Turnstile, 'Holiday'
The hardcore band the ability to lure even the most poptimistic listener with spectacular hooks.
Music & Culture
The Lesson GK, 'Watch Thy Step'
The group harnesses the collective creative powers of each band member for 90 seconds of bass-drum-synth wizardry.
Squirrel Flower, 'Flames And Flat Tires'
"You'd better watch out for me," Squirrel Flower, aka songwriter Ella Williams, warns on "Flames and Flat Tires," a grungy, standout single off the Chicago-based artist's sophomore album, Planet (i).
Bassist Endea Owens Cooks Up Jazz For The Community
We hear the young bassist Endea Owens with Wynton Marsalis, Jon Batiste and trace her Detroit roots to learn how she's giving back to her community with free meals and free concerts on the street.
3 New Songs Show How Veteran Musicians Keep Things Fresh Over The Long Haul
It's a quandary many musicians face: Create material that explores new territory or give variations of the same? Tom Jones, Jackson Browne and John Mayer each answer that question in new releases.
No Sophomore Slump: A Playlist Of Songs From Great Second Albums
The dreaded "sophomore slump" is no more — featuring Nirvana, Prince and Björk, World Cafe shares a playlist of those who have not only avoided the dreaded label, but transcended it.
Sleater-Kinney: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
Watch Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker perform four songs with a full band.
'Summer Of Soul' Celebrates A 1969 Black Cultural Festival Eclipsed By Woodstock
The Harlem Cultural Festival was filled with stars from soul, R&B, blues and jazz and drew more than 300,000 people. Questlove directs this breathtaking chronicle of Black culture in a pivotal moment.
NPR Music's 27 Favorite Songs Of 2021 (So Far)
Our favorite songs from this strange period of re-emergence, the first six months of 2021.
NPR Music's 26 Favorite Albums Of 2021 (So Far)
Here at the midpoint of 2021, these are the two dozen or so albums NPR Music's staff will be carrying as they step back out into the world.