Otis Hart : NPR

Otis Hart

Stories By

Otis Hart

Deputy Director, NPR Music

Story Archive

Subscribe to Breaking News Alerts

Wednesday August 9, 2023

Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images

Robbie Robertson, guitarist for The Band and Bob Dylan, has died at 80

August 9, 2023 • The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer helped write the blueprint for Americana music, with songwriting credits including "The Weight" and "Up on Cripple Creek."

Wednesday December 21, 2022

Molly Nilsson. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of the artist

The Best Music Of 2022: NPR Staff Picks

NPR Music 2022 Staff Picks: Otis Hart

December 21, 2022 • The NPR Music deputy director shares his favorite albums and songs of 2022.

Tuesday February 15, 2022

Rich Gilligan

Ye Vagabonds, 'Blue is the Eye'

February 15, 2022 • The Irish folk duo unveils its new album with a stirring lullaby.

Tuesday February 1, 2022

Courtesy of the artist

DJ Python, 'Angel'

February 1, 2022 • Drown out the news cycle with an epic slice of bath-bomb techno.

Tuesday January 18, 2022

Molly Nilsson. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of the artist

Molly Nilsson, 'Pompeii'

January 18, 2022 • The Berlin-based goth-pop artist plumbs the tale of that ever-entwined couple buried in ash in Pompeii as a way into the concept of perpetual love.

Friday January 14, 2022

YouTube/Courtesy of the artist

Amaarae (feat. Kali Uchis, Moliy), 'SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY (Vigro Deep Amapiano Remix)'

January 14, 2022 • This latest remix of the 2020 track might be the Trojan Horse we need to introduce amapiano, a spacious form of deep house music, to America.

Thursday December 23, 2021

Adam Jalloh/Warner Records

Ghetts, 'No Mercy' (feat. Pa Salieu and BackRoad Gee)

December 23, 2021 • Listen to one of the many highlights from Ghetts' Conflict of Interest.

Tuesday December 21, 2021

Courtesy of the artist

Liz Phair, 'Soberish'

December 21, 2021 • Almost 30 years after her breakthrough, Liz Phair is still writing songs worthy of a greatest hits album.

Thursday December 16, 2021

The Blessed Madonna and Fred again.. Atlantic Records hide caption

toggle caption

Atlantic Records

The Best Music Of 2021: NPR Staff Picks

NPR Music 2021 Staff Picks: Otis Hart

December 16, 2021 • The NPR Music senior manager shares his favorite albums and songs of 2021.

Saturday December 11, 2021

Fatima Al Qadiri, Danny Harle, and UNIIQU3 all land on NPR Music's best electronic music of 2021 list. Photo Illustration by Renee Klahr/NPR; Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Photo Illustration by Renee Klahr/NPR; Getty Images

The Best Electronic Music of 2021

December 11, 2021 • From Jersey club to the U.K. underground, 2021's best electronic music looks like a complex melting pot of genre and history.

Monday October 4, 2021

The Best Music of September: NPR Staff Picks

Clockwise, from top left: Little Simz, MUNA, Sun-El Musician, Jon Hopkins, Mon Laferte, Ada Lea. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of the artists

The Best Music of September: NPR Staff Picks

October 4, 2021 • Every month, we ask the NPR Music staff: What's the one song you couldn't escape? What's the one album to which you'll return all year?

The Best Music of September: NPR Staff Picks

Listen · 41:47 41:47

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1041925621/1199262985" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Tuesday July 20, 2021

Courtesy of the artist

Sun-El Musician, 'Portia's Chant'

July 20, 2021 • Listen to the South African producer's latest bliss transmission.

Friday July 16, 2021

Courtesy of the artist

Juice Menace, 'FUPTHECLUB'

July 16, 2021 • Wales, the rural coastal country just west of England, isn't where you'd expect to find one of the year's better bangers, but Juice Menace is here to blow up your Welsh stereotypes.

Friday July 9, 2021

Eloise Parry

Koreless, 'Black Rainbow'

July 9, 2021 • The drama of Koreless' "Black Rainbow" comes at you from all sides: undulating synths, urgent clatter and hi-res pizzicato loops that pop out of your speakers.

