Caryn Rose
I dig music.
My main beat is classic rock / punk / new wave / 60s-90s. I've written books on Bruce Springsteen, baseball, and travel, as well as two novels. caryn dot rose at gmail.
PROJECTS
Pitchfork
18 New Music Books to Read This Summer
Whether you’re lounging in a beach chair, perched under a tree, or taking refuge next to a blasting air conditioner, the summer months offer many opportunities to sit back and read for hours on end. In that spirit, here are some of our favorite recent or soon-to-be-released music books, ranging from expert surveys of jazz and grime to fiction inspired by the sci-fi fabulousness of glam rock.
One night in 2007, an MC clash on UK radio captured two grime factions at war. In one corner was Ghett...
pollstar
U2 Rises To The Challenge Of Playing Live At The Apollo: Review
Angels of Harlem: U2 rock The Apollo Theater on June 11, 2018 in New York City as part of a SiriusXM private concert event.
Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater has always inspired the best from those brave enough to step out under her footlights. No matter how big you are, the reputation of this historic room opened in 1913 precedes you. None of this vanishes just because a corporate concern — Sirius XM Radio — hosts what is in effect a promotional event with one of the largest bands on the pla...
Pitchfork
The Story of Girl Groups in 45 Songs
As the old joke goes, Fred Astaire was a great dancer, but Ginger Rogers did everything he did—backwards and in high heels. Similarly, when it comes to pop music, women have often had to fight twice as hard and be twice as savvy as men to triumph in an industry eager to minimize them.
This is especially clear in the history of girl groups, which has offered a reflection of women’s evolving autonomy in America across the last 60 years. Borne of the late-’50s doo-wop scene, with a smattering of...
Salon
U2 isn’t radical now: On tour, Bono calls for justice too softly — and safely — for 2018
U2 have just completed the U.S. leg of their Experience + Innocence Tour, which was an ambitious, inspirational performance piece which also suffered from U2’s usual habit of trying to do too much with a rock and roll show. This tendency is both the best and worst thing about them, simultaneously: At this point in their career, they could walk out onstage and play any one of their greatest hits albums from start to finish and they’d still sell out stadiums all over the planet. The fact that t...
Vulture
All 218 U2 Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best
On the occasion of the release of U2’s 14th studio album, Songs of Experience, it is worth noting how remarkable it actually is that this band has remained a going concern for over 40 years, since Larry Mullen Jr. put up a notice at Mount Temple Comprehensive School: “Drummer seeks musicians to form band.”
Vulture
All 314 Bruce Springsteen Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best
In 1974, a random phrase popped into Bruce Springsteen’s head as he was writing, one that seemed to match the music he was hearing in his mind. It took Springsteen six months to turn that phrase, “Born to Run,” into a song, and it was a watershed moment for his work: the first time he wrote a song with the studio in mind rather than how it would sound onstage.
consequenceofsound.net
Live Review: Bruce Springsteen on Broadway
Springsteen on Broadway isn’t an evening of brisk, cheerful anecdotes interspersed with lively versions of your favorite songs. Instead, it offers a sequence of interconnected vignettes that Bruce Springsteen has chosen to represent the story of his life as an artist, which provides a clear dramatic arc.
Pitchfork
Patti Smith Group: Easter Album Review | Pitchfork
Easter embraces and rebukes rock’n’roll. It’s a love letter and a break-up letter all in one, the album that brought Patti Smith fame, the rebirth of her career, and her most controversial song.
consequenceofsound.net
Primavera Sound 2017 Festival Review: From Worst to Best ...
Arcade Fire, Japandroids, and Angel Olsen soothe the wounds left by Frank Ocean
Salon
In Trump's country: U2 takes “Joshua Tree” politics back on the road ...
30 years after their blisteringly political album and tour, U2 opts for subtle anti-Trump imagery over big speeches
Variety
Chris Cornell: Watch 12 Incredible Performances From Across His Career | Variety
Chris Cornell was a galvanizing singer, whether solo, with Soundgarden or Temple of the Dog or Audioslave, or on any of his many guest appearances. The albums and songs were great, but they pale compared to the spectacle of his live performance.
Pitchfork
Chris Cornell’s Greatest Vocal Performances
Chris Cornell, who died unexpectedly yesterday at the age of 52, had a voice bigger than any one band.
MTV
The Complicated Truth About Chuck Berry - MTV
How I figured out a way to love his music in spite of his often-unsavory story
watt.cashmusic.org
Crowdfunding For Your Sick Guitarist The Smart Way
Sixty percent of bankruptcies in the U.S. are the result of medical debt. Caryn Rose speaks to nonprofit Sweet Relief on how they help musicians try to avoid that fate.
Salon
“Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll” offers a candid Insight into Chuck Berry
Keith Richards worked like a dog to get Chuck Berry's 60th-birthday concert right and Berry treated him like one