Music & Culture

So Sad Today's Melissa Broder says The Weeknd's songs are "sexy, though not longing-y on his part, because I feel like he is in control."

Music & Culture

A Rational Conversation: Passing Judgment On Music In 2015 With So Sad Today

1:07pm December 28, 2015

by Eric Ducker

Longing and the fear of failure dominated 2015 for the writer behind the existentially dark Twitter account So Sad Today. Plus: How to manage multiple Spotify playlists!

Music & Culture

Alt.Latino Picks Favorite Songs Of 2015

7:57am December 27, 2015

Felix Contreras and Jasmine Garsd of NPR's Alt.Latino podcast join NPR's Carrie Khan to talk about some of their favorite songs of 2015.

Charlie Belle isn't a person, it's a band: the duo of vocalist/guitarist Jendayi Bonds and her brother, drummer Gyasi Bonds, who released two talked-about EPs this year.

Music & Culture

A Moment With Charlie Belle, Teen Siblings And A Band To Watch

7:57am December 27, 2015

by NPR Staff

Jendayi Bonds and her brother Gyasi are both still in high school, but their music got critics talking in 2015.

John Scofield's latest album, Past Present, reunites an old quartet for set of tunes steeped in reflection and loss.

Music & Culture

For John Scofield, Everything Old Is New Again — Even The Hard Parts

7:57am December 27, 2015

by Tom Cole

The jazz guitarist has a new record out with an old quartet, playing music that deals, in part, with the death of Scofield's son.

As more same-sex couples get married in the U.S., many are opting for less traditional songs than Richard Wagner's standard march.

'Here Come The Brides': Same-Sex Weddings Call For A New Soundtrack

7:15pm December 26, 2015

by NPR Staff

Richard Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" has been a staple at weddings for more than 150 years. But lately, a number of same-sex couples have been choosing to mix up the music at their nuptials.

Queue Listen Now

Harmonica virtuoso Howard Levy found that by blowing a little too hard into his instrument, he could conjure notes it was never made to play. "And it freaked me out, I have to tell you," he says.

Music & Culture

Pocket-Sized Revolution: Behind The Harmonica's World-Music Takeover

8:29am December 26, 2015

by John Burnett

Howard Levy found he could get a radical new sound out of the mouth harp, essentially by playing it wrong. Today, followers of his method are finding their way into the world's top conservatories.

'Hello,' We Meet Again: Adele's Hit Revives Another

8:29am December 26, 2015

Linda Wertheimer muses on the similarities between Adele's hit song "Hello," and a "Hello" of a different era. Lionel Richie's '80s hit is finding new fans.

2015 In Music: Playlist Refreshers

8:29am December 26, 2015

NPR's Linda Wertheimer likes Buddy Holly and Bill Haley, so Stephen Thompson brings her playlist up to the present day with songs from Leon Bridges, the Alabama Shakes, Elle King and Sleater-Kinney.

Music & Culture

Nick Lowe Brings His 'Quality Holiday Revue' To America

1:32pm December 25, 2015

Initially "appalled" by the notion of making a holiday album, Lowe came to see it as a challenge. Quality Street tackles old classics and adds originals to the mix. Originally broadcast Dec. 22, 2015.

Queue Listen Now

LCD Soundsystem, which broke up in 2011, reunited to record what frontman James Murphy calls "this depressing Christmas song I'd been singing to myself for the past 8 years."

Music & Culture

Holiday Music Roundup: New Songs From Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem And More

1:04pm December 25, 2015

by Jacob Ganz

New music arriving over the holiday season has become a tradition of the streaming era. This year's haul includes a handful of sad Christmas songs and welcome non-holiday originals.