NPR Music Podcast
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Igor Stravinsky's 'Rite Of Spring' Counterrevolution
Not long after his shocking ballet, the composer branched out into a broad range of styles, ushering in new musical trends far from the violent tone of his iconic Rite of Spring.
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Pitbull Gets 'Epic': 'You Constantly Have To Defend Your...
Armando Christian Perez — better known as Pitbull or Mr. Worldwide — has sold five million albums and had No. 1 hits in more than 15 countries. He tells NPR's Michel Martin about using music as an escape and playing a well-dressed toad in the animated film Epic.
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Marques Toliver: An R&B Crooner With Strings Attached
Toliver's music is anchored by the violin, on which he is classically trained. He says he discovered the instrument in fifth grade — and that in a way, it chose him.
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Laura Mvula: A Soulful Voice That Once Answered Phones
Less than two years ago, she was a receptionist honing her phone-answering skills at a music organization in Birmingham, England. Now, she's got a record deal and critical acclaim, and she's touring the U.S.
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Ana Popovic Shreds The Belgrade Blues
The Serbian guitarist fell in love with American blues music as a kid — well before she could understand the words.
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Audra McDonald, A Broadway Star Gone Roaming, Comes Home
After extended jaunts in TV and on the road, McDonald's first new album in seven years marks a return to her roots in musical theater.
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Bobby McFerrin: Spirituals As Sung Prayers
On Spirityouall, McFerrin performs classic black spirituals with roots in enslaved communities, as well as songs he composed himself. Throughout the album, he says, he hears the influence of his father, Robert McFerrin Sr., a renowned operatic baritone.
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Sam Amidon: Reshaping An American Folk Tradition
Shape-note singing is a communal form of music that began in New England 200 years ago, mostly from townsfolk without any musical training. Sam Amidon says the melodies of shape-note hymns are some of the "deepest-seated for me."
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Daft Punk On 'The Soul That A Musician Can Bring'
In spite of the robotic persona they've cultivated for years, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo elected to make their new album, Random Access Memories, in a real studio, with real musicians. Hear the elusive electronic duo in conversation with All Things Considered's Audie Cornish.
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A Songwriter And An Army Dad Share One Touching Story
The song "I Drive Your Truck" is a No. 1 country hit. It began with a father's remembrance of his son, who was killed in action in Afghanistan — and a songwriter who just happened to be listening.
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Laura Mvula's Velvet 'Moon' Is A Revelation
Mvula's debut is ambitiously distinct and confident, as if she and her band had perfected their sound years ago but only now decided to share it with everyone else.
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Vampire Weekend: New Sounds Signal The End Of An Era
Singer Ezra Koenig says the band's new album, Modern Vampires of the City, is the final part of a trilogy — and the product of a lot of reflection on time and aging.
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Dawes Knows Where It's Been And Where It's Headed
Dawes has just released its third album, Stories Don't End. The band has cited Neil Young and Crosby, Stills & Nash among its influences, but channels them with good humor and confidence that its own distinctiveness will shine through.
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When The Right One Comes Along: How 'Nashville' Tells...
The mostly unreleased songs on the TV show Nashville are easily woven into the drama. They appear organically in living room songwriting sessions, late night honky-tonks or stadium dress rehearsals. But someone has to track them all down.
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Balancing Influences: Saxophonist Mahanthappa Blends...
Rudresh Mahanthappa's work always seems to be filed under jazz, but it's hard to find a style he doesn't touch: hip-hop, country, metal and soul fused with traditional sounds from India, Africa and Indonesia. And he makes it rock.
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LL Cool J On 'Accidental Racist' And Authenticity
"The last thing that I want to do is be a hack," says the rapper and actor. His latest album, his first since splitting with the record label that launched his career, is called Authentic.
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Yngwie Malmsteen: 'I've Always Been A Little Bit Of An...
Malmsteen is the king of the neoclassical shred guitar. The Swedish musician and composer has somehow bridged centuries, from Paganini to his own arpeggiated acrobatics. Here, the guitarist speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about being a family man and growing up on Bach and Jimi Hendrix.
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'It Led Us On A Journey': The Musical World Of 'The...
In overseeing the new film's soundtrack, music supervisor Anton Monsted says he hoped to create a "sliding door" effect between the Jazz Age and the hip-hop era.
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A Funky-Fresh Sound From Somalia, With A Political...
A dance band called Dur-Dur Band ruled the nightclub scene in 1980s Mogadishu, thanks to a unique sound made possible by access to Western culture and instruments.
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Burt Bacharach: 'Never Be Afraid Of Something That You...
The award-winning songwriter speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about the value of melody, and writing a song about rain for a movie scene that had none.
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Natalie Maines On Motherhood, Eddie Vedder And Leaving...
A decade after the Dixie Chicks' frontwoman came out against the Iraq War — the response to which brought the band's career to a halt — Maines returns with her solo debut, Mother.
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Iggy Pop: 'What Happens When People Disappear'
The ever-candid Stooges frontman joins NPR's Renee Montagne to discuss living life over the edge, how everyone comes around to his band late, and ways to "become a part of yesterday."
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Vampire Weekend On New York, Souls Of Mischief And The...
In an extensive interview with NPR's Bob Boilen, the New York band talks about the long process and secret inspirations — including dancehall, hip-hop and smooth jazz — behind the songs on its third album, Modern Vampires of the City.
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Mick Fleetwood On Fleetwood Mac: 'It Would Make A Great...
Stream the band's new EP, and hear the drummer and founding member's thoughts on longevity, epitaphs and iTunes.
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Iron And Wine: Words Like Seedlings
Sam Beam says he isn't "worried about people understanding exactly what's happening" in any given song. In this interview, he discusses the "exposed, vulnerable place" described in "Caught in the Briars," as well as the themes that run through Ghost on Ghost, Iron and Wine's new album.
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Jazz Diva Jane Monheit Gets To The Heart Of The Matter
Growing as a musician is often a balancing act of challenging yourself without alienating your fans. For jazz diva Jane Monheit, maturity has given her singing new depth, and has given her new confidence as a performer. Guest host Celeste Headlee speaks with the Grammy nominated vocalist about her latest album The Heart of the Matter.
