Robert Christgau
@rxgau.bsky.social
Rock critic since 1967, ain't stopping now. Consumer Guide reborn at robertchristgau.substack.com.
Some upcoming film festival screenings of “The Last Critic,” with more to come in Portland OR, Philadelphia, Wichita and—whadya know!—NYC.
Middlebury, VT / Town Hall Theatre / August 29th
Dallas, TX / Texas Theatre / September 3rd
Park City, UT / Jim Santy Auditorium / October 25th
Middlebury, VT / Town Hall Theatre / August 29th
Dallas, TX / Texas Theatre / September 3rd
Park City, UT / Jim Santy Auditorium / October 25th
A Documentary about Robert Christgau
The official website for "The Last Critic," a documentary about Robert Christgau, the most beloved and most loathed of all music critics, who is still grading new albums in his Consumer Guide at age 8...
www.thelastcriticfilm.com
August 27, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Some upcoming film festival screenings of “The Last Critic,” with more to come in Portland OR, Philadelphia, Wichita and—whadya know!—NYC.
Middlebury, VT / Town Hall Theatre / August 29th
Dallas, TX / Texas Theatre / September 3rd
Park City, UT / Jim Santy Auditorium / October 25th
Middlebury, VT / Town Hall Theatre / August 29th
Dallas, TX / Texas Theatre / September 3rd
Park City, UT / Jim Santy Auditorium / October 25th
Reposted by Robert Christgau
Two albums from octogenarians (one of them an A Plus), two protest albums (though that A Plus also qualifies), a surf-guitar exploration of the music of John Zorn—all this and more in the August Consumer Guide.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
Consumer Guide: August, 2026
Reviews of Emperor X, Margo Price, Neil Young, Low Cut Connie, R.A.P. Ferreira, Lalu, Mary Lee’s Corvette, Paul McCartney, Glenn Morrow, Hemlocke Springs, Tipps and Obermiller, and more.
robertchristgau.substack.com
August 17, 2026 at 4:18 PM
Two albums from octogenarians (one of them an A Plus), two protest albums (though that A Plus also qualifies), a surf-guitar exploration of the music of John Zorn—all this and more in the August Consumer Guide.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
Two albums from octogenarians (one of them an A Plus), two protest albums (though that A Plus also qualifies), a surf-guitar exploration of the music of John Zorn—all this and more in the August Consumer Guide.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
Consumer Guide: August, 2026
Reviews of Emperor X, Margo Price, Neil Young, Low Cut Connie, R.A.P. Ferreira, Lalu, Mary Lee’s Corvette, Paul McCartney, Glenn Morrow, Hemlocke Springs, Tipps and Obermiller, and more.
robertchristgau.substack.com
August 17, 2026 at 4:18 PM
Two albums from octogenarians (one of them an A Plus), two protest albums (though that A Plus also qualifies), a surf-guitar exploration of the music of John Zorn—all this and more in the August Consumer Guide.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
So (film critic) Rex Reed just died, two-three years my senior. Before we get bent out of shape in sorrow, let the record show that Reed once opined in re Aretha Franklin: "Probably the worst ballad singer I've ever heard."
May 14, 2026 at 2:27 PM
So (film critic) Rex Reed just died, two-three years my senior. Before we get bent out of shape in sorrow, let the record show that Reed once opined in re Aretha Franklin: "Probably the worst ballad singer I've ever heard."
Reposted by Robert Christgau
Belatedly, I know—I just turned 84, did some hospital time, give me a break—the 2025 Dean's List is finally up at my Substack. If you can honestly say you knew what my #1 would be I will donate to the charity of your choice. I sure didn't until I put my ears to it
open.substack.com/pub/robertch...
open.substack.com/pub/robertch...
Dean's List: 2025
The 61 best albums of last year (or so)
open.substack.com
May 7, 2026 at 6:22 PM
Belatedly, I know—I just turned 84, did some hospital time, give me a break—the 2025 Dean's List is finally up at my Substack. If you can honestly say you knew what my #1 would be I will donate to the charity of your choice. I sure didn't until I put my ears to it
open.substack.com/pub/robertch...
open.substack.com/pub/robertch...
Belatedly, I know—I just turned 84, did some hospital time, give me a break—the 2025 Dean's List is finally up at my Substack. If you can honestly say you knew what my #1 would be I will donate to the charity of your choice. I sure didn't until I put my ears to it
open.substack.com/pub/robertch...
open.substack.com/pub/robertch...
