LibGuides: Writing 101: How to Write About Music: Getting Started

33 1/3 Series

The 33 1/3 book series is one of the best sources for album reviews. You can search the full list of titles here.

Selected books in the series:

How to Write about Music: excerpts from the 33 1/3 series, magazines, books and blogs with advice from industry-leading writers
Call Number: Music Library Reserve ML3785 .H69 2015
ISBN: 9781628920444
The 33 1/3 B-Sides
Call Number: Music Library ML3470 .A16 2020
ISBN: 9781501342455

Album Reviews

You can search CDs and vinyl records on the Music Library homepage. Click the "recordings only" button to limit search to CDs and records.

Many CDs have liner notes with information and musical analysis.

You can search album reviews on these websites:

NME: New Musical Express
Full text from 2017 also available through Nexis Uni: https://find.library.duke.edu/catalog/DUKE004405519
Pitchfork
Album reviews
Rolling Stone Album Reviews
NPR Music Reviews
Reviews and news from National Public Radio
Dusted
Album reviews

Dissertations

Dissertations can be surprisingly good sources for your research, since they are scholarly, can be very focused on particular bands/artists, and often shed new light on a topic.

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global This link opens in a new window
Search dissertations and theses from colleges and universities around the world from 1743 to present. Full text theses from 1997-present

EThOS British Dissertations
British dissertations, good source for UK rock music studies.

Streaming music

Qwest TV This link opens in a new window
Watch concerts from around the world in a variety of genres, including jazz, blues, techno, funk, soul, etc.
Music Online: Popular Music Library This link opens in a new window
Contains a wide range of popular music from around the world.
Music Online: Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries This link opens in a new window
Find and listen to streaming folk and world music.

Primary Source Databases

The Sixties: Primary Documents and Personal Narratives 1960-1974 This link opens in a new window
Search for primary sources texts, footage and documentaries that explore events from the sixties and early seventies.
Popular Culture in Britain and America, 1950-1975 This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents about popular culture in the U.S. and U.K. from 1950 to 1975. Topics include student protests, civil rights, consumerism, and the Vietnam War

Links to Books in the Catalog

You can search for books in the Duke Libraries Catalog. It's often best to search band names using quotation marks, such as "Daft Punk" which searches these words in order as a single phrase.

Newspapers and Magazines

For very recent bands/artists, current newspapers and magazines are likely to be the best sources for information. Some newspaper databases focus only on current content, and others include older issues; coverage is indicated below.

New York Times
Rolling Stone
Major news source for rock criticism, 1990-present.

Rock's Backpages This link opens in a new window
Articles, interviews, and reviews from major rock music magazines published since the early 1960s. Best way to search is drop-down list by artist/band name.
Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window
Search key rock music magazines from the 1960s to early 2000s.
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
The best source for finding articles in newspapers and blogs around the world. Coverage starting in the 1990s.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times This link opens in a new window
Search for news articles from the New York Times from 1851-2019
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Guardian and The Observer This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1791-2003.
Times Digital Archive This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from the Times of London from 1785 to 2010
Wall Street Journal This link opens in a new window
Coverage 1984 to present.
Ethnic NewsWatch This link opens in a new window
Search for articles in ethnic and minority newspapers, journals and magazines from 1959 to present
GenderWatch This link opens in a new window
Search for articles in women and gender studies newspapers, journals and magazines from 1970 to present

Finding Scholarly Articles

RILM Abstracts of Music Literature with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Search for articles, books, dissertations, and performance reviews in music from 1800s to present
Music Periodicals Database This link opens in a new window
Search for journal articles on a wide variety of musical periods and styles
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Search a collection of important scholarly journals representing a range of disciplines.
Project MUSE This link opens in a new window
Search for journal articles in the humanities and social sciences published by university presses, including the Duke University Press
Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
Search for scholarly literature from a range of disciplines; many articles available through Duke Libraries. Add Duke Libraries under 'Library Links' in your GS settings.