Music

Not My Job: We Quiz Wilco's Jeff Tweedy On 'A Yankee, A Hotel, And A Foxtrot'

2:58pm August 13, 2018

As a kid Tweedy lied about knowing how to play the guitar, but he must have figured it out eventually because he went on to form the bands Uncle Tupelo and Wilco.

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Sire Records Co-Founder Seymour Stein Reflects On Life In 'The Pursuit Of Music'

1:59pm August 13, 2018

by Terry Gross

In his autobiography, Siren Song, Stein writes about how he started out in the music business as a teen before going on to sign groundbreaking artists like Talking Heads, Madonna, Ice-T and k.d. lang.

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Music & Culture

World Cafe Nashville: Liz Cooper And The Stampede

12:49pm August 13, 2018

by Ann Powers

Call it psychedelic, call it classic or call it the sound of new Nashville. Liz Cooper and The Stampede is leading the rock pack in Tennessee right now.

Music & Culture

First Listen: Death Cab For Cutie, 'Thank You For Today'

9:27am August 13, 2018

by Stephen Thompson

On the band's ninth album, Ben Gibbard addresses an array of life's aftermaths, set against propulsive arrangements that know just when to sparkle and sway.

Tower of Power performs a Tiny Desk Concert on June 26, 2018 (Samantha Clark/NPR).

Music & Culture

Tower Of Power: Tiny Desk Concert

9:27am August 13, 2018

by Felix Contreras

Even from its beginnings in late-'60s Oakland, the band has always stood out. Fifty years later, its devotion to classic horn-driven soul remains unmatched, its passion and precision unchanged.

Music & Culture

'The Battle Hymn Of The Republic': An Anthem For Every Cause

9:15am August 13, 2018

by Andrew Limbong

Julia Ward Howe wrote a rousing anthem for the Union in the Civil War. Since then, it's been caught in a cultural tug-of-war over who it's an anthem for.

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Music & Culture

Summer Music From Alt.Latino

8:13am August 12, 2018

by Felix Contreras

It's rock, it's hip hop, it's sung in English ... can it still be "Latin music"? Music and cultural identity intersect in surprising ways in this week's list of tunes shared by Alt.Latino.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon wrote songs for The Beatles under Lennon-McCartney, but a new statistical model can be used to tell who actually took the lead.

Music & Culture

A Songwriting Mystery Solved: Math Proves John Lennon Wrote 'In My Life'

8:19am August 11, 2018

John Lennon and Paul McCartney have differing memories of who wrote the music for "In My Life." A mathematics professor has spent 10 years working with statistics to decide once and for all.

A screenshot from "KIKI Challenge | In my feelings Challenge | Shiggy Challenge | Funcho Entertainment | FC," a video by Funcho Entertainment.

Another 'Kiki Challenge' Video From India Earns 2 Million Views — And 3 Arrests

7:00am August 11, 2018

by Kamala Thiagarajan

The police came after the guys who made the video because of their dangerous stunts. The courts gave them what some folks think is a highly appropriate punishment.

Nicki Minaj performs onstage at the 2018 BET Awards on June 24, 2018 in Los Angeles. The rapper's latest album Queen arrives today.

Music & Culture

After A Bumpy Start, Nicki Minaj's 'Queen' Has Landed

5:37pm August 10, 2018

by Sidney Madden

Nicki Minaj fans have made it through the storm for their matriarch — today, we find out if the turbulence was worth it.