Music Interviews

"This album was the first chapter where kung fu meets Afrobeat," Amayo says of the new Antibalas album Fu Chronicles. It is inspired by Amayo's martial arts background and the Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti.

Music & Culture

Antibalas' 'Fu Chronicles' Is A Martial Arts-Inspired Testament To Afrobeat

8:03am February 08, 2020

For two decades, some of Afropop's hottest sounds have come out of Brooklyn. Duke Amayo and Martin Perna of the band Antibalas talk about their latest release, Fu Chronicles.

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Music & Culture

Supernatural Sounds In Perfect Sync: Hear Overcoats On World Cafe

10:56am February 07, 2020

JJ Mitchell and Hana Elion's voices are so perfectly in sync that when you hear them sing together, you'd almost think it's one single voice.

After working on film scores and collaborating with the New York City Ballet and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Dan Deacon released Mystic Familiar, his first solo album in five years.

Music & Culture

Inside The Controlled Chaos Of Dan Deacon's 'Mystic Familiar'

6:22pm February 06, 2020

by Dave Blanchard

The composer and electronic musician hit a wall while making his first solo album in five years. Finishing the record meant finding inspiration in everything from Brian Eno to a tree in his yard.

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"I mean for a cross-dresser selling folk music, I was like, if I can sell that, plugging the guitars in isn't going to be that farfetched," Trixie Mattel says of her third album, Barbara.

Music & Culture

Trixie Mattel Balances Genre, History And Humor On 'Barbara'

8:04pm February 04, 2020

The drag performer and RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars champion talks to NPR's Ari Shapiro about her folk and country music icons and performs a song from her new album.

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Slaughter Beach, Dog outside of WXPN's Studio in Philadelphia, PA.

Music & Culture

Modern Baseball's Jake Ewald Explores A New Sound In Slaughter Beach, Dog

11:50am February 04, 2020

The co-frontman of the Philadelphia band Modern Baseball pulls in some of his former bandmates for a different sound in Slaughter Beach, Dog.

"A lot of this music, for me, was the therapy along the journey of finding who I am and really discovering my self worth," SayGrace says of her new EP, The Defining Moments of SayGrace.

Music & Culture

On A New EP, SayGrace Breaks Down Her 'Defining Moments'

3:00pm February 03, 2020

The Australian singer who previously released music simply as Grace talks to NPR's Sarah McCammon about her personal evolution since a 2015 hit, relationships and TikTok.

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"The political becomes personal really quickly," Drive-By Truckers co-founder Patterson Hood says. The Unraveling is out now.

Music & Culture

From White Supremacy To Opioids, Drive-By Truckers Confronts 'The Unraveling'

10:07am February 01, 2020

NPR's Renee Montagne speaks to songwriter Patterson Hood about his band's new album, which threads dark tales of our perilous times and tries to end on a note of optimism.

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Music & Culture

Jessie Reyez On The Power Of Sad Songs

9:32am February 01, 2020

Singer Jessie Reyez is a rising star; she's sold out shows, appeared on TV and received her first Grammy nomination for her EP, Being Human in Public. The producers of Latino USA have the profile.

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The Lone Bellow's album, Half Moon Light, is out next Friday. Hear live performances of a few new songs in this session.

Music & Culture

The Lone Bellow Brings Light Into A World That Can Seem Pretty Dark Sometimes

12:30pm January 31, 2020

The band's new record, Half Moon Light, features sing-along choruses, hand-clapping rhythms and melodies that somehow sound familiar even on a first listen.

The Milk Carton Kids has already become a standard bearer for a new generation of folk artists and harmony duos.

Music & Culture

The Milk Carton Kids Answers Its Own Question: 'What Even Is Americana?'

9:30am January 30, 2020

The duo poked fun at the genre when hosting the 2018 Americana Music Awards, but they hold a deep respect for its musical traditions. Their latest album, The Only Ones, continues to build on them.