Music

Clockwise from upper left: Wives, Kate Davis, French Vanilla, Bon Iver

Music & Culture

New Mix: Bon Iver, Wives, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets And More

11:43am June 04, 2019

This week's All Songs Considered features Bon Iver's "Hey, Ma," released just this week, French Vanilla's sax-driven throwback "Suddenly," and more. It'll leave you asking, "What's a porn crumpet?"

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Singer R. Kelly, arriving in Cook County court for a hearing on sexual abuse charges in May.

In 'Soulless,' A Journalist Takes On R. Kelly And The Business That Made Him A Star

8:07am June 04, 2019

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

For nearly two decades, Jim DeRogatis has been searching for justice on behalf of the women who have accused the R&B singer of sexual and physical abuse. His new book is an account of those years.

Music & Culture

Searching For Disco's Cro-Magnon

6:00am June 04, 2019

by Jason Heller

A writer thinks he's found disco's progenitor, but none of the experts agree with him, or each other — and the end result is beside the point.

"Throughout the last 11 years, the identity of Bon Iver has bloomed and can only be defined by the faces in the ever growing family we are," says Justin Vernon.

Music & Culture

Listen: Bon Iver Returns With 2 New Songs

10:42pm June 03, 2019

by Robin Hilton

The songs, "Hey, Ma" and "U (Man Like)," are the first new tracks released from the band since releasing 22, A Million in 2016.

Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers the keynote address at the 2019 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, Calif., on Monday. The company announced that it's breaking up the iTunes application into three apps handling music, podcasts and TV.

Music & Culture

iTunes' Death Is All About How We Listen To Music Today

7:27pm June 03, 2019

After 18 years, Apple is killing iTunes — sort of. The software is being broken into separate pieces for separate uses on Mac computers: Music, podcasts and TV will soon have their own apps.

Music & Culture

Remembering iTunes' Cultural Significance

6:43pm June 03, 2019

Apple announced it will not offer iTunes in its new operating system. Amy Wang of Rolling Stone explains why iTunes "completely changed the way that people buy and listen to music."

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"I was very influenced to sing more in Arabic and to express my Sudanese identity much more confrontationally and much more honestly," Ahmed Gallab of Sinkane says.

Music & Culture

Sinkane Harnesses Hope For Sudan In 'Dépaysé' Album

4:29pm June 03, 2019

Sinkane's lead singer Ahmed Gallab talks about the band's latest album, Dépaysé, Sudan's regime change and the resilience of his people.

Quinn Christopherson performs a Tiny Desk Contest on May 28, 2019 (Claire Harbage/NPR).

Music & Culture

Quinn Christopherson: Tiny Desk Concert

3:28pm June 03, 2019

by Bob Boilen

Quinn and his musical partner, guitarist and singer Nick Carpenter, arrived from the cool of Anchorage to the swelter of D.C. and performed with remarkable confidence and grace.

Carly Rae Jepsen. Her song "Too Much," from her fourth full-length, Dedicated, is on our list of the best tracks out in May.

Music & Culture

NPR Music's Top 20 Songs From May

1:51pm June 03, 2019

May surprised us with a Jarvis Cocker reinvention and Sleater-Kinney's blistering return. And, yeah, it was really hard to choose just one Carly Rae Jepsen bop.

Ryan Bingham performs live for WXPN's Free At Noon Concert. Recorded live for World Cafe.

Music & Culture

Ryan Bingham's Rugged And Raw 'American Love Song'

1:32pm June 03, 2019

Bingham shares stories and performs live, offering reflections on the state of the world and his own personal history.