Music

Luther Campbell Of 2 Live Crew On Fame, Obscenity And Community

8:28am August 02, 2015

by NPR Staff

Before joining the notoriously shocking rap crew, Campbell was a party-rocking DJ in Miami. Even then, he knew that being aggressively different could lead to success.

Queue Listen Now

Colombia's La Momposina Sings A Tangled Social History

8:28am August 02, 2015

On this week's Alt Latino, we spend time with an album from Colombian singer Totó la Momposina. NPR's Rachel Martin talks with NPR's Felix Contreras about Tambolero.

Queue Listen Now

Joss Stone's new album, Water For Your Soul, is out July 31.

Music & Culture

Through Doubt And Dark Times, Joss Stone Lets Her Voice Light The Way

12:21pm July 31, 2015

by NPR Staff

The British soul singer, whose new album Water for Your Soul is out July 31, is known for her big voice. But since she began performing at age 14, she's also learned a thing or two about perseverance.

Queue Listen Now

Music & Culture

In The Middle Of A Whirlwind, Miranda Lambert Shares The Spotlight

10:13am July 31, 2015

by Jewly Hight

Forget tomatogate. Put aside the still-fresh news of her divorce. When Miranda Lambert played the tiny stage at Nashville's 3rd & Lindsley last week, she put the focus on fellow female songwriters.

Buddy Emmons as a member of Ernest Tubb's Texas Troubadours, circa 1962.

Music & Culture

Buddy Emmons, The Pedal-Steel Guitarist Who 'Taught Everybody To Play,' Has Died

6:24pm July 30, 2015

by Blake Farmer

The legendary musician worked with everyone from Ray Price to Ray Charles while making a complicated instrument seem effortless. He died Wednesday at 78.

Queue Listen Now

Jason Isbell's new album, Something More Than Free, comes as he's preparing to be a father.

Music & Culture

Jason Isbell Has Conquered Fear, But He's Still Learning About Himself

6:24pm July 30, 2015

by NPR Staff

The country artist's chart-topping new album, Something More Than Free, comes at a turning point in his life.

Queue Listen Now

Even if you don't speak their language, you can likely communicate with these musicians through song and dance: Men from Papua New Guinea; Wiz Khalifa at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards; and Japanese dancers at the Daihanya Festival in Kagoshima City.

From Pygmy Hunting Songs To Taylor Swift, What Makes Music Universal

2:29pm July 30, 2015

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Can you hear what's similar about a Palestinian line dance and Swift's "Shake It Off"? Or The Sound of Music's "Do-Re-Mi" and a Pygmy song? Scientists have finally decoded the language of music.

You're Eighty-Sixed!

12:24am July 30, 2015

Our host, the SummerStage Festival, was founded in 1986, so we decided to pay homage to that year — musically.

Queue Listen Now

Music & Culture

Ashley Monroe's 'Blade' Blends Country Sentiment And Delicate Phrasings

4:14pm July 29, 2015

by Ken Tucker

Rock critic Ken Tucker says the third studio album from country star Ashley Monroe "is a collection of deceptively pretty songs that cohere as a strong, serious piece of work."

Queue Listen Now

Vince Gill and Paul Franklin of The Time Jumpers perform at 3rd and Lindsley in 2014. The band has a standing Monday-night gig at the small Nashville club.

Music & Culture

A Mexican Restaurant Turned Iconic Venue? 'That's Nashville'

7:59am July 29, 2015

by Blake Farmer

3rd and Lindsley, a performance space for big and small acts in Music City, lets the music shine by keeping things (like its name) simple.

Queue Listen Now