Motown
The Roots say: “Wake Up!”
The Roots are busy: they play every night as the house band forLate Night with Jimmy Fallon, drummer Questlove has over one million followers on Twitter, and last month the band releasedWake Up!, a collaboration with John Legend. It was their 10th studio album in twenty years and the second released this year. Clearly, The […]
Russell Simmons on 25 Years of Def Jam
It’s the story of a record label that defined hip-hop and impacted the music industry forever. In the 25 years since its founding, Def Jam Recordings has built up an incredible roster of recording artists, influencing all areas of culture, fashion, lifestyle, cinema and art, to become the sound of young America, akin to Motown […]
Remembering Jerry Leiber and Nick Ashford: Two Songwriting Legends
The music world lost two legends on Monday. Jerry Leiber, who wrote hits for Elvis Presley, Ben E. King, and the Coasters, died at 78 in Los Angeles. His first hit, Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog,” took him and songwriting partner Mike Stoller to the top of the charts when he was only 17. Nick Ashford, […]
What sound hath Amy Winehouse wrought?
It’s been a year and a half since Amy Winehouse caught the ears of American listeners. Now, there’s a new crop of young singer-songwriter-types tapping the well of old- and new-school sounds. If Amy was already a throwback, what’s so new about this latest crop? Guest: Takeaway contributor Mary Elizabeth Williams