Music & Culture

Music & Culture

Why Is 'Billboard' Asking Industry Execs If They Believe Kesha?

10:27pm August 23, 2015

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

After an anonymous questionnaire circulated to "top music-industry executives" leaked online, questions arise about the industry publication's ethics and objectives.

Music & Culture

Hard To Categorize: Joseph C. Phillips' Album 'Changing Same' Is Out Tuesday

10:14am August 23, 2015

Joseph C. Phillips Jr. creates music that sounds classical, funky and sometimes cinematic. He deconstructs his compositions for NPR's Rachel Martin.

Queue Listen Now

10 Years After Katrina, New Orleans' Brass Bands March On

3:20pm August 21, 2015

by Eve Troeh

One of New Orleans' signature traditions is the second line — the weekly brass band parades. But after Hurricane Katrina, a lot of people worried the tradition would become history.

Queue Listen Now

Sparing no flair, Shaun Fleming performs with Foxygen. He's also known as the frontman for the band Diane Coffee.

Drum Fill Friday, With Shaun Fleming Of Foxygen And Diane Coffee

11:53am August 21, 2015

Our special guest picks the fills. You match them to the right song. Simple as that.

'8 CDs For A Penny' Company Files For Bankruptcy

6:13pm August 20, 2015

by Laura Wagner

The parent company of Columbia House, the music-subscription king of the '80s and '90s, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Two NPR music editors remember the good and the bad.

Dayme Arcocena, the Havana Cultural Sessions

A Witness To History: Guest DJ Arturo O'Farrill

1:43pm August 20, 2015

by Felix Contreras

Alt.Latino talks to a bandleader with deep roots in Cuban music and a role in current events. O'Farrill just released a new album called Cuba: The Conversation Continues.

Queue Listen Now

Kendrick Lamar performs onstage in June. His most recent album, To Pimp A Butterfly, runs nearly 80 minutes over 16 songs.

Music & Culture

A Rational Conversation: Does Anybody Even Have Time For An 80-Minute Album?

4:07pm August 19, 2015

by Eric Ducker

In a musical environment that prizes economy and the listener's ability to shuffle, skip and create playlists, is there still a place for ambitious, sprawling albums meant to be consumed all at once?

The rapper V-Sita (at right) had a No. 1 hit in Kenya with the song "Hivo Ndio Kunaendaga."

Stop The Foreign Music! African Pop Stars Ask For Government Help

1:31pm August 19, 2015

by Gregory Warner

Musicians in Kenya want a law forcing radio stations to play 70 percent local music. Nigeria and South Africa have similar rules. But this kind of protectionism could backfire.

Queue Listen Now

Members of the Syrian band Khebez Dawle include (from left to right) Hekmat Qassar on guitar and keyboards, lead guitarist Bashar Darwish, bassist Muhammad Bazz and lead singer Anas Maghrebi. Half the band members are now in Turkey, and are strongly consi

Syrian Rockers, Fleeing War, Find Safety And New Fans In Beirut

1:05pm August 19, 2015

by Alice Fordham

Members of a Syrian indie rock band escaped their country's bloodshed and have become a mainstay of Beirut's music scene. "In spite of all the deaths," the band sings, "you are still alive."

Queue Listen Now

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder perform during "Bluegrass Underground" at the Cumberland Caverns in 2010.

Music & Culture

Cumberland Caverns: A Subterranean Concert Venue In Tennessee

5:24pm August 18, 2015

by Blake Farmer

Ever wanted to see Jason Isbell, Shovels & Rope or Billy Joe Shaver 333 feet underground? You'll have to take a hike.

Queue Listen Now