Dean's List: 2025
The 61 best albums of last year (or so)
open.substack.com
May 7, 2026 at 6:22 PM
Belatedly, I know—I just turned 84, did some hospital time, give me a break—the 2025 Dean's List is finally up at my Substack. If you can honestly say you knew what my #1 would be I will donate to the charity of your choice. I sure didn't until I put my ears to it
open.substack.com/pub/robertch...
open.substack.com/pub/robertch...
A link courtesy of my daughter Nina alerted me to David Byrne's all too timely and relevant Coachella version of "Life During Wartime." www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
David Byrne Took Us Home Where 'Life During Wartime' Is Bleak, But Coachella Set Offered Hope
David Byrne reflected on the state of the world through themes of love and our shared humanity at Coachella on Saturday.
www.rollingstone.com
April 14, 2026 at 5:43 PM
A link courtesy of my daughter Nina alerted me to David Byrne's all too timely and relevant Coachella version of "Life During Wartime." www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
Reposted by Robert Christgau
Willie Nelson singing Merle Haggard as good as Merle himself. Robyn's experimental glow-up at 46. De La Soul honoring Trugoy the Dove. And a Kansan who'll "work for food and beg for sex.” All this and more in the new Consumer Guide on Substack.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
Consumer Guide: April, 2026
Reviews of Sky Smeed, Willie Nelson, Robyn, Allo Darlin', De La Soul, The Delines, Dorisburg, Gurf Morlix, Van Morrison, Bill Orcutt, Jefferson Ross, Twisted Teens, and Vaiano’s Paisanos.
robertchristgau.substack.com
April 10, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Willie Nelson singing Merle Haggard as good as Merle himself. Robyn's experimental glow-up at 46. De La Soul honoring Trugoy the Dove. And a Kansan who'll "work for food and beg for sex.” All this and more in the new Consumer Guide on Substack.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
Willie Nelson singing Merle Haggard as good as Merle himself. Robyn's experimental glow-up at 46. De La Soul honoring Trugoy the Dove. And a Kansan who'll "work for food and beg for sex.” All this and more in the new Consumer Guide on Substack.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
Consumer Guide: April, 2026
Reviews of Sky Smeed, Willie Nelson, Robyn, Allo Darlin', De La Soul, The Delines, Dorisburg, Gurf Morlix, Van Morrison, Bill Orcutt, Jefferson Ross, Twisted Teens, and Vaiano’s Paisanos.
robertchristgau.substack.com
April 10, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Willie Nelson singing Merle Haggard as good as Merle himself. Robyn's experimental glow-up at 46. De La Soul honoring Trugoy the Dove. And a Kansan who'll "work for food and beg for sex.” All this and more in the new Consumer Guide on Substack.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
Belatedly, I know--I'm pleading hospitalization for the delay--there's a new Consumer Guide up at my And It Don't Stop Substack. open.substack.com/pub/robertch...
Consumer Guide: April, 2026
Reviews of Sky Smeed, Willie Nelson, Robyn, Allo Darlin', De La Soul, The Delines, Dorisburg, Gurf Morlix, Van Morrison, Bill Orcutt, Jefferson Ross, Twisted Teens, and Vaiano’s Paisanos.
open.substack.com
April 8, 2026 at 10:41 PM
Belatedly, I know--I'm pleading hospitalization for the delay--there's a new Consumer Guide up at my And It Don't Stop Substack. open.substack.com/pub/robertch...
Reposted by Robert Christgau
just saw this movie. one of the cutest couples i’ve ever seen. xgau is truly a legend.
Carola and I at SXSW, where the music & socializing were great but the main attraction was The Last Critic, a feature-length doc directed by Matty Wishnow whose subject was none other than rock critic Robert Christgau—with serious minutes for his longtime advisor Carola Dibbell. Fun, fun, fun.
March 18, 2026 at 5:46 PM
just saw this movie. one of the cutest couples i’ve ever seen. xgau is truly a legend.
Just spent an enjoyable half a week in Austin at SXSW, where the big attraction for moi was for the first time ever moi: that is, a documentary film called The Last Critic starring me and my favorite person in the world, initials CD.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/film-comment
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/film-comment
Film Comment
Notes from the premiere of the documentary "The Last Critic" at SXSW
robertchristgau.substack.com
March 18, 2026 at 10:05 PM
Just spent an enjoyable half a week in Austin at SXSW, where the big attraction for moi was for the first time ever moi: that is, a documentary film called The Last Critic starring me and my favorite person in the world, initials CD.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/film-comment
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/film-comment
Reposted by Robert Christgau
Yay. Can't wait to see this!
