Chuck Mead: Gleefully Sinister Country Serenades
Mead hooks the listener, eager to show us the bleak side of what seemed like a bright scenario. That's the way he operates during much of Free State Serenade.
Music
From Recife, Brazil, 3 Rhythms Get The Carnival Party Started
The descendants of the coastal Brazilian city have a long, mixed history, making for quite the vibrant display and musical celebration. One style of music is even said to make the blood boil.
A Major Oscar Dust-Up Over A Song From A Minor Movie
The song "Alone Yet Not Alone" had been nominated for Best Original Song at this year's Oscars. Not anymore. Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter explains why.
Still 'Out To Lunch' 50 Years Later
Eric Dolphy's creativity was exploding early in 1964, and he was finding more players who could keep up. Out to Lunch is free and focused, dissonant and catchy, wide open and swinging all at once.
Thundercat On Making Music Outside The Lines
Session musician Stephen Bruner has played bass in other people's bands for more than a decade. He can play metal, R&B, hip-hop, jazz. With his second album, he's stepping to the front of the stage.
Vertical Scratchers: Slashed Chords, Fractured Poetry
Daughter of Everything is a superb pop album with one foot in the past and another in the future.
Rosanne Cash: Seeking A 'Thread' Through Southern History
Ken Tucker says The River & The Thread is a travelogue; a timeless work of comfort and quiet joy.
Years After Tragedy, Norwegian Pop Star Returns To World Stage
Mohamed Abdi Farah's life and career changed when he was caught in a national calamity in 2011. Now, he hopes to become his country's representative in Eurovision, the Europe-wide singing competition.
Music Education For Creativity, Not A Tool For Test Scores
With so much pressure on schools to improve test scores, music and the arts sometimes fall off the list of priorities. That's led advocates for music education to point out its benefits in the classroom.
Heavy Rotation: Shlohmo & Jeremih
Each month NPR Music asks public radio hosts and DJs to pick a favorite new song. Today we'll hear from Jason King, host of I'll Take You There, NPR Music's new 24 hour Soul and R&B stream. He's talking about his pick for Heavy Rotation: "No More" by Jeremih and Shlohmo.