Music & Culture

Music & Culture

In Big Bill Broonzy's Blues, Brothers Find A Way To Sing Together

3:43pm June 11, 2014

Dave and Phil Alvin have made their first full album together in nearly 30 years, a tribute to one of their early influences. "His persona was so big to me," Phil Alvin tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross.

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Jack White's first solo album was the sound of heartbreak. His latest, Lazaretto, feels more like isolation.

Music & Culture

From Jack White, A Fierce New Record Raised In Captivity

8:31pm June 10, 2014

by Meredith Ochs

Whether he's producing, leading a band or on his own, White continues to evolve with each project. His first solo album was the sound of heartbreak, but the new Lazaretto feels more like isolation.

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What do you mean Apple is getting rid of the headphone jack? Where's it going?

Music & Culture

Apple Jacks The Headphone Port

10:54am June 10, 2014

Industry folks and Apple fanatics are upset about the company's plan to lose the standard 3.5mm connector in favor of a Lightning port. But the decision might be good for consumers in the long run.

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Music & Culture

Album Review: 'Natalie Merchant'

9:59am June 10, 2014

by Will Hermes

Though she's been a popular singer since the '80s, Natalie Merchant has often worn the air of one who finds pop stardom distasteful. On her new self-titled LP, she dredges that tension to the fore.

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Music & Culture

Album Review: 'Runaway's Diary'

9:53am June 10, 2014

by Robert Christgau

Amy LaVere sings in a sweet soprano, but her lyrics are anything but sweet. Robert Christgau reviews her new album, Runaway's Diary.

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The 85 musicians in the Santa Cecilia Orchestra are paid professionals who play with other symphonies and in Hollywood studios.

Music & Culture

How Do You Get Latino Kids Into Classical Music? Bring The Parents

9:53am June 10, 2014

by Mandalit del Barco

"If they hold an instrument, they will not take a drug. They will not hold a gun," says Santa Cecilia Orchestra conductor Sonia Marie De Leon De Vega. "It's that powerful."

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Music & Culture

Miranda Lambert's 'Platinum' Has Backyard Swagger

3:28pm June 04, 2014

by Ken Tucker

Platinum continues Miranda Lambert's ongoing project to create songs about women who are complex, fun-loving, and assertive.

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Music & Culture

Golem Ain't Your Grandparents' Klezmer

3:00pm June 03, 2014

by Milo Miles

The New York City band Golem describes its music as punk-klezmer. On Tanz, they mange to find new ways to balance urban irreverence with folk tradition.

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John Fullbright's new album is called Songs.

Music & Culture

John Fullbright's Uneven 'Songs' Finds A Way To Fascinate

3:09pm June 02, 2014

by Ken Tucker

Songs feels like the work of an artist who's still figuring out who he is, where he wants to go, and what he wants to elaborate upon — or invent anew.

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Music & Culture

Two New Items From Hank Williams

11:46am June 02, 2014

by Ken Tucker

Williams is commonly considered the most important country music songwriter. Critic Ken Tucker has a review of a newly released CD of radio broadcasts and DVD of TV performances.

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