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Hear a live mini-concert from Lido Pimienta

Lido Pimienta performing live for World Cafe John Vettese/WXPN hide caption

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John Vettese/WXPN

World Cafe

Hear a live mini-concert from Lido Pimienta

XPN

What adds to Lido's Polaris Prize and Grammy award-winning resume is her ability to command the stage as a live performer.

Lido Pimienta on World Cafe

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Mattiel performs an ode to the delightfully unique Jeff Goldblum

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Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

Mattiel performs an ode to the delightfully unique Jeff Goldblum

XPN

What happens when you write an album — Mattiel's latest, Georgia Gothic — in seclusion? Where does it lead? To Jeff Goldblum, of course! Hear a live mini-concert in this session of World Cafe.

Mattiel Mini Concert on World Cafe

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For Fontaines D.C., a move to London reaffirmed the band's Irish identity

Fontaines D.C. Paige Walter/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Paige Walter/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

For Fontaines D.C., a move to London reaffirmed the band's Irish identity

XPN

A major change for the band taken during the pandemic showed the group's willingness to make concessions to their aspirations.

Fontaines D.C. on World Cafe

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Hear a live mini-concert performed by Combo Chimbita

Combo Chimbita performs at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. Recorded live for World Cafe. John Vettese/WXPN hide caption

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John Vettese/WXPN

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

Hear a live mini-concert performed by Combo Chimbita

XPN

Their latest album, Iré, was released in January and features a rhythmic foundation rooted in Afro-Caribbean transcendence, bewildering chants, booming drums and psychedelic distortion.

Combo Chimbita on World Cafe

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Does Sharon Van Etten have an alter ego?

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Paige Walter/WXPN

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

Does Sharon Van Etten have an alter ego?

XPN

Written during the pandemic, Van Etten's latest album, We've Been Going About This All Wrong, is an intimate and moving collection of songs that are stronger because of how they all fit together.

Sharon Van Etten on World Cafe

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Live from the National Museum of African American Music: Keb' Mo'

Keb' Mo' Jeremy Cowart/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Jeremy Cowart/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Live from the National Museum of African American Music: Keb' Mo'

XPN

For 50 years, Keb's made music that's resonated deeply with people — and he's nowhere close to calling it a career. His latest album is Good to Be.

Keb' Mo' on World Cafe

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The Dip pulls from soul, R&B, pop and rock to make a sound that's all its own

The Dip perform live at NON-COMM 2022, recorded live for World Cafe Paige Walter/WXPN hide caption

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Paige Walter/WXPN

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

The Dip pulls from soul, R&B, pop and rock to make a sound that's all its own

XPN

In this session of World Cafe, The Dip talks about its journey from playing house parties to having a million Spotify listeners a month.

The Dip on World Cafe

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alt-J has always had a knack for making the unconventional sound appealing

alt-J performs live for World Cafe Galea McGregor/WXPN hide caption

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Galea McGregor/WXPN

World Cafe

alt-J has always had a knack for making the unconventional sound appealing

XPN

A well-deserved break — and building their own studio — was the spark the group needed to make 'The Dream,' their most adventurous album yet.

alt-J on World Cafe

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Live from the National Museum of African American Music: Amythyst Kiah

Amythyst Kiah Sandlin Gaither/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Sandlin Gaither/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Live from the National Museum of African American Music: Amythyst Kiah

XPN

Amythyst Kiah's debut solo album, Wary + Strange, with its unusual combination of roots influences and alternative sounds, features the Grammy-nominated song, "Black Myself."

OLD

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Hear Magdalena Bay perform a dreamy mini-concert for World Cafe

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Lissyelle Laricchia/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

Hear Magdalena Bay perform a dreamy mini-concert for World Cafe

XPN

The duo makes dreamy electro-pop that nods in the direction of Charli XCX.

Magdalena Bay on World Cafe

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'Local Valley' was José González's opportunity to explore — to take more chances

José González Olle Kirchmeier/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Olle Kirchmeier/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

'Local Valley' was José González's opportunity to explore — to take more chances

XPN

González's classical guitar sound and dreamscape vocals are still there, but there's more layers, more percussion, more synthy sounds and more forward momentum.

José González on World Cafe

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Old Crow Medicine Show on how Nashville has changed since the mid-'90s

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Kit Wood/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

Old Crow Medicine Show on how Nashville has changed since the mid-'90s

XPN

Ahead of their time in igniting interest in the String Band tradition, Old Crow Medicine Show was also ahead of the curve, landing in Nashville in the mid-'90s, well before it was declared the It City.

Old Crow Medicine Show on World Cafe

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Yard Act's latest is a 'knowingly hypocritical snapshot' of the times we live in

Yard Act James Brown/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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James Brown/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Yard Act's latest is a 'knowingly hypocritical snapshot' of the times we live in

XPN

'The Overload' released in January on Island Records and quickly made a splash, debuting at No. 2 on the UK albums chart. Hear a live performance.

Yard Act no World Cafe

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In 'Far In,' Helado Negro speaks to the longing to find solace inside ourselves

Helado Negro Nathan Bajar/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Nathan Bajar/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

In 'Far In,' Helado Negro speaks to the longing to find solace inside ourselves

XPN

Roberto Carlos Lange, who performs as Helado Negro, lived in Brooklyn until a 2-week trip to Texas to work on an art installation turned into a 6-month stay that led to Far In.

Helado Negro on World Cafe

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