Music

Some Notes on Song

By John Berger,

For Yasmine Hamdan, singer When I was watching and listening to you perform last week, Yasmine, I had an impulse to draw you — an absurd impulse because it was…

Sub Sub Pop

By Glenn McDonald,

From a list of 1,266 musical genres compiled by Glenn McDonald, creator of everynoise.com, which seeks to produce a comprehensive music-classification system. Read More

Virtualsity

By Michael Barron, on August 6, 2014

Inventing the instruments of the future Read More

The Twenty-Three Best Train Songs Ever Written—Maybe

By Kevin Baker, on June 26, 2014

From Johnny Cash to “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” Read More

Dottie’s Charms, by Jill Sobule

By Harper’s Magazine, on May 1, 2014

We’re thrilled to be streaming the latest release by singer-songwriter Jill Sobule, featuring lyrics by David Hajdu, Jonathan Lethem, Sam Lipsyte, James Marcus, Sara Marcus, Nina Mehta, Rick Moody, Mary Jo Salter, Luc Sante, and…

My Top 5 Metal Albums and Their Poetic Counterparts

By Michael Robbins, on April 16, 2014

Havoc, and spoil, and ruin be thy gain Read More

Carnival in Jacmel

By Joshua Jelly-Schapiro, on March 4, 2014

Despite lingering effects from a 2010 earthquake, Haiti still throws a good party Read More

New Power Generation

By Hilton Als, on December 12, 2012

Why I write about Prince Read More

Controversy

By Harper’s Magazine, on December 3, 2012

On the matter of conscious v. conscience in Prince's "I Would Die 4 U" Read More

Dope beats

By Harper’s Staff,

Last Man Standing

By Joshua Cohen,

Discussed in this essay: John Zorn: Tradition and Transgression, by John Brackett. Indiana University Press. 218 pages. $24.95. Arcana: Musicians on Music, edited by John Zorn. Granary Books/Hips Road. 380…

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