Music Features

Doug Carn, left, with his wife, Jean Carn, in a detail from the cover of their album Spirit of the New Land, released on Black Jazz Records in 1972.

Rediscovering The Enormous Social And Spiritual Legacy Of Black Jazz Records

7:01am September 22, 2020

by Martin Johnson

As jazz experienced an awakening in the late '60s and early '70s , a record label from Oakland was at the forefront of capturing it. Now, those records are finally returning.

Anjimile's debut album, Giver Taker, is out Sept. 18.

Music & Culture

Anjimile Just Can't Wait To Be King

9:17am September 16, 2020

by Marissa Lorusso

Ahead of the release of their debut album, Giver Taker, the Boston singer-songwriter talks to NPR Music about singing in choirs, healing through songwriting and being inspired by The Lion King.

Sayonara Wild Hearts' protagonist assumes her heroic form as masked avenger The Fool.

The Sweet Escape Of 'Sayonara Wild Hearts,' Where Pop Music Is Recovery

4:46pm September 14, 2020

by Daoud Tyler-Ameen

The 2019 video game presents a world where shiny synth-pop is the key to unbreaking your own heart. One unthinkable year later, its comforts are more welcome than ever.

Hanging Tree Guitars: The Wood's 'Not Good, Not Bad, Not Ugly — Just Strange'

1:26pm September 13, 2020

by Debbie Elliott

Freeman Vines is an African American luthier who creates what have been called "contemporary art sculptures hidden as guitars" out of old wood, some of it from a tree used for a lynching.

Queue Listen Now

The Clark Sisters in August, performing an online concert from a church stage in Detroit. Left to right: Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark, Jacky Clark Chisholm, Dorinda Clark-Cole and Karen Clark Sheard.

Music & Culture

At A Time Like This: Twinkie Clark's Gospel Of Everyday Blackness

3:29pm September 10, 2020

by Ashon Crawley

Black life is more than crisis. Black women are more than slogans. Listen close to Detroit gospel greats The Clark Sisters and their singular leader, and you'll hear the lessons this moment demands.

The Emotional Legacy Of 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater'

1:47pm September 10, 2020

by Stefanie Fernández

Since Tony Hawk's Pro Skater was first released in 1999, kids who played – and listened to – the game have grown into successful artists in their own right.

The rapper Drakeo the Ruler titled his latest album after the prison phone service provider GTL, whose lines he used to record it, leaving a trail to follow the money through a controversial industry.

Music & Culture

Prison Telecom Business Indicted By Rap Album Recorded In Jail

3:55pm August 28, 2020

by Frannie Kelley

The rapper Drakeo the Ruler titled his latest album after the prison phone service provider GTL, whose lines he used to record it, leaving a trail to follow the money through a controversial industry.

Queue Listen Now

Independent music venues have been among the hardest hit by the global pandemic, raising the possibility of them being forced to sell.

Financially Vulnerable, Independent Music Venues Worry Of Having To Sell

6:00am August 27, 2020

by Marissa R. Moss

Independent music venues continue to be among the businesses hardest hit by the global pandemic. The corporate behemoths of concert promotion, however, can weather the storm.

From left: Randy Bewley, Curtis Crowe, Vanessa Briscoe Hay and Michael Lachowski. Over two albums and a handful of singles released from 1979-1983, Pylon's music roared with a danceable chaos.

Music & Culture

The Long Tail Of Pylon, According To Pylon

10:49am August 26, 2020

by Lars Gotrich

New bands still sound like Pylon and beloved bands still like the music better than their own. Ahead of a catalog reissue, its three remaining members discuss how it feels to last forever.

Members of This Heat — from left, Gareth Williams, Charles Bullen and Charles Hayward — in Cold Storage.

Music & Culture

Understanding The Impossibly Far-Reaching Influence Of This Heat

10:31am August 21, 2020

by Grayson Haver Currin

This Heat lasted for less than seven years, but helped shape the future of music, from noise rock to experimental electronica. Today, its groundbreaking catalog is finally available to stream.