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Michael Bublé On Fishing, Sinatra And Auto-Tune
The Canadian crooner says he misses the pure sound of classic pop and swing — though he's willing to adopt a modern touch once in a while. His eighth studio album is called To Be Loved.
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'Guilt Trip': Streisand On Songs, Film And Family
Singer, actor, writer, director and producer Barbra Streisand plays a well-meaning if overbearing Jewish mom in The Guilt Trip. The star says her own mother both encouraged her talents and was jealous of them.
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Talib Kweli On Mainstream Hip-Hop And Honoring The Old...
The New York rapper's political and layered rhymes have been pegged as "conscious rap," a label that has now become pejorative. His latest album challenges that image, paying homage to old-school hip-hop and working with the present.
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Phoenix On Sounding Like Robots And Staying Restless
The French pop quartet is notoriously slow to release new music. But vocalist Thomas Mars and guitarist Laurent Brancowitz say their new album, Bankrupt!, wouldn't have been the same without meticulous self-editing.
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A Moment With Pulitzer-Winning Composer Caroline Shaw
The violinist, vocalist and composer says that writing a piece like her prize-winning Partita for 8 Voices begins with "having a sound in your head that you really want to hear."
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A Folk Singer Sets Sail, With The Bard At The Bow
Amy Speace was a stage actor before beginning her music career. For her latest album, How to Sleep in a Stormy Boat, she let Shakespeare guide her songwriting.
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Jazz Great Hugh Masekela, Fresh Because He's Fascinated
The South African trumpeter is one of the giants of African music. Over his long career, he pioneered jazz fusion and even managed to bump the Rolling Stones from the U.S. charts. Still, at age 74, he says, "I feel like I'm just beginning."
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Rachel Zeffira: An Opera 'Deserter' Embraces Dreamy Pop
The singer and composer plays more than eight different instruments on her haunting solo debut, The Deserters, which includes a cover of My Bloody Valentine's "To Here Knows When."
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Nick Drake's Producer Remembers 'A Real Musician's...
The English folk artist died long before his songs found a wide audience. Joe Boyd, who produced two of Drake's three albums, is releasing an album of live performances culled from a series of Nick Drake tribute concerts.
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Yeah Yeah Yeahs On Love Songs, New York And Transforming...
Ten years after the trio's debut album, singer Karen O says she and her bandmates are still shy in conversation. But when they perform together, "it's explosive."
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Thao Nguyen's Musical Life Is Far From 'Common'
A trip to a California women's prison inspired many of the songs on the folk-rocker's latest album, We the Common.
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Dave Matthews Takes John Denver's Music 'To Tomorrow'
Matthews joins a diverse cast — including Emmylou Harris, My Morning Jacket and Old Crow Medicine Show — to honor the late singer-songwriter on a new tribute album.
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Dale Watson: A Honky-Tonk Man With An Outlaw Spirit
The Western swing veteran's latest album, El Rancho Azul, is filled with lighthearted drinking ballads and dance-hall toe-tappers.
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The Thatcher Era's Effect On British Music
Journalist Stuart Maconie says Margaret Thatcher and her reforms inspired a wealth of music in the U.K. — the tone of which could be glowing or grim, depending on what part of the country the musicians were from.
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Gillian Welch And David Rawlings On World Cafe
For World Cafe's Sense of Place: Nashville edition, we immediately knew we wanted to talk with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, who have lived in the city since 1993 and own the historic Woodland Studios. Listen to an extended conversation with the duo about their adopted hometown and how its changed over the past 20 years.
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Jherek Bischoff Crafts A Symphonic Sound On 'Composed'
The musician, songwriter, composer and producer has made a name for himself by playing with the likes of Amanda Palmer. For his latest album, however, he found himself departing from a rock sound as he began writing his own orchestral arrangements.
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Lianne La Havas: 'The Golden Girl Of British Music'
The 23-year-old singer-songwriter and guitarist, who has been compared to Adele, swept critics after her TV debut. One said her voice seemed to make time stand still. This story aired originally on Morning Edition on Nov. 5, 2012.
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Paramore: Southern Pop-Punks Tackle 'Real Life Problems'
The Tennessee band's music was quickly pegged as "emo" — a melodic variant of punk that has its share of detractors. "Emo really stands for emotion," says singer Hayley Williams. "I don't think there's anything wrong with writing songs that are emotional."
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Charlotte Church Returns, A 'Beautiful Wreck' In A...
As a child, the Welsh singer rocketed into success with classical and religious music, and performed for Nelson Mandela and the pope. Now she's back with a new album, One & Two, and a new sound.
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Bonobo: Challenging Music's 'Borders,' Finding A New...
On his new album, The North Borders, the British composer and DJ uses samples from the outside world, like the sound of a truck's air brakes, to push the idea of what can create melody and rhythm.
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Back In The Studio, Neko Case Recovers 'That Fire'
Morning Edition checks in with the singer-songwriter as she finishes the follow-up to 2009's Middle Cyclone, due out later this year.
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Guitar God Richard Thompson Plays 'Electric,' Acoustic
The folk-rock legend, now 45 years into his career, plays songs from his new album, Electric.
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Listening Back To An Interview With Phil Ramone
Ramone started out as a sound engineer for Lesley Gore, and went on to work with Simon and Garfunkel, Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra. He died Saturday at the age of 79. Fresh Air remembers him by listening back to a 1995 interview. He talks about losing old demos and being mistaken for a member of The Ramones.
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Singing The Praises Of Pre-Dawn Walks
Winter Morning Walks, an album featuring jazz composer Maria Schneider and soprano Dawn Upshaw, revolves around meditations on nature and beauty by former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser. All three artists have had battles with cancer — when, Schneider says, "everything in life becomes heightened."
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Chic Gamine: The Girl-Group Sound, Stripped To Its Bones
Call it minimal Motown: The Canadian band is four singers, a drummer — and that's it.
