By eMusic Editorial Staff, eMusic ContributorFor years, Warner Brothers Records has been home to musicians who want to pursue a particular artistic vision. The albums in this collection may cover a multitude of genres, but they all have one thing… more »

A flyer for Maya Rudolph's college band

By Andrew Parks, eMusic ContributorIn case you're just not that into Maya Rudolph's supporting role on Up All Night — hey, it's better than the 30 Rock placeholder that is Weekend Update — the actress has been revealing her… more »

By Laura Studarus, eMusic ContributorDespite boasting a classical education from the Conservatory of Music at State University of New York at Purchase, Dan Deacon doesn't buy into the elitist implications of being called a composer. "I think that the… more »

By Arye Dworken, eMusic ContributorRemember that band you loved that broke up? Well, next year, they're playing Coachella. We live in an age when band reunions are bordering on passé, which can obscure the fact that a well-executed comeback… more »

By Laura Studarus, eMusic ContributorWhether it's on account of creativity bursting at the seams, or just a desire to try something musically or lyrically different from their previous work, sometimes artists feel the need to step outside themselves and… more »

By eMusic Editorial Staff, eMusic ContributorThe only thing ardent music fans seem to enjoy more than watching artists unquestionably succeed is getting to see them fall flat on their faces. It's reassuring to know that our heroes are fallible, even… more »

By Michelangelo Matos, eMusic ContributorAt the end of 1984, 240 American rock critics voted in the Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop poll. Writing about the results, Robert Christgau noted, "You got three Top 10 bands from Minneapolis" —… more »

By eMusic Editorial Staff, eMusic ContributorIt's one of popular music's stranger mysteries that often the author of a song isn't the person best suited to deliver it. The caliber of the writer isn't the issue: One only needed to watch… more »

By Sean Fennessey, eMusic Contributor more »

By Michelangelo Matos, eMusic ContributorMichael Jackson set the bar for pop success in the '80s; Bruce Springsteen had a more perfect track record; Madonna had the longest hit streak and, ultimately, a greater overall impact. But there is no… more »

By Maura Johnston, eMusic Contributor more »

By Michelangelo Matos, eMusic ContributorThe soundtrack to Prince's 1990 movie Graffiti Bridge got reflexively great reviews, but there was something slightly amiss. The album itself is a very pleasant listen. There are a handful of superb songs: "Thieves in… more »

By Michelangelo Matos, eMusic ContributorThe porn theaters in Minneapolis were largely downtown around 1980. There were a lot of quarter booths, a couple theaters scattered here and there. Whether or not Prince ever went, he could have; he spent… more »

By Michelangelo Matos, eMusic ContributorIn pop, certain years ring out like the Liberty Bell, and for American listeners of a certain age, none rings louder than 1984. Hit radio was healthier than it had been since the mid '60s,… more »

By Michelangelo Matos, eMusic ContributorControversy was the work of a man beginning to immerse in the possibilities of extended grooves that did more than just jam out, a la the coda of the album version of "I Wanna Be… more »

By Michelangelo Matos, eMusic ContributorConsidered at the time by Greil Marcus to be Prince's best album since Dirty Mind (thus neatly sidestepping the '90s mini-tradition of every Prince album, by someone, being referred to as "his best since Sign… more »

By Michelangelo Matos, eMusic ContributorThis formulation didn't originate with me (take a bow, Chris Herrington of The Memphis Flyer), but it's true enough to run with: Prince's 1979 sophomore album is in the running for best teen-pop album of… more »

By Michelangelo Matos, eMusic ContributorHere's a rare instance where Prince went right along with corporate strategy. Apparently Jack Nicholson was a fan, director Tim Burton was using older songs as fill-in music, and hey — Warner Bros. owned both… more »

By Michelangelo Matos, eMusic ContributorIf you're going to mess up your career, do it in style — preferably Edwardian Peter Max. Make it as heavy-handed as that sounds; that helps, too. But let's be real: Prince's biggest problem after… more »

By Michelangelo Matos, eMusic ContributorControversy was the work of a man beginning to immerse in the possibilities of extended grooves that did more than just jam out, a la the coda of the album version of "I Wanna Be… more »

By Michelangelo Matos, eMusic ContributorPrince is always streamlining himself. Sometimes that's generous for "rewriting," but other times it just means he's refining an idea. This is an example of the latter. The "idea" in this case is Dirty Mind:… more »