Tom Moon
Tom Moon has been writing about pop, rock, jazz, blues, hip-hop and the music of the world since 1983.
He is the author of the New York Times bestseller 1000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die (Workman Publishing), and a contributor to other books including The Final Four of Everything.
A saxophonist whose professional credits include stints on cruise ships and several tours with the Maynard Ferguson orchestra, Moon served as music critic at the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1988 until 2004. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GQ, Blender, Spin, Vibe, Harp and other publications, and has won several awards, including two ASCAP-Deems Taylor Music Journalism awards. He has contributed to NPR's All Things Considered since 1996.
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The past is always present — but with a practically endless selection of music to choose from via the web, it's nice when some of the world's best record labels help excavate it for us.
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Beloved, but gone — when it comes to our favorite artists, the assumption is that more is always better. But what effect do these patchworked releases have on their legacies?
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Before Nat King Cole became known for his velvety singing voice, he was a pianist working nightly gigs to hone his craft.
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Musicians on the Queens of the Stone Age frontman-led album include ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and Primus' Les Claypool.
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It's not easy to see that history is being made when it's happening right in front of you — just ask the critics tasked with assessing these classic, ahead-of-their-time recordings.
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The 1960s rock icon, who was also an accomplished jazz musician and performed with Fela Kuti, died Sunday morning.
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Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes has released her first solo album, Jaime, in honor of her sister who died from cancer as a teenager. The album that began as a way to heal is also a call to action.
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Joan Shelley's songs have the sturdy, classic construction of folk tunes. But even when the tone is serene, there's a distinctly modern restlessness lurking below the surface.
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Tool, the enigmatic and influential, progressive hard rock band has its first album since 2006. The band's new album Fear Inoculum was worth the 13-year wait.
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Justin Vernon shares thoughts on identity and devotion to higher ideals in ways that reflect (and sometimes even celebrate) deep engagement with the outside world.