David Byrne Took Us Home Where 'Life During Wartime' Is Bleak, But Coachella Set Offered Hope David Byrne reflected on the state of the world through themes of love and our shared humanity at Coachella on Saturday.

A link courtesy of my daughter Nina alerted me to David Byrne's all too timely and relevant Coachella version of "Life During Wartime." www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Consumer Guide: April, 2026 Reviews of Sky Smeed, Willie Nelson, Robyn, Allo Darlin', De La Soul, The Delines, Dorisburg, Gurf Morlix, Van Morrison, Bill Orcutt, Jefferson Ross, Twisted Teens, and Vaiano’s Paisanos.

Willie Nelson singing Merle Haggard as good as Merle himself. Robyn's experimental glow-up at 46. De La Soul honoring Trugoy the Dove. And a Kansan who'll "work for food and beg for sex.” All this and more in the new Consumer Guide on Substack.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...

Consumer Guide: April, 2026 Reviews of Sky Smeed, Willie Nelson, Robyn, Allo Darlin', De La Soul, The Delines, Dorisburg, Gurf Morlix, Van Morrison, Bill Orcutt, Jefferson Ross, Twisted Teens, and Vaiano’s Paisanos.

Willie Nelson singing Merle Haggard as good as Merle himself. Robyn's experimental glow-up at 46. De La Soul honoring Trugoy the Dove. And a Kansan who'll "work for food and beg for sex.” All this and more in the new Consumer Guide on Substack.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...

Consumer Guide: April, 2026 Reviews of Sky Smeed, Willie Nelson, Robyn, Allo Darlin', De La Soul, The Delines, Dorisburg, Gurf Morlix, Van Morrison, Bill Orcutt, Jefferson Ross, Twisted Teens, and Vaiano’s Paisanos.

Belatedly, I know--I'm pleading hospitalization for the delay--there's a new Consumer Guide up at my And It Don't Stop Substack. open.substack.com/pub/robertch...

just saw this movie. one of the cutest couples i’ve ever seen. xgau is truly a legend.

Film Comment Notes from the premiere of the documentary "The Last Critic" at SXSW

Just spent an enjoyable half a week in Austin at SXSW, where the big attraction for moi was for the first time ever moi: that is, a documentary film called The Last Critic starring me and my favorite person in the world, initials CD.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/film-comment

Yay. Can't wait to see this!

A Documentary about Robert Christgau The official website for "The Last Critic," a documentary about Robert Christgau, the most beloved and most loathed of all music critics, who is still grading new albums in his Consumer Guide at age 8...

Upcoming screenings at Big Ears and the Wisconsin Film Festival, with more to come.
www.thelastcriticfilm.com

Robert Christgau and Carola Dibbell at the premiere of the documentary "The Last Critic."

Robert Christgau and Carola Dibbell at the premiere of the documentary "The Last Critic."

Carola and I at SXSW, where the music & socializing were great but the main attraction was The Last Critic, a feature-length doc directed by Matty Wishnow whose subject was none other than rock critic Robert Christgau—with serious minutes for his longtime advisor Carola Dibbell. Fun, fun, fun.

Robert Christgau and Carola Dibbell at the premiere of the documentary "The Last Critic."

Robert Christgau and Carola Dibbell at the premiere of the documentary "The Last Critic."

Carola and I at SXSW, where the music & socializing were great but the main attraction was The Last Critic, a feature-length doc directed by Matty Wishnow whose subject was none other than rock critic Robert Christgau—with serious minutes for his longtime advisor Carola Dibbell. Fun, fun, fun.

Xgau Sez: March, 2026 Growing up pop, band dreams vs. critical practice, The Only Ones on record and in print, Yankee Hotel Mea Culpa, the Tallahatchie Bridge not taken, and sixteen live ones.

In this month’s Xgau Sez on Substack: Growing up pop, band dreams vs. critical practice, The Only Ones on record and in print, Yankee Hotel Mea Culpa, the Tallahatchie Bridge not taken, and sixteen live ones.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-m...

Xgau Sez: March, 2026 Growing up pop, band dreams vs. critical practice, The Only Ones on record and in print, Yankee Hotel Mea Culpa, the Tallahatchie Bridge not taken, and sixteen live ones.

In case you missed it it's my self-promoting privilege to note the new Xgau Sez out there. And while I'm at the mic, let me also announce that Carola and I will be appearing IN PERSON at SXSW, where the Xgau biopic The Last Critic will also be featured. robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-m...

Xgau Sez: March, 2026 Growing up pop, band dreams vs. critical practice, The Only Ones on record and in print, Yankee Hotel Mea Culpa, the Tallahatchie Bridge not taken, and sixteen live ones.

In this month’s Xgau Sez on Substack: Growing up pop, band dreams vs. critical practice, The Only Ones on record and in print, Yankee Hotel Mea Culpa, the Tallahatchie Bridge not taken, and sixteen live ones.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-m...

Consumer Guide: March, 2026 At the top: Aesop Rock, Buck 65, Masaka Kids Africana, and The Paranoid Style. Plus: The Cucumbers, Gogol Bordello, Madonna, Charli XCX, and Abdallah Oumbadougou's desert blues.

The latest Consumer Guide at And It Don't Stop on Substack, with reviews of Aesop Rock, Buck 65, Masaka Kids Africana, The Paranoid Style, The Cucumbers, Gogol Bordello, Madonna, Charli XCX, Abdallah Oumbadougou's desert blues, and more.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...

