Music

Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium re-opens this week with a new look.

Music & Culture

Nashville's Living History Museum Expands

8:01am June 10, 2015

by Debbie Elliott

The Ryman Auditorium, home to the Grand Ole Opry and the birthplace of bluegrass, reopens this week with exhibits that tell lesser-known stories about the "mother church of country music."

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Les Paul's career as a guitarist and innovator led him to play jazz, pop and country with other legendary musicians for decades.

Music & Culture

The Man Before The Guitar: Remembering Les Paul At 100

6:57pm June 09, 2015

by Joel Rose

Paul is mostly remembered for his musical innovations, especially the instrument that bears his name. But he was also an accomplished jazz musician who kept performing even in his final years.

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Music & Culture

Remembering Les Paul, On What Would Have Been His 100th Birthday

2:14pm June 09, 2015

Les Paul, a guitar legend and music innovator, died in 2009 at the age of 94. To mark what would have been his 100th birthday, we'll listen back to a conversation he had with Terry Gross in 1992.

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Chris Martin of Coldplay in 2008. When asked to pick the highest-quality clip of Coldplay's song "Speed of Sound," more of you guessed the lowest quality MP3 than the lossless WAV file.

Music & Culture

Audio Quality Quiz Results: You Did Slightly Better Than Guessing Randomly

1:13pm June 09, 2015

by Tyler Fisher

We asked you to listen to six songs at different audio qualities. Most listeners had a hard time telling the difference between a low-quality MP3 and a lossless WAV.

Jimmy Iovine announces the new streaming service Apple Music in San Francisco.

Music & Culture

Apple Announces Music Streaming Service

7:35am June 09, 2015

by Jacob Ganz

The tech giant, whose iTunes store is the recording industry's largest retailer, finally unveiled its streaming service, which will cost $9.99 a month for unlimited access to music.

Omaha rapper Conchance outside of Make Believe Studios near downtown Omaha, Neb.

Music & Culture

With The Spotlight Gone, Omaha's Music Scene Grows

3:23pm June 08, 2015

by Clay Masters

Omaha built its musical reputation on acts like Bright Eyes and its label Saddle Creek Records. While some of its biggest names have moved to New York City and Chicago, a community still flourishes.

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Music & Culture

New Release Brings Overdue Recognition For Soul Singer Jackie Moore

2:20pm June 08, 2015

by Ed Ward

Much of Moore's music was unreleased at the time of recording and some of her best work didn't get the attention it deserved. A double disc compilation of her recordings has just been released.

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The Internet can be a wonderland of musical discovery and discourse, but it's not built to be a permanent archive.

Music & Culture

Digital Underground

3:53pm June 05, 2015

by Ann Powers

There is a wealth of music, along with music-related artifacts and conversation, on the Internet, but the companies that control these vast resources don't always prioritize permanence.

A quick guide to some of the best musical archives on the Internet.

Music & Culture

12 Essential Archives For Internet-Era Music Historians

3:52pm June 05, 2015

by Ann Powers

Some of the places where we dig up sounds from the past are obvious, others obscure. Here are a dozen sources for diving deep into music history, shared by some of our favorite writers.

The pop charts have been subtly transformed by the addition of data from streaming services like Spotify and YouTube.

Music & Culture

How Streaming Services Are Remaking The Pop Charts

3:51pm June 05, 2015

by Chris Molanphy

For 50 years, Billboard's Hot 100 pop chart counted just two things: radio play and retail sales. The addition of streaming data is shaking up how the charts are made and which songs reach the top.