Songs We Love: The New Year, 'Mayday'
With couplets as clean and exact as the guitars that chime neatly around them, the mathematical precision of "Mayday" never gets in the way of shaggy, ragged beauty.
Music & Culture
Ramen Rock: These Japanese Punk Legends Sing About Food
For over 35 years, the all-female Shonen Knife has been serving up catchy punk titles like "Wasabi," "Hot Chocolate" and "Sushi Bar." But don't mistake them for bubblegum pop. These ladies are legit.
Hear Carly Rae Jepsen's Triumphant New Song, 'Cut To The Feeling'
Carly Rae Jepsen, the pop star of our hearts, voices a character in the animated film Leap! This song, originally intended for the E•MO•TION: Side B collection, appears on the soundtrack.
Gucci Mane's New Album 'Droptopwop' Is The Climax To One Redemptive Year
After years of being dogged by his own demons, the trap god is living his best life yet.
Gabriel Garzón-Montano: Tiny Desk Concert
Gabriel Garzón-Montano spent three years writing and recording his beautiful, dense album Jardin -- but for his Tiny Desk visit, he stripped it all down to two elements, the piano and his voice.
All Songs +1: Why We're Still Obsessed With Tupac
NPR Music hip-hop reporter Rodney Carmichael talks with Ben Westhoff, author of Original Gangstas, about the enduring legacy and influence of Tupac Shakur, more than 20 years after his death.
From Paris With Love: A Kansas City Musician Gets Distance And Perspective
Missouri native Krystle Warren digs into American history on her new album Three The Hard Way. She talks about what it's like to observe the U.S. from France, her home for the past nine years.
40 Years Ago, In A Galaxy Far, Far Away, An Iconic Film Score Was Born
Star Wars was released 40 years ago today — and it wasn't just the light sabers that changed pop culture. John Williams' epic music, played by the London Symphony Orchestra, became a touchstone.
Pinegrove On World Cafe
Listening to this band's music gives you that warm feeling of spending time with old friends. Hear a performance of songs from 2016's Cardinal, recorded live for World Cafe.
José James, 'Closer' (Live)
The modern-day jazz singer gives KCRW a taste of his new R&B-oriented album, Love In A Time Of Madness.