Music & Culture

Megan Draper (Jessica Pare) and Don Draper (Jon Hamm) in an episode of Mad Men's sixth season.

Music & Culture

A (Nearly) Comprehensive Guide To The Music Of 'Mad Men'

11:56am April 07, 2015

by Chris Molanphy

From "The Twist" to "Is That All There Is?," the songs that Mad Men uses to depict the 1960s are perfect — but often unpredictable — representations of the decade's slow evolution.

"I'm more and more coming to the idea," composer Philip Glass says, "that it's the lineage and the connection to the past and the connection to the future — that is the real connection."

Philip Glass On Legacy: 'The Future ... It's All Around Us'

4:21pm April 06, 2015

For the composer, life is how the past and the future connect. Glass' new memoir, Words Without Music, looks back on his childhood, travels through Asia and when his music provoked violence.

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Exploring Songs In Native Languages From Mexico, Guatemala, Bolivia

11:19am April 05, 2015

When you think of Latin American music, you may think of songs in Spanish or Portuguese. This week, Jasmine Garsd of NPR's Alt.Latino brings NPR's Rachel Martin music sung in indigenous languages.

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Daniel Levy works with Vateya (left) at the Rikers Island prison in New York City in February 2015, as part of the Lullaby Project.

Music & Culture

Bringing Mothers In Prison Closer To Their Children, Through Music

10:30am April 04, 2015

by Jeff Lunden

Mothers in prison rarely get a chance to see or touch their children — or sing them a lullaby. A group of professional musicians is helping female inmates in New York City to create those connections.

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Critic and opera translator Andrew Porter directs singer Nikki Einfeld during a rehearsal of a Canadian Opera Company production of Mozart's Magic Flute in Toronto in 2005.

Music & Culture

Multifaceted Music Critic Andrew Porter Dies At 86

4:43pm April 03, 2015

by Tom Huizenga

Best known in the U.S. as a longtime music critic of The New Yorker, Porter was also a scholar, translator and director of opera.

Music & Culture

First Listen: 'Carrie & Lowell' By Sufjan Stevens

5:11pm April 02, 2015

All Songs Considered co-hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton discuss the latest from Sufjan Stevens. His new album, Carrie & Lowell, is being featured by NPR Music.

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In 1985, Cynthia Lennon said that touring with The Beatles was "wonderful," but "all we saw were the inside of hotel rooms, the inside of Cadillacs."

Music & Culture

In Her Life After John, Cynthia Lennon Didn't Stop Loving Him

2:36pm April 02, 2015

John Lennon's first wife died Wednesday at 75. In 1985, Cynthia Lennon talked with Fresh Air about her marriage to John, going on tour to America, and meeting Yoko Ono.

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Madonna, Deadmau5, Kanye West and Jay Z onstage at the Tidal launch event.

Music & Culture

Jay Z's Music Service, Tidal, Arrives With A Splash, And Questions Follow

2:57pm April 01, 2015

by Sam Sanders

The premium streaming service, which will be owned in part by musicians, was unveiled in a star-packed ceremony. The first question it needs to answer: Can it attract listeners?

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Music & Culture

Rare Latin Grooves Excavated In Anthology

2:55pm April 01, 2015

by Milo Miles

The mostly instrumental cuts draw on salsa, funk, soul and rock from vintage and new performers.

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Musician Joni Mitchell attends a party before the Grammy Awards in February. Mitchell, 71, was found unconscious in her home Tuesday.

Musician Joni Mitchell Is 'Awake And In Good Spirits' In Intensive Care

11:04am April 01, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The folk music icon was hospitalized in Los Angeles after being found unconscious in her home Tuesday.