Ken Tucker

Critic Ken Tucker says you don't have to know anything about Van Etten to find her new album striking and impressive: It's the sound of a woman redefining herself, on terms that are totally her own.

For both Crowell and the Monkees, Christmas is a time to draw up a gratitude list and put the year in perspective. The results aren't always jolly, but they're certainly sincere and passionate.

Though he's widely considered one of the best country-music artists of all time, Frizzell's music is not well known or widely heard today. Ken Tucker says An Article From Life aims to correct that.