Your New Robot Overlord Turns Out To Be A Pretty Good Marimba Player
Over the weekend, a four-armed robot named Shimon did something amazing: It played an improvised jazz set alongside a human bandmate at a music festival.
Music & Culture
![This week's episode of Metropolis opens with Sofi Tukker's "Matadora [Medina Remix]."](http://wfdd-live.s3.amazonaws.com/images/story/Metropolis-5-21-16-479159169-1464029117.jpg)
Metropolis: 5/21/16
Hear music from Classixx, Anohni, Gorgon City and more in this week's two-hour EDM mix from KCRW's Jason Bentley.
Little Scream Casts A Dreamy Spell With 'Cult Following'
Musician Laurel Sprengelmeyer — aka Little Scream — refers to prayer, devotion, heaven and Satan on her new album. Critic Ken Tucker calls Cult Following a "testament to desire and endurance."
Robert Ellis: Tiny Desk Concert
Robert Ellis somehow finds wide-eyed wonder in heartbreak. He and guitarist Kelly Doyle play stripped-down yet thoughtfully busy arrangements from his ambitious country record.
Songs We Love: Sarah Jarosz, 'House Of Mercy'
The folk and bluegrass artist takes a big, bold step, writing darker, more mature material. With stylized images of her bare skin, the video reads like an exploration beyond previous comfort zones.
From Duke To The Dead, Ralph J. Gleason Loved It All
Two new volumes of work by the legendary music writer Ralph J. Gleason are out this spring. Though he grew up during the Jazz Age, Gleason loved acts like Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead too.
Four Home-Schooled Sisters, One Awesome Metallica Cover
Violin, mandolin, piano, drums and gorgeous vocal harmonies define the sound of SHEL, a band of four sisters raised in a music-minded household. They speak with NPR's Rachel Martin.
'Sounds And Sweet Airs' Remembers The Forgotten Women Of Classical Music
You may be familiar with Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann. But did you know Mendelssohn's sister Fanny and Schumman's wife Clara were accomplished composers, too?
Transgender Choruses Harness The (Changing) Power Of Voices
Transgender people are speaking out in society — and singing in choirs nationwide. "Voice is probably one of the deepest signifiers of who a person is," says the founder of a group about to debut.
Show Up Early To The Party With Andy Shauf
The Canadian singer-songwriter's new album, The Party, is full of character studies and vignettes. He breaks down the story behind the song 'Early To The Party.'