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Bridging Arabic And Western Music With An Unusual...
Classically trained Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf has played with everyone from Sting to Salif Keita. While most trumpets have three valves, his has four, allowing him to play the quarter-tones that characterize Middle Eastern music and the "blue notes" of jazz.
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Creating Church Music: You've Got To Feel It
Earnestine Rodgers Robinson had no formal musical training. So when she volunteered to plan an Easter church program, she didn't realize it would lead to a successful career composing classical music. She talks to guest host Celeste Headlee about her life's work.
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Billy Cobham On World Cafe
Hear the pioneering jazz drummer talk about his 40th-anniversary tour and working with Miles Davis.
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Emmylou Harris And Rodney Crowell: Harmonizing To That...
Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell have been friends and collaborators since they first met in 1974. While they always wanted to make an album together, they never got around to it until now. Old Yellow Moon includes songs by Crowell, Patti Scialfa, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson among others.
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American Idol Star on New Album
Singer Crystal Bowersox had a tough upbringing before she found stardom as a runner up on American Idol. Her latest album, All that For This, reflects a new and brighter chapter in her life. She shares her story with host Michel Martin.
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Partners In Life, Two Country Singers Finally Meet In...
Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison both had blossoming solo careers when they wed back in 1996, but they haven't recorded a full album together — until now.
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Merritt And Dinnerstein, A Musical Odd Couple, On...
Singer-songwriter Tift Merritt and classical pianist Simone Dinnerstein say the challenge of their new collaborative album, Night, was creating a language they could both speak. They discuss the project and perform live.
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The Milk Carton Kids: At Life's Crossroads, A Duo Looks...
Both newly 30, Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan reflect on the past and relish the present on their upcoming release, The Ash & Clay.
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Timberlake On 'N Sync, Acting And Bringing Sexy Back
Justin Timberlake rocketed to stardom as a teen heartthrob in the band 'N Sync. He has gone on to be a successful solo artist — and expanded his career into both comedic and dramatic roles on-screen. He discusses his long career in showbiz, his SNL digital shorts and his transition to film.
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Baba Salah: A Malian Musician Speaks To His Nation's...
The guitarist comes from the northern city of Gao, which has made headlines lately due to fighting by Islamist militants and French-backed Malian forces. Salah now plays at a club in Mali's capital, Bamako, where, he says, people gather to relax, reminisce and "see images other than war."
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Rock Icons Sing Pirate Songs On 'Son Of Rogues Gallery'
Tom Waits, Patti Smith, Marc Almond, Marianne Faithfull, Shane MacGowan and others appear on a new two-disc compilation of pirate ballads and sea songs called Son of Rogues Gallery. Here, Terry Gross talks with Hal Willner, the project's producer, about some of the stories behind the project.
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How Does A Jewish Artist Tell The Ultimate Christian...
How does an Argentine Jewish artist approach the ultimate Christian narrative? MacArthur "genius" Osvaldo Golijov says it's by creating a "Latin American Jesus." His Passion According to St. Mark was recently staged at Carnegie Hall with a diverse group of singers from New York schools.
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Kacey Musgraves, Country Music's New 'Golden' Girl
Hailing from the tiny Texas town of Golden, the 24-year-old singer is disarmingly nimble with words. She's already made a splash writing songs for NBC's Nashville; her major label debut, Same Trailer Different Park, is out next week.
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Duane Allman: Guitar Playing That 'Gets Inside Of You'
Although he died at the young age of 24, Allman produced a legendary breadth of work. A new box set compiled by his daughter chronicles his career.
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2013 SXSW Standouts
Musicians from all over the world are bringing their talents to the South by Southwest festival in Austin. Host Michel Martin gets a taste of the standouts. She speaks with Jasmine Garsd and Felix Contreas, the hosts of NPR's Alt Latino Podcast.
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At South By Southwest, A 71-Year-Old Guitarist Makes A...
On an album released nearly 50 years ago Harry Taussig demonstrated an accomplished, self-taught style of improvisational guitar. This week in Austin, Texas Taussig will perform in public for the first time.
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Adrian Younge: Looking Back To Move Hip-Hop Forward
Spaghetti Westerns, Philadelphia soul, opera and the Wu-Tang Clan all come together in the music of Adrian Younge. He has produced and composed two new albums — one with William Hart, the lead singer of The Delfonics, and another with rapper Ghostface Killah.
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Wild Belle: Musical Siblings Go Island Hopping
The brother-sister duo's debut album, Isles, draws on electronica, jazz and reggae to create a package of worldly grooves.
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A Pioneer Of 'Chillwave,' On California's Complications
For electro-pop artist Toro y Moi, change is hard — but not necessarily uncomfortable.
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'The Last Five Years' Returns To New York
A cult-favorite musical, The Last Five Years is a semi-autobiographical look at one couple's failed marriage. A revival hits off-Broadway this week, and the show's creator Jason Robert Brown joins host Jacki Lyden to talk about the last 11 years of the little show that could.
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The 'German Bruce Springsteen' Tackles English-Language...
Herbert Gronemeyer, the best-selling German recording artist of all time, has compiled English versions of his greatest hits for his first U.S. release, I Walk.
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Dave Grohl Finds Music's Human Element — In A Machine
The Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters founder says he wouldn't be the musician he is today if not for one piece of equipment in a now-shuttered L.A. studio. Rediscovering it, and connecting with other musicians who shared the honor, is the subject of his new documentary, Sound City: Reel to Real.
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Latin Roots: Bolero
Grammy-winning Latin music producer Aaron Levinson discusses the distinctive forms of this slow-tempo dance.
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Cloud Cult's 'Love' Channels A Life Tested By Loss
Frontman Craig Minowa talks about tragedy in his past and how the group's new album, Love, reflects his own healing process.
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Rhye: Men Of Mystery Find A Feminine Sound
Some lush and sexy music videos were all listeners knew of the the soulful pop duo — until recently. NPR's Celeste Headlee speaks with Mike Milosh and Robin Hannibal as they prepare to release their debut album as Rhye.
