Music Interviews

Nick Lowe's Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family is an album of original holiday songs and some reworked classics.

Music & Culture

Why Would Nick Lowe Make A Christmas Album? Ask Nick Lowe

6:12pm December 08, 2013

by NPR Staff

The esteemed UK songwriter says the idea of making a holiday record seemed laughable at first. He tells NPR's Arun Rath how he came around, and performs a few songs from the new Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family.

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Oscar Isaac as the titular character in Joel and Ethan Coen's Inside Llewyn Davis.

Music & Culture

On Becoming Llewyn Davis, A Hero Who Excels At Failing

4:10pm December 06, 2013

by NPR Staff

Actor Oscar Isaac disappears into the title role of the new Coen brothers film, Inside Llewyn Davis, a black comedy about a '60s folk singer who just can't make it, no matter what he does. He speaks with NPR's Melissa Block about playing the less-than-likable character.

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Mark Mulcahy, the songwriter behind the much-beloved "Hey Sandy," returns after eight years and a tragic loss.

Music & Culture

Mark Mulcahy Is The 'Moving Forward Type'

2:57pm December 04, 2013

The smart songwriter behind the much-beloved "Hey Sandy" returns after eight years. Dear Mark J. Mulcahy, I Love You is full of smart wordplay and Mulcahy's unmistakable voice, but it's also driven by loss.

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From left: Video director Joe Sabia, bassist Michael Thurber and recording engineer Matt McCorkle of CDZA.

Music & Culture

Classical Pranksters Don't Just Play Music: They Play With It

12:14pm December 04, 2013

by Jon Kalish

Collective Cadenza, or CDZA for short, is a loose-knit group of musicians — many of them graduates of Juilliard. They've made a name for themselves with funny YouTube videos that have received millions of views. As a result, the group was invited to perform live at the inaugural YouTube Music Awards alongside Eminem, Lady Gaga and Arcade Fire.

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Yuja Wang plays Rachmaninov and Prokofiev on her new album.

Music & Culture

Yuja Wang: Rooted In Diligence, Inspired By Improvisation

10:56am December 03, 2013

by NPR Staff

The 26-year-old classically trained pianist tackles Rachmaninov's dense and intimidating "Concerto No. 3" in a new recording. The musician says she hears a connection between the challenging piece and improvisations from the late Art Tatum.

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Steve Swallow switched from acoustic bass to bass guitar in 1970, and hasn't looked back.

Music & Culture

The Electric Bassist With An In-House Composer

3:15pm December 02, 2013

by Karen Michel

One evening, a 20-year-old Steve Swallow went home, dropped out of Yale and moved to New York City to play jazz. Eventually, he'd play with many modern masters, discover the bass guitar and meet his partner in music and life Carla Bley — who was once married to his mentor.

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The Stars Look Very Different Today, the new album from bassist and composer Ben Allison (far right) and his band, comes out Dec. 3.

Music & Culture

Ben Allison: Leading A Stellar Band Far Beyond The World

7:55pm December 01, 2013

by NPR Staff

Jazz bassist and composer Ben Allison looks back on an era when sci-fi sounds began infiltrating popular music, and discusses his new album, The Stars Look Very Different Today.

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Music & Culture

Tony Joe White's Steamy 'Hoodoo' Rock

10:54am November 30, 2013

Even if you haven't heard of Tony Joe White, you've probably heard his music. His songs have been performed by Elvis, Ray Charles and Tina Turner. He's even been sampled by Kanye West. Host Scott Simon talks with White about his distinctive swamp rock sound, and his new album, Hoodoo.

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John Mayer in Studio 1 at NPR's Washington, D.C. headquarters.

Music & Culture

'It's Hard To Stay Patient': A Conversation With John Mayer

4:35pm November 28, 2013

by NPR Staff

In a special Thanksgiving broadcast, Mayer chats with NPR's Ari Shapiro about fame, family, Montana and George Clooney, and performs songs from his new album, Paradise Valley.

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The Beatles on the stairs of NEMS — North End Music Stores, Brian Epstein's Liverpool record shop — having just signed a management deal, in 1964.

At The BBC, The Beatles Shocked An Institution

4:13pm November 27, 2013

Between 1962 and 1965, The Beatles were featured on 53 BBC radio programs. For The Beatles: The BBC Archives, executive producer Kevin Howlett had to search for many of these recordings, and they weren't easy to find.

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