Ken Tucker
Ken Tucker reviews rock, country, hip-hop and pop music for Fresh Air. He is a cultural critic who has been the editor-at-large at Entertainment Weekly, and a film critic for New York Magazine. His work has won two National Magazine Awards and two ASCAP-Deems Taylor Awards. He has written book reviews for The New York Times Book Review and other publications.
Tucker is the author of Scarface Nation: The Ultimate Gangster Movie and Kissing Bill O'Reilly, Roasting Miss Piggy: 100 Things to Love and Hate About Television.
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"Don't Let It Trouble Your Mind" is the prettiest kiss-off song you'll ever hear. Then there's "Run That By Me One More Time," a rowdy novelty duet, and the story-song "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy."
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On their self-titled debut, the Womack Sisters' crisp harmonies speak to the world we're living right now. Meanwhile, Glaspy acts as a chronicler of doubt, hesitation and misgiving on I am Both.
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The 1976 film is about a '60s trio based loosely on The Supremes. It wasn't a big hit, but it has a devoted cult following, and critic Ken Tucker says it features some of Aretha Franklin's finest performances. -
Campbell co-wrote a number of hits for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. His new band is The Dirty Knobs, and their album is Mission of Mercy. Low Cut Connie's new album is Livin in the USA.
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Musgraves' album Middle of Nowhere has the dramatic detail of good fiction. The same is true of Gary Stewart: I Am From the Honky-Tonks, Jimmy McDonough's portrait of a gifted but tragic performer.
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Country singer Ella Langley, the Swedish dance-music star Robyn, and singer-songwriter Allison Russell each have a take on sorrow and discontent that yields vivid, even inspiring music.
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Much of our image of Dylan derives from his early protest music, but Robert Polito's book makes the argument that the most recent 30 years of Dylan's career have been just as creative as the first 30. -
Moroney's album arrives as a new kind of music from Big Pink: The Georgia-born singer/songwriter spins out tales of romantic revenge with a smooth fluency that's a stark contrasts to her raspy drawl.
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A former microbiologist and Golden Gloves boxer, Wilson is also one of the more distinctive new sounds in country. He's broken through not with huge record sales but via viral clips on social media.
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Whether you're anxiously awaiting Christmas or already wishing the holidays would be over, here's a selection of music that lets you know you're not alone.