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By A Record Collector's Curiosity, The Relatives Return
Led by brothers Gean and Tommie West — both reverends — the Texas gospel-funk outfit has resurfaced after 33 years apart to release its debut studio album, The Electric Word.
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Emmylou Harris And Rodney Crowell: Staying Low
The former bandmates reunite for Old Yellow Moon, a new duet album that brims with lush harmonies and practically celebrates heartbreak.
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Rap Nerdy To Me
MC Frontalot, aka Damian Hess, makes a living rapping about data encryption, rare diseases, video games and the nerd life. He describes Nerdcore, his name for the genre, as "the inversion of the shame of geekery... into pride." Frontalot joins Ira Flatow and Flora Lichtman to chat about the intersection of nerdiness and hip-hop and shares some of his songs.
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Lady Lamb The Beekeeper Emerges From Behind The Counter
On her first studio album, Ripely Pine, singer-songwriter Aly Spaltro transforms a batch of solo recordings into full-band arrangements that explore the juxtaposition between lyrical content and musical tone.
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Richard Thompson: The Acoustics Behind 'Electric'
For nearly half a century, the British guitarist and songwriter has created music that's both beautiful and haunting. Here, Thompson discusses his new album, Electric, and performs selections from it live in the studio.
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Richard Thompson On World Cafe
The folk-rock legend, now 45 years into his career, plays songs from his new album, Electric.
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The Floacist: A Soul Poet Says Yes To Moving On
Natalie Stewart, best known as half of the British duo Floetry, discusses that group's breakup and her new solo album.
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Turning A Glacier Into A Tuba: Ice Music From Norway
Playing frozen instruments requires lots of improvisation. Norwegian musician Terje Isungset has a new set for every performance, freshly made to get the most sound out of each instrument before it melts.
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In 'Fulton Blues,' Corey Harris Resurrects Memories Of...
The Richmond, Va., neighborhood of Fulton was once home to a large number of the city's middle class African-American families. But by the 1960s, it had fallen on hard times. A new album by bluesman Corey Harris pays tribute to the Southern neighborhood with a haunted past.
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The Man In Black Goes To The County Fair
Working as a DJ at his local radio station in 1981, NPR's Don Gonyea snagged the interview of a lifetime. Johnny Cash stopped to answer questions before taking the stage at the Monroe County Fair in Michigan.
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Stephen Holden On 'Song Travels'
The New York Times critic dives into "Tambourine Man" and "A Case of You" with host Michael Feinstein.
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A Struggle For The Identity Of Puerto Rican Music
You can learn a lot about a culture by listening to its music. NPR producer Jasmine Garsd took a reporting trip to Puerto Rico recently. She found that the island's uncertain economic future not only affects day-to-day life, but also its music. Garsd shares some songs with host Michel Martin.
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Singer Lea Gimore On Musicals That Move Her
Baltimore musician Lea Gilmore's love of gospel, blues and jazz has made her a name as far away as Siberia. For Tell Me More's 'In Your Ear' series, Gilmore shares songs from the musicals that really inspire her.
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Al Roker 'Jazzed' By The A-Team Theme Song
When NBC Today show weatherman Al Roker needs to get pumped up for his work day, he turns to the theme song for the television show The A-Team. During Tell Me More's 'In Your Ear' series, Roker shares why the song, and Mister T, get him 'jazzed.'
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'China's Leonard Cohen' Calls Out Political Corruption
Zuoxiao Zuzhou is a controversial rock musician: He's hardly ever in tune. But in China he's become the ersatz voice of a generation, sometimes working alongside his close friend Ai Weiwei.
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Days With John And Yoko: A Writer Remembers
Rock writer Jonathan Cott met John Lennon in 1968 and formed a working relationship with him, as well as with Yoko Ono, that would span more than two decades. Cott was the last journalist to interview Lennon, just three days before the singer was killed.
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Jonas Kaufmann On Wagner: 'It's Like A Drug Sometimes'
Described as the greatest living Wagnerian tenor, Kaufmann is using the Richard Wagner's bicentennial to reacquaint listeners with the controversial composer's work.
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Hollywood's 'Hooray': Hardly A Happy Hymn
It's Oscar season, meaning that classic toe-tapper "Hooray for Hollywood" will soon be booming out of TV speakers everywhere. But the cheery cinema hymn has a more complicated compositional past, as NPR's special correspondent Susan Stamberg explains.
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A New Day For Singer Nataly Dawn
The voice of Pomplamoose, a duo from California known for its lighthearted cover songs, Dawn is releasing her first solo album, How I Knew Her.
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Mixing Blues and the Nakota Nation In Music
When guitarist Mato Nanji made backstage conversation about the history of his tribe, the Nakota nation, he didn't expect his comments to inspire trance bluesman Otis Taylor. Host Michel Martin speaks to the two musicians behind the new album 'My World is Gone.'
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Anat Cohen: Bringing The Clarinet To The World
On her latest album, Claroscuro, the jazz clarinetist explores influences that range from Louis Armstrong to Brazilian music to that of her native Israel. It's this desire to adapt the instrument to so many musical traditions that has earned Cohen such acclaim.
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Trey Anastasio On World Cafe
The leader of Phish sits down with World Cafe host David Dye for a lengthy interview about The Trey Anastasio Band, his recent album Traveler and the struggle behind his song "Valentine."
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For Kidjo, Musicians Must Be The Country's Voice
The West African nation of Mali has a rich musical heritage, and Islamic extremists there have been trying to destroy it. Singer Angelique Kidjo says the conflict in Mali reminds her of a crackdown by a Communist regime in her native Benin — which led her into exile. But Kidjo tells host Michel Martin the power of music will always triumph.
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Kris Kristofferson On Writing For — And Outliving — His...
The legendary songwriter discusses happening into a music career, hearing his songs performed by his friends and the new album Feeling Mortal.
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Wayne Shorter On Jazz: 'How Do You Rehearse The Unknown?'
Shorter says that in combos led by John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Art Blakey, he learned a crucial rule of being an effective bandleader: Leave the musicians alone.
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Treasures In The Attic: Finding A Jazz Master's Lost...
