Music

At the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday night, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band paid tribute to Prince with a cover of "Purple Rain."

Music & Culture

Bruce Springsteen's Tribute To Prince Is A Lesson In Public Mourning

8:25pm April 27, 2016

by Caryn Rose

The two musicians both emerged in the 1970s and hit simultaneous critical and commercial peaks a decade later. At a show in Brooklyn on Saturday, The E Street Band covered "Purple Rain."

Hamed Sinno (R) and Haig Papazian of the Lebanese alternative rock band Mashrou' Leila performing in Bourges, France in 2015.

Music & Culture

Jordan Reportedly Bans Band With Gay Frontman From Performing

5:00pm April 27, 2016

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

The members of Mashrou' Leila say Jordanian authorities are trying to stifle their political message — and endorsements of gender equality and sexual freedom.

Claire Boucher, a.k.a. Grimes, is currently touring behind her acclaimed third album, Art Angels.

Music & Culture

Feeling This: A Conversation With Grimes

4:57pm April 27, 2016

by NPR Staff

The electronic artist born Claire Boucher goes long on gender politics in music studios, the perks of being a science major and why her favorite songs are those that deliberately unsettle the ear.

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Music & Culture

Music Review: 'A Sailor's Guide To Earth,' Sturgill Simpson

4:38pm April 27, 2016

by Will Hermes

Will Hermes reviews the most heartening record he's heard this year. It's A Sailor's Guide to Earth by Sturgill Simpson.

Music & Culture

DMA's On World Cafe

2:41pm April 27, 2016

The Australian garage-pop trio plays songs from its new debut album, Hills End.

Hear "The Crossing" by Tim O'Brien on this week's show.

Music & Culture

The Thistle & Shamrock: Wayfaring Strangers

2:31pm April 27, 2016

Retrace the migration of Celtic music from Scotland and Ulster to Appalachia.

Questlove's previous books include Mo' Meta Blues and Soul Train. He also teaches a class about classic albums at New York University.

Questlove On Prince, Doo-Wop And The Food Equivalent Of The 'Mona Lisa'

2:26pm April 27, 2016

In his new book, somethingtofoodabout, The Roots' drummer discusses the artistry involved in creating a great meal. "I'm more obsessed with the journey ... than the destination," Questlove says.

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Though the Mardi Gras Indian who appears in "Lemonade" is a young woman, most people who mask and parade as part of the tradition are male.

The Mardi Gras Indian Of 'Lemonade'

2:18pm April 27, 2016

by Leah Donnella

In "Lemonade," Beyoncé's much-discussed visual album, a girl resplendent in white plumage appears. It's a nod to the pop star's New Orleans roots and loaded with the region's racial history.

"You have to understand / that no one puts their children in a boat / unless the water is safer than land," wrote Warsan Shire in a poem about the refugee crisis.

Beyonce's 'Lemonade' Turns A Somali-Brit Poet Into A Global Star

1:50pm April 27, 2016

by Malaka Gharib

Queen Bey reads some of Warsan Shire's writings about love and loss. The young poet also tells stories about refugees and immigrants from Africa, where she was born.

Music & Culture

Viking's Choice: Thrice, 'Black Honey'

1:00pm April 27, 2016

by Lars Gotrich

After long forays into pop-punk and arty post-hardcore, Thrice returns from a hiatus with a sonically grandiose third act.