How To Be Alone: Musicians Confront Solitude
On new albums, Sufjan Stevens, Kendrick Lamar and Laura Marling all hold the world at a distance in order to embrace creation.
Music
A Rational Conversation With Mac McCaughan And Waxahatchee
Songwriter Katie Crutchfield and her boss, Merge Records' Mac McCaughan (who has a new solo album) talk about motivation, listening to their own music and the differences between DIY in 1994 and 2015.
Percy Sledge Had A Voice The Whole World Heard
Best known for 1966's iconic hit "When A Man Loves A Woman," the Alabama singer found success blending R&B with a hint of country. Sledge died Tuesday at 74.
Soul Singer Percy Sledge Dies
Sledge is perhaps best known for his hit "When A Man Loves A Woman." He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle Finds Refuge In The Ring
Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker says The Mountain Goats' concept album about pro wrestling is filled with a remarkable range of melodies and moods.
José González On Finding Light In A Comforting Darkness
In an interview, the soft-spoken musician says the songs on his latest album, Vestiges & Claws, look outward, with optimism, toward something universal.
How Asian-Americans Found A Home In The World Of K-Pop
For all the unique "Asian-ness" of K-pop, many of its stars are American-born and raised. And now that K-pop's gone global, Asian-American artists are more at home than ever.
Karen Haglof, No-Wave Guitarist Turned Doctor, Relaunches Music Career
Karen Haglof made her name as a guitarist on the ultra-competitive New York no-wave scene of the 1980s. Then she stopped playing and launched a career in medicine. Now she's back with a solo album.
From Ballrooms To Concert Halls, Mexico Kept This Cuban Style Alive
Born in Cuba in the late 1800s, danzón had couples gliding in a kind of formal square dance a century later.
There Is A Rich World In Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp A Butterfly'
Fresh Air music critic Ken Tucker says the rapper's second album has an excitingly adventurous sound.