Category Archives: Music

Drake’s “Scorpion” Defines Success in the Streaming Era — for Better or Worse

Posted on July 26, 2018 by ddeal

The glory years for the record album are over, but the record album isn’t dead yet. In the age of streaming, it actually might benefit artists to release long albums consisting of multiple tracks, as the success of Drake’s Scorpion demonstrates. … Continue reading →

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Thank You, Sir Paul

Posted on June 24, 2018 by ddeal

We needed Paul McCartney this past week. Fortunately, we got him. This was the kind of week that made me want to declare a media blackout. The news was dominated by ugly reports about immigrant children being ripped from their … Continue reading →

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Five Great Songs about Summer

Posted on June 23, 2018 by ddeal

Welcome to the season of sticky sno-cones, loud suburban street festivals, and music spilling out of open windows of fast cars. And music always makes the summer season. To celebrate the arrival of summer, check out these five great songs … Continue reading →

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The Train Is Coming

Posted on June 19, 2018 by ddeal

The minstrel warned us that the train is coming. On an oppressively hot June night in Chicago, Robert Plant sang 13 songs of longing, joy, and carnality with a voice that has grown sweeter and softer over 69 years. His … Continue reading →

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“This Is America” Reignites a Musical Resistance

Posted on May 7, 2018 by ddeal

The musical resistance just came roaring back with the release of the searing “This Is America,” by the irrepressible Childish Gambino (aka Donald Glover). Here is a song that reminds us of music’s power to provoke and confront society in … Continue reading →

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The Best and Worst Musicians in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Posted on May 5, 2018 by ddeal

Music purists love to trash the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for being a creaky institution run by out-of-touch guardians of all that is old and irrelevant. And yet, music writers can’t stop talking about the Hall, which, ironically, … Continue reading →

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6 Reasons Why Jack White is the Lord of Vinyl

Posted on April 18, 2018 by ddeal

In 2017, sales of vinyl records rose for the 12th straight year. Although vinyl records still account for only 8.5 percent of total album sales, their 14.32 units sold in 2017 represent the most since Nielsen began tracking record sales … Continue reading →

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Artists Don’t Believe in Accidents

Posted on April 17, 2018 by ddeal

Artists create beauty from accidents. One morning in Chicago’s Union Station, I found myself with a few spare moments before the work day began. I felt like watching some James Brown for inspiration and searched YouTube until I came across … Continue reading →

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Led Zeppelin Invades Record Store Day

Posted on April 17, 2018 by ddeal

They come from the land of the ice and snow, invading Record Store Day April 21 like land-grabbing Visigoths of Yore: Led Zeppelin recently announced its first-ever Record Store Day release, a 7-inch single consisting of unheard mixes of “Rock … Continue reading →

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Into the Mystic with Robert Plant

Posted on February 24, 2018 by ddeal

I have seen Robert Plant in concert six times throughout his adventurous solo career. As I watched Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters with my family February 20 at The Riviera Theatre, I thought of the lyrics to the Traffic song “Dear … Continue reading →

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