Music & Culture

Music & Culture

The South African Songbook: Jazz Musicians Who Stayed During Apartheid

8:00am December 19, 2019

by Simon Rentner

We celebrate 25 Years of democracy in South Africa by focusing on the trailblazers that stayed during the brutal era of apartheid, featuring Herbie Tsoaeli and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Big Thief released two of Bob Boilen's favorite albums in 2019: U.F.O.F. and Two Hands.

Music & Culture

Bob Boilen's Top 20 Albums For 2019

8:31pm December 18, 2019

by Bob Boilen

The All Songs Considered host shares his favorite albums of the year, from Big Thief and FKA Twigs to Billie Eilish and Mdou Moctar.

Mexican vocalist Georgel and Cuban American vocalist Kat Dahlia help close out 2019.

Music & Culture

Alt.Latino Playlist: One Last Tamal For 2019

3:12pm December 18, 2019

A playlist perfect for holiday parties in your tia's kitchen and with the primos in the basement. Plus, an exclusive video from Ruben Blades.

Jamila Woods' 2019 album LEGACY! LEGACY! was made up of songs that draw inspiration from earlier artists. Her songs were among many this year that sent NPR Music's critic Ann Powers seeking out historical partners.

Music & Culture

Songs That Bend Time: A Musical Time Machine For 2019

1:48pm December 18, 2019

by Ann Powers

A playlist of 50 notable songs from this year, paired with older ones that connect with them spiritually or sonically.

NEON's debut album spirals through some brain-rewiring punk.

Music & Culture

Viking's Choice: Burger Punk, Hard-Swung Free Jazz, Bioluminescent Ambient

1:44pm December 18, 2019

by Lars Gotrich

A few late-year greats, including tracks from Dark Thoughts, Irreversible Entanglements and Shorelights. Plus, a nine-hour playlist of the year in Viking's Choice.

Supreme Court Releases Additional Orders From Prior Week's Conference

Music & Culture

Unprecedented: Is A Threat Protected Speech?

12:44pm December 18, 2019

How necessary is it for a "reasonable" person to correctly interpret rap music?

This week's episode features music from Irish singer CaitrÃona O'Leary.

Music & Culture

The Thistle & Shamrock: Gifts

12:30pm December 18, 2019

The music of Andrew Finn Magill, Dick Gaughan and Caitríona O'Leary will help ease the tension and the pressure of the holidays.

Brittany Howard made NPR Music's No.1 album of 2019 with Jaime. She's on our playlist of best songs of the year, too.

Music & Culture

World Cafe's Best Songs Of 2019

10:16am December 18, 2019

Some of World Cafe's favorite songs of the year include music by Strand of Oaks, The Head and the Heart, Clairo, Sharon Van Etten and more.

Los Lobos perform during a Tiny Desk concert, on Dec. 13, 2019. (Catie Dull/NPR)

Music & Culture

Los Lobos: Tiny Desk Concert

5:00am December 18, 2019

by Felix Contreras

When Los Lobos gathered behind the Tiny Desk, it felt like they were cramped in the back room of a family Christmas party, calling up tunes from the Latin holiday song book.

Thousands of new holiday songs have been released since 1994, but none have become standards in the way pop songs about Christmas routinely did in the '60s, '70s and '80s. What's the challenge of cracking the tiny yuletide canon?

Music & Culture

Why Are There No New Christmas Songs?

5:34pm December 17, 2019

by Chris Klimek

Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" is back at the top of the chart a quarter century after it was first released. So why haven't there been any lasting Christmas songs to take its place?