weird PlayStation Portable UMDs, and countless other formats have been thoroughly dethroned thanks to a barrage of streaming services like Netflix—itself ailing at the moment—Amazon Prime, and Spotify.
For the first time in the past 17 years, CDs saw an increase in sales—of 1.1 percent, or 40.59 million units in 2021, compared to 40.16 million units the year prior. In 2021, people purchased 1.2 billion pieces of physical video media, compared to 6.1 billion a decade prior. Meanwhile, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, revenue from music streaming grew 13.4 percent to $10.1 billion in 2020.
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Ukrainian Diva Replacing Netrebko at the Met Wears Her Country’s Flag
The soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska, replacing the Russian superstar Anna Netrebko at the Met in “Turandot,” wrapped herself in a Ukrainian flag for her curtain call.
Naomi Judd, of Grammy-Winning The Judds, Dies at 76
The country music duo, made up of Naomi and Wynonna Judd, was to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday.
Love Songs and Tear Gas in a Tense Sudan Ramadan
“We come to forget it all,” one young musician said during the daily end of the fast. “The heat, the electricity cuts, the protests. Here, at least, we can sing.”
Sarah Silverman on ‘The Bedwetter,’ Her New Musical Comedy
“Everything’s couched with hard jokes, but it’s also vulnerable,” the comic said of “The Bedwetter,” her new musical comedy.
When Art Goes Global, It Loses Something
The things we create are better when they come out of a specific, lived context.
Do You Skip Intro?
Wesley Morris and Hanif Abdurraqib consider what’s lost when you breeze past the TV theme song.
Nashvile 2022 Visitors’ Guide
With the opening of a big African American music museum, new retro bowling halls and a ramped-up food scene, Nashville just kept on growing over the last two years. A visitors’ guide.
She Never Stopped Loving Otis Redding. Her City Never Stopped Needing Him.
The soul singer has been gone for more than half a century. Zelma Redding’s love affair with him — and his with Macon, Ga. — has never ended.
Where’s the Party? Ask Benny Blanco.
The Grammy-nominated producer and songwriter hosts a dinner series that has become one of the most coveted invites in Los Angeles.
When Classical Music Was an Alibi
The idea that musicians and their work are apolitical flourished after World War II, in part thanks to the process of denazification.
Ambient Music Isn’t a Backdrop. It’s an Invitation to Suspend Time.
In the face of crisis, our critic turned to music that demanded that she relinquish control.
Modern Love Podcast: First Love Mixtape, Side B
Listeners from around the world shared their teenage anthems. From Nat King Cole to One Direction, these are the songs that filled their adolescent hearts with longing and passion.
Mira Calix, Iconoclastic Composer and Artist, Is Dead at 52
Her work spanned albums, public art installations, music for Shakespeare plays and touring with Radiohead.
Exhibit at German History Museum Reckons With Wagner’s Legacy
A new exhibition at the country’s national history museum examines the strong feelings stirred by its most famous 19th-century composer.
For This Opera Director, a Lot Is Riding on a ‘Handmaid’s Tale’
For her English National Opera debut, the company’s new artistic leader, Annilese Miskimmon, has chosen a work she hopes can bring in a new audience.
The Real Rock Stars Were the Brides and Grooms
Sixteen couples from across the country were married onstage during a three-day rock festival in Oklahoma City, and five others renewed their vows.
‘Suffs’ Review: Young, Scrappy and Hungry for the Right to Vote
Shaina Taub’s new musical at the Public Theater tells the story of the women’s suffrage movement in the years leading up to the passage of the 19th Amendment.
With MOMEN, Frankfurt Officials Give Techno the Stamp of Approval
The municipal authorities in Frankfurt are backing the Museum of Modern Electronic Music, as Germany’s policymakers’ embrace clubbing as an economic force and part of the country’s heritage.
Ed Sheeran Wins ‘Shape of You’ Plagiarism Case
The singer “neither deliberately, nor subconsciously” stole from another songwriter when writing his 2017 hit, a British judge ruled.
5 Minutes That Will Make You Love Renaissance Music
Here’s your introduction to the shining, stirring sounds of a revolutionary period in cultural history.
Louis C.K.’s Grammy Victory Leads to Backlash
Some comedians are questioning how the Recording Academy saw fit to bestow an award to someone who had admitted to sexual misconduct.
The 2022 Grammys: Let’s Discuss
What are the awards at this point, and who benefits from them?
The Psychic Contortions of the Black Billionaire
Black billionaires are rare, and a disproportionate number of them are performers. What does that much wealth do to your art?
Best and Worst Moments From the 2022 Grammys
Young artists brought dramatic performances, Doja Cat had an emotional moment at the microphone and Volodymyr Zelensky recorded a serious plea from Ukraine.
2022 Grammys: Jon Batiste and Silk Sonic Win Top Aw
Jon Batiste won album of the year, Silk Sonic song and record of the year and Olivia Rodrigo best new artist at a ceremony where President Zelensky of Ukraine made an appeal for help.
Bill Fries, Singer Known for 1970s Trucking Ballad ‘Convoy,’ Dies at 93
Mr. Fries, who performed under the stage name C.W. McCall, was an ad executive before he scored a hit with “Convoy,” a CB radio-inspired ode to renegade truckers.
Spice Could Make History at the Grammys. But She’s Already Won.
The Jamaican singer Spice is the first female hard-core dancehall artist to be nominated for a Grammy in the Best Reggae Album category.
How a Music Executive Spends His Sundays
In the 1990s, Jamie Krents was on tour with an indie rock group. Now he’s a family man in Brooklyn.