music

If you're at all like me, you've probably had "I Need A Dollar" stuck in your head on more than one occasion.  It's a superb bit of neo soul with an absolute earworm of a chorus, but herein lies the rub; can you name the singer?  Aloe Blacc has been quietly releasing quality music for a few years now, from his own solo work to a recent uncredited turn as lead vocalist on Avici's smash hit "Wake Me Up", but for some reason the talented singer has remained mostly unknown.

Did you hear this story on Snap Judgment last weekend? After September 11, 2001 - Ariana Delawari and her father decided to move back "home" to Afghanistan. While her father fights for peace through business, Ariana uses the only weapon she knows how to use: music. Such a powerful story. Settle in, listen, enjoy.

Each year, the gang at NPR Music hand-picks 100 of the best musical discoveries from more than 2,000 bands/musicians featured at SXSW (yep - 2,000+ BANDS!). Swing by NPR Music to download all six hours of music or select individual songs (you can also stream as a continuous mix). SXSW kicks off this Friday, March 7.

I was browsing the vinyl stacks at Raunch Records in the late eighties and picked up a SLUG 'zine' on my way out. 25 years later, I still grab the latest edition of SLUG as I leave my neighborhood coffee shop. Congratulations to Angela Brown and the dedicated group of SLUG contributors on 25 years of music, reviews, interviews and all-around hooliganism.

Adam Tye’s love affair with music began 14 years ago, when he set foot inside Salt Lake City’s all-ages music venue, Kilby Court. “A friend took me to [see] Form of Rocket and that blew my mind,” says Adam.  “That was the first local band I found that became a must-see every time they played.”

A heart-clutching, hand-clapping, foot-stomping good time: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis tear it up during this 2012 live session for NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concert series.

Buzz abounds over Beck's new album, Morning Phase. The album will be released next week, but NPR Music has posted tracks from the entire album. Check it out. A few of my favorites: "Wave," "Don't Let it Go" and "Country Down." Not as upbeat as some of his other albums, but gorgeous nonetheless.

You might remember him as Ryan the intern from NBC's The Office, or maybe you heard his short story featured on This American Life. Check out B.J. Novak's incarnation as DJ on KCRW's Guest DJ Project, as he spins a mix of comedy-infused songs.

Today in 1878, Thomas Edison got the go-ahead to patent the phonograph machine, also known as the turntable or record player. 136 years later, our heads are still spinning. Cheers to all things vinyl!

The guitarist for Devo, Bob Casale, passed away yesterday. To the Best of our Knowledge remembers him by looking back at their 2010 interview with his brother and bandmate, Gerald Casale.

Ever try to use music by The Rolling Stones to look cool in front of a classroom of sixth graders? I heard this piece featuring comedian Tig Notaro on This American Life over the weekend and I'm still cracking up...

We're not even two full months into 2014, but the state of jazz for the coming year is looking promising.  Following new offerings from mainstays like Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau, NPR's A Blog Supreme has compiled five tracks from exciting new jazz releases, including the likes of James Brandon Lewis and Zara McFarlane.

The Mayor of Jazz City celebrated his birthday this week. Kick up your heels, pour something bubbly and toast the man who brings you jazz music every night on 90.1. We love you, Steve!

With Valentine's Day coming up tomorrow, it's time for a special installment of NPR's Heavy Rotation series, complete with 10 tracks—all available to download for free—that should do well to set the mood for your day of romance.  Contents include the newest collaboration from LA electronic experimentalist Shlohmo and sensual R&B star Jeremih, alongside the like of The Juan Maclean and Jhené Aiko.  You can grab the whole playlist right here.  

Greetings! My name is Robert Nelson. As an introduction to KUER Music, I can imagine I was asked to participate because of my legacy of 25+ years of radio programming on Salt Lake City’s local community station KRCL 90.9FM - Your Station that Rules the Nation. (KUER’s head-man John Greene “hired” me when he managed KRCL).

Neil Young has long been a staple in my own musical collection, and it would be appropriate to name Young as one of the first artists that really launched me into my passion for music. I was introduced to Neil Young at a young age, and I quickly took note of the intimacy and productivity of Young as an artist.

82-year-old jazz guitar legend Kenny Burrell is a rare musician for his generation, acquiring his bachelor's degree in music theory and composition. "When I was at Wayne State University in the '50s, it was a problem studying jazz, even talking about it in some cases," he says. "So I decided if I had a chance, I would teach jazz." Sean J. O'Connell of NPR Jazz talks with Burrell about his career in music and academia.

Detroit rapper Danny Brown is nigh impossible to summarize; whether it be his penchant for rapping about club drugs, his (rather unexpected) appearance in Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" video, or Brown's surprising ability to wring real and disturbing pathos from tales of street life, the gap-toothed MC has always shown a knack for shape-shifting.

Alt.Latino explores the Mexican music style known as Son Jarocho, heavily influenced by the African slave trade to the port city of Veracruz. Musician Fredi Vega describes his grandfather's guitar style, "His guitar strums, they sound like his machete whacks."