Music

How direct should an established composer be when appraising the work of an up-and-comer? Vincent d'Indy would've had two answers to the question -- one before and one after getting advice from Cesar Franck. D'Indy recalled:

"Once I had played a movement of my string quartet for him --
...

The Thistle & Shamrock: New Releases

March 18, 2020 - 10:32am

Navigate uncertain times with the uplifting sounds of fresh new music recently arrived at The Thistle & Shamrock offices in the U.S. and Scotland. Fiona Ritchie handpicks newly released and "new to me" recordings from artists you'll know and new names you'll get to know. Artists include Mel Mercier, Ross...

City Scenes: Live Performances From 5 Colorado Artists Before They Were Famous

March 18, 2020 - 10:01am

You know these artists now, but we were able to watch and champion them before the late night show appearances and sold-out shows across the globe. Here are some of Denver's finest musical acts, before they blew up:

Nathaniel Rateliff, "Wasting Time"

Over a year before the...

Love And Rockets' Psychedelic Train Ride Laid The Foundation For Alt-Rock

March 18, 2020 - 4:02am

Morning Edition's series One-Hit Wonders / Second-Best Songs focuses on musicians or bands whose careers in the United States are defined by a single monster hit, and explains why their catalogs have much more to offer.

In this installment, Jim Novak, the music buyer for Minneapolis record store ...

Rex Orange County: Tiny Desk Concert

March 18, 2020 - 4:00am

Rex Orange County, the low-key British pop star born Alex O'Connor, frames his emotions and struggles in a way that appears simple and linear at first. It's only after a few listens that you realize that most of us are incapable of the courage he demonstrates behind the microphone....

My Hand-Washing Song: Readers Offer Lyrics For A 20-Second Scrub

March 17, 2020 - 3:16pm

Yes, washing your hands provides excellent protection against coronavirus (and other pathogens).

But you do need to scrub with soap for 20 seconds to remove those pathogens. That's what the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and many hand-washing experts recommend.

Twenty seconds is a long...

The Classist History Behind Bad Bunny's 'Bichiyal'

March 17, 2020 - 2:02pm

When Bad Bunny released his sophomore album YHLQMDLG (an acronym for Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana, or I Do Whatever I Want) on February 29, he also introduced a new word into the world: bichiyal. It's the title of one of the album's songs—a nostalgic love letter...

The Cold Irish Pianist

March 17, 2020 - 11:30am

He was traveling with one of the most famous and successful composers of the day, but the young Irish pianist was not having a good time.

His name was John Field and he was touring Europe demonstrating Muzio Clementi's new pianos. Soon he would become known as one of the...

Rumba On The River

March 17, 2020 - 11:00am

Author Gary Stewart offers a "history of the popular music of the two congos" through an insightful-inside analysis of Congolese Rumba, a form of African musical expression that would alter the path of African music-making with dance infused music layered with social and political commentary.

"There had always been music along...

From Hand To Merch: Some Of Our Favorite Indie Wares

March 17, 2020 - 10:53am

The 21st-century truism that musicians need touring to survive financially in the streaming age has been proven true, brutally, by the COVID-19 outbreak. The shutdown of most venues and festivals has meant a major loss of income for most artists, and the music world is scrambling to come up with...

A List Of Live Virtual Concerts To Watch During The Coronavirus Shutdown

March 17, 2020 - 10:51am

Updated March 18, 9:59 a.m. ET.

As more festivals, performances and concerts are canceled due to the coronavirus shutdown, musicians of all stripes and sizes are taking to social and streaming platforms to play live for their fans.

NPR Music is compiling a list of live audio and...

The Austin 100: Loyal Lobos

March 17, 2020 - 5:28am

Hometown: Los Angeles, California

Genre: Indie Pop

Why We're Excited: Born in Colombia and based in L.A., singer-songwriter Andrea Silva records beautiful, bittersweet songs under the name Loyal Lobos. In "Criminals," a tribute to platonic friendship that frequently recalls Phoebe Bridgers, Silva proves enormously adept at dreamy,...

