New Music Friday: The best albums out March 28
Lucy Dacus headlines a stacked day for new releases. NPR Music's Stephen Thompson welcomes Indie 102.3's Alisha Sweeney to share their favorites of the bunch.
Music & Culture
Sandbox Percussion: Tiny Desk Concert
From plumbing pipes and rice bowls to vibraphones and one big bass drum, Sandbox Percussion makes mesmerizing music that you have to see to believe.
Keith Jarrett's 'Belonging' revisited by jazz legend Branford Marsalis
The latest by jazz legend Branford Marsalis, "Belonging," is a full-album interpretation of the 1974 Keith Jarrett record of the same name.
The woman who killed Tejano music icon Selena in 1995 has been denied parole
Yolanda Saldívar, the woman convicted of killing Selena Quintanilla-Perez, has been denied parole after spending decades behind bars for fatally shooting the young singer at a Texas motel in 1995.
Famed conductor Michael Tilson Thomas holds last concerts
With a recurrence of cancer, famed conductor Michael Tilson Thomas is ending his musical career. One of his final concerts is in Miami Beach, where he'll lead the orchestral academy he helped found.
Wadada Leo Smith and Vijay Iyer on what it takes to lead a defiant life
On their new album, two of the most celebrated composers and players in the jazz world pay homage to the pursuit of purpose and joy found in the struggle for liberation.
A journey through the influences and trippy sounds of drummer Justin Tyson
A go-to drummer who has lit the scene ablaze, Tyson shares his top five drum heroes. Plus, the seasoned sideman shares tracks from his trippy debut as a band leader, the paper doors.
Why Lucy Dacus had to destroy her old life to create the album 'Forever Is a Feeling'
Singer/songwriter Lucy Dacus's new album Forever Is a Feeling features music written about "falling in love, falling out of love." She adds, "You have to destroy things in order to create things. And I did destroy a really beautiful life."
Cleo Sol will see you now
The New York City debut from the British soul singer counters the prevailing narrative around her. As she guided fans in spiritual healing, she did it as she has her whole career: on her own terms.
Julia Bullock & Christian Reif: Tiny Desk Concert
The soprano and her pianist husband offer a deeply considered look at the human condition through seven distinct songs.