There was a time when the New Respects didn’t appreciate anyone pointing out their pop leanings. “We had a friend who was like, ‘Y’all are pop kids,’” lead singer Jasmine...
It’s only fairly recently that disco has gotten its due as a musically and culturally significant pop art form. For decades, it was treated like a ‘70s novelty that paled...
Sometimes it’s the small gestures in music that convey the greatest insight. There’s ample proof in the singing and songwriting of Erin Rae, a Tennessee native who started life in...
The band Brassville has made a name for itself playing all across Music City, from an initial street corner performance during the 2019 NFL Draft to dates at The Basement...
The reverb-rich drums and twinkling keys throughout I Don’t Live Here Anymore, the fifth studio record from Philadelphia rock group The War on Drugs, surely recall soft rock sounds of...
Plenty of rappers who’ve been in the game for a while understand that establishing their place in an ever-expanding lineage requires not only referencing and paying homage to the sounds...
This is the relaunch of our Community Beats series, where we bring you stories about fascinating people, pivotal perspectives and important work being done in and around music right where...
An un-ironic call for more “peace and love” might seem out of step in 2021 were it not coming from the mouth of Jim James, lead singer and principal songwriter...
Tonight, Merge Records artist Torres — whose newest LP Thirstier was our #RecordoftheWeek (and the subject of a simultaneous NPR Music feature) not too long ago — graces one of...
“I don’t like to talk down to children,” Tom T. Hall told me over a decade ago. He didn’t condescend to me either, even though I was a young, somewhat...
