Near and Far
Working With Soldiers At Walter Reed, Cellist Finds A New Creative Path
The signature song on cellist Wytold’s new album began as an improvisation. As he sat in the lobby of the…
Songs We Love: Oddisee, ‘Things’
The bright and bouncy dance track adds a new color to the Maryland-born rapper’s production palette — but the song’s energy belies its lyrical content.
To These Maryland Rappers, ‘DMV’ Stands For ‘Dope Music Village’
For Maryland rappers Brain Rapp, Nature Boi and Ezko, it takes a village to make dope music. That’s the premise…
In Wake Of Trump Election, Verses Records Rallies 40 Bands To Benefit ACLU
For many in the progressive nation’s capital, Donald Trump’s election to the White House represented a call to action. Count…
Premiere: On ‘Mars And Me,’ D.C.’s Brushes Come From Mars And Venus
For Nick Anway, life is all about embracing contradictions. The 27-year-old frontman and primary songwriter of D.C. indie-rock band Brushes…
A D.C. Punk Revolution Under President Trump?
To punks on the left side of the political spectrum, Donald Trump’s ascent to the White House offers at least one,…
Dreamy R&B Duo Abhi//Dijon Finds A More Concise Sound On ‘Montana’
Abhi//Dijon is a duo, not a solo act. But sometimes listeners can’t tell. “People still think we’re one person,” says…
Title Tracks Live At WAMU
The idea for a Title Tracks session at WAMU 88.5 hatched way back in August of 2015, when the D.C….
Review: Gillian Welch, ‘Boots No. 1 The Official Revival Bootleg’
Welch and partner David Rawlings sift through their musical archives and select 21 tracks that document their early- to mid-’90s rise, before they emerged as leaders of an ascendant Americana scene.
Review: Jay Daniel, ‘Broken Knowz’
One of Detroit dance music’s freshest talents carries on the city’s legacy of electronic funk, while finding new ways to reinvigorate it.
‘Dating’ In D.C. — For The Band Stronger Sex, It Makes For A Good Song, At Least
Johnny Fantastic is bored with dating. “Dating/In this city of ours/Oh what a waste of time/Oh it’s the blind leading…
Review: Highly Suspect, ‘The Boy Who Died Wolf’
An unexpected Grammy nominee earlier this year, the Cape Cod band fine-tunes its retro-grunge attack into something far more dynamic, soulful and alluring.
A Year After Paris Attacks, Tour Managers Reflect On Security
Most of the victims of the terrorist attacks on Paris last November died in the Bataclan concert hall. For tour managers tasked with taking care of bands, the job has changed.
A Tribe Called Quest Stands United, One Last Time
Two decades after splitting up, the pioneering rap crew released its final album Friday. We Got It from Here mines sounds from across hip-hop’s history, but the content is bracingly of the moment.
Review: D∆WN, ‘Redemption’
As electronic dance music continues to experiment, D∆WN stands apart by making challenging pop music with soul. Redemption radiates defiance in its celebration of the self.
Review: Thee Oh Sees, ‘An Odd Entrances’
The prolific psych-rock band’s newest album — its second in only three months — traffics in alternately jittery and hypnotic jams.
Review: Pink Martini, ‘Je Dis Oui!’
To take in the band’s ninth album is to experience a globetrotting victory lap across eight different languages, all tackled with cosmopolitan sophistication and the playfulness of pop.
Stooges On Screen: Iggy Pop And Jim Jarmusch On The New Film ‘Gimme Danger’
The two men join NPR’s Scott Simon to talk about Jarmusch’s new documentary on the band — and why its pioneering work has staying power.
Review: Martha Wainwright, ‘Goodnight City’
Wainwright’s singing shows a deep awareness of the multiple meanings that can merge and overflow — even within utterances as direct as a lover’s whisper or a lullaby.
Review: Ronnie Dunn, ‘Tattooed Heart’
Three albums after wrapping his run with one of the most successful country duos of the ’90s and early ’00s, Dunn deftly carves out a role for himself amid the genre’s current youthful landscape.