Music & Culture

Bob Dylan in the studio in the summer of 1965, while recording Highway 61 Revisited, which was mostly produced by Bob Johnston.

Music & Culture

'Is It Rolling, Bob?': Remembering Producer Bob Johnston

5:20pm August 18, 2015

by Joe Henry

Producing albums for Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen and most crucially, Bob Dylan, Johnston helped give shape, heft and durability to some of the most transformative music of the past five decades.

Music & Culture

'The Thompson Fields' Mixes Prairie Dreaming With A Big-Band Beat

2:33pm August 18, 2015

by Kevin Whitehead

Composer Maria Schneider draws on her rural Minnesota roots in her new album. Critic Kevin Whitehead says that while Schneider can do grandeur, "once in awhile, the majesty gets a little too purple."

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The five young stars of Straight Outta Compton. Left to right: Aldis Hodge (MC Ren), Neil Brown, Jr. (DJ Yella), Jason Mitchell (Eazy-E), O'Shea Jackson, Jr. (Ice Cube), Corey Hawkins (Dr. Dre).

Music & Culture

Biopic 'Straight Outta Compton' Tells The Epic Story Of Hip-Hop And N.W.A

1:59pm August 18, 2015

by Mandalit del Barco

The original members of N.W.A produced the film, which opens nationwide Friday. Like the group's story, the making of Straight Outta Compton — which took 11 years — is filled with drama.

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Swedish musician Anna von Hausswolff says she was drawn to the church organ by its physicality: "When you play it, you can really feel it because you're sitting close to the pipes. It's almost as if you're becoming a part of the instrument."

Music & Culture

Anna Von Hausswolff: An Artist In Thrall To A Mega-Instrument

1:10pm August 18, 2015

by NPR Staff

"When you play it, you can really feel it because you're sitting close to the pipes. It's almost as if you're becoming a part of the instrument."

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Soprano Dawn Upshaw (second from right) and fellows from Tanglewood's summer program performed the world premiere of Michael Gandolfi's Carroll in Numberland July 25.

Music & Culture

At 75, Tanglewood's Student Program Holds Focus On New Music And People Making It

6:56pm August 15, 2015

by Jeff Lunden

The Boston Symphony's summer program for young musicians has long been commissioning works and fostering new talent.

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Isabel Leonard and Nathan Gunn star as Ada and Inman in the world premiere of Jennifer Higdon's Cold Mountain at the Santa Fe Opera.

'Cold Mountain' Takes Civil War Odyssey To The Opera Stage

2:37pm August 14, 2015

by Paul Ingles

The best-selling novel and star-studded movie gets the operatic treatment from Pulitzer-winning composer Jennifer Higdon with a world premiere in Santa Fe.

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Drake performs at Finsbury Park in London, England in June. Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill recently accused Drake of using ghostwriters, spurring the two to release diss tracks aimed at each other.

Music & Culture

Stakes Is High: Drake Ghostwriting Accusations Matter More Than You Think

2:37pm August 14, 2015

by kris ex

With the notion of authorship dispatched as silly and inconsequential, the way has been paved for even greater corporate influence over hip-hop.

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Music & Culture

Mail-Order Music Giant Columbia House Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

1:58pm August 12, 2015

by Andrew Limbong

The music and movie subscription company has been called "the Spotify of the '80s." Columbia House moved exclusively to DVDs but could not stay afloat in an industry crowded with streaming services.

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Music & Culture

A Decade After Katrina, Randy Newman's 'Louisiana 1927' Comes To Mind

9:44am August 12, 2015

After Hurricane Katrina, one Randy Newman song was played often. Renee Montagne talks to Newman about Louisiana 1927. (This piece initially aired on Sept. 9, 2005, on Morning Edition.)

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Amanda Petrusich is a contributing writer for Pitchfork. Her work has also appeared at NPR Music.

Music Journalist Chronicles The 'Wild Obsessive Hunt' For Rare 78 RPM Records

1:37pm August 11, 2015

In Do Not Sell At Any Price, Amanda Petrusich details the extreme measures collectors take in pursuit of rare 78s. "You can still find quite a few of them around at junk shops," she says.

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