Sonic Youth

A round-up of five very different albums from 2011 worth giving and keeping, including the latest from Drake, Wild Flag, and more

Criminal Record

Israeli singer Shmulik Kraus wrote a classic of psychedelic rock while sitting in a jail cell in the 1970s. His album deserves another listen.

No Mr. Nice Guy

Elizabeth Wurtzel wishes Lou Reed a happy 69th birthday and explains that contrary to the assertions of Philip Roth and others, the problem with Jewish male artists is not that they are too nice

Proving Their Metal

Thirty years ago, two Jewish kids from Toronto swore they’d never stop rockin’. They never did.

Bringing Back the Sexy

Annette Ezekiel Kogan tells all about punk-klezmer band Golem’s latest album

Space Time Continuum

Music that borrows from different eras, people, and places

Rock and a Hard Place

Sex, drugs, and . . . the Holocaust?

Behind the Music

Reconsidering Bill Graham, the war refugee turned Summer of Love impresario who forever changed concertgoing

Blues Brother

With a little self-invention and a lot of talent, Doc Pomus left his mark on rock ‘n’ roll