Multifaceted Music Critic Andrew Porter Dies At 86
Best known in the U.S. as a longtime music critic of The New Yorker, Porter was also a scholar, translator and director of opera.
Music
In Her Life After John, Cynthia Lennon Didn't Stop Loving Him
John Lennon's first wife died Wednesday at 75. In 1985, Cynthia Lennon talked with Fresh Air about her marriage to John, going on tour to America, and meeting Yoko Ono.
Jay Z's Music Service, Tidal, Arrives With A Splash, And Questions Follow
The premium streaming service, which will be owned in part by musicians, was unveiled in a star-packed ceremony. The first question it needs to answer: Can it attract listeners?
Rare Latin Grooves Excavated In Anthology
The mostly instrumental cuts draw on salsa, funk, soul and rock from vintage and new performers.
Musician Joni Mitchell Is 'Awake And In Good Spirits' In Intensive Care
The folk music icon was hospitalized in Los Angeles after being found unconscious in her home Tuesday.
Remembering Pop Singer Selena, 'The Queen of Tejano'
The singer Selena elevated Tex-Mex music to a new level. She was about to cross over to the English-language market when she was fatally shot 20 years ago on March 31, 1995.
Lower Dens' Jana Hunter Explains 'Escape From Evil,' Track By Track
The singer-songwriter pulls back the curtain on her band's beautiful-but-mysterious new album, Escape From Evil. "All of these songs are based in personal experience," she writes.
No Hits, No Problem: Captain Beefheart's Major Label Run
In 1970, Warner Bros. Records had an unusual philosophy: they'd sign artists and, instead of wanting a hit single immediately, they'd develop them over several albums. Hence, Captain Beefheart.
Review: Courtney Barnett, 'Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit'
NPR music critic Will Hermes reviews an album that contains the best storytelling he's heard in a long time. It's the debut album from Courtney Barnett.
Art Pepper's Startling Intensity Captured On Live Recordings
Fresh Air jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says that Art Pepper played like he was making up for lost time.