Billy Bragg & Joe Henry: Tiny Desk Concert
Performing songs they recorded on a recent train journey across the U.S., the two songwriters celebrate the romance and vitality of the modern railroad.
Music
Wadada Leo Smith Celebrates The Centennial Of America's National Parks
Five decades after Smith began recording, the trumpeter and composer is having his moment. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews America's National Parks, recorded by Smith's Golden Quintet.
One Transcendent Performance That Illustrates Donny Hathaway's Musical Genius
In an excerpt of a book dedicated to the classic soul album Donny Hathaway Live, author Emily Lordi looks at the ingredients that make Hathaway's cover of "A Song for You" such an achievement.
Metropolis: 10/15/16
Hear new tracks from Le Youth, Gigamesh, Gorgon City and more in this week's two-hour EDM mix from KCRW's Jason Bentley.
Songs We Love: Dark Blue, 'Bombs On The Beach'
The Philly post-punk band's intimate story of war gets under the skin, cold and heavy.
First Watch: Joyce DiDonato, 'Lascia ch'io pianga'
Opera star Joyce DiDonato does more than sing — she lends her voice to social causes. Watch her new video, a haunting depiction of a woman trapped in conflict.
LISTEN: Correspondent Don Gonyea's Campaign Homestretch Playlist
To pass the time on the road, political correspondent Don Gonyea creates playlists curated to the story and state. With the campaign end drawing near, Don has his playlist for the final few weeks.
Watching A Festival, And Its Music, Take Shape
Earlier this month, musicians — invited by Bon Iver and The National — gathered at a former East German radio facility for an unconventional festival that pieced its story together as it went along.
Derek Brown Redefines The Notion Of A One-Man-Band On His New CD 'Beatbox Sax'
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with musician Derek Brown about his new album Beatbox Sax. Brown squeezes sounds out of his instrument that sound more like stand up bass, than saxophone.
A Nobel In Literature For Bob Dylan, Whose Words Transcend Form
When Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for Literature, many were surprised. But many novelists cheered, and performers of all kinds — from William Shatner to Kesha — have been inspired by Dylan's words.