Music & Culture

Music & Culture

Something went wrong with the vinyl pressing of Taylor Swift's new album

6:40am July 14, 2023

Swifties rejoiced when Speak Now (Taylor's Version) dropped. But instead of hearing Taylor belt out the song "Mine," some fans got "Soul Vine" by Cabaret Voltaire. Affected fans got a replacement.

Conjunto music enjoys a resurgence, bridging a divide between old and new musicians

5:16am July 14, 2023

by John Burnett

Part of Texas has its own soundtrack: conjunto music. And a new generation of musicians is taking it up. (Story aired on All Things Considered on July, 10, 2023.)

Alice Sara Ott performs a Tiny Desk concert at NPR Music in Washington, D.C.

Music & Culture

Alice Sara Ott: Tiny Desk Concert

5:00am July 14, 2023

by Tom Huizenga

The widely acclaimed pianist serves up nearly 200-year-old music by Chopin mixed with a contemporary work that looks back in time.

Finalists of the American Pianists Awards

Music & Culture

Relive the 2023 American Pianists Awards from Indianapolis

5:07pm July 13, 2023

Five young pianists compete for the American Pianists Association Cole Porter Fellowship in Jazz.

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Music & Culture

Amtrak wants to help Beyoncé fans catch her Renaissance World Tour

5:55am July 13, 2023

Amtrak's solution: Train-aissance. The company posted a twitter thread of routes that will take fans to tour stops — alongside a graphic of a conductor sitting atop a metallic horse.

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Music & Culture

A half a century ago, the world first heard the voice of Freddie Mercury

5:06am July 13, 2023

by Shereen Marisol Meraji

On this day 50 years ago, the band Queen released its first album and introduced the world to the singular voice of Freddie Mercury. (Note: Story first aired on Morning Edition on Aug. 30, 2010.)

There are big rock riffs on Eye on the Bat, but El Kempner also stretches the sound of Palehound to new places.

Music & Culture

You can feel Palehound's songs in your gut

5:00am July 13, 2023

by Marissa Lorusso

El Kempner turns the force of their wiry indie rock toward collapse, yet the visceral palette of Eye on the Bat has an unexpectedly joyful quality.

Music & Culture

MARO: Tiny Desk Concert

5:00am July 13, 2023

by Anamaria Artemisa Sayre

The Portuguese guitarist brings listeners into her journey of heartbreak.

Prolific drummer Brian Blade leads his enduring Fellowship Band on the newly released Kings Highway.

Music & Culture

Brian Blade the bandleader returns for a ride down 'Kings Highway'

5:00am July 13, 2023

by Nate Chinen

Recorded in 2018 but only now seeing daylight, it's the prolific drummer's first release in years at the head of his expressive and enduring Fellowship Band.

Music & Culture

Pierre Kwenders sings about love — in all of his languages

7:25pm July 12, 2023

A year after releasing an award-winning album that touched on deeply personal subject matter, Kwenders looks back on his origins in Central Africa, and his path as a musician.

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