Music Features

Clockwise from left: A.C. Newman, nêhiyawak, Chick Corea, Leikeli47.

Music & Culture

Musician To Musician: Our 5th Annual Thanksgiving Chain Of Gratitude

12:02pm November 28, 2019

Ari Shapiro names The New Pornographers as a musical act he's thankful for in 2019. That gratitude is passed forward to nêhiyawak, then Leikeli47 and finally to Chick Corea.

A new generation of smart speakers is here to challenge the traditional stereo system.

Music & Culture

Tiny Tech Tips: Which Of The New, 'Hi-Fi' Smart Speakers Sounds The Best?

10:46am November 25, 2019

by Josh Rogosin

The new generation of smart speakers doesn't always play nice with each other's ecosystems, but at least they all sound much better.

Luis Fonsi (left) and Daddy Yankee perform "Despacito" during the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018.

Music & Culture

The Rise Of Urbano In The 2010s: An Alt.Latino/All Songs Considered Crossover

12:22pm November 22, 2019

Felix Contreras traces the decade-long rise of sociological and musical forces that eventually birthed and cemented a style now called urbano.

Leonard Cohen, performing at Rod Laver Arena on November 20, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia.

Music & Culture

Leonard Cohen And Harry Nilsson Are Releasing New Albums, Whether They Like It Or Not

10:28am November 21, 2019

by Tom Moon

Beloved, but gone — when it comes to our favorite artists, the assumption is that more is always better. But what effect do these patchworked releases have on their legacies?

We've met Arthur Russell the sparse synth-pop auteur, clubby post-disco producer, minimalist composer and mantric folkie. On Iowa Dream, we meet the aspiring pop star.

Music & Culture

Which Arthur Russell Are We Getting On 'Iowa Dream'?

7:00am November 20, 2019

by Jack Denton

On the typically far-afield, but equally understated, new album Iowa Dream, the shadow of Arthur Russell lengthens over pop music yet again.

Mike Posner, photographed on September 14, 2018 in New York City. The pop artist spent much of 2019 walking across the Unites States, from New Jersey to California.

Music & Culture

To Reset Your Life As A Pop Star, Try Walking Across America

9:49pm November 19, 2019

by Grayson Haver Currin

Surrounded by death and dreading the idea of promoting an album, Mike Posner decided to walk across the United States. The experience ended up changing the way he sees his country and himself.

Frank Sinatra onstage in the 1970s. Though the star was ambivalent at best about the song's message, "My Way" became emblematic of this era of his career.

Music & Culture

A Toast To 'My Way,' America's Anthem Of Self-Determination

5:51pm November 19, 2019

by Sonari Glinton

Made famous by Frank Sinatra — who grew to hate it — "My Way" represents the quintessentially American outlook that nothing in life matters more than living on your own terms.

Queue Listen Now

Pete Townshend originally wrote the songs on The Who's new album for Roger Daltrey as a solo artist. "I wrote them for Roger because I knew that Roger would sing them best," he says.

Pete Townshend On Creativity, 'The Age Of Anxiety' And The Who's New Record

10:10am November 18, 2019

Townshend talks about his debut novel, how it relates to The Who's rock opera, Tommy, and what he'd say now to his younger self – the one who wrote the lyric "I hope I die before I get old."

A year ago, doctors told Joe Henry he had less than a year to live. The Gospel According to Water, his most poignant album ever, is another second chance in a career full of them.

Music & Culture

Joe Henry's Next Second Chance

7:00am November 15, 2019

by Grayson Haver Currin

A year ago, doctors told the Grammy winner he had less than a year to live. The new The Gospel According to Water, his most poignant album ever, is another second chance in a career full of them.

An attendee during the TomorrowWorld Electronic Music Festival on September 29, 2013 in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia. Inclement weather forced the event to close itself off. "Thousands of exhausted kids, unprepared for the conditions, were stranded."

Music & Culture

The Mainstreaming Of EDM And The Precipitous Drop That Followed

2:54pm November 13, 2019

by Michaelangelo Matos

The culture of electronic dance music has long been seen as a safe space for the marginalized, but over the past decade it took a sharp turn towards the mainstream.