Episodes
A forgotten opera premieres 280 years late
May 03, 2023 10:30A Jean-Philippe Rameau opera, left unfinished at time of his death and recently completed by a musicologist, gets its premiere 280 years later, with extravagant costumes. (Image credit: Keren Carrión/NPR) * This article was originally published here
Al Green's landmark R&B album 'Call Me' turns 50
April 29, 2023 10:28Green is widely considered one of the greatest pop singers ever. In 1973, he constructed this superb nine-song album for Hi Records in Memphis, in close collaboration with co-producer Willie Mitchell. * This article was originally published here
Collection features almost all the music Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes danced to
April 26, 2023 10:12In 1909, the Russian impresario came to Paris and created a sensation with a company he called the Ballets Russes. A new 22-disc set revisits the music of Diaghilev's legendary ballets. * This article was originally published here
Walter Smith III sounds right at home on 'return to casual'
April 22, 2023 10:06Everything's in balance on the tenor saxophonist's new album: Smith's pliable expressive tone is neither too heavy nor too light as he exploits the tension between the composed and the improvised. * This article was originally published here
JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown are here to blow up your function
April 14, 2023 10:03The joyously chaotic rap team-up Scaring the Hoes is less Watch the Throne and more Wedding Crashers: a pair of motormouthed eccentrics running wild trick plays and daring you to stick around. (Image credit: Carlo Cavaluzzi/Courtesy of the artist) * This article was originally published here
Feist holds a mirror up to her 'Multitudes'
April 13, 2023 10:12On her best album to date, Feist mines age and experience, love and loss to shape 12 songs about the hard-earned insights of simply existing. (Image credit: Sara Melvin & Colby Richardson/Courtesy of the artist) * This article was originally published here
Wednesday's 'Rat Saw God' is fearlessly, chaotically, grimly American
April 08, 2023 10:30The Asheville, N.C., band's new album blends country and shoegaze influences in a thrilling set of songs that capture youthful debauchery and local lore against a backdrop of strip malls and highways. (Image credit: Zachary Chick) * This article was originally published here
100 years ago today, Louis Armstrong wrapped his first recording session
April 07, 2023 10:30The 21-year-old Armstrong, on cornet, was a protégé of New Orleans fellow cornetist and band leader King Joe Oliver. On April 5, 1923, they went into a Richmond, Ind., studio for a two-day session. * This article was originally published here
Lana Del Rey's ambitious new album is her riskiest to date
April 05, 2023 10:19Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. is filled with dense compositions about family lore and romantic entanglements. * This article was originally published here
On 'the record,' boygenius honors how friendship shapes our very sense of self
March 31, 2023 10:09The friendship shared by Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus isn't just the backdrop for their album as boygenius: It's the subject of many of these songs, built into their very structures. (Image credit: Courtesy of the artist) * This article was originally published here
Yves Tumor's disruptive pop-cultural synthesis
March 29, 2023 10:19Rather than proclaiming the present sick on their fifth record, the sensitive Tennessean glam-punk wraps themselves up in its language — pop music. (Image credit: Isabella Corderas) * This article was originally published here
The voice of Jessye Norman soars again in trove of unreleased recordings
March 25, 2023 10:21A new collection of recordings finally freed from the vaults offers a chance to hear one of opera's greatest artists sing Wagner, Strauss, Berlioz and more. (Image credit: Decca Archives) * This article was originally published here
Songs by Iris DeMent, Sunny War and Margo Price speak urgently to the current moment
March 22, 2023 10:06Whether it's the folk-protest music of DeMent, the cutting-edge blues of War or the hard-charging Americana of Price, these three artists create music that stands out. * This article was originally published here
At Adele's Vegas residency, intimacy is the ultimate luxury
March 21, 2023 10:12The pop star has always been an uneasy match for the demands of touring. In the controlled stillness of a Las Vegas theater, she may have finally found her place. (Image credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for AD) * This article was originally published here
Esperanza Spalding teams up with pianist Fred Hersch in this 'Vanguard' recording
March 15, 2023 10:03When Hersch invited jazz, pop and opera composer Spalding to perform three nights with him at the Village Vanguard, he thought she'd bring her bass. Instead, Spalding just wanted to use her voice. * This article was originally published here
Caroline Polachek's new album pulses with the sound of exhilaration and relief
March 14, 2023 10:12Desire, I Want to Turn Into You was recorded during a time when many were emerging from pandemic isolation, and, intentionally or not, it taps into the upheaval and disorientation we've lived through. * This article was originally published here
Fever Ray's 'Radical Romantics' explores love in all of its freaky, complicated forms
March 10, 2023 10:06The experimental pop artist's new album is interested in love not as a destination but as an ongoing process, in all of its bravado, vulnerability and experimentation. (Image credit: Nina Andersson) * This article was originally published here
