Music & Culture

A 1939 portrait of opera singer Lawrence Tibbett, the co-founder and first president of the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA).

Whistleblowers Allege Culture Of Secrecy, Protection Of Powerful At Singers' Union

11:25am September 18, 2020

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

They point to a real estate deal that could drain two-thirds of the American Guild of Musical Artists' financial reserves and a secretive, failed deal with disgraced opera star Plácido Domingo.

(L-R) Desus Nice and The Kid Mero in DESUS & MERO "Su-Su-Sucio". Photo Credit: Greg Endries/SHOWTIME.

Music & Culture

Desus & Mero's Favorite Tiny Desk Concerts

7:26am September 18, 2020

Late-night hosts and comedians Desus Nice and The Kid Mero pick their favorite Tiny Desk concerts.

Music & Culture

50 Years Ago, Black Sabbath Found Its Sound And Took Metal Worldwide

6:06am September 18, 2020

by Bo Hamby

Recorded in a few days and released just months after the band's self-titled debut, Paranoid delivered bleak but unforgettable songs about war, corruption and trauma.

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Music & Culture

Nap Eyes' Nigel Chapman Is Always On The Brink Of A New Discovery

4:08pm September 17, 2020

The Nap Eyes frontman's wheels are always turning, about himself, about creativity, about the universe and about music.

Yusuf's Tea for the Tillerman 2 is a reimagining of his 1970 album as Cat Stevens.

Music & Culture

Yusuf Revisits 'Tea For The Tillerman,' His Landmark Album As Cat Stevens

12:39pm September 17, 2020

Known as Yusuf since becoming a Muslim in the late '70s, the man who was Cat Stevens discusses Tea for the Tillerman 2, a reimagining of his now-50-year-old masterpiece.

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Music & Culture

McDonald's Runs Low On Ingredients For Travis Scott Quarter Pounder

5:57am September 17, 2020

The fast food chain's Travis Scott meal is just a Quarter Pounder with the rapper's favorites: cheese, bacon, lettuce, fries, BBQ sauce and a Sprite. The cost is $6.

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Stanley Crouch, photographed during The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music's Beacon Awards Gala on Feb. 27, 2006 in New York.

Stanley Crouch, Towering Jazz Critic, Dead At 74

3:23pm September 16, 2020

by Ethan Iverson

Crouch's engagement with American culture spanned over five decades, numerous mediums and many dustups. His influence on the life and shape of jazz will remain unquantifiable.

Music & Culture

City Scenes: Musicians Philly's Lost In 2020

2:40pm September 16, 2020

by Josh Jackson

Philadelphia lost seven great musicians in the first four months of 2020. These artists, like the music, have a special relationship with impermanence. Let us remember them.

Music & Culture

French-Canadian Clarinetist François Houle Bridges The Border With 'RECODER'

2:11pm September 16, 2020

by Kevin Whitehead

An improviser well-versed in modern jazz, Houle often works with international collaborators in all sorts of settings. His latest album features music from a half-Canadian, half-American quartet.

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Anjimile's debut album, Giver Taker, is out Sept. 18.

Music & Culture

Anjimile Just Can't Wait To Be King

9:17am September 16, 2020

by Marissa Lorusso

Ahead of the release of their debut album, Giver Taker, the Boston singer-songwriter talks to NPR Music about singing in choirs, healing through songwriting and being inspired by The Lion King.