First Listen: Cass McCombs, 'Mangy Love'
A quiet iconoclast, McCombs has spent eight albums enshrouding powerful messages in a '70s AM vibe while always exuding steely confidence.
Music
Raising The Dead: Hear A Song From Bob Weir's First Album In A Decade
The ex-Grateful Dead guitarist is about to release Blue Mountain, which features "Only A River."
First Listen: Joseph, 'I'm Alone, No You're Not'
Three Oregon-bred sisters sing lustrous songs about fearlessness, commitment and the pursuit of a life fully lived. On their second album, sweetness and power aren't mutually exclusive.
Songs We Love: Harari, 'Party'
#TBT to a great artifact of South Africa's early '80s flirtation with disco and the future — those synthesizers and slinky grooves haven't aged a bit.
First Listen: River Whyless, 'We All The Light'
The Asheville, N.C., band blends violin, guitars, drums, harmonium, cello, banjo, toy piano and (most importantly) vocal harmonies to make a record steeped in the American acoustic tradition.
First Listen: The Album Leaf, 'Between Waves'
On its sixth album (and first since 2010), Jimmy LaValle's hushed ambient project has a way with whispers, minimalism and intimacy.
First Listen: Barbra Streisand, 'Encore'
Encore is an amiable Broadway/Hollywood mashup of vintage production values and modern casting, with guest performances by Melissa McCarthy, Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Jamie Foxx and more.
Zooming In On The Creative Process, One Artist At A Time
Audie Cornish speaks with NPR's Jason King about the new documentary series Noteworthy, in which he profiles prominent musicians and reveals the secrets behind how they write, produce and record.
The Thistle & Shamrock: Brittany
Intoxicating melodies fill the air this week, with Breton bands Kornog and Skolvan, vocalist Annie Ebrel and the father of contemporary Celtic music in Brittany, Alan Stivell.
Dinosaur Jr. On World Cafe
The alt-rock trio's original members perform songs from their latest album, Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not.