Robert Christgau's weekly newsletter offers his music criticism through monthly Consumer Guide columns with brief graded album reviews, plus reader-question columns called Xgau Sez covering music history, books and the Village Voice. Readers get sharp, opinionated, compact judgments from a veteran critic writing about old age and politics as well.
Website: https://robertchristgau.substack.com
Greil Marcus publishes a recurring Real Life Rock Top 10 of music, video and cultural oddities, plus an Ask Greil column answering reader questions about music and culture. Each issue is a personal, essayistic take on concerts, songs and found objects.
Hanif Kureishi writes from his hospital bed and recovery, mixing memoir of 1970s suburban youth with reflections on writing, music, and the people caring for him. The issues offer personal essays with vivid anecdotes and a reflective, literary voice.
Michael Angelo's newsletter reviews DJ mixes and sets in roundups, with close listening notes on specific timestamps, tracklists and time slots. It also republishes older music journalism, such as a piece on the 2016 Prince tribute concert.
Mikal Gilmore's reader-supported Substack series revisits his long-form interviews and essays about musicians and writers, currently covering Anne Rice and Leonard Cohen. Readers get literary-musical portraits built on Gilmore's reporting, personal reflection and close reading of the work.
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