Music Features

Quint Davis, photographed during the funeral of Theodore Emile "Bo" Dollis, Big Chief of the Wild Magnolias, at Xavier Convocation Center on January 31, 2015 in New Orleans.

Music & Culture

For 50 Years, Quint Davis Has Never Let New Orleans' Jazz Fest 'Go Down'

7:00am May 04, 2019

by Gwen Thompkins

The city of New Orleans is on a first-name basis with Quint Davis, who has happily occupied a central role in the city's beloved Jazz and Heritage Festival since the very beginning.

For his latest work as WILLS, songwriter and producer Will Johnson is turning to arts foundations for funding.

Music & Culture

Can Musicians Avoid Commercial Pressure And Still Make A Living? WILLS Is Trying

8:55am May 02, 2019

by Frannie Kelley

Will Johnson is a successful producer and songwriter who found himself questioning the music industry and his place in it. So this time, he's trying a business approach from the world of fine art.

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(Left to right) Carson McHone, Mélat and Abhi The Nomad

Music & Culture

Slingshot Scenes: 9 Austin Artists You Should Know

10:09am May 01, 2019

From outlaw country and electric blues to heavy metal and R&B, Austin musicians continue to make the city of the most exciting places to be a music fan.

Which entry has the best desk? Clockwise from top left: Sophie Marks, jeannie, TOP nachos, 76th Street, Brie Capone, AJO.

Music & Culture

Vote: Who Has The Best Desk In The 2019 Tiny Desk Contest?

10:01am April 29, 2019

by Clara Maurer

Every entry video for the Tiny Desk Contest must feature a desk. For our next just-for-fun fan vote, we want you to tell us your favorite desk.

Music & Culture

The Grateful Dead Tribute On Mountain Stage

3:15pm April 25, 2019

by Larry Groce

In celebration of the Grateful Dead, hear these performances from Catherine Russell, Joan Osborne and Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, live on Mountain Stage.

Music & Culture

Video: Watch 'Echo In The Canyon' Live From WXPN

4:51pm April 24, 2019

The documentary film Echo in the Canyon recounts the history of popular music from LA's Laurel Canyon. In honor of its release, stream live performances from Jakob Dylan, Jade Castrinos and Cat Power.

Kurt Cobain in the studio with Nirvana in late 1991.

Music & Culture

'Smells Like Teen Spirit,' The Anthem For A Generation That Didn't Want One

11:35am April 23, 2019

by Joel Rose

Nirvana's culture-shifting hit mocked mainstream rock songs and wound up becoming one. But in his very ambivalence about success, Kurt Cobain captured something essential about growing up.

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Non-verbal vocalization has always been a fundamental part of music. Today's generation of artists is aided in its search for new modes of vocal percussion by technology that includes AI.

Music & Culture

All Ears: Listening For The Meaning Between The Words

8:35am April 23, 2019

by Ruth Saxelby

As the work of many experimental and pop musicians shows, sounds made by a body that don't cohere into recognizable language can still have emotional clarity.

Which entry has your favorite desk in the wild?

Music & Culture

Vote: What's Your Favorite Desk In The Wild From The 2019 Tiny Desk Contest?

10:00am April 22, 2019

by Clara Maurer

While the Tiny Desk Contest judges look for a winner, we're hosting weekly fan-favorite votes on fun themes. First up: entry videos filmed in the great outdoors.

"I never want my name to be more hot because of controversy than my music," Lil Nas X says. "It's like a blessing and a curse."

Music & Culture

Wrangler On His Booty: Lil Nas X On The Making And The Magic Of 'Old Town Road'

4:50pm April 10, 2019

by Rodney Carmichael

The artist behind the country-trap hit, who celebrated his 20th birthday and topped the charts this week, is less beholden to any genre than he is to the shape-shifting nature of online identity.