Mary Timony Brings ‘Understated Swagger’ To Ex Hex
Ex Hex is an all-female band led by ex-Wild Flag guitarist and rock veteran Mary Timony. The group released a strong record this year that slipped under a lot of people’s radar.
Category: Sounds
Latin Music We Loved In 2014: Texas Heat and Miami Soul
Our friends from NPR’s Alt.Latino stop by to tell us their favorite artists of the year.
Haerts On World Cafe
Eccentric spelling is just one element that makes the Brooklyn electro-pop band stand out.
An Alt.Latino Christmas, With Cantigas In Concert
Celebrate the season with songs from across the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking world.
Bandwidth’s Favorite D.C. Songs Of 2014
For a growing share of D.C.’s population, life is comfortable — it’s healthy, convenient, increasingly safe and even luxurious. But luxury rarely produces great…
The Best Unheralded R&B Of 2014
If we’re being honest, there was no consensus in R&B this year. Too many things happened, and we missed some ground-hugging gems, even a couple made by legends. These are ten of those.
Wale Returns To Go-Go With ‘Miracle On U Street’
Original fans of D.C.’s biggest rapper, Wale, know that he got his start rhyming over go-go beats crafted by production…
Parquet Courts On World Cafe
David Dye sits down with Andrew Savage and Austin Brown to discuss their prolific year.
Hailu Mergia On World Cafe
Hailu Mergia, a keyboard player and Ethiopian music star who lives in the U.S., will get you anywhere you need to go in our nation’s capital.
Diamond District Gets Out There On Its New Remix Album
Diamond District might love its dusty soul samples and classic ’90s vibes. But never accuse D.C.’s best hip-hop group of…
Worth The Wait: The Transcendent Groove Of D’Angelo’s ‘Black Messiah’
There’s usually reason to be apprehensive when an artist spends years in the workshop on a single set of songs. But nearly 15 years after Voodoo, the R&B singer still makes tricky music sound easy.
An Afro Blue Christmas
Howard University’s premier vocal jazz ensemble visits NPR to share an assortment of holiday music.
Public Radio’s 10 Breakout Artists Of 2014
Hosts from across the country share their favorite new discoveries, from Niia to Hozier.
Track Work: Sansyou And The New Lines, ‘Gowanus Canal Field Inspection’
D.C.-based trio Sansyou isn’t in the lyrics game — the band’s entire body of work has been instrumental. That’s why…
‘Voices Within The Music’: A Brief History Of Guitar Effects
Be it an effects pedal or a hole stabbed in an amp, distortion and sound manipulation have long been part of rock ‘n’ roll’s DNA.
On A New Compilation, D.C. Bands Remix Each Other For A Good Cause
D.C. rock bands have a reputation for mixing music with activism — see the new documentary Positive Force: More Than…
Track Work: Sun Machines, ‘Mono Mind’
During the three years he spent in Japan while working for the U.S. government, Greg Gendron didn’t play the drums…
Wu-Tang’s Fabulous Fabulist Returns
Ghostface Killah’s new 36 Seasons is a concept album with a big cast. It stars his Tony Starks alter ego in dense action scenes.
Peter Matthew Bauer On World Cafe
The former Walkmen bassist and keyboardist’s solo material floats with an easy swing.
Listen To Pinky KillaCorn’s Tribute To Mike Brown
Since news first emerged about the fatal shooting of Mike Brown by police officer Darren Wilson, musicians have been paying…