Music

Demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd hold up placards near the White House on June 1 in Washington, D.C.

Music & Culture

Music Companies Promise A Tuesday 'Blackout' For Black Lives

3:24pm June 02, 2020

by Andrew Flanagan

Record labels and other organizations will participate in a daylong moratorium on "business as usual," though some argue the actions don't do enough to address the industry's history of exploitation.

John Mayer performs at Irving Plaza in February 2002 in support of his debut full-length studio album, Room for Squares.

Music & Culture

Classic World Cafe: John Mayer En Route To Superstardom

11:45am June 02, 2020

Today, you can pretend it's 2001: John Mayer visits the World Cafe just after the release of his debut album Room For Squares, which sold over 4 million copies and won him his first Grammy award.

Igor Levit, who performed a 20-hour-long Erik Satie piece live on YouTube, is just one musician who has pushed the limits of livestreaming during the coronavirus pandemic.

Music & Culture

Finding Connection And Comfort In Livestream Concerts During Quarantine

11:30am June 02, 2020

NPR Music correspondents Ann Powers and Sidney Madden recommend a few favorite livestreaming performance series to check out while in-person concerts are on hold.

Queue Listen Now

Nubya Garcia's latest single "Pace" is all about diving into the many layers of joy.

Music & Culture

Heat Check: 'Black Joy Is Radical'

4:59pm June 01, 2020

by Sidney Madden

To celebrate radical Black joy in a time of great pain, here's a round-up of new tracks from the worlds of jazz, R&B and rap, all to remind you that they can't hijack happiness.

Music & Culture

Our Daily Breather: Don Bryant Recommends Playing Some Old Favorites

12:34pm June 01, 2020

by Don Bryant

In Our Daily Breather, we ask writers and artists to recommend ways to find calm in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. Don Bryant has been spending time with some of his favorite old songs.

Hadestown plays a Tiny Desk concert (Kisha Ravi/NPR).

Music & Culture

Hadestown: Tiny Desk Concert

5:00am June 01, 2020

by Stephen Thompson

The cast and musicians of the hit Broadway musical Hadestown pack into the Tiny Desk for a truly glorious performance of its greatest songs.

Music & Culture

The Pandemic Separated Her From Her Sick Mom. Nina Simone Helped Her Cope

10:16am May 31, 2020

Cara Robertson shares the song that helping her get through these times - Nina Simone's cover of the 1970 hit O-o-h Child.

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Gaby Moreno teamed up with Flor de Toloache singer Mireya Ramos for a cover of David Bowie's "Lady Grinning Soul," which is featured in this new music roundup.

Music & Culture

May's Latin Music Roundup: New Songs For Emotional Release

8:03am May 31, 2020

Alt.Latino host Felix Contreras shares new music from Natalia Lafourcade, Gina Chavez, Cindy Blackman Santana, Gaby Moreno and Mireya Ramos.

James Brown performs at KCOP Studios on the Lloyd Thaxton Show with Lloyd Thaxton in 1964. Brown helped popularize boogaloo-style dancing, shown here.

Music & Culture

Who Owns 'Boogaloo'?

8:01am May 31, 2020

by Jessica Lipsky

Long known as a fusion of Latin and soul sounds, boogaloo has been co-opted by right wing extremists as code for civil war. But fans of the music won't let the boogaloo die.

Music & Culture

Lara Downes: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

3:49pm May 30, 2020

by Tom Huizenga

Watch the pianist reimagine old spirituals and songs of freedom that continue to resonate in new ways.