Songs We Love: Bang Data, 'Ya No Más'
The dynamic Bay Area group projects a sweet, melodic vibe, driven by the peaceful sound of the 10-string Peruvian charango.
Music
Chelsea Wolfe Comes With Pummel In Tow On 'Vex'
Wolfe's intensity has only increased over time, as proven with a new song from her forthcoming album, Hiss Spun.
JD Allen Goes Free Form And Improvisational On 'Radio Flyer'
Tenor saxophonist JD Allen has been leading a group with the same musicians for 10 years now. Critic Kevin Whitehead says the quartet's familiarity helps it hit its groove on Radio Flyer.
World Cafe Nashville: Midland
Based in Austin, this harmony-based group melds the whiskey-soaked spirit of the barroom with the country-rock of Gram Parsons and the Eagles.
For The First Time In 40 Years, The B-52s' Cindy Wilson Goes Solo
With lush synths and a funky motorik rhythm section, "Mystic" is a celestial wave of chill.
Rickie Lee Jones On The Pirates Who Inspired 'Pirates' And Returning To New Orleans
The second album by Rickie Lee Jones was released in 1981, following a breakup and the response to Jones' Grammy-winning debut, and gets its name and its concept from a band of local drug smugglers.
Hear Lomelda's 'Out There,' Inspired By Distance And A Fake Story About Elliott Smith
Texas-based songwriter Hannah Read says she spent several years trying to write the song, inspired by a tall tale her brother would tell about Smith. "'Out There' is about never knowing," Read says.
For 'Thomas County Law,' Iron & Wine's Sam Beam Presides Over His Own Funeral
The gently rendered ballad's video finds frontman Sam Beam decorating a church and giving a eulogy for his own (unattended) funeral.
Stretch & Bobbito On Race, Hip-Hop, And Belonging
The pioneering hip-hop radio duo drop by the Code Switch podcast to talk about making their way in a traditionally black genre and their new NPR interview show, What's Good? with Stretch & Bobbito.
Kuinka Asks, 'Where Is This Anger Coming From?'
Kuinka, one of our favorites from the recent Tiny Desk Contest, explores the nature of anger and bigotry in a stirring video for the song "Warsaw."