An Unexpected Revival For A Beloved Russian Poet
Singer Iris Dement's new album is based on the work of the late Anna Akhmatova, whose spare, insightful lines addressed the ambiguities of love and the tumult of Soviet times.
Music & Culture
Grace Jones: 'I'm A Bit Split Personality'
The gender-bending musician and supermodel discusses how her past and her personality inform her new book, I'll Never Write My Memoirs.
Elvis Costello: 'There Is No Absolute Right And Wrong About Music'
Throughout his memoir, Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, Costello grapples with parallels to his father's life. "In the end, music was playing in the room when my father left this earth," he says.
Songs We Love: Judith Hill, 'Angel In The Dark'
20 Feet From Stardom no more — the soul singer-songwriter captures the feeling of journeying through the unmerciful rain of boulders to make it to the top of the mountain.
'Tomeka Reid Quartet' Offers A Tightly Synchronized Mix Of Cello And Guitar
Cellist Tomeka Reid was headed toward a career as a classical musician, but was drawn to jazz. Critic Kevin Whitehead says her band's new album, The Tomeka Reid Quartet, has good chemistry all around.
Death And The Iron Maiden
A year after his diagnosis with cancer, the lead singer of Iron Maiden talks about recovery, mortality and the band's 16th album, The Book of Souls.
Album Review: 'III,' By Bixiga 70
Bixiga 70 is a 10-piece band from Sao Paulo, Brazil. The eclectic set of musicians seamlessly fuses cumbia, afrobeat and funk. NPR's Banning Eyre says their instrumental dance songs have earned them a global reputation.
Putting The 'K' In Muzak: Years Of Kmart Background Music, Archived On Tape
Care to hear four years' worth of the music played on Kmart's loudspeakers? Well, whether or not you do, now you can — on Archive.org. Mark Davis explains why he collected and uploaded the tunes.
World Cafe Next: Brooke Annibale
Hear two songs from the Pittsburgh singer-songwriter, whose music you might have heard on TV.
At 84, Award-Winning Actress Rita Moreno Tries New Projects
Rita Moreno will receive the Kennedy Center Honor next month for her career in show business. With a new gig as a voice in an animated TV series and a new album, there's no way she's done performing.