Music & Culture

Lower Dens singer and songwriter Jana Hunter writes that her band's new album, Escape From Evil, is typified by "warmth and physicality."

Music & Culture

Lower Dens' Jana Hunter Explains 'Escape From Evil,' Track By Track

9:28am April 01, 2015

by Jacob Ganz

The singer-songwriter pulls back the curtain on her band's beautiful-but-mysterious new album, Escape From Evil. "All of these songs are based in personal experience," she writes.

Music & Culture

A Sale Is Booming: Rare Stradivarius Drums Up For Auction

8:03am April 01, 2015

Music & Culture

No Hits, No Problem: Captain Beefheart's Major Label Run

2:27pm March 31, 2015

by Ed Ward

In 1970, Warner Bros. Records had an unusual philosophy: they'd sign artists and, instead of wanting a hit single immediately, they'd develop them over several albums. Hence, Captain Beefheart.

Queue Listen Now

Music & Culture

Review: Courtney Barnett, 'Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit'

7:51pm March 30, 2015

by Will Hermes

NPR music critic Will Hermes reviews an album that contains the best storytelling he's heard in a long time. It's the debut album from Courtney Barnett.

Queue Listen Now

Music & Culture

Art Pepper's Startling Intensity Captured On Live Recordings

3:38pm March 30, 2015

by Kevin Whitehead

Fresh Air jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says that Art Pepper played like he was making up for lost time.

Queue Listen Now

Using Computers To Connect With Classical Music

5:30pm March 28, 2015

Yale computer scientist David Gelernter talks with NPR's Arun Rath about using computers and the Internet to teach young people to appreciate the beauty of what he calls "serious music."

Queue Listen Now

John Renbourn performs onstage at the Royal Festival Hall in London June 29, 2008. The influential guitarist died at his home in Scotland Thursday. He was 70.

Influential Guitarist John Renbourn, Co-Founder Of Pentagle, Dies

1:41pm March 28, 2015

by Tom Cole

Renbourn co-founded the popular folk/jazz group Pentangle and was one of the most respected and influential acoustic guitarists in the world. He died this week at his home in Scotland; he was 70.

Queue Listen Now

Music & Culture

The Tale Of Mingering Mike, Who Painted Himself A Music Career

1:29pm March 28, 2015

by Joel Rose

A self-taught visual artist who longed to make soul records, Mingering Mike ended up realizing his dreams on paper rather than vinyl. Decades later, his work is paying off.

Queue Listen Now

Carlos Varela, a Cuban protest singer, poses for a picture at the bar of the historic Hotel Nacional in Havana.

LISTEN: A Cuban Protest Singer On The State Of U.S.-Cuba Relations

8:07pm March 27, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

For decades, Carlos Varela has doled out incisive criticism of the Cuban government. On our recent visit to Havana, he sang a song he says reflects the mood of the country at this historic moment.

Queue Listen Now

Music & Culture

Courtney Barnett Makes Ennui Vivid On Debut Album

11:01am March 27, 2015

by Ken Tucker

Barnett just released her first full album called Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit. Critic Ken Tucker says she somehow manages to infuse with a freshness rare in any songwriter.

Queue Listen Now