Music

Music & Culture

Music Review: 'You're Dreaming,' The Cactus Blossoms

4:32pm March 21, 2016

If you listen to the Cactus Blossoms, you will definitely be reminded of the Everly Brothers. But Minneapolis brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum are much more than a tribute act. Music critic Meredith Ochs says the duo's gorgeous harmonies and ageless sound spell out just the beginning for these brothers.

Chet Faker's song "1998 (feat. Banks)" is featured in this week's episode.

Music & Culture

Metropolis: 3/19/16

2:43pm March 21, 2016

KCRW's Jason Bentley spins a two-hour EDM mix featuring a guest DJ set from Amine Edge & DANCE.

'No Orpheus' Revisits The Dreams And Passions Of An Aging Mother

1:33pm March 21, 2016

by Lloyd Schwartz

When his mother was turning 90, music critic Lloyd Schwartz wrote poems that put her memories into verse. Composer Mohammed Fairouz set three of the poems to music on the new recording, No Orpheus.

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Trevor Johanson of the St. Louis progressive thrash metal band Black Fast mugs for the camera.

Music & Culture

SXSW 2016: Photos Of The Week

1:13pm March 21, 2016

by NPR Music Staff

Amid the mess of heat, rain and tacos, there was a rich gallery of motion and color at the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas.

Grace Love & The True Loves perform live on KEXP.

Music & Culture

Watch Grace Love & The True Loves Perform 'Fire' Live In The Studio

12:25pm March 21, 2016

by KEXP Staff

The soulful nine-piece band, led by silver-haired singer Grace Love, performs in KEXP's studio.

Alex Luciano of Diet Cig leapt off the drum kit during the duo's Cheer Up Charlies set.

Music & Culture

SXSW 2016 Late-Night Dispatches: Weekend

11:14am March 21, 2016

by NPR Music Staff

At 2:30 a.m., hours before their flights out of Austin, the All Songs gang gathered for one final recap.

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Music & Culture

Songs We Love: Mogwai, 'Bitterness Centrifuge'

9:00am March 21, 2016

by Marc Masters

New music from the Scottish rock instrumentalists is familiarly cinematic, full of mountainous waves that build momentum more through patience than velocity.

Professor Willana Mack conducts Nyack College's touring gospel ensemble, seen here. Starting in fall 2016, students at Nyack will have the option to major in gospel music performance.

Now On The Syllabus: Keeping The Faith And Holding A Tune

9:21pm March 20, 2016

by NPR Staff

If you'd like to study gospel music performance in school, you won't find a whole lot of options. Now, Nyack College in Manhattan is aiming to change that, with a new brand-new bachelor's degree.

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A-WA performs a quiet lullaby in a hotel room during SXSW.

Music & Culture

South X Lullaby: A-WA

2:59pm March 20, 2016

by Lars Gotrich

The Israeli sister trio sang us a Yemeni folk song in a hotel room at midnight. Sung in gorgeous and haunting three-part harmony, it's a song about a love that hurts.

Mitski tore it up at the NPR Music SXSW showcase.

Music & Culture

Mitski, Live In Concert: SXSW 2016

10:55am March 20, 2016

by Lars Gotrich

At our SXSW showcase, Mitski's songs rang loudly in feedback-riddled heartbreak and quiet desperation. She performed two songs from the forthcoming Puberty 2, including the new "Once More To See You."