Music Features

Four centuries of Black American history are told in new Kronos Quartet performance

10:07am November 18, 2021

by Tim Greiving

Deep in the heart of Texas, the Kronos Quartet reflects on race relations and social unrest with At War with Ourselves – 400 Years of You, by composer Michael Abels and poet Nikky Finney.

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Clairo, Katie Gavin of MUNA, and King Princess

Music & Culture

The limitations of the 'sapphic anthem'

10:06am November 18, 2021

by Emma Madden

The sapphic music label turns lesbian identity into a homogenous category.

Music discovery is always on the menu at Vocalo Radio in Chicago

Music & Culture

10 genre-bending Chicago artists to watch in 2022

12:20pm November 17, 2021

by Morgan Ciocca

Morgan Ciocca shares 10 Chicago artists to look out for, with everything from Kacey Musgraves covers to disco-inspired hip-hop.

Adele sings in front of Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles during a televised concert to promote her fourth album, 30, which chronicles the aftermath of her divorce in ways that take subtle chances with the star's signature cathartic style.

Music & Culture

On '30,' Adele walks among us

7:01pm November 16, 2021

by Ann Powers

The star who commands a planetary position in the galaxy of pop chronicles divorce and soul-searching recovery on an album that thrillingly redefines her artistry by bringing her gently down to earth.

Victoria Sur nets a Latin Grammy nomination with airy lullabies she wrote for her kids

8:25am November 14, 2021

by Betto Arcos

Colombian singer-songwriter Victoria Sur has pursued a successful career for more than 20 years. Now, she's nominated for a Latin Grammy for her first children's music album, "Nanas Consentidoras."

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Zhalarina entered the 2021 Tiny Desk Contest with her song "Lala."

Music & Culture

Tiny Desk Contest entrant Zhalarina on the paternal bond that inspired 'Lala'

8:55am November 13, 2021

Judges for the Tiny Desk Contest watched thousands of videos, and Weekend Edition is highlighting some of the standouts — this week: rapper Zhalarina's "Lala."

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Westside Gunn + Conductor Williams, The Formula S2E4

Music & Culture

Westside Gunn and Conductor Williams are perfecting rap's most refined aesthetic

5:00am November 13, 2021

The growing discography made by the Griselda founder and the noir-inspired Kansas City producer reflect the way these two visionaries have aligned to create something singular.

English electronica musician and producer Jon Hopkins. His new album, Music For Psychedelic Therapy, is out now.

Music & Culture

Jon Hopkins found his beatless new album, 'Music for Psychedelic Therapy,' deep down

5:08pm November 12, 2021

Electronic musician Jon Hopkins' latest release, Music For Psychedelic Therapy, is built upon field recordings made deep in a cave in Ecuador.

Composer and saxophonist Wayne Shorter with a page from his ...(Iphigenia) score.

Wayne Shorter's operatic dream comes true, brought to life with Esperanza Spalding

8:39pm November 11, 2021

by Andrea Shea

Iconic jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter has completed a long-held dream, an opera based on the mythic Greek character Iphigenia, with help from singer and bassist Esperanza Spalding.

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Chicago's Gramaphone Records is a pillar of the city's electronic and dance music community.

Music & Culture

Digging into the legacy of Chicago's Gramaphone Records

2:50pm November 10, 2021

Jesse De La Pena of Chicago's Vocalo Radio dives into the cultural significance of Gramaphone Records for the store's 50th anniversary