Music & Culture

Music & Culture

Six Decades Later, A Long-Lost Hank Williams Recording Resurfaces

1:35pm May 19, 2014

A recently re-discovered recording of Hank Williams is getting a release. Guest host Colin Escott and Jett Williams speak about the recording, called The Garden Spot Recordings, 1950.

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Director Bendjelloul Searched For Mysterious 'Sugar Man'

11:29am May 17, 2014

Oscar-winning director Malik Bendjelloul died this week. He's remembered in this rebroadcast of a 2012 interview with NPR's Scott Simon.

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Music & Culture

The Music Of Oak And Forest Sprite Blend In Sylvan Esso

5:28pm May 14, 2014

Delicate folk vocals combine with thumping electronics in Sylvan Esso's debut album. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with the duo of Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn.

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Music & Culture

From B-Boys To Billions, A Brief History Of Hip-Hop As Business

7:26pm May 13, 2014

Apple is expected to buy Beats Electronics for more than three billion dollars, meaning Beats co-founder Dr. Dre would be close to becoming the first hip-hop billionaire.

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Ray LaMontagne's new album is called Supernova.

Music & Culture

Ray LaMontagne Finds The Bright Side On 'Supernova'

5:02pm May 13, 2014

by Ken Tucker

The achievement of Supernova is that, five albums in, LaMontagne hasn't settled into a formula or a fall-back recurring mood. Here, the singer-songwriter explores a sunny, psychedelic side.

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Jim Cummins' photo of Jimi Hendrix performing at Madison Square Garden in 1969 was used by Life magazine the following year for the guitarist's obituary.

The Forgotten Pictures Of A Music Photography Pioneer

8:20pm May 12, 2014

by Andrea Shea

Jim Cummins was one of the few African-American photographers working in superstar rock, shooting everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Sonny & Cher. Along the way, he forgot about more than 2,500 negatives.

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Music & Culture

Atmosphere's Seventh Album: Representing 'Southsiders'

9:03pm May 11, 2014

Hip-hop pair Atmosphere has a new album out called Southsiders. NPR's Arun Rath talks with MC Sean Daley, aka Slug, who's led the duo for nearly 20 years.

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Rodrigo Y Gabriela's latest album is 9 Dead Alive.

Music & Culture

In The Studio With Rodrigo Y Gabriela

5:05pm May 11, 2014

by NPR Staff

The Mexican-born, metal-gone-acoustic duo speaks with NPR's Arun Rath and performs songs from the new album 9 Dead Alive.

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Sam Baker's new album is titled Say Grace.

Music & Culture

Sam Baker: Finding Grace In The Wake Of Destruction

1:34pm May 06, 2014

In 1986, a bomb planted by the Peruvian terrorist group Shining Path exploded in the luggage rack above Sam Baker. Somehow, during his long recovery, songs focused on empathy started coming to him.

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Sri Lankan Opera Singer Followed Her Dream To American Stage

12:32pm May 06, 2014

A Sri Lankan soprano is shattering stereotypes. Tharanga Goonetilleke tells NPR's Scott Simon about being an opera singer and the first Sri Lankan woman accepted to The Juilliard School.

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