By Barry Walters, eMusic ContributorBehind all the cameos, the sci-fi allegory, the eclecticism and the nearly cult-ish Wondaland collective that creates these ultra-intricate jams, Janelle Monáe specializes in generosity. Where others serve up instant-gratification earworms, this Kansas City-born, Atlanta-based… more »
By Andrew Parks, eMusic ContributorTwitter isn't the only satire-savvy territory Prince crossed in the past week. Considering how image conscious he is, it was also refreshing to see Prince poke fun at himself with the newly leaked cover of… more »
By Andrew Parks, eMusic ContributorIf you're among the many that always assumed Prince has a nearly nonexistent sense of humor, well, take a look at the photo above. It's one of the sudden Tweets the purple one blessed his… more »
By Dave Sumner, eMusic ContributorDespite popular belief, jazz and pop music aren't at odds. In the past — and still to this day — jazz musicians have been both contributing to and tackling compositions from the Great American Songbook:… more »
By Andrew Parks, eMusic ContributorAs pointed out on FACT, the Minneapolis Star Tribune has published the first part of a rare story with Prince. While it sounds like the reclusive pop star danced around quite a few questions over… more »
By Andrew Parks, eMusic ContributorLooks like Prince fans have a lot to look forward to this year; still buzzing from a recent run of intimate shows at the Dakota Jazz Club, the Artist Formerly Known as a Wingding has… more »
By Andrew Parks, eMusic ContributorWell then; it sounds like Baz Luhrmann may finally be forgiven for the mess that was his last movie, 2008's Australia. Due out this May, The Great Gatsby — much like Luhrmann's breakthrough film, Romeo… more »
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 »
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 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 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 »
