Journal

Jamaican music gave the world an unusually direct way of changing a song without replacing it. Dub took existing reggae rhythm tracks, moved the voices to the…

Classical piano etudes for advanced and beginner listeners offer an unusually accessible way into concert repertoire. Each piece is compact, so listeners can…

World music's celebration of harvest and seasonal festivals comes alive when communities gather around food, light, renewal and gratitude. These occasions turn…

A one-hit wonder is often an artist remembered for a single song: a sharp burst of chart success followed by a career that moved elsewhere. Sometimes the…

Jazz drumming is built from motion, conversation and controlled surprise. A great drummer can make a simple ride-cymbal pattern feel like a moving landscape,…

Steel guitar can make a country song sound as if it has a second voice: a mournful slide, a bright chord, or a cry that follows the singer around the room. The…

Free MP3 downloads of classical choral works are most rewarding when the recording, the encoding and the permission have all been checked. A large ensemble can…

Rock music subgenres are less a set of solid borders than shared habits. A track can combine garage rock’s nervous energy, a blues-derived guitar line and…

Samba and bossa nova offer two distinct ways into Brazilian music. Samba carries the energy of Rio de Janeiro’s streets, carnival parades and community…

Long car rides have a way of stretching a short trip across suburbia into an afternoon. The best children's music albums for long car rides solve that problem…