Music

Music & Culture

Sharon Van Etten Will Join NPR Music's Listening Party For 'Epic Ten'

11:03am April 12, 2021

by Lars Gotrich

NPR Music will host an online listening party for the anniversary of Sharon Van Etten's breakthrough album, featuring a live conversation with Van Etten herself along with Shamir.

Nathaniel Rateliff performs a Tiny Desk (home) concert.

Music & Culture

Nathaniel Rateliff: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

5:00am April 12, 2021

by Bob Boilen

The Americana star performs a Tiny Desk from an empty Mercury Café in Denver.

In Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice, 1967-1975, Thompson looks back on difficult memories that turned into familiar songs.

In 'Beeswing,' Richard Thompson Revisits A Big Life Just Shy Of The Mainstream

8:34am April 11, 2021

by Peter Breslow

Richard Thompson, a British musician who somehow avoided pop stardom throughout his career, has just written about his early days in a new memoir called Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice.

Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner Is On Her Own In New Album, 'Head Of Roses'

8:00am April 11, 2021

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks to Jenn Wasner, best known from the band Wye Oak, about her solo project, Flock Of Dimes, and her new album Head Of Roses.

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Music & Culture

A Melting Pot Of Traditions: Regina Carter Talks With Lara Downes

5:01am April 10, 2021

by Lara Downes

The genre-disrupting violinist talks about the problem with labeling music and the importance of being a role model for young women.

DMX performs at The Source Hip-Hop Music Awards in 2001 in Miami Beach, Fla. The rapper died Friday at age 50.

Rapper And Actor DMX Dead At 50

4:13pm April 09, 2021

by Andrew Limbong

The rapper died Friday at White Plains, N.Y., Hospital after being on life support.

Live music venues such as The Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles were among the first businesses to close during the pandemic. The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant was supposed to be a lifeline for owners.

Help Was On The Way For Shuttered Venues. Then The Website Crashed.

3:23pm April 09, 2021

by Andrew Limbong

The Small Business Administration launched an application portal for its $16 billion relief program for shuttered venues yesterday, but technical problems prompted deactivation for repair.

Music & Culture

No Longer '20 Feet From Stardom': Singer Merry Clayton Steps Out Of The Background

1:36pm April 09, 2021

by Terry Gross

Clayton sang backup with Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Carole King and many others. Now she has a new album — where she's front and center — called Beautiful Scars. Originally broadcast in 2013.

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A musician, disoriented by his loss of work and the inefficiency of bureaucracy, made the best of waiting in line for unemployment by making music.

Music & Culture

Lovely Songs From The Big Hold, Inspired By Bureaucracy

6:13pm April 08, 2021

by Matt Largey

Millions lost their jobs to the pandemic and needed to file for unemployment benefits, but met busy lines – including a composer from Austin, who made an album to counteract the vibe.

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The exterior of the music venue Exit/In in Nashville, Tenn. Small clubs like this were among the hardest hit by the coronavirus shutdowns.

For Operators Of Shuttered Arts Venues, Financial Assistance Arrives At Last

1:06pm April 08, 2021

by Andrew Limbong

The long-awaited Shuttered Venues Operators Grant, administered by the Small Business Administration, is now accepting applications.