Ken Tucker

Making new sounds while staying mindful of the past is a common theme in the Fresh Air music critic's year-end list.

Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker says that one of the best books he's ever read about punk rock is a new memoir by Viv Albertine.

It's not too early to be releasing Christmas albums, and Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker has been listening to a lot of them.

A batch of lyrics that Bob Dylan wrote in the late 1960s were given by Dylan to producer T-Bone Burnett, who came up with the idea to have some contemporary musicians set the words to music.

Womack, who had the hit "I Hope You Dance," hasn't released a new album since 2008. The sound of her new album The Way I'm Livin' is different from the country music dominating the industry.

1989 sidesteps country music entirely to become Swift's first pure pop album.

The initial triumph of Rips is that nearly every one of its songs is sing-along-catchy, immediately memorable.

Prince has released two new albums simultaneously: Art Official Age appears under his own name, and PlectrumElectrum is the debut record of a Prince back-up band called 3rdEyeGirl.

Mills' new album, his second, is notable for the diversity of its sound.

Led since the late '70s by co-founder David Thomas, Pere Ubu has created something far more rich, experimental, and emotional than the spooky, horror-movie that Carnival of Souls is named for.

Brill Bruisers is a collection of lushly arranged and harmonized pop. While Neko Case, Dan Bejar and A.C. Newman make moody music individually, there's a brightness when they come together.

The white bluesman whose corny jokes have made his music enduring and fun has a new album Can't Even Do Wrong Right. He has a raspy chuckle in his singing, and he plays the guitar precisely.

The 25-year-old guitarist-singer-songwriter has already served as an opening act on Jack White's recent tour, and he may be ready for headliner status.

Billie Joe Shaver has just released his first new studio album in six years, called Long in the Tooth.

They Want My Soul is another fine Spoon album in a career that has now come to display a remarkable consistency

Jenny Lewis achieved musical fame as part of the indie band Rilo Kiley, which broke up in 2011. Her third solo album announces a new chapter in her career — and perhaps her life.

Dave Brubeck called her "one of the greatest jazz pianists I have ever heard." She digs up an old tune and calls two Monk numbers on this 1992 episode of the program.

A new album from Cowboy Jack Clement has the prolific producer performing many of his best-known compositions with help of Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, Rodney Crowell and John Prine.

Fresh Air critic Ken Tucker says Lauderdale's career is at once admirable and somewhat puzzling.

If you're going to be downbeat, glum, or morose, it's best to do it the way Timothy Showalter does it