Missy Mazzoli is a symphonic composer with a photographer's eye
March 04, 2023 10:06On her new album, Dark with Excessive Bright, the vibrant, young composer coaxes unusual sounds from a symphony orchestra. (Image credit: Caroline Tompkins/courtesy of the artist) * This article was originally published here
On 'This Is Why,' Paramore emerges from our collective fever dream
March 03, 2023 10:09For a world hell-bent on erasing the memory of the last three years, Paramore approaches hard times with a refreshing sense of self. (Image credit: Zachary Gray/Courtesy of the artist) * This article was originally published here
The meditative, ambient calm of Kelela's 'Raven'
February 23, 2023 10:18If the singer was taking herself apart before, she is now presenting a unified and independent version of herself, all while actively maintaining a sense of distance from the audience. (Image credit: Photo by Alima Lee) * This article was originally published here
Bob Dylan's 'Time Out Of Mind' remains eerie and vital in a newly released version
February 17, 2023 10:06Columbia Records' new release provides an extensive look at Dylan's 1997's Grammy-winning album. This package of five CDs offer a wealth of new ways to experience some of Dylan's most moving music. * This article was originally published here
Intrusive thoughts and mixmaster madness in Liv.e's 'Girl in the Half Pearl'
February 16, 2023 10:28The Dallas-born, LA-based artist's shape-shifting 2020 debut, Couldn't Wait to Tell You, emulated a series of journal entries. Her sophomore album taps the energy of a drug-fueled club night. (Image credit: Photo by qlick) * This article was originally published here
Caroline Polachek ponders 'Desire' at pop's outer limits
February 15, 2023 10:09Desire, I Want to Turn Into You is a natural next step in the adventurous songwriter's series of evolutions, one that embraces ridiculousness and beckons pop toward a rigorous, maximalist sound. (Image credit: Nedda Afsari/Courtesy of the artist) * This article was originally published here
The 2022 Oscars' Best Original Song Nominees, Cruelly Ranked
February 08, 2023 10:20This year, Billie Eilish's Bond theme tries to fend off Beyoncé, Van Morrison, perennial candidate Diane Warren and word-of-mouth juggernaut Encanto. (Image credit: YouTube) * This article was originally published here
Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis and Shirley Scott heat things up in their 'Cookbook' sessions
February 03, 2023 10:24Tenor saxophonist Davis and organist Scott had one of the great jazz partnerships in the late 1950s. A new anthology focuses on their Cookbook series of albums. * This article was originally published here
Dazy's exhilarating 'OUTOFBODY' sustains its quality all the way through
January 24, 2023 10:06Virginia-based musician James Goodson — aka Dazy — sings most often in a voice that's high and urgent. His version of power pop is noisy, ragged, full of feedback and clatter — and irresistible. * This article was originally published here
NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron shines playing solo on 'The Source'
January 17, 2023 10:02Barron previously recorded most tunes on his album, a few more than once. Now he gives them layers of new meaning and an allusive texture — with occasional hints at Afro-Cuban rhythms and gestures. * This article was originally published here
SZA sends out a powerful 'SOS,' mixing pop, hip-hop and R&B
January 10, 2023 10:17SZA sings and raps fluidly on her latest album, which features frequent medium tempos and romantic imagery that harken back to Luther Vandross, Minnie Riperton and the "Quiet Storm" era of 1980s R&B. * This article was originally published here
Jason Moran's new album pays tribute to Black jazz pioneer James Reese Europe
January 04, 2023 10:05Jazz artist Jason Moran revisits the deep influence of Black composer and bandleader James Reese Europe, best known for serving with the Harlem Hellfighters in World War I. (Image credit: Courtesy of Newport Jazz Festival) * This article was originally published here
Beyoncé and Wet Leg top Ken Tucker's round-up of 2022's best music
December 28, 2022 10:24Beyoncé's album Renaissance celebrates disco rhythms and club culture, while the self-titled album by the Isle of Wight duo Wet Leg features intense, punk-influenced pop. * This article was originally published here
'Emerald City Nights' revisits jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal in a series from the 1960s
December 14, 2022 10:16When Jamal's trios visited Penthouse jazz club in Seattle in the '60s, they came to play. Now 92, the pianist has signed off on the release of a new series of live recordings from back in the day. * This article was originally published here
With a bold debut album, Julia Bullock curates an unconventional career
December 10, 2022 10:13The velvet-voiced soprano with a career on the rise chooses her projects, and the music on her debut solo album, with consummate intention. (Image credit: Grant Legan/Nonesuch Records) * This article was originally published here
These three new songs will help you grapple with romances of the past
December 02, 2022 10:18After a decade, Caitlin Rose is "Getting It Right." Weyes Blood's "It's Not Just Me, It's Everybody" is an ethereal ballad. And Carly Rae Jepsen and Rufus Wainwright duet in "The Loneliest Time." * This article was originally published here
Wizkid's 'More Love, Less Ego' is so relaxed it's nearly static