The man who wrote "The Charleston" also had orchestral music played at Carnegie Hall. Baltimore Symphony conductor Marin Alsop retraces her detective work in uncovering lost symphonic works by jazz piano pioneer James P. Johnson.
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Marilyn McCoo And Billy Davis Jr. On 'Song Travels'
McCoo and Davis met as members of the iconic '60s R&B/pop group The Fifth Dimension. They share the story of their ongoing love and partnership with host Michael Feinstein.
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Ron Sexsmith: At Midlife, A Songwriter Ponders Mortality
The Canadian musician discusses dealing with setbacks — including a health scare and an unpopular album — and how he channeled his energy into his new album, Forever Endeavour.
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Paying Tribute To Funk's 'Sugarfoot' Bonner
With his double neck guitar, big afro and flamboyant costumes, the late Leroy 'Sugarfoot' Bonner got people dancing with hits like, Love Rollercoaster. Host Michel Martin looks back at the life of the Ohio Players' front man and how his musical vision ushered in 70's funk.
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Ben Harper And Charlie Musselwhite Get Muddy
The multifaceted singer-songwriter and the harmonica legend team up on a new album of original blues songs, Get Up!
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Thom Yorke And Friends On Making Music As Atoms For Peace
The Radiohead singer put together his latest band while on tour for his 2006 solo album. He and bandmates Nigel Godrich and Joey Waronker talk with Bob Boilen about their new album, Amok.
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Meet The Musical Mendelssohns: Felix And Fanny
The Mendelssohns grew up making music together in Berlin at the beginning of the 19th century. Felix, younger by four years, became one of history's most brilliant composers. Fanny, a strong-willed pianist but worried about her worth as a composer, has been neglected.
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Big Freedia Lays Out The Basics Of Bounce
Born Freddie Ross, Freedia is one of the biggest stars of New Orleans' hard-dancing, bass-pounding and sometimes gender-bending bounce music scene.
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Trixie Whitley: Songs For A Charmed — And Checkered —...
Whitley is the Belgian-born daughter of the late blues musician Chris Whitley and was picked by Daniel Lanois to front his own band, Black Dub. Her debut album as a solo artist is called Fourth Corner.
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After 17 Years, Adam Ant Transforms Again
The flamboyant artist behind "Goody Two Shoes" and "Stand and Deliver" hasn't been seen in the pop world for close to two decades — but he's been busy all along.
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Petra Haden Covers Classic Film Scores With A Single...
Haden's new album, Petra Goes to the Movies, recasts movie scores in an a cappella setting. From Psycho to The Social Network, her layered vocals offer a captivating interpretation of classic — and not-so-classic — theme music.
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Beethoven Symphony No. 7: 'Epic Growing Majesty'
Peter Ramsey's film Rise of the Guardians earned a Golden Globe nomination this year. It also made him the first African-American director of a big budget computer-generated animation film. Ramsey shares some of his favorite songs for Tell Me More's 'In Your Ear' segment.
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The 'True Story' Inside Aaron Neville's Doo-Wop World
Neville's latest album, My True Story, is a collection of the songs he grew up singing in the New Orleans projects. The sound of those early influences would guide him throughout a career spanning more than 50 years.
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Jose James: A Broad-Minded Singer Lets The Beat Build
Known for his proficiency in jazz, the singer employs the tools of hip-hop on his latest album, No Beginning No End.
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New Opera Immortalizes Spat Between Paul Krugman,...
A new opera immortalizes the online spat between New York Times columnist Paul Krugman and the president of Estonia. Robert Siegel speaks with Eugene Birman, the composer, about his new work and the debate over austerity and stimulus.
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For Sean Lennon, Music Is Not A Solo Act
Like his father, John, Lennon prefers collaboration. That spirit comes through in his two new albums — one improvisational and the other a film soundtrack. Long resistant to the idea, Lennon is becoming more like his parents in another way: He's taken up a cause.
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Red Baraat: A Bhangra-Powered Party Starter
Sunny Jain, who leads the nine-member ensemble, says that while its instrumentation is limited — just horns and percussion — its energy is "like that of a rock band."
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A Bagpipe-Slinging Spaniard Finds A Home In New York Jazz
Cristina Pato says the gaita, a traditional bagpipe from her native region of Galicia, is defined by its "beautiful limitations."
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American Sound Studio On World Cafe
The last stop on our "Sense of Place" tour of Memphis is American Sound Studio, which churned out hits by Elvis Presley, Dusty Springfield, Aretha Franklin and many more. Listen to an interview with Ben Vaughn, a member of the American Sound house band, The Memphis Boys.
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Royal Studio On World Cafe
Some of the best soul music of the 1970s was recorded at Royal Studio in Memphis. Hear interviews with Al Green, Cody ChesnuTT and the son of Royal producer Willie Mitchell in this installment of "Sense of Place: Memphis."
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After Big Year, Emeli Sande's 'Version Of Events'
The Scottish singer-songwriter performed at the Olympics in 2012, and her debut album Our Version of Events sold more copies than any other in the U.K. Emeli Sande performs for host Michel Martin and chats about her whirlwind success.
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Lucero On World Cafe
The popular Memphis rock band is featured in this installment of "Sense of Place." Listen to a stripped-down set from Lucero, recorded live at Ardent Recording Studios.
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Big Star And Ardent Music On World Cafe
Our "Sense of Place" spotlight on Memphis wouldn't be complete without visiting Ardent Studios, where the power-pop royalty in Big Star recorded three albums. We speak with the group's drummer, Jody Stephens, who still runs the studio.
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Graceland On World Cafe
Hear interviews with the spokesman of Elvis Presley Enterprises and The King's daughter, Lisa Marie.
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Sun Studio On World Cafe
For World Cafe's "Sense of Place" spotlight on Memphis, Tenn., hear an interview with Sun Studio founder Sam Phillips. Here, the legendary producer discusses the studio's early days and his relationship with Elvis Presley.
