Music

Alvaro Perez volunteers as a DJ at a socialist party stand in Caracas, Venezuela, playing songs in support of candidate Nicolas Maduro.

The Music Of The Venezuelan Presidential Campaigns

10:07pm April 12, 2013

by Jasmine Garsd

In Caracas, emotions run high and there's noise to match. Supporters of both major candidates for Venezuela's president have created soundtracks that are a constant presence on the city's streets.

Queue Listen Now

Morrissey, an outspoken critic of Margaret Thatcher, is one of many U.K. musicians who responded to the late British leader's reforms in song.

Music & Culture

The Thatcher Era's Effect On British Music

10:55am April 12, 2013

by NPR Staff

Journalist Stuart Maconie says Margaret Thatcher and her reforms inspired a wealth of music in the U.K. — the tone of which could be glowing or grim, depending on what part of the country the musicians were from.

Queue Listen Now

A new 63-disc box offers a complete retrospective of the Man in Black's storied career.

Music & Culture

Johnny Cash's Columbia Catalog Out Now — As A 63-Disc Box Set

5:00pm April 11, 2013

by Ed Ward

Cash spent half a century in the limelight as a country singer turned American icon. Between 1958, when he first recorded for Columbia, until 1986, when it didn't renew his contract, he recorded more than 50 singles and 60 albums for the label.

Queue Listen Now

A company called ReDigi wants to help you sell digital music you no longer want.

Music & Culture

Whose MP3s Are They, Anyway?

3:50pm April 11, 2013

by Caitlin Kenney

If you have a CD or book you don't want anymore, you can sell it. The law says that's perfectly legal. But what about an MP3 or an e-book? Can you legally resell your digital goods?

Queue Listen Now

Earl "Fatha" Hines' band featured the likes of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.

Music & Culture

Earl Hines: Big Bands And Beyond On A New Box Set

3:28pm April 11, 2013

by Kevin Whitehead

Mosaic Records has released Classic Earl Hines Sessions 1928-1945, a seven-disc showcase for the jazz pianist and bandleader. Hines' right hand played lines in bright, clear octaves — and his left hand had a mind of its own.

Queue Listen Now

LL Cool J (left) and Brad Paisley backstage during the 48th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards Sunday in Las Vegas.

Music & Culture

Brad Paisley's 'Accidental Racist' Sparks At Least One Dialogue

8:18am April 10, 2013

The song was an instant hit all over the Internet, though not (perhaps) the way its creators intended.

Queue Listen Now

Brad Paisley's new album is titled Wheelhouse.

Music & Culture

Brad Paisley Ventures Out Of Country's 'Wheelhouse'

7:34pm April 09, 2013

by Will Hermes

With tracks like "Southern Comfort Zone" and "Accidental Racist," the superstar's new album performs a balancing act of cultural examinations. But there are still enough twangy guitar solos and all-purpose love songs to engage country-music tradition.

Queue Listen Now

Music & Culture

'Accidental Racist': The Controversy And The Conversation

2:49pm April 09, 2013

"Accidental Racist," the new collaboration between country singer Brad Paisley and rapper LL Cool J, has set off a firestorm. Paisley sings about the dilemma of balancing Southern pride without projecting a racist attitude. The artists have called the widely-panned tune a conversation-starter.

Queue Listen Now

Jherek Bischoff's new album is titled Composed.

Music & Culture

Jherek Bischoff Crafts A Symphonic Sound On 'Composed'

2:05pm April 09, 2013

The musician, songwriter, composer and producer has made a name for himself by playing with the likes of Amanda Palmer. For his latest album, however, he found himself departing from a rock sound as he began writing his own orchestral arrangements.

Queue Listen Now

Charlotte Church's new album is titled One & Two.

Music & Culture

Charlotte Church Returns, A 'Beautiful Wreck' In A Digital Age

5:30pm April 08, 2013

by NPR Staff

As a child, the Welsh singer rocketed into success with classical and religious music, and performed for Nelson Mandela and the pope. Now she's back with a new album, One & Two, and a new sound.

Queue Listen Now