Ken Tucker reviews rock, country, hip-hop and pop music for Fresh Air. He is a cultural critic who has been the editor-at-large at Entertainment Weekly, and a film critic for New York Magazine. His work has won two National Magazine Awards and two ASCAP-Deems Taylor Awards. He has written book reviews for The New York Times Book Review and other publications.
Independent venue closures, social media algorithms and the rise of generative AI are all part of an ecosystem that artists say is becoming increasingly difficult for working musicians to weather.
iPods were all the rage 20 years ago, but Apple discontinued them in 2022. Claire Hughes is refurbishing old, used iPods and sharing what she finds on them.
On a new album, the experimental vocal group Roomful of Teeth and songwriter Gabriel Kahane take up residence in a multidimensional hotel with a time-traveling elevator and a quirky clientele.
On the heels of a new memoir sharing the recipes of a rich cultural life, rap's first tour guide talks aging with the culture, seeing its influence all over, Basquiat's lasting legacy and gatekeeping.