Guardian Music — A blues-rap gem that shows this ZZ is topZZ Ward refers to her sound – a bluesy take on hip-hop – as "dirty shine", likening it to "backyard sauce that's so pure but so hard to swallow". Raised on a musical diet of Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — Fanfarlo @ Glasslands in 2011 (more by Amanda Hatfield) today in NYC * Charlene Kaye @ S.O.B.'s * Steve Reich @ BAM * Robert Johnson @ 100 @ Apollo * Slavic Soul Party @ Barbes * Paul Kelly @ Rockwood... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — today in NYC * Whiplash @ UCB * naked people @ UCB * Hot Tub @ Littlefield * Swingadelic @ Maxwell's * Bjork @ Roseland Ballroom * Daytona, Fenster @ Cake Shop * Robert Johnson @ City Winery *... more info

Guardian Music — US president's refrain of Sweet Home Chicago reveals a confident voice, albeit a little awkward and straining on the high notesThere's nothing new in Democratic presidents taking to the stage. So it should come as no surprise that Barack Obama succum... more info

Guardian Music — Expert on 17th-century English musicThe musicologist Ian Spink's studies of English 17th-century music, from both before and after the civil war, particularly of song and church music, greatly enhanced our understanding of this period. Ian, who has ... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — The Roots on the Intrepid (more by Dominick Mastrangelo) The Roots and "special surprise guests" will celebrate the holdays at their 5th Annual Okayplayer Holiday Jam, which goes down at Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday (12/15), followed by the usual Questl... more info

Guardian Music — In our latest visit to the archives of Rock's Backpages – the world's leading collection of vintage music journalism – we commemorate the passing of Hubert Sumlin, Howlin' Wolf's guitarist for nearly 20 years and an immeasurable influence on Eric... more info

Guardian Music — The cult cartoonist's artwork for various artists has a vividness and oomph that is almost like music in itself'Yeah I'll do your album cover, but the only thing is, when I meet Janis, I want to be able to pinch her tit." It was not perhaps the most ... more info

Stereogum — EMA has pretty impeccable taste in covers: Robert Johnson, Danzig, Nirvana, “Crimson And Clover.” And on her recent covers, she’s been making like Ethan Hawke in Reality Bites and covering the Violent Femmes’ deathless sexual-frustration anth... more info

Guardian Music — This Pittsburgh prodigy drags old music into the present with fantastical take on gospel and the bluesHometown: Pittsburgh.The lineup: Chris Laufman (vocals, music).The background: On Thursday we were slightly aggrieved by the way Cold Specks took ol... more info