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Ole Miss. Homecoming Queen Rocks Out
Courtney Pearson made history when she became the first black homecoming queen at the University of Mississippi. For Tell Me More's 'In Your Ear' series, she shares the songs that inspired her to go after the crown.
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Steve Cropper And Booker T. Jones On World Cafe
As part of World Cafe's week-long exploration of the Memphis music scene, we've dug up an interview with two local legends from Booker T. & The M.G.'s.
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Isaac Hayes On World Cafe
In 2003, David Dye interviewed Stax Records' best-selling artist, the late Isaac Hayes of Shaft fame. As part of this week's "Sense of Place" series on Memphis, Tenn., hear the Hayes interview in its entirety.
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Stax Records On World Cafe
In the first stop from World Cafe's Sense of Place series on Memphis, Tenn., David Dye speaks with It Came From Memphis author Robert Gordon and Stax Museum curator Levon Williams.
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Out Of A Cult, Into The World: Owens' Transformation
After Christopher Owens fled the cult he grew up in, he used his musical talent to launch a career. His band, Girls, was an arena-touring success. Now his first solo album, Lysandre, is a reflection on that experience.
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A Night Out With Sam Cooke: 'Harlem Square' Turns 50
Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 has been called one of the best live albums ever recorded. But it was shelved for more than 20 years by executives at Cooke's record label, who feared what the mainstream would make of his fiery performance.
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Latin Roots: Bomba Y Plena
In this installment of World Cafe's Latin Roots series, host David Dye speaks with Grammy-winning producer Aaron Levinson about two beloved traditional genres, bomba and plena.
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Wyclef Jeans Shares Musical Inspirations
Musician, producer and aspiring politician Wyclef Jean says that part of the success of his band, the Fugees was thanks to his in-depth knowledge of all types of music. For Tell Me More's 'In Your Ear' series, Wyclef shares the songs that have influenced and inspired his creativity.
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Scott Walker On World Cafe
Walker possesses one of the greatest and most distinctive voices of the last quarter-century. He recently sat down with World Cafe host David Dye to discuss terrifying his musicians with machetes and why he has lyrically reached the "point of no return."
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The Voice Of 'Schoolhouse Rock' On The Series At 40
Bob Dorough composed, conducted and sang much of the music in the beloved series of educational shorts.
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Antibalas: Cooking Up Afrobeat In A Sweltering Kitchen
The band's leaders say Antibalas relies on two factors to play well: tropical temperatures and a relaxed pace. The ensemble's latest album is simply titled Antibalas.
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Emel Mathlouthi: Voice Of The Tunisian Revolution
With all that's going on in the Middle East now, it's easy to forget that the Arab Spring began just two years ago in Tunisia. A video of one of Mathlouthi's songs went viral and became an anthem for protesters in her homeland during the December 2010 uprising. Her debut album is out now.
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Preserving The Home, And History, Of New Orleans' Piano...
Any New Orleans piano player worth his fingers owes a debt to Henry Roeland Byrd, aka Professor Longhair. The late musician's home is still standing on Terpsichore Street, but it's in serious disrepair.
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Wynton Marsalis On 'Song Travels'
Marsalis joins host Michael Feinstein to discuss the music that has affected him most, including a duet with his father and a recently discovered recording of Louis Armstrong's last known performance.
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The 'Life And Liberation' Of A Black Female Metal Fan
Writer Laina Dawes has loved heavy metal ever since she got her first Kiss album at age 8. But the metal community hasn't always loved her back, as she explains in her book What Are You Doing Here?
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Jack Black: On Music, Mayhem And Murder
Actor Jack Black plays a kindly small-town funeral director who murders a millionaire in the film Bernie. Black is also one-half of the comedy folk-rock group Tenacious D. In May, they released an album in the style of heavy metal bands from the 1980s.
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Gospel Star Vicki Yohe's Shares Songs Of Strength
Vicki Yohe may look like a country western singer with her blond hair and blue eyes. But she's an urban gospel star. Yohe's latest album is titled, I'm at Peace: A Praise and Worship Experience. For Tell Me More's In Your Ear series, Yohe shares the songs that lift her up in tough times.
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Ed Sheeran: All Pluses, No Minuses
After several years spent releasing his own music and booking his own tours, the British singer-songwriter now has a Grammy nomination and an opening spot on Taylor Swift's U.S. tour.
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'Looper': A World Of Musical Clicks And Pops
The score of the time-travel thriller has little in common with the slick orchestral scores of science-fiction classics. Composer Nathan Johnson found his source material by immersing himself in the sounds of the film.
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Hip-Hopping With A Harp
Singer-songwriter Rashida Jolley uses the harp to create a sound that's entirely her own. She combines pop, hip-hop, rhythm and blues and classical music into her debut album, Tales of My Heart. Jolley shares her musical inspirations with host Michel Martin in an encore presentation.
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Dropkick Murphys: A 'Rose Tattoo' Tells A Life Story
If there's a soundtrack for last call in a Boston dive bar, the Dropkick Murphys are on it. The lead single from the Boston-based Irish punk band is a memorial to singer and bassist Ken Casey's grandfather and an actual tattoo on his arm.
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Miguel: An 'Honest Introduction' To An R&B Star
Miguel has been kicking around the music industry for a decade. He says the success of his 2012 album, Kaleidoscope Dream, feels like the introduction he's been waiting for.
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Beck Explains 'Song Reader,' An Album Fans Perform...
The shape-shifting musician often sounds like a completely different artist from one song to the next. On his new Song Reader, he leaves the sound in the listeners' hands.
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Johnny Cash's Boyhood Home Tells The Story Of A Town
It's been almost 10 years since Cash died, but fans still travel from around the world to see the tiny, dilapidated house where he grew up. Now, it's undergoing a painstaking restoration, with plans to open it as a museum in 2013.
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Rye Rye Just Wants To Be 'Young And Playful'
Go! Pop! Bang! is grounded in the Baltimore club sound — super-danceable, lots of bass and crazily fast rapping. Rye Rye's debut album was all set to be released in 2009, but then sweeping changes in her life got in the way.