Carola and I at SXSW, where the music & socializing were great but the main attraction was The Last Critic, a feature-length doc directed by Matty Wishnow whose subject was none other than rock critic Robert Christgau—with serious minutes for his longtime advisor Carola Dibbell. Fun, fun, fun.
March 15, 2026 at 2:46 PM
Yay. Can't wait to see this!
Reposted by Robert Christgau
Carola and I at SXSW, where the music & socializing were great but the main attraction was The Last Critic, a feature-length doc directed by Matty Wishnow whose subject was none other than rock critic Robert Christgau—with serious minutes for his longtime advisor Carola Dibbell. Fun, fun, fun.
March 15, 2026 at 12:23 AM
Carola and I at SXSW, where the music & socializing were great but the main attraction was The Last Critic, a feature-length doc directed by Matty Wishnow whose subject was none other than rock critic Robert Christgau—with serious minutes for his longtime advisor Carola Dibbell. Fun, fun, fun.
Carola and I at SXSW, where the music & socializing were great but the main attraction was The Last Critic, a feature-length doc directed by Matty Wishnow whose subject was none other than rock critic Robert Christgau—with serious minutes for his longtime advisor Carola Dibbell. Fun, fun, fun.
March 15, 2026 at 12:23 AM
Carola and I at SXSW, where the music & socializing were great but the main attraction was The Last Critic, a feature-length doc directed by Matty Wishnow whose subject was none other than rock critic Robert Christgau—with serious minutes for his longtime advisor Carola Dibbell. Fun, fun, fun.
Reposted by Robert Christgau
In this month’s Xgau Sez on Substack: Growing up pop, band dreams vs. critical practice, The Only Ones on record and in print, Yankee Hotel Mea Culpa, the Tallahatchie Bridge not taken, and sixteen live ones.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-m...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-m...
Xgau Sez: March, 2026
Growing up pop, band dreams vs. critical practice, The Only Ones on record and in print, Yankee Hotel Mea Culpa, the Tallahatchie Bridge not taken, and sixteen live ones.
robertchristgau.substack.com
March 11, 2026 at 3:59 PM
In this month’s Xgau Sez on Substack: Growing up pop, band dreams vs. critical practice, The Only Ones on record and in print, Yankee Hotel Mea Culpa, the Tallahatchie Bridge not taken, and sixteen live ones.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-m...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-m...
In case you missed it it's my self-promoting privilege to note the new Xgau Sez out there. And while I'm at the mic, let me also announce that Carola and I will be appearing IN PERSON at SXSW, where the Xgau biopic The Last Critic will also be featured. robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-m...
Xgau Sez: March, 2026
Growing up pop, band dreams vs. critical practice, The Only Ones on record and in print, Yankee Hotel Mea Culpa, the Tallahatchie Bridge not taken, and sixteen live ones.
robertchristgau.substack.com
March 11, 2026 at 7:31 PM
In case you missed it it's my self-promoting privilege to note the new Xgau Sez out there. And while I'm at the mic, let me also announce that Carola and I will be appearing IN PERSON at SXSW, where the Xgau biopic The Last Critic will also be featured. robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-m...
In this month’s Xgau Sez on Substack: Growing up pop, band dreams vs. critical practice, The Only Ones on record and in print, Yankee Hotel Mea Culpa, the Tallahatchie Bridge not taken, and sixteen live ones.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-m...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-m...
Xgau Sez: March, 2026
Growing up pop, band dreams vs. critical practice, The Only Ones on record and in print, Yankee Hotel Mea Culpa, the Tallahatchie Bridge not taken, and sixteen live ones.
robertchristgau.substack.com
March 11, 2026 at 3:59 PM
In this month’s Xgau Sez on Substack: Growing up pop, band dreams vs. critical practice, The Only Ones on record and in print, Yankee Hotel Mea Culpa, the Tallahatchie Bridge not taken, and sixteen live ones.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-m...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-m...