Consumer Guide: March, 2026 At the top: Aesop Rock, Buck 65, Masaka Kids Africana, and The Paranoid Style. Plus: The Cucumbers, Gogol Bordello, Madonna, Charli XCX, and Abdallah Oumbadougou's desert blues.

When I began writing songs, it was outside the limits of my imagination that I'd ever get an A grade from Robert Christgau for any of my records. Today's Consumer Guide marks five full A's in a row for the Paranoid Style. Sharp as ever. I couldn't be more grateful.
open.substack.com/pub/robertch...

Consumer Guide: March, 2026 At the top: Aesop Rock, Buck 65, Masaka Kids Africana, and The Paranoid Style. Plus: The Cucumbers, Gogol Bordello, Madonna, Charli XCX, and Abdallah Oumbadougou's desert blues.

The latest Consumer Guide at And It Don't Stop on Substack, with reviews of Aesop Rock, Buck 65, Masaka Kids Africana, The Paranoid Style, The Cucumbers, Gogol Bordello, Madonna, Charli XCX, Abdallah Oumbadougou's desert blues, and more.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...

Xgau Sez: February, 2026 Some health notes, Bird: still lives, the live Dead, the A shelves explained, reissues not reevaluated, and some faves.

Bird lives, the Dead come alive, and Xgau Sez is back—all this and more at And It Don't Stop.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-f...

Xgau Sez: February, 2026 Some health notes, Bird: still lives, the live Dead, the A shelves explained, reissues not reevaluated, and some faves.

Bird lives, the Dead come alive, and Xgau Sez is back—all this and more at And It Don't Stop.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-f...

Consumer Guide: February, 2026 One of the great interpretive singers of our epoch takes on Lou Reed, abstract and impressive amapiano, the most explicitly leftist album in far too long, and a reliable Nashvillian with 11 winners

Thomas Anderson, Armand Hammer, Zach Bryan, Dry Cleaning, Al Green, Husker Du, Nandipha808, Grant Peeples, and Tommy Womack all get the full treatment at the latest Consumer Guide at my And It Don't Stop Substack robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...

Consisently reliable product that, as they say, that I'll be looking for. Keep it up. You're needed.

Consumer Guide: February, 2026 One of the great interpretive singers of our epoch takes on Lou Reed, abstract and impressive amapiano, the most explicitly leftist album in far too long, and a reliable Nashvillian with 11 winners

Thomas Anderson, Armand Hammer, Zach Bryan, Dry Cleaning, Al Green, Husker Du, Nandipha808, Grant Peeples, and Tommy Womack all get the full treatment at the latest Consumer Guide at my And It Don't Stop Substack robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...

Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Audio) YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen

As I hope you already know, there's a new Springsteen song called "Streets of Minneapolis." I'm going on my fifth listen myself. If it's your first, you may well be saddened but you won't be sorry.

youtu.be/wWKSoxG1K7w?...

A Documentary about Robert Christgau The official website for "The Last Critic," a documentary about Robert Christgau, the most beloved and most loathed of all music critics, who is still grading new albums in his Consumer Guide at age 8...

As the kids say, some news:
www.thelastcriticfilm.com

A rave review not about an album praises the Langone emergency room at 30th Street, which beset by 80-something urinary difficulties I dared visit on a mobbed Saturday night, where many cordial, gifted, efficient MDs spent hours fixing me up. Home around 230, slept well all night. Thanks so much.

Xgau Sez: December, 2025 Favorite instruments, Xgau at the radar station, classical colleagues, Phish still fishy, heavy reading, and wanker's delight.

FKA Twigs vs. Madonna, Phish as feh, hail to Joe Boyd, editing classical, and wanking is better than nothing in the Xmas 2025 Xgau Sez robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-d...

Xgau Sez: December, 2025 Favorite instruments, Xgau at the radar station, classical colleagues, Phish still fishy, heavy reading, and wanker's delight.

FKA Twigs vs. Madonna, Phish as feh, hail to Joe Boyd, editing classical, and wanking is better than nothing in the Xmas 2025 Xgau Sez robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-d...

Consumer Guide: December, 2025 Detailed and complicated songs of martial strife, super rhyming over a panopoly of speedy beats, an A+ Thelonius Monk compilation, and an ancient Ugandan instrument provides brand new kicks.

I admit it—the big kahuna in the Xmas 2025 edition of the Consumer Guide came out circa 1990. So don't put off a quick read.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...

Several readers have written wondering how they might perhaps obtain the new Moby Grape album I just Consumer Guided with the band's Facebook page I recommended insufficient. I hope Alice Langdon, who suggested this path, won't mind if I provide her email address: Laluna43@hotmail.com

Consumer Guide: December, 2025 Detailed and complicated songs of martial strife, super rhyming over a panopoly of speedy beats, an A+ Thelonius Monk compilation, and an ancient Ugandan instrument provides brand new kicks.

I admit it—the big kahuna in the Xmas 2025 edition of the Consumer Guide came out circa 1990. So don't put off a quick read.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...

Xgau Sez: November, 2025 What's in a name, live vs. recorded, tuneful vs. melodic, Pulnoc at P.S. 122, a lost Clash cassette, and a half-century-plus of delightful rhetoric.

A curious Christgau, a futile cassette dig, live versus recorded, tuneful versus melodic, remembering Pulnoc, and the lineaments of delight are all addressed in the Thanksgiving edition of Xgau Sez at my irrepressible Substack And It Don't Stop. robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-n...