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Catherine Russell: The Fresh Air In-Studio Concert
The standards singer's solo album, Strictly Romancin', explores the ups and downs of love. Russell sings several tracks from the record during this interview and performance.
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Perfume Genius: A 'Creepy, Beautiful Mix'
The Seattle songwriter covers unsettling topics, including teen suicide and his own mother's experience with sexual abuse.
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Baltimore Singer's Big Voice Touches Siberia
Blues, gospel and jazz singer Lea Gilmore describes herself as "just a little black girl from Baltimore." But she has a big voice that has touched audiences across the world. She speaks with guest host Celeste Headlee about her life, her music and being the only black person in Siberia.
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This Is What It Sounds Like When Two Women Cover Prince
SNL alumna Maya Rudolph and musician Gretchen Liberum co-lead the cover band Princess. The duo had its television debut, with some help from The Roots, on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon this fall.
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Marin Alsop: A Utopian Musical Dream From South America
The inspirational El Sistema music education program, developed in Venezuela, has Sao Paulo Symphony conductor Marin Alsop fantasizing about a better musical world. Her other orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, is bringing similar opportunities to Charm City children.
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Last-Minute Gift Alert: The Season In Music Box Sets
They pop up every year and come out of the woodwork just before the holidays: lavish packages that mine every last corner of artists' catalogs. Critic Tom Moon explains why three new box sets are worth your attention.
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Gospel Diva Vicki Yohe On 'Sounding Black'
Vicki Yohe has blond hair, blue eyes, and the look of a country-western singer. But she's an urban gospel music star and most of her fans are black. Yohe talks with host Michel Martin about race, music, faith, and her latest album, I'm at Peace: A Praise and Worship Experience.
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Rodriguez On World Cafe
The singer-songwriter achieved cult status in South Africa while remaining largely unknown in his hometown of Detroit. A quarter-century after Rodriguez had retreated from music altogether, two fans filmed a documentary trying to find the folk-rocker. He's since been discovered at last in the U.S.
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Why Barry Manilow Loves Christmas Music
With Christmas looming, the pop legend — who has recorded three albums of Christmas music and just released a compilation of them called The Classic Christmas Album — spoke with Morning Edition about the season.
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Upended By Label Drama, Alex Clare Lands On His Feet
An Orthodox Jew, the singer-songwriter ran into trouble trying to tour in support of a major-label release without performing on the sabbath or high holy days. That and slow sales nearly killed Clare's career, but it got a reboot from an unlikely benefactor: Microsoft.
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Dave Douglas: Jazz Hymns Honor A Dying Wish
The newest album by the trumpeter and composer features his arrangements of hymns that his mother, who recently died of ovarian cancer, asked him to perform at her funeral service.
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Rod Stewart: Big Dreams, Bigger Hair
At 67, the Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee is finally tackling two rock-star milestones: a memoir and a Christmas album.
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A Civil Rights Figure's Long Road — To Carnegie Hall
Myrlie Evers-Williams is the widow of assassinated civil rights activist Medgar Evers. After her husband's death, she became a noted activist herself. But music has always been one of her loves, and she's about to fulfill a longtime dream on the Carnegie stage.
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Ravi Shankar: Remembering A Master Of The Sitar
In a 1999 interview, Ravi Shankar, who died Tuesday, talked to Fresh Air about hippies, psychedelic drugs, "Norwegian Wood," George Harrison, his fond memories of the Monterey Pop Festival of 1967 and his less-fond memories of Woodstock.
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Hall Of Famer: Randy Newman Makes The Cut
Known for such hits as "Real Emotional Girl", singer-songwriter, composer, arranger and pianist Randy Newman is on his way to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Newman, a 40-year veteran of the music business, talked to Fresh Air in 1998 and 2004 about his life and work.
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Miguel's Steamy Musical Inspirations
Six-time Grammy nominee Miguel is heating up the airwaves with his newest album, Kaleidoscope Dream. Miguel sat down with host Michel Martin to discuss his musical style and why he wants to challenge stereotypes about R&B. *Advisory: This conversation may not be suitable for all listeners.
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K'Naan On Cheapening His Music For The Money
Somali-born rap musician K'naan is known for telling gritty stories about his childhood in war-torn Mogadishu through hip-hop music. On Country, God, Or the Girl, the edginess of past songs has been replaced with a polished pop sound.
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A Classical Musician's Game Theory
"Good music is good music," violinist Angle Dubeau says. The Canadian musician interprets theme music from Halo, Angry Birds and other video games on her latest album.
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A Few Questions For One Direction
The British boy band is about is big as pop groups get: platinum sales, sold-out stadium shows and an army of teenaged fans who call themselves "Directioners." Members Harry Styles and Niall Horan reflect on how they got this far.
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Tracey Thorn Finds Joy And Angst In Christmas Songs
The English singer and songwriter, formerly of the dance-pop duo Everything but the Girl, confronts the mixed blessings of the holiday season on her new album Tinsel and Lights.
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Calvin Harris On Dance-Pop As A 'Futuristic Experiment'
The Scottish producer behind Rihanna's "We Found Love" is one of a few European electronic artists to infiltrate American pop in the past several years. His new album, 18 Months, collects the fruits of a prolific year and a half.
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Remembering Brubeck's Christmas
Legendary jazz pianist Dave Brubeck passed away earlier this week. He was 91 years old. Host Michel Martin revisits Brubeck's conversation about a Christmas he spent as a soldier during World War II.
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Celebrating The Life Of Jazz Pianist Dave Brubeck
The jazz master died on Wednesday at age 91. In a 1999 interview with Fresh Air's Terry Gross he talked about his decades in the music industry and his first love: rodeo roping.
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Barry Manilow On Singing Standards And His Real Job
The pop legend spoke to Morning Edition about the Great American Songbook, his long career and "Mandy."
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For One Day, NPR Gets A House Band: Los Straitjackets
The surf-rock band spends a day hanging out at NPR's Washington, D.C., headquarters and helping to provide All Things Considered's soundtrack. It's the first (and perhaps only) time the show has had its own in-house band playing interstitial music live.
