Kassi Valazza, 'Watching Planes Go By'
The Portland singer-songwriter trades in twang for psychedelia on a plane-spotting song that captures a fluctuating melancholy.
Music & Culture
Jessy Lanza, 'Midnight Ontario'
The electronic-pop musician builds a distinct sense of time and place, complete with Blade Runner reference.
Bassist Juan Carlos Formell dies after a heart attack onstage. He was 59
Singer-songwriter Juan Carlos Formell was born into Cuban music royalty but forged his own path. He was the bassist for Los Van Van, one of the most influential bands from post-Revolution Cuba.
Our 5 favorite exhibits from 'This Is New York' — a gritty, stylish city celebration
The Museum of the City of New York is marking its centennial with an exhibition of NYC-inspired film, TV, music and fashion. But this is real New York, "not a love letter," says one of the curators.
John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy's fearless experiment sets a new album ablaze
The recording made at NYC's Village Gate during the summer of 1961, when the John Coltrane quartet was joined by Eric Dolphy, was thought lost until it was discovered in the New York Public Library.
He was expelled after he refused to cut his afro. 57 years later, he got his degree
In 1966, Otis Taylor was refused his high school diploma from Manual High School in Denver, Colo., for refusing to cut off his afro at the administration's request.
Blues musician Otis Taylor graduates high school 57 years after getting expelled
In 1966, a couple months before he was set to graduate, Otis Taylor was told he needed to cut his short afro or he'd be kicked out. Now, 57 years after he left, he has received a diploma.
Annie Bartholomew, 'Mountain Dove Song'
Women came to Alaska during the gold rush to seek a better life, but their options were often limited to sex work; Juneau folk singer Annie Bartholomew tells their stories.
Bill Orcutt, 'The Anxiety of Symmetry II'
An engaging exploration of what is arguably the universal instrument of our species: the human voice.
Thanatologists are trying to recruit a new generation of people to the field
Many hospitals employ thanatologists, someone who plays music, usually a harp, for people who are dying. The nation's lone school for the trade aims to recruit younger people to the career.