Music & Culture

Happy Fangs drummer Jess Gowrie, getting it done.

Drum Fill Friday, With Jess Gowrie Of Happy Fangs

10:00am April 17, 2015

Our recurring puzzler for careful listeners, this week featuring a selection of fills handpicked by Jess Gowrie, drummer for the band Happy Fangs. Hear the fill and match it to the song.

Music & Culture

Demand Increases For Vinyl Records

7:35am April 17, 2015

Saturday is World Record Day, a celebration of independent record stores. Jay Millar of United Record Pressing, says people have a connection to vinyl that you just can't get with a digital download.

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Music & Culture

Wiz Khalifa's 'See You Again' Breaks Spotify Streaming Record

7:40pm April 16, 2015

by Andrew Limbong

The song by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth broke the record this week for Spotify streams in a single day with 4.2 million plays.

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Mark Ronson is a music producer, DJ and guitarist who's recorded with Adele, Paul McCartney, Ghostface Killah, Lily Allen and Duran Duran, among others.

Music & Culture

The Story Behind Mark Ronson's Hit Song 'Uptown Funk'

4:43pm April 16, 2015

The producer says there was a moment when his co-writers thought, "Maybe this song wasn't meant to be." He also describes working with Amy Winehouse and Bruno Mars.

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Sufjan Stevens' album Carrie & Lowell is out this week.

Music & Culture

How To Be Alone: Musicians Confront Solitude

1:15pm April 16, 2015

by Ann Powers

On new albums, Sufjan Stevens, Kendrick Lamar and Laura Marling all hold the world at a distance in order to embrace creation.

Superchunk frontman and Merge Records co-founder Mac McCaughan (left) will put out his first album under his own name next month. Katie Crutchfield just put out her third album as Waxahatchee on Merge.

Music & Culture

A Rational Conversation With Mac McCaughan And Waxahatchee

12:30pm April 16, 2015

by Eric Ducker

Songwriter Katie Crutchfield and her boss, Merge Records' Mac McCaughan (who has a new solo album) talk about motivation, listening to their own music and the differences between DIY in 1994 and 2015.

Music & Culture

Winston-Salem Finalizes Busker Rules

8:05pm April 15, 2015

by Neal Charnoff

Winston-Salem is moving forward with rules governing street musicians, also known as buskers.

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Percy Sledge performs in Montgomery, Ala., in 2010.

Music & Culture

Percy Sledge Had A Voice The Whole World Heard

7:45pm April 14, 2015

by Mandalit del Barco

Best known for 1966's iconic hit "When A Man Loves A Woman," the Alabama singer found success blending R&B with a hint of country. Sledge died Tuesday at 74.

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Soul Singer Percy Sledge Dies

7:06pm April 14, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

Sledge is perhaps best known for his hit "When A Man Loves A Woman." He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

Music & Culture

The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle Finds Refuge In The Ring

2:29pm April 14, 2015

by Ken Tucker

Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker says The Mountain Goats' concept album about pro wrestling is filled with a remarkable range of melodies and moods.

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