Music & Culture

Chris Lilley performs a dance as Mr. G, in a video that was set to the Drake hit "Hotline Bling."

Watch: 'Hotline Bling' Reaches A New (Odd) Apex In Video Mashup

3:49pm October 27, 2015

by Bill Chappell

In the past week, a video for Drake's song "Hotline Bling" has inspired both memes and jokes. A new entry has its roots in a fictional Australian high school with a gung-ho drama teacher.

Music & Culture

The Suffers: Tiny Desk Concert

2:03pm October 27, 2015

by Bob Boilen

Led by the irrepressible Kam Franklin, the 10-piece Houston soul band can barely fit all its horns, guitars, percussion and energy behind a single desk.

Music & Culture

Remembering San Antonio's Horn-Infused Doo-Wop Scene

1:35pm October 27, 2015

by Ed Ward

From the early '60s until the mid '70s, a multi-cultural music scene thrived on the west side of San Antonio, Texas. Ed Ward looks at two releases on Numero that open a small window on this music.

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Jamie Lidell (left) is featured on a new single from A-Trak.

Music & Culture

Songs We Love: A-Trak Feat. Jamie Lidell, 'We All Fall Down (Jamie's Version)'

1:11pm October 27, 2015

by Kiana Fitzgerald

The great British soul singer and production wiz refashions his vocal from the EDM house hit into a weighty throwback.

For some listeners in his native Ireland, Conor O'Brien's new album as Villagers has become a soundtrack for the country's referendum on marriage equality.

Music & Culture

The Rise Of Songwriter Conor O'Brien, An Accidental Advocate

1:11pm October 27, 2015

by Mark Daley

O'Brien's latest album as Villagers, Darling Arithmetic, came just as his native Ireland was preparing to make a historic vote on marriage equality.

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Clockwise from upper left: Weezer, J. Viewz, Savages, Marlon Williams

Music & Culture

New Mix: Weezer, Mike Milosh And J. Viewz, Savages, More

12:13pm October 27, 2015

Hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton share anthemic rock, country punk and sunny psych pop from King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard. Plus a chat with Rhye's Mike Milosh on his collaboration with j. Viewz.

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Recording artist Drake speaks about Apple Music during the Apple WWDC on June 8, 2015 in San Francisco, California.

Music & Culture

Drake's 'Hotline Bling' Aims At No. 1, And Misses. Why?

11:27am October 27, 2015

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

Drake's disappointment might serve as a cautionary tale to artists: Pick your streaming platform wisely.

Natasha Kmeto in the video for "I Thought You Had A Boyfriend."

Music & Culture

Natasha Kmeto, 'I Thought You Had A Boyfriend'

11:04am October 27, 2015

by Lars Gotrich

Kmeto's synth-washed track is a romance steeped in mixed signals, but it's hot, too. The black-and-white video's body-positive array of dancers and models only steams up the affair.

A scene from the new video for The Album Leaf song "New Soul"

Music & Culture

First Watch: The Album Leaf, 'New Soul'

10:47am October 27, 2015

by Robin Hilton

The video, for the song "New Soul," is grand and cosmic, but also strangely intimate, with a seemingly simple narrative about a primitive family and how they manage to survive in a hostile world.

This week's episode of Metropolis includes "Automatic" by ZHU and AlunaGeorge.

Music & Culture

Metropolis: 10/24/2015

12:17pm October 26, 2015

KCRW's Jason Bentley spins music by Kelela, ZHU & AlunaGeorge, Tokimonsta and more in a two-hour EDM mix.