Music & Culture

Hayley Williams of Paramore performs onstage in Chicago, Ill. in 2013.

Music & Culture

Hayley Williams Is The 21st Century's Pop-Punk Prophet

12:09pm September 19, 2018

by Jenn Pelly

There is no precedent for the Grammy-winning, chart-busting, Hot Topic-surviving Williams, who didn't offer permission so much as show a generation of emo girls they did not have to ask for it.

Music & Culture

Watch Charlotte Gainsbourg Perform 'Sylvia Says' Live In The Studio

11:26am September 19, 2018

by Jason Bentley

Watch veteran performer Charlotte Gainsbourg perform a moody, disco-driven cut from her recent album, Rest.

John Carpenter's Halloween soundtrack comes out Oct. 19.

Music & Culture

John Carpenter's 'Halloween' Theme, But Make It 2018

9:41am September 19, 2018

by Lars Gotrich

In an arrangement that expands the horror, Carpenter's stabbing synths are cut into tiny pieces by quietly piercing beats.

"Harper Valley P.T.A." was a sassy, country-pop song that captured the anger many women felt about double standards they faced in 1968.

Music & Culture

50 Years Of Sockin' It To The P.T.A.

4:37pm September 18, 2018

by Elizabeth Blair

In 1968, a song was released about a mini-skirt-wearing mom who stood up to the Harper Valley P.T.A. The tale of small-town hypocrisy and a clap back to slut-shaming made singer Jeannie C. Riley the first woman to top both country and pop charts.

Big Jay McNeely performs in London on March 30, 1984. The influential artist died Sun., Sep. 16, 2018.

Music & Culture

Hear The Revolutionary R&B Of Big Jay McNeely, Honking Proto-Rocker

3:17pm September 18, 2018

by Lauren Onkey

The saxophonist, who passed away at the age of 91 on Sep. 16, embodied rock and roll and, through the blare of his horn, directly influenced the form's bombast and jagged contours.

Clockwise from upper left: William Prince, The Milk Carton Kids, Lula Wiles, Amythyst Kiah

Music & Culture

The Best Of AMERICANAFEST 2018

2:04pm September 18, 2018

All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen talks with NPR Music's Ann Powers and Jewly Hight about the standout performances and surprising discoveries at this year's AMERICANAFEST.

Queue Listen Now

Music & Culture

The Spotify Playlist: Latinx Women Defy Categorization

12:11pm September 18, 2018

by Felix Contreras

Genre busting is the theme as we start Latinx Heritage Month featuring five distinct woman performers.

The CEO of Berlin's Charite Hospital, Karl Max Einhaeupl (left), and leading doctor Kai-Uwe Eckardt discuss the health of Pyotr Verzilov in Berlin on Tuesday. Verzilov, a member of Russian punk protest band Pussy Riot, was flown to Germany on Sept. 16 aft

German Doctors Say It's 'Highly Plausible' Pussy Riot Activist Was Poisoned

12:01pm September 18, 2018

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

Physicians in Berlin say that anti-Kremlin activist Pyotr Verzilov's illness does not appear to be caused by infection or disease. But they could not confirm what he was poisoned with, or by whom.

Dessa went looking for the source of love in her brain, and then turned to the frontiers of neuroscience to try and heal a broken heart.

This Rapper Tried To Use Neuroscience To Get Over Her Ex

11:01am September 18, 2018

Dessa is a singer and writer from Minneapolis who spent years trying to fall out of love and get over her ex. Nothing seemed to help — until she visited a research lab for a brain scan.

Music & Culture

Hear Cat Power's Stirring Cover Of Rihanna's 'Stay'

10:42am September 18, 2018

by Marissa Lorusso

A revered songwriter in her own right, Chan Marshall takes a generous, thoughtful approach to reworking beloved songs. This cover of Rihanna's hit comes from Cat Power's forthcoming album, Wanderer.