Wednesday July 7, 2021

Poly Kicks

Overmono, 'So U Kno'

July 7, 2021 • The high-low breakbeats and ambient bassquakes on Overmono's "So U Kno" sound right out of the classic Burial playbook, but our underground overlord rarely has this much fun these days.

Friday June 25, 2021

Forever Living Originals

SAULT, '9'

June 25, 2021 • The title track to the mysterious collective's fifth LP is an aspirational bop about overcoming social injustice.

Monday March 15, 2021

Beyoncé Reigns And Billie Eilish Repeats At 2021 Grammy Awards

Beyoncé (left) and Megan Thee Stallion, who each won three awards at the 2021 Grammy Awards, accept trophy for best rap performance on March 14, 2021 in Los Angeles, Calif. Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy hide caption

toggle caption

Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Music News

Beyoncé Reigns And Billie Eilish Repeats At 2021 Grammy Awards

March 15, 2021 • In a Grammy ceremony filled that mixed surprisingly intimate moments with familiar staged bombast, Megan Thee Stallion won best new artist and Beyoncé became the most awarded performer of all time.

Beyoncé Reigns And Billie Eilish Repeats At 2021 Grammy Awards

Listen · 3:48 3:48

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/977289869/977394399" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Tuesday March 2, 2021

The Best Music Of February: NPR Staff Picks

Clockwise from upper left: Black Country, New Road; VanJess; Will Liverman; Maxine Funke; Aaron Lee Tasjan; Wild Pink. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of the artists

All Songs Considered

The Best Music Of February: NPR Staff Picks

March 2, 2021 • In February, new albums by Aaron Lee Tasjan, Wild Pink and Black Country, New Road had us yearning for live music; VanJess sang matters of the heart; and Will Liverman devoted an entire album to Black composers.

The Best Music Of February: NPR Staff Picks

Listen · 33:27 33:27

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/972514060/972672459" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Saturday January 30, 2021

SOPHIE, Electronic Music's Transgressive Pop Star, Dead At 34

SOPHIE, seen here performing in London in March 2018, died Saturday morning after an accident. Burak Cingi/Redferns hide caption

toggle caption

Burak Cingi/Redferns

Obituaries

SOPHIE, Electronic Music's Transgressive Pop Star, Dead At 34

January 30, 2021 • The visionary producer and singer whose music melded house, techno, trance, pop and the avant-garde died after an accident in Athens.

Tuesday October 13, 2020

New Mix: Luluc, The Antlers, Squirrel Flower, More

Clockwise from top row: Mdou Moctar, Danielle Durack, Luluc, The Antlers Courtesy of the artists hide caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of the artists

All Songs Considered

New Mix: Luluc, The Antlers, Squirrel Flower, More

October 13, 2020 • All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen and NPR Music's Otis Hart share their favorite songs of the week, including the return of The Antlers, the folk duo Luluc, Tuareg rock artist Mdou Moctar and more.

New Mix: Luluc, The Antlers, Squirrel Flower, More

Listen · 37:40 37:40

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/923060978/923215795" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Sunday August 23, 2020

Justin Townes Earle, 2nd-Generation Americana Star, Dies At 38

Justin Townes Earle, seen here performing at the 8th annual Americana Honors and Awards in 2009, has died. Rick Diamond/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Obituaries

Justin Townes Earle, 2nd-Generation Americana Star, Dies At 38

August 23, 2020 • The son of singer Steve Earle, Justin Townes Earle recorded eight albums, including 2019's The Saint of Lost Causes. His death was announced on his Facebook page Sunday night.

Wednesday August 7, 2019

David Berman, seen here in a 2006 photo, died Wednesday at the age of 52. Shawn Ehlers/WireImage hide caption

toggle caption

Shawn Ehlers/WireImage

Music News

Silver Jews' David Berman Dies At 52

August 7, 2019 • The master lyricist and poet leaves behind a catalog of oblique indie rock that inspired a cult following.

Silver Jews' David Berman Dies At 52

Listen · 3:26 3:26

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/749245911/749501052" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript