On 'Collapsed In Sunbeams,' Arlo Parks Welcomes Endings And Change
The artist, who is also a mental health ambassador for the British charity CALM, examines mental health and friendship on her new record, Collapsed in Sunbeams.
Music Features
On 'Ignorance,' The Weather Station Compels You To Care
During an intense reckoning with the global climate crisis, Tamara Lindeman wrote much her new album. For her, the biggest takeaway was "to acknowledge that I could care this much and this deeply."
City Scenes: Austin On Pause
KUTX examines the impact of SXSW's absence from local venues this year.
The Blind Spot In The Great American Protest Song
Jennifer Lopez's performance of "This Land Is Your Land" at last month's presidential inauguration ceremony has reignited conversations about the erasure of Native Americans in the iconic folk tune.
Madlib Heads Back To The Future On 'Sound Ancestors'
For over two decades, Madlib's work has been defined not by any one style, but by the artist's stylistic breadth and tireless output. On a new album, the polymath compiles his artifacts.
Jonas Gwangwa, South African Musician And Activist, Dies At 83
The trombonist was a major figure in South Africa's early jazz scene, and an activist after the restrictions imposed by apartheid. In 1988 he was nominated for an Oscar for his theme to Cry Freedom.
The Voices Of Black Women Were Essential To Phil Spector's Wall Of Sound
The full impact of Spector's musical legacy is impossible to measure without accounting for the creative labor of singers like Darlene Love and the damage Spector's manipulations did to their careers.
Punk And Harmony: Rising Rock Trio Palberta Finds A Sweet Spot
Just as soon as you think you have a frame of reference for the Brooklyn band's sound, it swerves into an entirely new direction. Palberta's new album, Palberta5000, comes out Jan. 22.
We Need To Be Able To Feel
The cost of 2020 — in lives, livelihoods, legacies and communities — is high and still being tallied. For jazz critic Nate Chinen, all that loss demands change to old ideas of critical objectivity.
The 2020 NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll
The best new and rediscovered jazz recordings that lit up the dark and unsettling year that just ended, as voted on by 148 jazz critics.