November 30, 2022 10:09The Nigerian singer is among the biggest stars of a generation. Though pleasant, his new album refuses to keep pace with a rapidly evolving genre. (Image credit: Fawaz Ibrahim) * This article was originally published here
SAULT's 5-album drop deepens its long-standing communal values
November 29, 2022 10:09The collective's new music — Today & Tomorrow, AIIR, Earth, 11 and Untitled (God) — suggests divinity void of control or coercion, in order to contemplate our common human needs. (Image credit: Courtesy of the Artist) * This article was originally published here
The personal apocalypse of Weyes Blood's 'And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow'
November 28, 2022 10:15The singer-songwriter's fifth album is an ecosystem of intimacy, in its power to redeem and to destroy. (Image credit: Neil Krug) * This article was originally published here
SAULT's five-album drop deepens its long-standing communal values
November 27, 2022 10:12The collective's new music — Today & Tomorrow, AIIR, Earth, 11 and Untitled (God) — suggests divinity void of control or coercion, in order to contemplate our common human needs. (Image credit: Courtesy of the Artist) * This article was originally published here
Album Review: 'Tu Historia' by Julieta Venegas
November 25, 2022 10:09Julieta Venegas, a legend of Latin American pop music, released her first album in seven years, called "Tu Historia." * This article was originally published here
GloRilla is finding her voice
November 24, 2022 10:16Though it feels like a mere sample of what's to come, the Memphis rapper's new EP presents her as a singular talent using her instrument as a megaphone for provocation and inspiration. (Image credit: Courtesy of the Artist) * This article was originally published here
'Revival' captures drummer Elvin Jones as a nascent bandleader finding his voice
November 19, 2022 10:12A previously unreleased live recording from 1967 finds the iconic jazz drummer experimenting outside the spotlight in a small New York club, assessing his next steps at a pivotal moment in his career. (Image credit: Francis Wolff/Courtesy of Blue Note Records) * This article was originally published here
In the devastation of climate change, Daniel Bachman captures what's left behind
November 18, 2022 10:09In field recordings and fingerstyle guitar, Bachman's diaristic Almanac Behind documents cataclysmic weather as it becomes a larger part of our lives. (Image credit: Aldona Dye/Courtesy of the artist) * This article was originally published here
There's still no one like Santigold
November 15, 2022 10:12On the startlingly direct Spirituals, and in headline-grabbing rebukes of music's trickle-down economy, Santi White is what she's always been: a forward-thinking alternative to pop's here and now. (Image credit: Frank Ockenfels/Courtesy of the artist) * This article was originally published here
Drake and 21 Savage are sore winners on 'Her Loss'
November 12, 2022 10:21The duo trades threats and out-of-pocket disses of virtually everyone they've ever encountered on a new album. It's ugly, but it mostly works as a more targeted, focused version of Drake's whole deal. (Image credit: Courtesy of the artist) * This article was originally published here
'Wakanda Forever' hopes to replicate the success of 'Black Panther'
November 11, 2022 10:12The sequel to the Marvel film Black Panther is in wide release this weekend. Wakanda Forever directly addresses the death of the character played by the late Chadwick Boseman. * This article was originally published here
How country music allowed Jerry Lee Lewis to vary his wild-man persona
November 09, 2022 10:04Lewis came up in rock, but proved his country chops on the 1968 album Another Place, Another Time. The music suited his piano style, and the lyrics fit the emotions he brought to every performance. * This article was originally published here
Jazz trio Thumbscrew celebrates 10 years together on 'Multicolored Midnight'
November 04, 2022 10:03From the beginning, Thumbscrew has had a thing for off-kilter rhythms and shifting accents. This new album is filled with idiosyncratic tunes — music befitting of the idiosyncratic band. * This article was originally published here
Taylor Swift's 'Midnights' mixes late-night dreaminess with steely control
October 28, 2022 10:12Swift's new album, which chronicles 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout her life, includes a bracing amount of clear-headed thoughts about love and life as a pop star. * This article was originally published here
Dawn Richard and Spencer Zahn find solace in color and motion on 'Pigments'
October 27, 2022 10:18Pigments comes to terms with the aches that make us human and asks listeners to act in accordance with their bodies' instinctive reactions to change, fear, doubt and love. (Image credit: Clifford Usher) * This article was originally published here
MAVI's clearheaded songs of endurance
October 26, 2022 10:29The Charlotte rapper's new album, Laughing so Hard, it Hurts, is more direct in thought and intention than his debut, more open and vulnerable, letting his observations guide his insights. (Image credit: Wyeth Collins) * This article was originally published here
On 'Blue Rev,' Alvvays finds euphoria in noise
October 25, 2022 10:03The third album from the Canadian noise pop purveyors feels like a conversation between clarity and cacophony, creating an exhilarating tension. (Image credit: Eleanor Petry/Courtesy of the artist) * This article was originally published here