Music & Culture

Maria Chávez's Plays is sourced completely from a soundless, locked-groove double LP.

Music & Culture

Viking's Choice: Turntable Noise, Metallic Hardcore, Hobbitwave

1:22pm November 05, 2019

by Lars Gotrich

You suddenly find yourself in a white room. A playlist spins turntablist Maria Chávez, Counterparts' rip-up-the-pit breakdowns and Tuluum Shimmering's hairy ambient. How do you feel?

Of Monsters And Men performs stripped-down versions of songs from the band's lastest record, Fever Dream, inside the World Cafe Performances studio.

Music & Culture

Of Monsters And Men Adds Synth Flourishes On 'Fever Dream'

11:05am November 05, 2019

The Icelandic band's latest album includes more synthesizers and electronic instruments, including a tiny little keyboard called an OP-1.

Jacob Collier performs at the Tiny Desk on May 16, 2019.

Music & Culture

Jacob Collier's 5 Favorite Tiny Desk Concerts

7:33am November 05, 2019

by Jacob Collier

The multi-talented wunderkind (and previous Tiny Desk Concert performer) is a longtime fan of the series — here, he shares his wide-ranging favorites.

Music & Culture

British Politician's Catchphrase Lives On In Belgian Dance Track

6:13am November 05, 2019

John Bercow relinquished his post as speaker of Britain's House of Commons, but he has a new place in the world of house music. Bercow's catchphrase "Orderrrr" can be heard in the song called "ORDER."

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Music & Culture

Gang Starr's 'One Of The Best Yet' Is A Welcome Throwback To An Earlier Rap Era

5:51pm November 04, 2019

by Oliver Wang

Hip hop duo Gang Starr broke up in the mid-2000s and in 2010, MC Guru died. So fans were surprised by the announcement of a new, posthumous album called One Of The Best Yet.

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Allison Moorer's music has been nominated for an Oscar, a Grammy and an Academy of Country Music Award.

Years After Her Parents' Murder-Suicide, Musician Allison Moorer Finds Healing

4:27pm November 04, 2019

by Terry Gross

More than three decades after the death of her parents, Moorer has a new memoir and companion album, both called Blood, about her abusive father and the emotional scars of being orphaned at 14.

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Miranda Lambert released her seventh solo album, Wildcard, on Nov. 1. "I'm still stubborn and hardheaded," Lambert says, "But I have a career. People heard me. I don't have to scream it out anymore."

Music & Culture

Miranda Lambert Is In It For The Long Haul

4:26pm November 04, 2019

by Jewly Hight

Lambert, who just put out her seventh album, Wildcard, has closed the gap between serious singer-songwriter and arena-rocking entertainer to become the most riveting country star of her generation.

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D.C.-hailing duo April + VISTA take a new immersive step with "Every Void."

Music & Culture

Heat Check: Off-Kilter Cuts For The In-Between

1:12pm November 04, 2019

by Sidney Madden

From a surprisingly sinister Frank Ocean freebie to a new direction for the normally airy and joyful April + VISTA, these Heat Check selections give you space to suspend yourself.

Mwenso & the Shakes perform live at WXPN's Free At Noon Concert - recorded live for this World Cafe Session.

Music & Culture

The Infectious Joy Of Mwenso & The Shakes

12:04pm November 04, 2019

Emergence [The Process of Coming Into Being] blends jazz, R&B and spoken word in a live album that feels like a Broadway show.

Music & Culture

Violinist Sudan Archives Talks New Album

5:56pm November 02, 2019

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks to violinist Sudan Archives about her debut album release, Athena.