The Austin 100: Catholic Action

March 17, 2020 - 5:23am

Hometown: Glasgow, Scotland

Genre: Rock

Why We're Excited: With its gritty riffs and fiery rhetoric — one new single is called "People Don't Protest Enough" — Catholic Action ought to sound deadly serious, even strident. But there's a sense of play to the Scottish band's sound: "One of...

Angelica Garcia On Embracing Her Identities With 'Cha Cha Palace'

March 17, 2020 - 4:01am

Angelica Garcia says she sometimes feels like two people. To understand that sentiment, look at her first two albums. Her first release, 2016's Medicine for Birds, was a bluesy country record: She sang about the South, about Loretta Lynn, about her adopted home of Virginia. Her new album Cha...

The Austin 100: Carla Geneve

March 17, 2020 - 4:01am

Hometown: Perth, Australia

Genre: Folk Pop

Why We're Excited: An Australian singer-songwriter with a gift for deadpan observation and deftly deployed guitar licks, Carla Geneve sneaks up on you: Her songs can feel like overheard conversations, but also she's got a keen instinct for just when and how...

The Austin 100: Tomás Del Real

March 17, 2020 - 4:01am

Hometown: Santiago, Chile

Genre: Folk

Why We're Excited: Singer-guitarist Tomás del Real finds thoughtful ways to update and enliven traditional sounds: His songs possess the gentle sway of the Chilean folk music in which he's steeped, but they're also burnished with notes of jazz and influences that stretch...

The Austin 100: Sydney Wright

March 17, 2020 - 4:01am

Hometown: Snyder, Texas

Genre: Indie Pop

Why We're Excited: In 2018, it was Kady Rain. In 2019, Dossey. This year's pure pop find from the great city of Austin is Sydney Wright, whose "You Can Stay" exudes dynamism and drama. With a bit of smartly deployed vocal processing...

The Austin 100: Tufan Derince

March 17, 2020 - 4:01am

Hometown: Diyarbakir, Turkey

Genre: Global

Why We're Excited: A Kurdish musician who's performed at hundreds of weddings in Turkey, Tufan Derince now spreads collaborative and celebratory music from his new home base in the Netherlands. Derince plays a stringed instrument called an elektrobağlama — think of a long-necked,...

The Austin 100: Steven G

March 17, 2020 - 4:01am

Hometown: Los Angeles, California

Genre: Hip-Hop

Why We're Excited: L.A. singer-rapper Steven G finds more or less the exact midpoint between sleekly stylish R&B and slyly playful hip-hop, landing on a monster sex-jam earworm in "Handcuffs." An engaging presence with an easy smile and a few million streams...

The Austin 100: School Of X

March 17, 2020 - 4:01am

Hometown: Copenhagen, Denmark

Genre: Indie Pop

Why We're Excited: Danish singer, songwriter, producer and musician Rasmus Littauer calls himself School of X as a tribute to the experimental 1960s Copenhagen art collective of the same name; he's even assembled a collective of his own in the same...

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Brutally Frank Advice

The Thistle & Shamrock: New Releases

City Scenes: Live Performances From 5 Colorado Artists Before They Were Famous

Nathaniel Rateliff, "Wasting Time"

Love And Rockets' Psychedelic Train Ride Laid The Foundation For Alt-Rock

Rex Orange County: Tiny Desk Concert

My Hand-Washing Song: Readers Offer Lyrics For A 20-Second Scrub

The Classist History Behind Bad Bunny's 'Bichiyal'

The Cold Irish Pianist

Rumba On The River

From Hand To Merch: Some Of Our Favorite Indie Wares

A List Of Live Virtual Concerts To Watch During The Coronavirus Shutdown

The Austin 100: Loyal Lobos

The Austin 100: Catholic Action

Angelica Garcia On Embracing Her Identities With 'Cha Cha Palace'

The Austin 100: Carla Geneve

The Austin 100: Tomás Del Real

The Austin 100: Sydney Wright

The Austin 100: Tufan Derince

The Austin 100: Steven G

The Austin 100: School Of X

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Nathaniel Rateliff, "Wasting Time"

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