Music & Culture

Music & Culture

The Traditional Chinese Pipa Meets Guitar In Min Xiao-Fen's 'White Lotus'

8:45am July 03, 2021

NPR's Leila Fadel asks Min Xiao-Fen, virtuoso on the Chinese stringed instrument pipa, and guitarist Rez Abbasi about their collaboration on White Lotus, a new album.

Music & Culture

Shaking Up The Classical Canon: Randall Goosby Talks With Lara Downes

5:00am July 03, 2021

by Lara Downes

The rising young violinist discovers his musical roots and questions the traditional borderlines of the repertoire.

Music & Culture

Jazz Night's Monthly Mixtape: Kamasi Washington, Brandee Younger And More

7:18pm July 02, 2021

by Mitra Arthur

Jazz is alive and thriving! Each month, the Jazz Night staff curates a playlist of new music that caught our attention. For June, work by Brandee Younger, Kamasi Washington, Hiatus Kaiyote and more.

Single art for "Neil Young On High" by The Ophelias.

Music & Culture

The Ophelias (Feat. Julien Baker), 'Neil Young On High'

4:42pm July 02, 2021

by Lars Gotrich

Julien Baker not only adds harmonies but depth to the sinuous ache of The Ophelias' intricate indie-pop song.

Min Kwon's America/Beautiful will be released July 4.

70 New Ways To Think About 'America The Beautiful'

4:31pm July 02, 2021

Pianist Min Kwon asked 70 artists to examine and interpret the patriotic standard on solo piano. "What they have in common is what they want America to sound like," she says.

Hearing Alan Stivell, the celebrated Breton harper and multi-instrumentalist, first inspired The Thistle & Shamrock® host Fiona Ritchie to investigate Celtic musical traditions and bring them to radio.

Music & Culture

From Vinyl To MP3: 50 Classic Celtic Songs That Shaped The Thistle & Shamrock

3:45pm July 02, 2021

by Fiona Ritchie

It reminds us to be tradition-bearers: talking to family members, friends and neighbors, so that treasured life experiences and cultural heritage is captured, preserved and shared.

Single artwork for "Renegade" by Big Red Machine (Feat. Taylor Swift).

Music & Culture

Big Red Machine (Feat. Taylor Swift), 'Renegade'

2:07pm July 02, 2021

by Stephen Thompson

Taylor Swift's feature on the latest single from Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon's side project could easily have been a standout track on either of her 2020 blockbusters.

Music & Culture

Bruce Springsteen: On Jersey, Masculinity And Wishing To Be His Stage Persona

2:02pm July 02, 2021

by Terry Gross

"People see you onstage and, yeah, I'd want to be that guy," Springsteen says. "I want to be that guy myself very often." His one-man show returned to Broadway this week. Originally broadcast in 2016.

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Sly Stone performs at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969, in a still from the film Summer of Soul.

Music & Culture

Questlove Discusses His Must-See New Doc, 'Summer Of Soul'

1:02pm July 02, 2021

Summer of Soul is a new documentary telling the story of a series of six concerts that took place in Harlem in 1969 — and is also Amir "Questlove" Thompson's first gig as a film director.

Music & Culture

Izzy Johnson, 'Existing'

11:34am July 02, 2021

by Robin Hilton

The Michigan-based singer-songwriter makes beautifully transporting, pulse-slowing music. On "Existing," they find comfort and gratitude in simply persevering.