Music & Culture

"Don't do it for the applause or anything else," Beth Hart advises other artists. "Just do it because you love it."

Music & Culture

Beth Hart's Advice To Fellow Musicians: 'We Have The Right To Say No'

7:00pm February 21, 2017

by NPR Staff

As a budding rock singer in the '90s, Hart battled crippling addiction. Today, she's healthy — and shares how artists can survive in an industry that can be dismissive of mental illness.

Queue Listen Now

An undated photo of conductor Stanislaw Skrowaczewski and the Minnesota orchestra. He died Tuesday at age 93.

Music & Culture

Beloved Conductor Of The Minnesota Orchestra, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Dies

6:11pm February 21, 2017

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

The conductor who worked with the Minneapolis symphony for more than 50 years — and brought them to national prominence — died Tuesday at age 93.

Clockwise from upper left: Lana Del Rey, The Penguin Cafe, Colin Stetson, Bonnie "Prince" Billy

Music & Culture

New Mix: Lana Del Rey, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Colin Stetson, Penguin Cafe, More

3:06pm February 21, 2017

A bonkers new song from Shugo Tokumaru helps wash away an unwelcome earworm, Lana Del Rey lauds (her?) youth, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy weirds out over love and Bob revisits an old favorite.

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The Infamous Stringdusters' latest album, Laws Of Gravity, is out now.

Music & Culture

The Infamous Stringdusters On World Cafe

2:50pm February 21, 2017

by David Dye

After a season of collaborating with guest vocalists, the bluegrass band returns to its fundamentals: solid songwriting and exciting arrangements.

Lusine's album Sensorimotor will be released March 3.

Music & Culture

Listen To Lusine's Sky-Gazing, Somnambulant 'Slow Motion'

1:55pm February 21, 2017

by Andrew Flanagan

Jeff McIlwain, better known as Lusine, has ranged widely across electronic music's many genres during a nearly 20-year career. This new song flaunts the fruits of those explorations.

Skeletons ride a bike together in a scene from Spoon's new video for the song "Can I Sit Next To You."

Music & Culture

Watch Spoon's Strange New Video, 'Can I Sit Next To You'

1:16pm February 21, 2017

by Robin Hilton

The song first appeared as unidentified instrumental music between segments on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and during boarding on American Airlines planes.

Ron Trent (pictured) and Chez Damier's new box set, Prescription: Word, Sound & Power, is out now.

Music & Culture

Songs We Love: Ron Trent Shares Some Deep House 'History'

12:04pm February 21, 2017

by Piotr Orlov

The deep house pioneer's new box set sheds light on the development of club music.

Palehound performs "Holiest" live at Pickathon.

Music & Culture

Palehound, 'Holiest' (Live At Pickathon)

12:02pm February 21, 2017

by Jerad Walker

The Boston indie-rock band plays a deep cut from its catalog at Pickathon's Woods Stage outside Portland, Ore.

A still from Diet Cig's video for "Tummy Ache."

Music & Culture

First Watch: Diet Cig, 'Tummy Ache'

11:42am February 21, 2017

by Marissa Lorusso

Brooklyn duo Diet Cig lament that "it's hard to be a punk while wearing a skirt" — but its new video for the song "Tummy Ache" celebrates exactly that.

Kaytranada's flip of Nao's "Get To Know Ya" is featured on this week's show.

Music & Culture

Metropolis: 2/18/17

11:02am February 21, 2017

KCRW's Jason Bentley spins a two-hour dance mix with tracks from Nao, NxWorries, Justin Martin and more.