Guardian Music — As a new book about the history of protest songs is released, we look at the past, present and future of the genre. Why isn't Chris Martin protesting against the cuts in song? We find that despite arguments that protest songs are still being written,... more info

Guardian Music — Billie Holiday's 1939 song about racist lynchings stunned audiences and redefined popular music. In an extract from 33 Revolutions Per Minute, his history of protest songs, Dorian Lynskey explores the chilling power of Strange FruitIt is a clear, fre... more info

Aquarium Drunkard — This shit just works on so many levels. Like most everything Nina Simone chose to cover throughout her career, this, her incredibly funky take of Aretha Franklin’s “Save Me,” adds a muscularity to Aretha’s already powerful performance. No one... more info

Guardian Music — How hypnosis, Debussy and Edith Piaf influenced one of 2011's great hopesHyptnotised by the new goth"I developed as a guitarist by trying to make my guitar sound like other instruments," says Anna Calvi, the gothically inclined singer-songwriter who ... more info

Guardian Music — US photographer and film-maker who chronicled the heyday of folk and jazzGeorge Pickow, who has died aged 88, was a photographer and film-maker whose images were used on many album covers in the US – jazz, folk and pop – and who made a significa... more info

Totally Fuzzy — W said... THE TEMPTATIONS - A Cappella (1965-1972) Never released on CD. 15 classic tracks, stripped of all instrumentation, so all you hear are the voives of The Temps. Listen Before You Download * REDUX http://ngootbredux.blogspot.com Thanks Fuzzy ... more info

Guardian Music — In the last RR top appear in the paper, we return to the subject of the first column – changeSo here we are: the last ever Readers Recommend newspaper column. In tribute to the move over RR's new home at Guardian.co.uk/music, this week we have revi... more info

Guardian Music — Was it cerebral hip-hop? Freaked-out funk? Or an updated Innervisions? There is no point trying to pigeonhole the Guardian's favourite album of 2010 – just sit back and enjoySome years the most celebrated albums are perfect jewels whose brilliance ... more info

Pop Crunch — -Stalkers, stampedes, and broken noses: All in the price of being a sex symbol. Just ask Usher.. -Thora Birch is out of a job… -”Biblically-correct” former beauty queen Carrie Prejean is having a baby boy…. -Mary J. Blige is learning French f... more info

Guardian Music — A tough crowd at the Bifas, why Airplane II should have been an entirely different movie, and avoiding the wrath of Nina SimoneCheer up, it's an awards ceremonyMartin Freeman hops off to New Zealand in January to play Bilbo Baggins. He was at the Bi... more info