Near and Far
Iconoclastic Musician Takes Measure Of His Life: ‘I Became A Fighter’
Fred Ho has combined improvisation with Asian themes to create his own form of political activism. Now, at age 56, Ho is dying of cancer.
Hurray For The Riff Raff On World Cafe
From the Bronx to the French Quarter, here’s a singer that represents the outsiders and underdogs.
How Hip-Hop Changed Latin Music Forever
Alt.Latino sits down with rapper Bocafloja and blogger Juan Data to discuss the many ways hip-hop has trickled into Latin America and its music scene.
Hearing Devotion In Pop’s Details
“Radioactive,” by Imagine Dragons, just set a chart record for the longest run on Billboard‘s Hot 100. It’s just one of a few songs on the charts showing the influence of religious themes.
A Phony Article Epitomizes Hip-Hop’s Struggling Underclass
When even the biggest stars in the world are relying on extramusical gimmicks to hype new albums, what’s an unknown rapper supposed to do to get noticed? Maybe fake a profile in the paper of record?
Bunji Garlin: Tears For Fears Reminds Me Of Childhood
Trinidadian musician Bunji Garlin’s songs might be the sound track for Carnival this March, but what’s he listening to at home? Garlin tells us what’s playing in his ear.
Years After Tragedy, Norwegian Pop Star Returns To World Stage
Mohamed Abdi Farah’s life and career changed when he was caught in a national calamity in 2011. Now, he hopes to become his country’s representative in Eurovision, the Europe-wide singing competition.
Song Premiere: Jungle, ‘Busy Earnin”
Hear the new single by the hotly tipped London collective, from its upcoming full-length debut.
Computer Love: Beats Music Wants To Be Your Everything
Ann Powers says that for the music lover searching for an immersive streaming service, newcomer Beats Music comes close to offering the complete package.
We Love Him For More Than Twizzles: Charlie White Plays Violin, Too
What does the champion ice dancer do after winning gold in Sochi? Play Vivaldi on the violin, of course.
New Mix: Sisyphus, Avey Tare, Nothing, More
This week’s mix from All Songs Considered includes a genre-bending project from Sufjan Stevens, Son Lux and Serengeti they’re calling Sisyphus. Plus psychedelic solo music from Animal Collective’s Avey Tare, one-of-a-kind folk from Diane Cluck and more.
Skrillex, King Of The Dance Club Hit-And-Run
The super-sized leading light of the new dance mainstream thrives at throwing the kind of one-off party that even a well-dressed, friendly audience in a regular-sized club can enjoy.
Cate Le Bon: Tiny Desk Concert
The Welsh singer’s set conveys loneliness and doubt with just two guitars and an inviting whisper. These three songs from Mug Museum work well stripped-down — not that there was much excess in the original versions to begin with.
Classical Music Piece Enhances Roald Dahl’s ‘Dirty Beasts’
On Sunday, the London Philharmonic debuted a new piece of music based on Roald Dahl’s Dirty Beasts. With Matilda playing to sold-out crowds on Broadway and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory running in London’s West End, this is just the latest work by the author to get a musical soundtrack.
First Listen: St. Vincent, ‘St. Vincent’
Every defiant growl, jaded vocal fry and distorted guitar lick on Annie Clark’s fourth album flirts with the avant garde, yet uses an accessible, if inventive, musical vocabulary to do so.
First Listen: The Notwist, ‘Close To The Glass’
The German band’s collage-based sound brims over with buzzing, springy, playful urgency. Bathed in electronics, Markus Acher’s softly accented vocals land like late-night affirmations from a trusted friend.
First Listen: Beck, ‘Morning Phase’
Beck’s latest creation is more than a mere sequel to 2002’s brooding masterpiece, Sea Change. It provides a glimpse of new frontiers in letting go and moving on, told by someone who wasn’t thinking quite this way before.
First Listen: Death Vessel, ‘Island Intervals’
Joel Thibodeau’s eerily high voice sounds equally suited to basement-bound laments and celestial explorations. Island Intervals finds him splitting the difference and exploring the tension between those extremes.
Experiencing a Meditative Ecstasy With Dustin Wong
Since wrapping up his time as guitarist in Baltimore’s Ponytail, Dustin Wong has certainly kept busy. Last year, Wong released…
Pop Music Lags In Dealing With Interracial Love Anxieties
Interracial romances have been featured in American popular music for more than a century. But pop singers no longer croon about miscegenation even as the number of interracial and inter-ethnic marriages has sharply risen.