Ken Tucker
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.
Tucker is the author of Scarface Nation: The Ultimate Gangster Movie and Kissing Bill O'Reilly, Roasting Miss Piggy: 100 Things to Love and Hate About Television.
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Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles are a Boston-area quartet raised on punk rock and country music. Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews their new album, The Stars Are Out.
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A concept album about fuel-efficient cars may not sounds like the most promising idea for lively music, but that's what Neil Young has done with his new collection of songs. Ken Tucker reviews Fork in the Road.
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Ken Tucker reviews Erin McCarley's new album, Love, Save The Empty, and considers the changing economics of pop music.
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Music critic Ken Tucker reviews Fearless the second studio album by country-music singer/songwriter Taylor Swift. It debuted as number one on Billbaord's Top Country Music Albums.
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Raphael Saadiq, the lead vocalist in the late-1980s R&B band Tony! Toni! Tone!, has emerged as solo artist with his new album The Way I See It. Rock critic Ken Tucker has a review.
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Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the guitarist and singer's new album, The Blues Rolls On. Released in early September, the disc includes collaborations with B.B. King, George Thorogood, James Cotton and more.
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Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the self-titled debut album from the band Vampire Weekend. The quartet has drawn praise — and pointed criticism — for its hooky, globally influenced pop.
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Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the New York City rock group The Magnetic Fields' eighth album, Distortion. Front man and producer Stephin Merrit uses feedback between instruments to create distorted white noise — hence the album's title.
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With 13 days still to go, some listeners might be crying "Enough!" (already) when the carols play. Fresh Air's resident rock critic offers up two Christmas albums that might help make the holiday chestnuts seem fresh again.
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Fresh Air's rock critic reviews Is It News, the new album from Texas blues musician Doyle Bramhall. The singer, songwriter and drummer has played in his own band, the Chessmen, and in Stevie Ray Vaughan's band.