Music

Music & Culture

Remembering Record Store Owner Bob Koester

1:57pm May 21, 2021

by Terry Gross

Koester, who died May 12, was the founder of Delmark Records, which released records by blues and jazz artists. He also operated the Jazz Record Mart in Chicago. Originally broadcast in 2003.

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Marvin Gaye, photographed in 1970, one year ahead of the release of What's Going On.

Remembering Marvin Gaye's Iconic 'What's Going On'

10:10am May 21, 2021

by Elizabeth Blair

Marvin Gaye released his landmark album What's Going On 50 years ago today. We hear from artists and activists who were deeply inspired by the album's music and its messages.

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Eddie Huang is an American writer, director, actor, chef, and television personality.

Music & Culture

Eddie Huang's Favorite Tiny Desk Concerts

9:58am May 21, 2021

by Eddie Huang

The director, author and chef likes to watch Tiny Desks while cooking. He teamed up with Raf Martinez, his producing partner, to share a list of their favorite performances.

Music & Culture

The Band Lula Wiles Formed A Quarantine Pod. A Folk Protest Album Came Out Of It

5:55pm May 20, 2021

Americana trio Lula Wiles join NPR's Mary Louise Kelly to discuss their newest album Shame and Sedition, out May 21st, and how to make a protest anthem in the modern era.

Arlo Guthrie performs on Mountain Stage in 2012.

Music & Culture

Arlo Guthrie On Mountain Stage

3:15pm May 20, 2021

by Dave Lavender

Arlo Guthrie's 2012 Mountain Stage performance was a family affair, featuring his son and grandson, playing music to celebrate what would have been the 100th birthday of roots icon Woody Guthrie.

A Maryland state flag waves near the Statehouse in Annapolis. Maryland has decided to drop a state song that originated during the Civil War and alludes to Abraham Lincoln as a tyrant and a despot.

Maryland Repeals State Song That Called Lincoln A 'Tyrant'

10:53am May 20, 2021

by Scott Neuman

Maryland, though a slave-holding state, did not secede from the Union and attempted to maintain neutrality during the Civil War. The song was a full-throated defense of the Confederacy.

Laurie Anderson plays a Tiny Desk (home) concert.

Music & Culture

Laurie Anderson: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

5:01am May 20, 2021

by Bob Boilen

The avant-garde figurehead performs music from Big Science, including "O Superman," for her Tiny Desk quarantine set.

With his band Parliament Funkadelic, George Clinton paved the way for generations of free-spirited musicians who came after him.

Music & Culture

Play It Forward: George Clinton Is Everyone's Hype Man

6:12pm May 19, 2021

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with George Clinton about the legacy of his work, how the spirit of funk is synonymous with freedom and an artist he's grateful for: Constance Hauman.

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Electronic artist Flume performs at Lollapalooza in 2016. The festival is set to return at full capacity this summer.

Foo Fighters Headline Lollapalooza As Chicago Summer Festival Season Opens Up

4:45pm May 19, 2021

by Andrew Limbong

Lollapalooza is back this summer, with proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test required for entry. With Pitchfork Festival and Riot Fest also returning, Chicago prepares for a loud reopening.

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Demi Lovato performs during a premiere event for their documentary Demi Lovato: Dancing With The Devil.

Demi Lovato Comes Out As Nonbinary

2:23pm May 19, 2021

by Elizabeth Blair

In the first episode of their new podcast 4D, the singer says they've "been doing some healing and self-reflective work," leading to the revelation that they're nonbinary.