Music & Culture

The legendary music that makes up Broadway's upcoming Motown: The Musical offers audible proof that Berry Gordy's Detroit R&B label is the soundtrack of an American generation. But for Gordy, the new project is just the story of that label as he lived through it.

In a country known for its calm and understatement, the singer-songwriter was a passionate nationalist who sought to instill pride through his music.

The icon's new album plays like a collection of discreet singles, with each performed in a different style, genre and mood. In this way, the album isn't a return to form, in part because David Bowie never took one form to begin with.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, nearly every coal mine in the U.K. had a brass band. They were intended to keep workers out of trouble, and were a matter of civic pride for local communities. Today, some say that without funding, the bands could become a thing of the past.

His fiery performance at Woodstock is legendary. The band would go on to have a hit with "I'd Love to Change the World."

Frontman Craig Minowa talks about tragedy in his past and how the group's new album, Love, reflects his own healing process.

Recruiting the likes of Guy Clark and Vince Gill, the country singer and member of The Pistol Annies works within a tradition that extends back well beyond her twentysomething years. Monroe avoids the pitfalls of cliche, with sentiments on her new album that are nothing if not nicely ambivalent.

Some lush and sexy music videos were all listeners knew of the the soulful pop duo — until recently. NPR's Celeste Headlee speaks with Mike Milosh and Robin Hannibal as they prepare to release their debut album as Rhye.

A new compilation, Lula Lounge: Essential Tracks, showcases Canada's thriving Latin music scene.

Four decades after her death, Bonds — a gifted pianist and a friend and collaborator of Langston Hughes — is still one of few African-American woman composers to gain recognition in the United States.