Music

The Masked Singer dares to dangle the question ... who is the Peacock?

Introducing 'The Masked Singer,' Featuring Television's Hottest Peacock-Hippo Battle

3:40pm January 03, 2019

by Linda Holmes

Fox's The Masked Singer, based on a South Korean show, is a little like American Idol — if all the contestants were celebrities hidden inside college mascot costumes.

Johnny Marr performing live inside the World Cafe Performance Studio

Music & Culture

Johnny Marr On World Cafe

11:52am January 03, 2019

On his latest album, Call the Comet, Johnny Marr, who is keen on science fiction, envisions a different type of end of days.

Toni Tennille, left, and "Captain" Daryl Dragon, of the singing duo The Captain & Tennille, pose during an interview at their home in Nevada in 1995.

Music & Culture

'Captain' Daryl Dragon Of Musical Duo Captain & Tennille Dead At 76

7:56am January 03, 2019

by Matthew S. Schwartz

The '70s pop group was known for hits including "Love Will Keep Us Together," "Lonely Night" and "Muskrat Love." Dragon and musical partner Toni Tennille were married for almost 40 years.

Randy Houser's Magnolia comes out Jan. 11.

Music & Culture

First Listen: Randy Houser, 'Magnolia'

5:00am January 03, 2019

by Jewly Hight

Randy Houser imagines and inhabits a blue-collar, tortured soul character with some of the most expressive performances of his career.

Andrea Bocelli (center) and his son, Matteo, attend the U.K. premiere of Disney's The Nutcracker And The Four Realms on Nov. 1, 2018, in London.

Music & Culture

Andrea Bocelli Passes The Art Of Expressive Singing To His Son

8:15pm January 02, 2019

Superstar Andrea Bocelli has sung with just about everyone, from Celine Dion to Ariana Grande. On his latest album, Sì, Bocelli tries something new — singing with his son.

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Music & Culture

Pink Floyd's Roger Waters Offers A Seductive Take On A Stravinsky Classic

3:08pm January 02, 2019

by Lloyd Schwartz

The legendary frontman plays all the characters in a new recording of Igor Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale. Critic Lloyd Schwartz calls it a seriously enjoyable addition to the Stravinsky catalogue.

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Huffamoose (left to right): Erik Johnson, Kevin Hanson, Jim Stager and Craig Elkins.

Music & Culture

Huffamoose On World Cafe

1:29pm January 02, 2019

The Philadelphia band has reunited with its original lineup to release its first new album in more than a decade.

Rachel Barton Pine's Blues Dialogues album and Music by Black Composers educational project are part of a mission that stretches back more than 20 years.

Music & Culture

For One Violinist, Elevating Music By Black Composers Is A 20-Year Mission

6:58pm January 01, 2019

by Tim Greiving

Composers of color have long had to compete with dead white men for space on the concert stage. A new project, spearheaded by Rachel Barton Pine, seeks to correct that for the next generation.

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Music & Culture

How The Byrds' 'Sweetheart Of The Rodeo' Became A Classic 50 Years After Its Debut

6:28pm January 01, 2019

by Meredith Ochs

When The Byrds released "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" in 1968, it was a commercial failure. A half century after its debut, the album has become a classic.

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'You Better Own This': How Rami Malek Came To Embody Freddie Mercury

1:58pm January 01, 2019

by Terry Gross

Malek sang at the top of his lungs while playing Queen's lead singer in the new biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. Still, he says, "No one can sing like Freddie Mercury." Originally broadcast Nov. 21, 2018.

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