EARTHGANG (feat. Baby Tate), 'BLACK PEARLS'
With an assist from Baby Tate, EARTHGANG satirizes pop culture's backhanded glorification of Black women.
Music
Bartees Strange, 'Heavy Heart'
With urgent drums, layers of guitar riffs and celebratory horns, "Heavy Heart" is a testament to Bartees' ability to build an intricate and expansive song that doesn't sacrifice its emotional core.
Half a century ago, Stevie Wonder defined what an 'artist's classic run' could mean
For the occasion of its half-centennial, cultural critic and poet Hanif Abdurraqib takes the measure of Stevie Wonder's unmatchable artistic achivements in the early-to-mid '70s.
The soundtrack to Mardi Gras, from its first wave to its golden age
After Louis Armstrong reigned as King Zulu in 1949, musicians began writing music specifically for and about Mardi Gras. These early songs paved the way for the sounds of Carnival for decades to come.
Pušča, 'ça brûle'
On Friday, after Russian military forces struck around Kyiv, the Lviv-based black-metal band Pušča — stylized as пуща in Cyrillic script — self-released the album war is hell.
Joyce DiDonato's 'Eden' beckons humanity back to the garden
On her new album, the opera star suggests Mother Nature has a lot to teach us, if we'd only listen.
With the return of Mardi Gras marching bands, New Orleans' streets are full of magic
The bands may be smaller this year, but students say they're prepared to keep the culture alive and entertain hundreds of thousands of revelers.
Some Russian performing artists are speaking out against Putin
A number of Russian stars from the performing arts world are using their voices and international platforms to denounce the invasion of Ukraine and speak up against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
World Cafe 30th Anniversary Playlist: 2009
2009 was a big year for really big pop stars, like Lady Gaga, The Black Eyed Peas and Jay-Z; indie rock artists like Wilco, Dirty Projectors and Animal Collective also put out standout records.
Claremont Trio, 'Serenata'
Violin and cello are sparkling stand-ins for the Andean charango in an evocative serenade by Gabriela Lena Frank.