Reposted by Robert Christgau
The latest Consumer Guide at And It Don't Stop on Substack, with reviews of Aesop Rock, Buck 65, Masaka Kids Africana, The Paranoid Style, The Cucumbers, Gogol Bordello, Madonna, Charli XCX, Abdallah Oumbadougou's desert blues, and more.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
Consumer Guide: March, 2026
At the top: Aesop Rock, Buck 65, Masaka Kids Africana, and The Paranoid Style. Plus: The Cucumbers, Gogol Bordello, Madonna, Charli XCX, and Abdallah Oumbadougou's desert blues.
robertchristgau.substack.com
March 8, 2026 at 2:06 PM
The latest Consumer Guide at And It Don't Stop on Substack, with reviews of Aesop Rock, Buck 65, Masaka Kids Africana, The Paranoid Style, The Cucumbers, Gogol Bordello, Madonna, Charli XCX, Abdallah Oumbadougou's desert blues, and more.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
Reposted by Robert Christgau
When I began writing songs, it was outside the limits of my imagination that I'd ever get an A grade from Robert Christgau for any of my records. Today's Consumer Guide marks five full A's in a row for the Paranoid Style. Sharp as ever. I couldn't be more grateful.
open.substack.com/pub/robertch...
open.substack.com/pub/robertch...
Consumer Guide: March, 2026
At the top: Aesop Rock, Buck 65, Masaka Kids Africana, and The Paranoid Style. Plus: The Cucumbers, Gogol Bordello, Madonna, Charli XCX, and Abdallah Oumbadougou's desert blues.
open.substack.com
March 8, 2026 at 2:30 AM
When I began writing songs, it was outside the limits of my imagination that I'd ever get an A grade from Robert Christgau for any of my records. Today's Consumer Guide marks five full A's in a row for the Paranoid Style. Sharp as ever. I couldn't be more grateful.
open.substack.com/pub/robertch...
open.substack.com/pub/robertch...
The latest Consumer Guide at And It Don't Stop on Substack, with reviews of Aesop Rock, Buck 65, Masaka Kids Africana, The Paranoid Style, The Cucumbers, Gogol Bordello, Madonna, Charli XCX, Abdallah Oumbadougou's desert blues, and more.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
Consumer Guide: March, 2026
At the top: Aesop Rock, Buck 65, Masaka Kids Africana, and The Paranoid Style. Plus: The Cucumbers, Gogol Bordello, Madonna, Charli XCX, and Abdallah Oumbadougou's desert blues.
robertchristgau.substack.com
March 8, 2026 at 2:06 PM
The latest Consumer Guide at And It Don't Stop on Substack, with reviews of Aesop Rock, Buck 65, Masaka Kids Africana, The Paranoid Style, The Cucumbers, Gogol Bordello, Madonna, Charli XCX, Abdallah Oumbadougou's desert blues, and more.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
Reposted by Robert Christgau
Bird lives, the Dead come alive, and Xgau Sez is back—all this and more at And It Don't Stop.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-f...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-f...
Xgau Sez: February, 2026
Some health notes, Bird: still lives, the live Dead, the A shelves explained, reissues not reevaluated, and some faves.
robertchristgau.substack.com
February 18, 2026 at 11:06 PM
Bird lives, the Dead come alive, and Xgau Sez is back—all this and more at And It Don't Stop.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-f...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-f...
Bird lives, the Dead come alive, and Xgau Sez is back—all this and more at And It Don't Stop.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-f...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-f...
Xgau Sez: February, 2026
Some health notes, Bird: still lives, the live Dead, the A shelves explained, reissues not reevaluated, and some faves.
robertchristgau.substack.com
February 18, 2026 at 11:06 PM
Bird lives, the Dead come alive, and Xgau Sez is back—all this and more at And It Don't Stop.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-f...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-f...
Reposted by Robert Christgau
Thomas Anderson, Armand Hammer, Zach Bryan, Dry Cleaning, Al Green, Husker Du, Nandipha808, Grant Peeples, and Tommy Womack all get the full treatment at the latest Consumer Guide at my And It Don't Stop Substack robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...
Consumer Guide: February, 2026
One of the great interpretive singers of our epoch takes on Lou Reed, abstract and impressive amapiano, the most explicitly leftist album in far too long, and a reliable Nashvillian with 11 winners
robertchristgau.substack.com
February 13, 2026 at 9:14 PM
Thomas Anderson, Armand Hammer, Zach Bryan, Dry Cleaning, Al Green, Husker Du, Nandipha808, Grant Peeples, and Tommy Womack all get the full treatment at the latest Consumer Guide at my And It Don't Stop Substack robertchristgau.substack.com/p/consumer-g...