Music

A Year-End Musical Road Trip With 'Memphis Rent Party' Writer Robert Gordon

8:24am December 29, 2018

We take a year-end musical road trip with Memphis music writer Robert Gordon, who shares some of the stories from his collection of essays "Memphis Rent Party."

Rosanne Cash's latest album, She Remembers Everything, is a collection of personal songs all written or co-written by Cash.

Music & Culture

Rosanne Cash On The Importance Of Living Out Loud

8:04am December 29, 2018

Cash's latest album, She Remembers Everything, cuts a path through gun violence, sexism and the relentless march of time. "There's no point in hedging my bets about what I write about anymore."

Frederick "Toots" Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals performs at Coachella in 2017.

Music & Culture

Toots And The Maytals, Live In Concert: Newport Folk 2018

7:00am December 29, 2018

by Lauren Onkey

The oldest song Toots and The Maytals played, "I'll Never Grow Old," captured the spirit Toots Hibbard brought to the show. This will warm up your New Year's celebrations like nothing else.

In Head, the Monkees made a play for creative and cultural respect. Did it work? No. Was it a strangely great movie? Heck yeah.

The Monkees Tried To Cut Their Strings With 'Head'

7:00am December 29, 2018

by Petra Mayer

Hey, hey, they were the Monkees, and by 1968 they were sick and tired of their manufactured boy-band image, so they took a sledgehammer to it in the surreal, angry, stream-of-consciousness Head.

Music & Culture

'A Distinctive Voice': Tracey Thorn Goes On 'Record'

1:29pm December 28, 2018

by Terry Gross

The Everything but the Girl singer uses music to explore feminist themes. She sings about the different stages of women's lives on her recent solo album, Record. Originally broadcast May 3, 2018.

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Shakey Graves at the Newport Folk Festival 2018.

Music & Culture

Shakey Graves, Live In Concert: Newport 2018

12:14pm December 28, 2018

by Lyndsey McKenna

Austin singer-songwriter Alejandro Rose-Garcia, aka Shakey Graves, began his Newport Folk Festival set by raising a little hell.

From top left, clockwise: Heather Leigh, Messa, Lonely Leary and Kate Carr.

Music & Culture

Viking's Choice: The Year In The Loud And The Weird

11:20am December 28, 2018

by Lars Gotrich

Our resident Viking surveys 2018 through Italian doom metal, Chinese post-punk, underwater field recordings and a 24-hour drone.

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Fresh Starts: Tales Of Renewal For A New Year

5:51pm December 27, 2018

The turn of the year is a time when we set the old aside and welcomed the new into our lives. When one chapter ends, another begins.

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Late rapper The Notorious B.I.G. performs in Chicago in September 1994.

'Hip-Hop Deserves That Respect': Honoring The Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan In NYC

11:44am December 27, 2018

by Chloee Weiner

The New York City Council voted last week to honor hip-hop greats the Notorious B.I.G. and Wu-Tang Clan with streets named after them. LeRoy McCarthy, who led the effort, says it's long overdue.

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Bruce Springsteen at the final performance of Springsteen on Broadway, among the 100-plus songs, albums and live shows picked by members of NPR Music's team as the best musical moments of 2018.

Music & Culture

NPR Music Staff Picks: The Best Of 2018

11:23am December 27, 2018

by NPR Music Staff

Our list of lists: To celebrate 2018, we've gathered over 100 favorite songs, albums, concerts, books, breakfasts (yes, breakfasts) and more, as picked by individual members of NPR Music.