Contemporary Mexican Music: Not Your Abuelita's Mariachi
NPR Music's Felix Contreras creates a round up of the sounds of modern Mexico.
Music Reviews
Material Girls, Atlanta's Fabulous Glam-Punks, Force A 'Residual Grimace'
Material Girls' glam-soaked, goth-smeared rock and roll struts and stumbles like a fish-netted pair of legs breaking in new heels.
Drake Pulls The Nostalgia Card: Two 'Degrassi' Fans Dissect The Video For 'I'm Upset'
Drake unites the old gang of Degrassi High School for his latest video. NPR Music breaks down the cameos, Easter eggs and (relatively low-stakes) inconsistencies of "I'm Upset."
Snail Mail Delivers Sturdy Guitar Riffs And Soaring Vocals On 'Lush'
Eighteen-year-old Lindsey Jordan, who records under the name Snail Mail, has been playing guitar for 13 years. This combination of youth and experience creates a distinctive sound on her new album.
First Listen: Dawes, 'Passwords'
Dawes returns once again to its greatest specialty: smooth and ingratiating California folk-rock that never bothers to hide its big, beating, bleeding heart.
First Listen: Lera Lynn, 'Plays Well With Others'
Lera Lynn explores the art of the duet with some of roots and Americana music's best and brightest, from newcomers like Dylan LeBlanc to veteran Rodney Crowell.
First Listen: Priscilla Renea, 'Coloured'
Renea unfurls her musical vision with the brazenness and conviction of someone expecting her ideas, and maybe even her very existence, to be challenged.
Pianist Shamie Royston Brings A Hard-Swinging Brand Of Jazz To 'Beautiful Liar'
Royston is a trained composer who knows how to manipulate her materials all sorts of ways. Critic Kevin Whitehead says the music on Beautiful Liar is "sleek and sturdy" and "made to be played."
On 'Childqueen,' Kadhja Bonet Makes Nearly Every Sound Herself
Kadhja Bonet grew up in a family surrounded by music — she learned to play the violin and the viola, studied music theory, but then pursued a degree in film. After graduating, she dove back into music. Her sophomore album, Childqueen shows Bonet's idiosyncratic talent.
The Strange, Subdued Catharsis Of Kanye And Cudi's 'Kids See Ghosts'
Kanye West and Kid Cudi's first joint album is stirringly reminiscent of each man's creative peak, but somehow lacks the luster or beautiful oddity, of what this moment should feel like for rap fans.