Music Features

Funkadelic is the result of George Clinton flirting with psychedelic music, a style he describes as "loud R&B."

Music & Culture

Funkadelic's 'Maggot Brain' At 50: R&B, Psychedelic Rock And A Black Guitarist's Cry

8:14am July 22, 2021

by Eric Deggans

Aiming to make a record that fans would still listen to decades later, George Clinton and Funkadelic mixed R&B, psychedelic rock and a Black guitar hero's cry.

25-year-old hip-hop artist Shelem released his latest single "Suga Wata" on July 20.

Music & Culture

A Hip-Hop Artist In West Virginia Takes The DIY Approach To Get His Breakthrough

11:59am July 21, 2021

by Zack Harold

25-year-old rapper Shelem sees his latest project as an artistic watershed for him: The production is slick, it has a solid hook and the lyrics show a writer who's continuing to advance in his art.

Gente de Zona's "Patria y Vida" (pictured, right: Randy Malcom in Miami) reclaims a slogan made popular at the birth of the Cuban revolution, "Patria o Muerte" (Homeland or Death), 62 years ago.

Explaining 'Patria Y Vida,' The Song That's Defined The Uprising In Cuba

5:58pm July 19, 2021

by Anamaria Sayre

The song, released in February, packs in plenty of historical and current references. The Alt.Latino team translated and decode the lyrics.

Audience members assembled on the lawn to enjoy the Boston Symphony Orchestra, newly returned to Tanglewood after last season's cancellation.

Back Together And Blown Away: The Boston Symphony Orchestra Returns To Tanglewood

9:29am July 19, 2021

by Jeff Lunden

The Boston Symphony Orchestra recently returned to its storied summer home, Tanglewood, after the pandemic canceled last season. With reopening comes normalcy, as well as an opportunity for growth.

In a time when facts are political, Amarante thinks "maybe theater, drama, can be remembered as a vehicle to reflect a truth."

Music & Culture

Rodrigo Amarante And His Great Musical Tantrum

1:56pm July 17, 2021

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks to musician Rodrigo Amarante about his second solo album, Drama, which he says was inspired by a personal reckoning with his own understanding of manhood.

Re-Revising 'The History Of Jazz'

11:27am July 15, 2021

by Natalie Weiner

Ted Gioia first published his History of Jazz in 1997, updating it for the first time in 2011. This year he did so again, after a very important decade for the genre.

The Jerry Run Summer Theater in Cleveland, W.Va. opened its doors in 2003 and has been welcoming local performers ever since.

Music & Culture

City Scenes From Mountain Stage: If You Build It, They Will Play

9:50am July 14, 2021

by Zack Harold

A carpenter brings music to his hometown with the ultimate DIY venue, West Virginia's Jerry Run Summer Theater.

Attacca Quartet members Amy Schroeder, Domenic Salerni, Andrew Yee and Nathan Schram dig into dance music on their new CD.

From Haydn To Flying Lotus, Attacca Quartet Embraces Music Non-Stop

9:50am July 10, 2021

by Jeff Lunden

Known for its deft handling of canonical classics and contemporary music, the Attacca Quartet breaks new ground on a major-label debut featuring music by Flying Lotus, Squarepusher and other EDM acts.

Music & Culture

'I'm Not Trying To Fit Within Any World': Vince Staples On Newfound Creative Freedom

6:16am July 09, 2021

by Jenny Gathright

On his new record, Staples is still drawing from the same well of emotion and life experience. But his vision and his voice are clearer than ever — a sign, he says, that he's found a sense of peace.

Jimmy Jam, left, and Terry Lewis stand after being acknowledged by inductee Janet Jackson during the 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held at the Barclays Center on March 29, 2019 in New York.

Jimmy Jam And Terry Lewis, Legendary Hitmakers, Release Their First Album

5:58am July 08, 2021

After nearly three decades spent producing massive hits for a long list of (other) legends including Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey, the pair called in some favors for a long-belated debut.