Music & Culture

Music & Culture

From Meditation Music To Whaling Songs, 2 New Records Showcase Berendt's Mashups

1:41pm January 18, 2016

by Kevin Whitehead

German producer and musicologist Joachim-Ernst Berendt was an early champion of so-called world music. Critic Kevin Whitehead reviews two cross-cultural rarities Berendt produced in the late 1960s.

Queue Listen Now

This is your chance to get creative, have fun and maybe win your own Tiny Desk Concert.

Music & Culture

Tiny Desk Contest

10:14am January 18, 2016

NPR Music has hosted hundreds of musicians at our Tiny Desk. Now, we're looking for the next great talent to play here. Could that be you?

On his new album The Reverend Shawn Amos Loves You, musician Shawn Amos combines old-school style with new tools.

Music & Culture

Shawn Amos' Long Road To Old-School Blues

10:13am January 17, 2016

by Karen Grigsby Bates

The veteran singer, songwriter and producer recently released The Reverend Shawn Amos Loves You, which combines old-fashioned blues music with new technology.

Music & Culture

This Week On Alt.Latino: David Bowie

8:15am January 17, 2016

NPR's Rachel Martin sits down with Alt.Latino hosts Felix Contreras and Jasmine Garsd to talk about new music from the new year and share some Latin tributes to David Bowie.

Sir Mix-a-Lot performs onstage at VH1's 5th Annual Streamy Awards Sept. 17, 2015 in Los Angeles, Calif.

What Happens When You Get Sir Mix-A-Lot's Phone Number

6:27pm January 16, 2016

by James Doubek

A law student got a new phone number, and began receiving risqué pictures and offers to test drive Lamborghinis.

Queue Listen Now

Tennessee Ernie Ford, circa 1950. At the beginning of his career, Ford championed other people's records as a radio announcer in the greater Los Angeles area.

Music & Culture

On 'Portrait Of An American Singer,' Tennessee Ernie Ford's Early Songs Shine

9:43am January 16, 2016

by Wayne Winkler

Best known for his version of "Sixteen Tons," Ford spanned genres and influenced early rock 'n' roll. A new five-disc set is nominated for a Grammy.

Queue Listen Now

Listeners Uncover Details About Mysterious Muse Behind 'The Brothers Nazaroff'

8:13am January 16, 2016

by Jon Kalish

As a result of Jon Kalish's piece last Saturday on the obscure Yiddish musician known as Prince Nazaroff, a relative and a genealogist have stepped forward to provide more details about the man.

When we asked you for memories of David Bowie songs, many happened to appear on the crucial Changesonebowie compilation, which sits in the NPR library.

Music & Culture

Listen: Your Memories Of A David Bowie Song

6:07am January 16, 2016

by Kate Parkinson-Morgan

"Rebel, Rebel" guided one teenager through questions of gender identity, and "Let's Dance" helped a mother temporarily forget the pain of an invasive cancer surgery.

All Songs Considered hosts Robin Hilton (left) and Bob Boilen (right), welcome singer Glen Hansard as the first surprise performer for the All Songs Sweet 16 birthday.

Music & Culture

All Songs +1: Glen Hansard Plays Our Sweet 16 Celebration

3:17pm January 15, 2016

by Robin Hilton

The Irish singer's band The Frames was one of the very first acts ever played on All Songs Considered, and he brought the house down at the show's Sweet 16 bash at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C.

Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the Philadelphia Orchestra with pianist Jan Lisiecki at Carnegie Hall in a program inspired by Vienna.

Music & Culture

The Philadelphia Orchestra Brings Vienna To Carnegie Hall

3:01pm January 15, 2016

by Tom Huizenga

With a Strauss waltz, a cheeky take on Strauss and a Beethoven concerto, conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin conjures the sound of old Vienna, once the musical capital of Europe.