Jamila Woods In Five Songs
The Slingshot artist shares five songs that offer a glimpse into her musical heart, including a track by Ani DiFranco and her favorite gospel song.
Music Interviews
Pearls Before Swine's 'Underground' Classic Reissued 50 Years Later
A seminal but relatively underheard album from 1967, One Nation Underground has just been properly reissued. I talk with the group's singer and songwriter Tom Rapp.
World Cafe Nashville: Becca Mancari
Mancari offers stories of wandering and homecoming, colored by a determination to live, artistically, beyond the gender boundaries usually imposed on female artists.
The 'World Wide Funk' Of Bootsy Collins
The funk master is back with his first album in six years: World Wide Funk. He talks King Records and his relationship with the late Bernie Wollner in an interview with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly.
A South African Superstar Says Farewell
Singer and dancer Johnny Clegg — the co-founder of two groundbreaking, racially mixed bands during the apartheid era — is battling pancreatic cancer. He's saying goodbye to his fans on a U.S. tour.
The Scary Sound Machine That Is 'Trying To Set People A Little Bit Off-Kilter'
Film composer Mark Korven, known for his soundtrack to The Witch, commissioned an instrument called the Apprehension Engine to create scary soundscapes.
'We Just Get Out Of Each Others' Faces': The Lemon Twigs On Being Brothers In A Band
Brothers Michael and Brian D'Addario are just 18 and 20 years old, but their retro, lush sound goes back decades. Their music has echoes of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Bowie and more.
Big K.R.I.T. Breaks Down '4eva Is A Mighty Long Time,' Track By Track
In his biggest artistic statement yet, the Mississippi native reconciles his own dichotomy in a double LP steeped in trunk-rattling bass, soul-searching blues and gospel uplift.
Jorge Drexler Makes Us Dance and Think On 'Salvavidas De Hielo'
This Alt.Latino Extra! features an intimate interview with the Uruguayan musician and TED Talk presenter about his excellent new album.
Talent And Tourism Keep Blues Alive In Clarksdale, Mississippi
Join Jazz Night in America on a visit to Clarksdale, Miss., where struggling musicians are reaping the benefits of blues tourism.