Music

A veteran of the Chicago DIY scene, NNAMDÃ has played with everyone from Vagabon to Ratboys. His latest release, Brat, is about coming to terms with feeling selfish for deciding to pursue music.

Music & Culture

NNAMDÏ On 'Brat' And Channeling A Decade Of Chicago DIY Influence Into Pop Music

3:32pm May 10, 2020

The experimental artist Nnamdi Ogbonnaya talks about not limiting his creative ceiling when making his latest album and his conflicted feelings about pursuing music over taking a traditional job.

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Seen performing here in an undated photo taken around 1957, Little Richard was the embodiment of early rock and roll's promiscuous frenzy.

Music & Culture

Little Richard Made Music Vibrate In All The Right Ways

2:01pm May 10, 2020

by Ann Powers

Many artists around the start of the rock era pointed toward sex, but in his performance of "Tutti Frutti" and other songs, Little Richard enacted sexual excitement itself.

Music & Culture

How One Disney Tune Is Helping A Nurse Get Through The Pandemic

7:59am May 10, 2020

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

Kelly O'Connell of Denver shares the song that's helping her get through this stressful time. It's "Bella Notte" from Disney's "Lady and the Tramp."

Singer Little Richard making peace sign and wearing an outlandish outfit as he prepares to perform at Wembley Stadium, 1972. (Photo by Rosemary Matthews/Keystone Features/Getty Images)

Music & Culture

Little Richard, The 'King And Queen' Of Rock And Roll, Dead At 87

7:13pm May 09, 2020

by Elizabeth Blair

Little Richard was an explosive performer who inspired generations of musicians from Otis Redding to The Beatles to David Bowie. He died Saturday morning.

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Andre Harrell, Uptown Records founder and mentor to a new generation of performers, has died.

Music & Culture

Andre Harrell, Founding Father Of Hip-Hop Soul, Dead At 59

6:05pm May 09, 2020

by Kiana Fitzgerald

Andre Harrell, a record executive who shepherded the careers of Mary J. Blige and Sean "Diddy" Combs and combined the sounds of R&B and hip-hop with his label, Uptown Records, has died.

Music & Culture

How The Nature Of The Music Industry Has Changed During The Pandemic

11:49am May 09, 2020

by Ann Powers

NPR's music correspondent answers questions about the changing nature of the music industry during the pandemic and talks about how some artists are trying to make ends meet.

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Hear the new Real Estate track "Paper Cup" and more on this month's Heavy Rotation.

Music & Culture

Heavy Rotation: 8 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing

7:03am May 09, 2020

From Amber Mark's exquisite cover of Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box" to the sparkling first track from Real Estate's upcoming album, these are public radio's most-loved songs of April.

Hot Country Knights is Dierks Bentley's loving parody of '90s country. The band released its debut album The K Is Silent May 8.

Music & Culture

Riding 'The Mullet To Success': How Hot Country Knights Parodies The '90s

4:56pm May 08, 2020

by Jewly Hight

Dierks Bentley and his band tapped into a long tradition of comedy and country music when they created a parody group to open for them on tour. Now, Hot Country Knights has a debut album.

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Music & Culture

LA Radio DJ Nic Harcourt On 5 Recent Local Music Discoveries

4:13pm May 08, 2020

Kicking off the World Cafe Sense Of Place series in Los Angeles, local radio legend Nic Harcourt shares his favorite new discoveries.

Music & Culture

Braxton Cook: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

12:46pm May 08, 2020

by Sidney Madden

Braxton Cook has supported artists at the Tiny Desk on three separate occasions. This time around, he takes center seat, so to speak, from the comfort of his sunny New Jersey home.