Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Jeremy Shatan, aka "An Earful," has been posting interesting thoughts on music and photos of records on turntables on a social media site that changed its name. We exchange a lot of notes. I just discovered he had a Substack. Honestly, I didn't know! A man of such diverse tastes it's almost implausible, but that's the secret sauce.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Katie puts her heart and soul on the line with every interesting post. She also has an entertaining way of getting me to listen to music I wasn't sure I'd like.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Lifetime commitment to rock & roll fuels her stories about being a working barista, a working musician, and travels with partner Wreckless Eric. Bonus points: she wrote and sang "Dancing With Joey Ramone."

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Penny is a veteran music journalist from LIverpool. Got that? You've got to know your stuff in Liverpool, and Penny has good taste, and writes gracefully.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

A great singer-songwriter, visual artist, and spiritual thinker, Peter shares his deep thoughts for those of us who need to remember to keep our minds open.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Laurie Stone tells stories partly truth, partly fiction, with no contradiction, and once you zoom in, you'll find that it never matters.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Wee hours storytelling from a fertile young mind.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Outstanding writing from New Zealand about a world citizen with distinctive life experiences.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

The unpredictable preoccupations of an interesting person!

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Elizabeth Nelson is a Ninja: Musician, writer, songwriter, golf advocate, wise beyond her years, whose pithy epigrams about music say more in one sentence than most of his can in...more words! Plus, she has a day job. I always take her advice.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

The core curriculum for American pop culture writing.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Jeff Tweedy tries out new songs, talks about his life, with the restless curiosity of his music and prose.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Smart, versatile insights from Robert Gilbert.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Seth has two Substacks, he is a one-man newsroom covering the Hudson Valley in NY and the Berkshires, Mass. This isn't that Substack. He is one of our shrewdest Dylan observers, lives with his feet on the ground and his spirit always lively.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

I've been recommending E. Jean Carroll since she wrote hilarious advice columns for magazines back in the print era. The funniest, most fabulous place to hang out with her "conflab" on Substack.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Cartoons about family life and environmental disaster, sometimes simultaneously, from the Netherlands.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Ted Gioia's Substack in which he makes a case as one of America's most intriguing public intellectuals, and all that jazz.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Lucian and I fought the culture wars at the Village Voice back in the day (meaning, the meaty mid-1970s). But this peaceful, hyper-articulate West Point man has a real war to write about, and his newsletter is the best place for strategic thinking about Russia's war against Ukraine, not to mention political developments wherever they occur. I'm a fan, and paying subscriber to his newsletter.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

The hardest working man in Substack business who also is your best source for music I haven't really heard.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Fortification against jargon and corporate-speak

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Brilliant analyses of what’s happening underneath the hood of your internet vehicle: gas/electric/interstitial/philosophical/Substackian or Substackish, as well as meta-Meta-meta and of course, musketry.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Where to go off the usual tourist grid in the UK

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Ray Padgett digs deep into Dylanology without leaving less obsessed readers behind.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins

Marshall Bowden's astute musical observations, beyond genre.

- Critical Conditions by Wayne Robins