Louder: How to Handle the Hate in America’s Musical Heritage

October 16, 2020

By Caryn Ganz

Pop Music Editor

For 16 years, the archival label Dust-to-Digital’s founders worked on a companion to Harry Smith’s landmark “Anthology of American Folk Music,” which included singles released between 1926 and 1934. They were done with their set, “The Harry Smith B-Sides,” when they listened with fresh ears and realized they would be releasing three racist songs. Deciding what to do with them sparked questions, including a biggie: Was the purpose of their project historical accuracy or entertainment? Grayson Haver Currin writes about their choice.

Lindsay Zoladz dug into “Wildflowers & All the Rest,” a new collection that charts the writing and recording of Tom Petty’s 1994 solo album and reveals much about his songwriting process and mind-set at the time. Julie Bloom talked to David Byrne and Spike Lee about the making of the filmed version of the musician’s fantastic stage show. Jon Pareles got a rare interview with the electronic duo Autechre. And the Culture desk put together a huge package about the 50th anniversary of PBS that made me revisit Melena Ryzik’s amazing “Sesame Street” and music piece.

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How to Handle the Hate in America’s Musical Heritage

A companion to the “Anthology of American Folk Music” had already been pressed when Lance and April Ledbetter realized they couldn’t live with releasing racist songs.

By Grayson Haver Currin

THE CRITICS

Ron Bull/Toronto Star, via Getty Images

Critic’s Notebook

The Raw Roots of Tom Petty’s ‘Wildflowers,’ Revealed at Last

A deluxe edition of his blockbuster 1994 solo album spotlights the musician’s creative process, and the mind-set of a man at a crossroads.

By Lindsay Zoladz

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The Playlist

Stevie Wonder Demands Justice, and 12 More New Songs

Hear tracks by Demi Lovato, Lana Del Rey, Kristeen Young featuring David Bowie and others.

By Jon Pareles, Giovanni Russonello and Lindsay Zoladz

PROFILES

Open Mike Eagle Turned a Very Bad Year Into a Very Honest Album

The 39-year-old indie rapper’s therapist told him, “Write your feelings.” So he did, on the new LP “Anime, Trauma and Divorce.”

By David Peisner

Autechre Worked in Isolation for Decades. Now It’s Unintentionally Timely.

In a rare interview, the British duo discuss the making of “SIGN” and infusing electronic music with a full spectrum of emotions.

By Jon Pareles

Sharing an Intimate Musical Vision

Sarah Hennies’s highly personal explorations of “queer and trans identity, love, intimacy and psychoacoustics” are increasingly played by others.

By Steve Smith

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When David Byrne Got Together With Spike Lee

The creative forces behind the new movie “American Utopia” were in search of a sense of connection and community even before the pandemic.

By Julie Bloom

David Lee/HBO

Critic’s Pick

‘David Byrne’s American Utopia’ Review: Opening a Wide, Wonderful World

Spike Lee joins forces with David Byrne for a joyous concert movie that rocks and delights, sending you high and then higher.

By Manohla Dargis

TV & ARCHITECTURE

Paul Child/Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University

Why We Turned to PBS: 50 Reasons Over 50 Years

Over the past five decades, we have invited Monty Python, Julia Child, Barney, William F. Buckley Jr. and Carl Sagan into our living rooms. Sound eclectic? It’s called the Public Broadcasting Service.

Getty Images and The New York Times

Critic’s Notebook

The East Village, Home of Punks and Poets: Here’s a Tour

Luc Sante, author of “Low Life,” chats about the neighborhood’s history, including CBGB, Warhol’s Electric Circus and the Tompkins Square Park riots.

By Michael Kimmelman

NEWS

The Concerts Were Canceled Months Ago. So Where Are the Refunds?

As fans await money for called-off shows at the Nassau Coliseum, officials say they are the responsibility of the company run by a Russian oligarch who had operated the venue.

By Ben Sisario

‘Jagged Little Pill’ and ‘Slave Play’ Lead 2020 Tony Nominations

In a Broadway season cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, jukebox musicals and plays about race are recognized.

By Michael Paulson

BTS Management’s Stock Has a Lively First Day of Trading

Shares in Big Hit, the company behind the K-pop phenomenon, opened at more than double the offering price, then jumped 30 percent in early trading before finishing down on the day.

By Ben Dooley

BTS’s Loyal Army of Fans Is the Secret Weapon Behind a $4 Billion Valuation

What investors are really paying for is not necessarily the K-pop group or its management company, but its huge, highly connected ecosystem of followers.

By Ben Dooley and Su-Hyun Lee