NYT Crossword 11/08/17 (Wed.)

Cruciverbalists: Joel Fagliano and Sam Ezersky
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 12:29

Puzzle uniqueness:

Initials of proper name clues which, when combined with the common denominator, makes up a word. Example: Clue "Heart, U2, Slayer" are band names, so the answer is HUSBANDS

Words I hadn't known until now: 

DADROCK - "Genre for Dire Straits and Steely Dan, facetiously" (New one for me)
ARSNOVA - "Classical music style whose name means 'new art'"

Trivia I didn't know:

XENON - "Element next to iodine on the periodic table"
KABUL - "World capital where Pashto is spoken"
ARCADIA - "Domain of Pan, in Greek myth"
AMENRA - "Supreme Egyptian god"
GROSZ - "1/100 of a Polish zloty"

Junk Answers:

LCD - "TV screen inits."
ODON - "Have too much of, briefly"
IMO - "'I believe,' on the internet"
KOS - "Some U.F.C. victories"

Clever clues:

PAROLEE - "Joint release?"
SUMO - "Heavy competition?"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 

GRENDEL - "Foe of Beowulf"
AMENRA - (See above)
ARSNOVA - (See above)