Music

Shuttered Venue Grants Are Coming In April, After A Long Wait

5:49pm March 11, 2021

by Andrew Limbong

The live music industry breathed a sigh of relief when Congress passed a $15 billion grant program for struggling venues. But owners still face uncertainty and delays.

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Music & Culture

Mike Campbell Has Written Some Hits

3:29pm March 11, 2021

Best known as a member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Mike Campbell aims to make his own hits in his new band, The Dirty Knobs.

Jon Batiste performs at a voter registration event in Brooklyn, N.Y., in June 2020.

Music & Culture

Jon Batiste On Sharing Joy In A Painful Year: 'I Want To Reaffirm People's Humanity'

1:34pm March 11, 2021

by Terry Gross

This year, Batiste took his music to the streets, performing at protests and vaccination sites. "I wanted to articulate ... that we're all in this together," Batiste says. His new album is We Are.

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Chick Corea, holding a freshly won Grammy in the award ceremony's press room in LA on Feb. 8, 2015.

Considering Chick Corea's Grammys Success And The Kitchen Sink Of Genre

12:40pm March 11, 2021

by Nate Chinen

Corea, who died in February, remains the most-awarded jazz musician in Grammys history. But Corea, who always identified as a jazz player, wasn't landlocked by any genre conventions. He wasn't alone.

Lyric Jones is a classically-trained hip-hop emcee.

Music & Culture

KCRW Presents Lockdown Listening: Lyric Jones

12:01pm March 11, 2021

Benny The Butcher, CARRTOONS, Fred Hammond and more are featured on her Lockdown Listening playlist.

Music & Culture

Leni and Mike Stern: Alone Together Duets

11:47am March 11, 2021

Guitar heroes Mike and Leni Stern offer copious amounts of joy and West African vibes from their Manhattan apartment.

Black Coffee plays a Tiny Desk (home) concert.

Music & Culture

Black Coffee: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

5:00am March 11, 2021

by Abby O'Neill

The South African house star brings three electronic tracks to life with the help of live percussion, keys and guest vocalists in this Tiny Desk quarantine concert.

Cassette tapes gave new control to music fans, allowing them to create and share their own collections of songs in a cheap and easily portable format.

Lou Ottens, Inventor Of The Cassette Tape, Has Died

4:43pm March 10, 2021

by Bill Chappell

"Next time you make that perfect playlist on Spotify or send a link to share a song, you can thank Lou Ottens," documentary filmmaker Zack Taylor told NPR.

"There was a time in my life when I was that dude 24/7," Freddie Gibbs says of his persona. "Having a family provides a different inspiration. You're doing things for a bigger purpose and not just yourself anymore."

Music & Culture

Freddie Gibbs Might Blow Up, But He Won't Go Pop

10:00am March 10, 2021

by David Ma

"I always wanted to take my mother to the Grammys and now I will." Alfredo is up for best rap album, but that won't stop Freddie Gibbs from making the music he wants to make.

Coming 2 America - Sounds of Zamunda perform a Tiny Desk (home) concert.

Music & Culture

Coming 2 America, Sounds Of Zamunda: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

5:02am March 10, 2021

by Bobby Carter

Six artists representing four countries in Africa perform a megamix of selections from Rhythms of Zamunda: Music Inspired By Coming 2 America.