Chris Richards
@chrisrichards.bsky.social
Reccos/rants/prayers/curses at thefutureisourstomake.substack.com
Pinned
I’ve been laid off by The Washington Post
Serving as this newspaper’s pop music critic for the past 16-plus years has been my privilege, my joy
Endless solidarity to my righteous colleagues, endless gratitude to our faithful readers
Serving as this newspaper’s pop music critic for the past 16-plus years has been my privilege, my joy
Endless solidarity to my righteous colleagues, endless gratitude to our faithful readers
Reposted by Chris Richards
"It is a sign of a fatally limited imagination to assume that we can only ever desire the pittance to which we are currently reconciled." www.newyorker.com/books/page-t...
The End of Books Coverage at the Washington Post
Becca Rothfeld, a former critic at the Washington Post, on the death of the paper’s books section.
www.newyorker.com
February 10, 2026 at 5:40 PM
"It is a sign of a fatally limited imagination to assume that we can only ever desire the pittance to which we are currently reconciled." www.newyorker.com/books/page-t...
New newsletter from my new life
First piece
Subscribe for free
Thank you
THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE
First piece
Subscribe for free
Thank you
THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE
The message I took from last night’s BAD BUNNY performance: we continue
open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...
open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...
An end zone dance in the shape of infinity
Notes on Bad Bunny’s halftime show in the middle of a national crisis
open.substack.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:58 PM
New newsletter from my new life
First piece
Subscribe for free
Thank you
THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE
First piece
Subscribe for free
Thank you
THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE
The message I took from last night’s BAD BUNNY performance: we continue
open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...
open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...
An end zone dance in the shape of infinity
Notes on Bad Bunny’s halftime show in the middle of a national crisis
open.substack.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:32 PM
The message I took from last night’s BAD BUNNY performance: we continue
open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...
open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...
If it clarifies what was lost this week:
Philip Kennicott and Monica Hesse remain as arts critics at The Washington Post
Eliminated:
art critic
arts editor
arts/film editor
classical critic
pop critic
television critic
theater critic
all editors/reporters in Book World including two book critics
Philip Kennicott and Monica Hesse remain as arts critics at The Washington Post
Eliminated:
art critic
arts editor
arts/film editor
classical critic
pop critic
television critic
theater critic
all editors/reporters in Book World including two book critics
February 7, 2026 at 9:23 PM
If it clarifies what was lost this week:
Philip Kennicott and Monica Hesse remain as arts critics at The Washington Post
Eliminated:
art critic
arts editor
arts/film editor
classical critic
pop critic
television critic
theater critic
all editors/reporters in Book World including two book critics
Philip Kennicott and Monica Hesse remain as arts critics at The Washington Post
Eliminated:
art critic
arts editor
arts/film editor
classical critic
pop critic
television critic
theater critic
all editors/reporters in Book World including two book critics
I’ve been laid off by The Washington Post
Serving as this newspaper’s pop music critic for the past 16-plus years has been my privilege, my joy
Endless solidarity to my righteous colleagues, endless gratitude to our faithful readers
Serving as this newspaper’s pop music critic for the past 16-plus years has been my privilege, my joy
Endless solidarity to my righteous colleagues, endless gratitude to our faithful readers
February 4, 2026 at 6:39 PM
I’ve been laid off by The Washington Post
Serving as this newspaper’s pop music critic for the past 16-plus years has been my privilege, my joy
Endless solidarity to my righteous colleagues, endless gratitude to our faithful readers
Serving as this newspaper’s pop music critic for the past 16-plus years has been my privilege, my joy
Endless solidarity to my righteous colleagues, endless gratitude to our faithful readers
Reposted by Chris Richards
BREAKING: Trump plans to close Kennedy Center for about two years, starting in July
Follow @janaykingsberry.bsky.social 's and my coverage here. The piece will be continually updated:
www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/0...
Follow @janaykingsberry.bsky.social 's and my coverage here. The piece will be continually updated:
www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/0...
Trump plans to close Kennedy Center for about two years, starting in July
President Donald Trump said Sunday that the Kennedy Center could temporarily close for roughly two years to undergo construction.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 2, 2026 at 12:12 AM
BREAKING: Trump plans to close Kennedy Center for about two years, starting in July
Follow @janaykingsberry.bsky.social 's and my coverage here. The piece will be continually updated:
www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/0...
Follow @janaykingsberry.bsky.social 's and my coverage here. The piece will be continually updated:
www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/0...
“Keep Your Ear to the Ground,” the amazing new history of D.C. punk zines by our comrade John Davis, is now available direct through Dischord
dischord.com/band/john-da...
dischord.com/band/john-da...
January 3, 2026 at 10:38 PM
“Keep Your Ear to the Ground,” the amazing new history of D.C. punk zines by our comrade John Davis, is now available direct through Dischord
dischord.com/band/john-da...
dischord.com/band/john-da...
I write for readers and will email you anything I write for the newspaper, just ask
January 3, 2026 at 6:27 PM
I write for readers and will email you anything I write for the newspaper, just ask
Column | My year of not listening to AI-generated pop music
Because it isn’t music. And resistance is easy.
wapo.st
December 31, 2025 at 1:44 PM
New NIONTAY reminds us that December is when the best rappers don’t care about making the year’s best rap album
wapo.st/4pRuyUh
wapo.st/4pRuyUh
Column | December brings great rap albums. Accept the gifts.
