Music & Culture

Music & Culture

'Tomeka Reid Quartet' Offers A Tightly Synchronized Mix Of Cello And Guitar

1:34pm October 13, 2015

by Kevin Whitehead

Cellist Tomeka Reid was headed toward a career as a classical musician, but was drawn to jazz. Critic Kevin Whitehead says her band's new album, The Tomeka Reid Quartet, has good chemistry all around.

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Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson, who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. Last month, Iron Maiden released its 16th album, The Book of Souls.

Music & Culture

Death And The Iron Maiden

12:21pm October 13, 2015

by Jonathan Dick

A year after his diagnosis with cancer, the lead singer of Iron Maiden talks about recovery, mortality and the band's 16th album, The Book of Souls.

Music & Culture

Album Review: 'III,' By Bixiga 70

4:04pm October 12, 2015

by Banning Eyre

Bixiga 70 is a 10-piece band from Sao Paulo, Brazil. The eclectic set of musicians seamlessly fuses cumbia, afrobeat and funk. NPR's Banning Eyre says their instrumental dance songs have earned them a global reputation.

Music & Culture

Putting The 'K' In Muzak: Years Of Kmart Background Music, Archived On Tape

4:04pm October 12, 2015

Care to hear four years' worth of the music played on Kmart's loudspeakers? Well, whether or not you do, now you can — on Archive.org. Mark Davis explains why he collected and uploaded the tunes.

Music & Culture

World Cafe Next: Brooke Annibale

9:54am October 12, 2015

Hear two songs from the Pittsburgh singer-songwriter, whose music you might have heard on TV.

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Music & Culture

At 84, Award-Winning Actress Rita Moreno Tries New Projects

9:05am October 12, 2015

by Felix Contreras

Rita Moreno will receive the Kennedy Center Honor next month for her career in show business. With a new gig as a voice in an animated TV series and a new album, there's no way she's done performing.

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Brownout's single "La Raza" is a tribute to Kid Frost and El Chicano.

Music & Culture

Songs We Love: Brownout, 'La Raza'

8:54am October 12, 2015

by Felix Contreras

We celebrate Dia de La Raza with a posse remake of Kid Frost's Latin hip-hop classic that also features Mellow Man Ace, Niña Dioz, Das Racist's Kool A.D. and others.

Neon Indian's new album, <em>VEGA INTL. Night School</em>, comes out Oct. 16.

Music & Culture

First Listen: Neon Indian, 'VEGA INTL. Night School'

8:24am October 12, 2015

by Andy Battaglia

On the band's new album, old and new technologies come together in a sly but seemingly sincere way, with throwback results that keep the prospect of a party in mind.

Syrian Basel Esa, 23, sits in the grass behind a gas station near the Hungary-Serbia border, rapping into an NPR microphone. The amateur rapper fled his home in Raqqa two years ago and lived in Turkey before deciding to go to Europe. He raps about war, su

Syria's 'DJ Marshall B' Raps About The Pain Of Being A Refugee

8:27am October 11, 2015

by Lauren Frayer

The Syrian performer has made his way through Europe while rapping about his experiences: "Lost between heaven and hell, I'm desperately trying to reach the light at the end."

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Tigran Hamasyan merges ancient Armenian sacred music with jazz piano.

Music & Culture

Music From The Shadows: Ancient Armenian Hymns And Piano Jazz

9:14am October 09, 2015

by Tom Huizenga

Award-winning pianist Tigran Hamasyan merges ancient sacred hymns from his homeland with improvisation, and a little mystery.