Botch, 'One Twenty Two'
The band that turned metallic hardcore into a game of daggers — all sharp angles, twisted riffs and ferocious barks — broke up 20 years ago. Now, Botch returns with an absolute bruiser of a track.
Music & Culture
Why the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame is headed to this small Mississippi Delta town
Marks, Mississippi, is where Martin Luther King Jr. chose in 1968 as the starting point for his Poor People's Campaign, which demanded economic justice for poor Americans of all backgrounds.
Lauded trumpeter and composer jaimie branch dies at 39
A rising star in the world of improvised music with her group FLY or DIE, branch died on Monday at her home in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Janet Jackson's 1989 classic 'Rhythm Nation' can make some laptops crash
Microsoft's chief software engineer blogged about it. Raymond Chen says a specific frequency, like the one in "Rhythm Nation," makes Windows XP hard drives go black.
New quartet album by jazz drummer Billy Drummond is a treat
On Valse Sinistre, Drummond's ride-cymbal beat is lively, varied and full of passing cross-rhythms — the sound of a musician fully engaged and in the habit of attentive listening.
Encore: Podcast investigates the early death of musician Chalino Sanchez
Some musicians become more famous for dying young. That's part of the story of Chalino Sanchez, but there's more to it. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with the host of a podcast that explores that theme.
Encore: Composer John Williams and cellist Yo-Yo Ma assemble 'A Gathering of Friends'
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with renowned composer and conductor John Williams and cellist Yo-Yo Ma about their collaborative album, A Gathering of Friends. It celebrates Williams' 90th birthday.
Kid Cudi says he had a stroke at 32. Hailey Bieber was 25. How common are they?
Strokes in adults under 45 are on the rise. Now artist Kid Cudi — long considered an ambassador for mental health issues — and model Hailey Bieber have opened up about their experiences.
What's that humming sound? In music, it's not to be ignored
Music commentator Jacques Morel points out to NPR's Ayesha Rascoe how important humming can be in popular music.
Opinion: That unbelievable street violinist could just be a 'finger-syncer'
NPR's Scott Simon reflects on bogus buskers who fake violin virtuosity with recorded music tracks and ask for money to help with rent or medical bills.