Music & Culture

Much like the culture it originates from, Southern hip-hop is going to continue to grow and redefine itself as artists live, people move and neighborhoods change.

Music & Culture

Before The South Had Something To Say: How A Region Discovered Its Voice

10:58am August 07, 2020

by Maurice Garland

In the early 1990s, you might not think rappers from Atlanta had much in common with rappers from New Orleans or Miami. So when and how did "Southern hip-hop" get to be recognized as an entity?

"The stuff that used to ring true still does in a way and also doesn't anymore," says Phil Elverum. "The big, huge question I tried to think about with this giant song was mainly how to encompass these contradictions."

Music & Culture

Phil Elverum Returns To A Refuge As The Microphones

1:42pm August 06, 2020

by Lars Gotrich

Microphones in 2020 is a single 45-minute track written to "unburden myself from the weight of all this memory," says Phil Elverum, "even though I also think it has so much value."

A young Howard Ashman, photographed on the set of his musical Little Shop of Horrors.

Music & Culture

A New Documentary Shines A Spotlight On The Lyricist Behind The Disney Renaissance

9:26am August 06, 2020

by Tim Greiving

The Disney+ documentary Howard features the life and work of Howard Ashman, a lyricist known for Little Shop of Horrors and one half of the duo that brought the music for three classic films to life.

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When COVID-19 Canceled Music Festivals, These Banjo Lovers Planned A Virtual One

7:00am August 06, 2020

The pandemic has shut down most of the summer music festivals. But that did not stop two banjo players from organizing an online banjo contest.

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Belinda Carlisle of The Go-Go's. She says at live shows, the band was "a runaway train that could crash at any minute, and I think that's what people respond to."

Music & Culture

How The Go-Go's Perfected Pop-Punk

8:32pm August 05, 2020

by Hilary Hughes

The Go-Go's proved that pop and punk could mingle to land at the top of the charts. "You can take the girl out of punk, but you can't take punk out of the girl," says Charlotte Caffey, lead guitarist.

Helen Jones Woods, seen here during her time in the International Sweethearts of Rhythm.

Music & Culture

Helen Jones Woods, Groundbreaking Female Trombonist, Has Died From COVID-19

5:05pm August 05, 2020

by Nate Chinen

Woods played in the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, a history-making all-female big band. She was 96.

Music & Culture

Helen Jones Woods, Groundbreaking Female Trombonist, Has Died From COVID-19

5:03pm August 05, 2020

by Nate Chinen

Woods played in the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, a history-making all-female big band. She was 96.

Twerking, and the music born in its image, creates a liberating space for those gathered on this side and the other.

Music & Culture

Body Capital: How Twerking Shapes The Sound Of Southern Rap

5:01pm August 05, 2020

by Zandria F. Robinson

Everyone wants to make the sound that makes the girls dance. Twerking reminds us that women's contributions to Southern rap and culture, while often devalued, can create space for liberation.

Bon Iver's new single is titled "AUATC."

Music & Culture

Bon Iver Collaborates With Bruce Springsteen, Hints At New Album

4:11pm August 05, 2020

by Stephen Thompson

In a guest-filled new single called "AUATC (Ate Up All Their Cake)," Justin Vernon teams up with Springsteen, Jenny Lewis, Jenn Wasner and others.

Music & Culture

First Lady Of English Folk Music Shirley Collins Releases New Album

4:02pm August 05, 2020

Singer Shirley Collins has been called the first lady of English folk music. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with her about her new album, Heart's Ease.

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