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Lightspeed Champion

Saturday

Lightspeed Champion: 'Life Is Sweet,' And Sundry

Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You is former punk-rocker Dev Hynes' second album as Lightspeed Champion. David Swanson hide caption

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David Swanson

Music Interviews

Lightspeed Champion: 'Life Is Sweet,' And Sundry

The British musician Devonte Hynes says he's inspired by the diverse orchestrations of old solo pop auteurs: Todd Rundgren, Serge Gainsbourg, Marvin Gaye and so forth. He speaks on his new album as Lightspeed Champion, filled with plenty of his own textures.

Lightspeed Champion: 'Life Is Sweet,' And Sundry

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Friday

Video Sessions

SXSW Video: Lightspeed Champion

It was a spectacularly beautiful day in Austin, TX when Lightspeed Champion's Dev Hynes and violinist Mike Siddell met with All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen for this exclusive outdoor performance. Hynes and Siddell offered up an intimate little set as they ran through four songs, opening with "Tell Me What It's Worth," followed by "Everyone I Know is Listening to Crunk," "Galaxy of the Lost" and an inspired cover of Olivia Newton John's "Xanadu."

Tuesday

World Cafe

Lightspeed Champion: Punk Troubadour

XPN

Under the moniker Lightspeed Champion, Devonte Hynes assumes the role of troubadour. It's a fitting change from the thrashy dance-punk of his past, effectively marrying lush Britpop with countrified rock. Lightspeed Champion's promising debut full-length, Falling Off the Lavender Bridge, just came out.

Lightspeed Champion: Punk Troubadour

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Wednesday

Review

Song Of The Day

Lightspeed Champion: 10 Minutes of Reinvention

In "Midnight Surprise," Lightspeed Champion guides listeners through a three-part composition, flush with a galaxy of delicate string arrangements and lyrical vulnerability — no easy feat for a bandleader whose last project was notorious for its hip-hop and thrash (in)sensibilities.

'Midnight Surprise' by Lightspeed Champion

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Thursday

All Songs Considered

SXSW Review

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen, NPR's Song of the Day curator Stephen Thompson and Carrie Brownstein, Monitor Mix blogger and former guitarist for Sleater-Kinney, review their week at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, TX. They discovered and saw a lot of great bands including My Morning Jacket and a dozen other acts webcast Live by NPR Music. On this edition of All Songs Considered they share their most memorable moments.

SXSW Review

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Friday

Concerts

Lightspeed Champion in Concert

XPN

British singer-songwriter Devonte Hynes led the abrasive band Test Icicles a few years back, but it didn't take him long to adopt a new sound and persona in an inventive indie-folk outfit called Lightspeed Champion. Hear the group perform a concert from WXPN and World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.

Lightspeed Champion in Concert

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Thursday

All Songs Considered

Music from Belize, Folk Artist Patty Larkin, Lightspeed Champion, More

This week features music from the late Central American artist Andy Palacio, a preview of new music from Patty Larkin, folk-driven rock from Lightspeed Champion, and more.

Music from Belize, Folk Artist Patty Larkin, Lightspeed Champion, More

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