The holidays are the perfect time listen to new hip-hop. On his latest, Niontay shows why.
wapo.st
December 26, 2025 at 3:42 PM
New NIONTAY reminds us that December is when the best rappers don’t care about making the year’s best rap album
wapo.st/4pRuyUh
wapo.st/4pRuyUh
In THE D.C. SCENE, yesterday’s music still sounds like tomorrow
Here are five amazing records that got remastered, resurfaced and/or reissued in 2025
wapo.st/4aWEGXh
Here are five amazing records that got remastered, resurfaced and/or reissued in 2025
wapo.st/4aWEGXh
5 recordings from D.C. artists that make yesterday sound like tomorrow
Remastered and resurfaced music from Bad Brains, Bratmobile, Danny Gatton, Glo-Worm and Music Inc. are among the year’s best reissues.
wapo.st
December 17, 2025 at 9:06 PM
In THE D.C. SCENE, yesterday’s music still sounds like tomorrow
Here are five amazing records that got remastered, resurfaced and/or reissued in 2025
wapo.st/4aWEGXh
Here are five amazing records that got remastered, resurfaced and/or reissued in 2025
wapo.st/4aWEGXh
1:02:57 “We gotta feed Ross a snack”
December 2, 2025 at 4:37 PM
1:02:57 “We gotta feed Ross a snack”
In his recently anthologized DESCENES and DISCORDS fanzines, Howard Wuelfing captured the harDCore scene in its predawn light
wapo.st/4obgyTD
wapo.st/4obgyTD
Howard Wuelfing chronicled the dawn of D.C. punk. The stories still echo.
A hefty new double anthology of the rock writer’s Descenes and Discords fanzines captures the start of a scene — locally and nationally.
wapo.st
November 21, 2025 at 1:47 PM
In his recently anthologized DESCENES and DISCORDS fanzines, Howard Wuelfing captured the harDCore scene in its predawn light
wapo.st/4obgyTD
wapo.st/4obgyTD
Last night, PLAYBOI CARTI gave one of the greatest arena performances I’ve ever seen — even if I could barely see it
wapo.st/43vhET0
wapo.st/43vhET0
Review | Playboi Carti might be the greatest vanishing act rap has ever seen
On his current arena tour, the Atlanta rap visionary practically disappears into a swirl of thick fog, big noise and deep meaning.
wapo.st
November 12, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Last night, PLAYBOI CARTI gave one of the greatest arena performances I’ve ever seen — even if I could barely see it
wapo.st/43vhET0
wapo.st/43vhET0
Spoke with the terrific ABE MAMET about making quiet jazz in world that keeps getting louder and louder
wapo.st/4hWfmCn
wapo.st/4hWfmCn
Abe Mamet is making quiet music for a noisy world
In his dynamic Septet, the rising composer and improviser is exploring the idea of doing less with more.
wapo.st
November 12, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Spoke with the terrific ABE MAMET about making quiet jazz in world that keeps getting louder and louder
wapo.st/4hWfmCn
wapo.st/4hWfmCn
If you’ve already figured out that the promise of AI is nothing more than a corporate attack on human curiosity, contemplation, critical thinking and free will, ROSALÍA’s “Lux” will sound like a new kind of feel-good music.
wapo.st/47XrLS2
wapo.st/47XrLS2
Review | Rosalía’s ‘Lux’ is taking prestige pop to new levels
Rosalía’s new album, “Lux,” wants to blow your mind. Give it your undivided attention instead.
wapo.st
November 10, 2025 at 8:26 PM
If you’ve already figured out that the promise of AI is nothing more than a corporate attack on human curiosity, contemplation, critical thinking and free will, ROSALÍA’s “Lux” will sound like a new kind of feel-good music.
wapo.st/47XrLS2
wapo.st/47XrLS2
Is this strange, unfamiliar sensation upon learning that half of the GRAMMY NOMINEES for album of the year make rap music… optimism?
wapo.st/47MeNGv
wapo.st/47MeNGv
Column | Music’s biggest night is finally changing its tune on rap
Kendrick Lamar leads the list of new Grammy Award nominees. Will rap music finally rule on music’s biggest night?
wapo.st
November 7, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Is this strange, unfamiliar sensation upon learning that half of the GRAMMY NOMINEES for album of the year make rap music… optimism?
wapo.st/47MeNGv
wapo.st/47MeNGv
If you want to improve your life, spend some time with this absolutely terrific piece by @davesheinin.bsky.social who gets behind the damn piano to show us how iconic sports theme music works
wapo.st/480klhN
wapo.st/480klhN
The 10 best sports theme songs of all time — and what makes them great
Our list of the greatest sports theme music includes John Tesh’s iconic “Roundball Rock,” several dark riffs on football and a whole lot of nostalgia.
wapo.st
November 6, 2025 at 4:47 PM
If you want to improve your life, spend some time with this absolutely terrific piece by @davesheinin.bsky.social who gets behind the damn piano to show us how iconic sports theme music works
wapo.st/480klhN
wapo.st/480klhN
The rock-and-roll biopic remains a cursed proposition but I felt like “SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE” made a few nudges in the direction of progress
wapo.st/4ql7Gx4
wapo.st/4ql7Gx4
Review | This Springsteen movie doesn’t live up to the album that inspired it
The rock-and-roll biopic is a cursed form. “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” is an attempt to make a few fixes.
wapo.st
October 22, 2025 at 6:51 PM
The rock-and-roll biopic remains a cursed proposition but I felt like “SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE” made a few nudges in the direction of progress
wapo.st/4ql7Gx4
wapo.st/4ql7Gx4
“What a teen girl goes through is what a teen girl wants to hear” — BRI3 on rap music as truth-telling/truth-receiving
wapo.st/4oGojC3
wapo.st/4oGojC3
Bri3 is turning teenage intuition into rainbow-bright rap music
The rising Waldorf phenom wants her listeners to feel good. It’s working.
wapo.st
October 16, 2025 at 4:16 PM
“What a teen girl goes through is what a teen girl wants to hear” — BRI3 on rap music as truth-telling/truth-receiving
wapo.st/4oGojC3
wapo.st/4oGojC3