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Remembering The Vital Force Of Jazz Pianist Dave Brubeck
One of the most recognized and recognizable musicians of the postwar era — the piano player whose "Take Five" was a pop hit — died Wednesday, one day shy of 92.
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Alisa Weilerstein Plays Elgar: Exploring Music With An...
The celebrated young American cellist walks us through her recording of this "devastating" concerto written just after the end of World War I. She collaborated with conductor Daniel Barenboim, whose late wife, Jacqueline du Pre, was the standard-bearer for this work.
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A $100 Guitar Makes A 30,000-Mile Odyssey
The $100 Guitar Project started when two friends bought a cheap guitar on a whim. They invited some other friends to compose and record an original piece on the instrument. Nels Cline, Fred Frith and Elliott Sharp are among the 65 guitarists who recorded for the project that went viral.
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The Evens: The Power Of Turning Down The Volume
Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina's music as The Evens is quiet and spare, but it preserves the intensity of their past bands, Fugazi and The Warmers. Here, the husband and wife discuss their latest album, The Odds.
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Dozens Of Covers Later, 'Hallelujah' Endures
There are songs, and then there are anthems. Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" is a popular power anthem now, but almost never saw light of day. In his new book, music journalist Alan Light charts the unlikely rise of the song through countless weddings, funerals and in film and television.
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Elizabeth LaPrelle: Carrying On The Appalachian Tradition
Though she's only 25, LaPrelle sounds older and likes it. "I'm excited to sound like a creepy old lady," the ballad singer says. And she always sings loud, the way they did in the old days.
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Ricky Martin's Second Act
Though best known as a pop idol, the Puerto Rican singer has also acted for much of his career. This year, he's done both at once, starring in the Broadway revival of Evita.
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A Trove Of Chats With Music Icons, Now Online
In the mid-1980s, music-industry executive Joe Smith took it upon himself to interview some of the dozens of musicians with whom he had formed relationships. Now, his conversations with Bo Diddley, David Bowie, Little Richard and many others are available online through the Library of Congress.
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'Thriller' Turns 30; Siedah Garrett Remembers
Friday marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Thriller. Michael Jackson's blockbuster sold more than 100 million copies. Songwriter Siedah Garrett worked side by side with Jackson on his next album Bad, and co-wrote the song "Man in the Mirror." She talks with host Michel Martin about her memories of the King of Pop, and her own career.
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After Decades Of Dreaming, Dolly Parton Says, 'Dream...
When Parton told her high-school classmates that she planned to go to Nashville and become a star, the whole class burst into laughter. In her book Dream More, Parton explains the principles behind her success and describes how she became one of the best-selling recording artists of all time.
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Meshell Ndegeocello Honors Simone's 'Sovereign Soul'
The singer and bassist performs a legend's songs on her latest album, Pour Une me Souveraine: A Dedication to Nina Simone.
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Martha Wainwright On New Motherhood, And A Mother Lost
Wainwright's newest album, Come Home to Mama, was largely inspired by two big changes in her family — a birth and a death.
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Alicia Keys: How A 'Girl On Fire' Keeps From Burning Out
Now married and a mother, the Grammy-winning songwriter says she's more aware than ever of the habits that allow her to stay productive.
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Piney Gir: From 'The Muppets' To 'Geronimo'
What do you do if you're an aspiring drummer and someone steals your drum set? If you're Piney Gir, you become a singer. The art-rock performer pays homage to an iconic Native American while channeling '60s pop music on her newest album.
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Songwriter Paloma Faith's 'Fall To Grace'
The half-Spanish, half-English musician is known for her eclectic style — quite possibly a result of her time working as a magician's assistant and burlesque dancer.
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Beatles Demo Tape Up For Auction
On News Year's Day in 1962, The Beatles cut a demo tape for Decca Records, but the label said no thanks. A copy of that audition tape is going up for public auction next week. But some questions are being raised about the authenticity of the recording. Audie Cornish talks with Ted Owen of Fame Bureau, which is running the auction.
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Macklemore's Brand Of Socially Conscious Rap
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are carving a name for themselves in rap music. They even have YouTube videos with millions of views and a sold out international tour as proof. They sit down with guest host Celeste Headlee to talk about their latest album The Heist.
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Max Richter Recomposes 'The Four Seasons'
The composer has done a brave thing for any artist in any medium: He's messed with a classic, specifically, Vivaldi's most famous four violin concertos. Richter says he had "to figure out how much Max and how much Vivaldi there was going on at every moment."
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The Key To Zen For Tony Bennett: 'Life Is A Gift'
At 86, the legendary singer says he's at the top of his game and more passionate than ever about his art. In his memoir, Life Is a Gift: The Zen of Bennett, he reflects on more than six decades in the recording industry and a lifetime surrounded by family and friends.
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Beethoven's Famous 4 Notes: Truly Revolutionary Music
Conductor John Eliot Gardiner and author Matthew Guerrieri explain the incredible resonances, past and present, behind one of the most famous phrases in music: the opening to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
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40 Years Since Marvin Gaye's Forgotten Classic
In 1972, Motown legend Marvin Gaye composed the soundtrack for the film, Trouble Man. Many critics say it was one of his finest musical achievements. To mark the film's 40th anniversary, Universal Music is releasing a special edition. Guest host Celeste Headlee speaks with saxophonist Trevor Lawrence and director Cameron Crowe.
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Armed With Age And Experience, Soundgarden Returns
On the occasion of the band's first studio album in 15 years, lead singer Chris Cornell discusses the ups and downs of being linked to a cultural movement, and how time and distance can enrich a creative partnership.
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Willie Nelson: Road Rules And Deep Thoughts
The 79-year-old country singer has done a lot of living, and he's written about it more than once. His latest memoir takes a different tack, collecting his thoughts from long stretches on his tour bus.
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DJ Shadow On Sampling As A 'Collage Of Mistakes'
More than 15 years after his game-changing debut, Endtroducing....., the hip-hop producer born Josh Davis is about to see his work get the deluxe box set treatment. He explains where he finds the scraps of sound that make up his albums and why he does his best work when he's alone.
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