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Stephen Kallao
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Stephen Kallao

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Nick Lowe Performs 'Lay It On Me Baby' From His West London Home

Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets at Shepherds Bush Empire Simon Jay Price/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Simon Jay Price/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

Nick Lowe Performs 'Lay It On Me Baby' From His West London Home

XPN

Recorded with his longtime house band, Los Straitjackets, Lowe performs acoustic versions of songs from his latest EP.

Nick Lowe On World Cafe

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Friction Is Essential To What Makes Sylvan Esso's Creative Collaboration Tick

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Sylvan Esso/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Friction Is Essential To What Makes Sylvan Esso's Creative Collaboration Tick

XPN

Sylvan Esso's Nick Sanborn and Amelia Meath share stories behind their beautiful new album, Free Love, and perform stripped-down versions of songs from the record.

Sylvan Esso On World Cafe

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Somewhere Between Bluegrass and Heavy Metal, Billy Strings Discovered His Own Sound

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Shane Timm/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Somewhere Between Bluegrass and Heavy Metal, Billy Strings Discovered His Own Sound

XPN

Billy Strings learned to play traditional bluegrass alongside his stepdad Terry Barber. Later, he thrashed in local VFW halls while in the metal scene. Then, he discovered his own sound.

Billy Strings On World Cafe

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Ann Powers Recommends 3 New Nashville Albums For Fall 2020

Hear Waylon Payne's "Shiver" in Ann Power's latest spotlight on Nashville music. James Minchin/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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James Minchin/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Ann Powers Recommends 3 New Nashville Albums For Fall 2020

XPN

World Cafe Nashville correspondent Ann Powers shares three recent releases that she's excited about.

Ann Powers' Nashville Recommendations For Fall 2020

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Thad Cockrell's Late-Night Cocktails With Brittany Howard Turned Into An Album

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Jeremy Cowart/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

Thad Cockrell's Late-Night Cocktails With Brittany Howard Turned Into An Album

XPN

The Nashville singer-songwriter and Leagues frontman shares stories of how his latest album came to be.

Thad Cockrell On World Cafe

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John Craigie Has A Knack For Spinning Stories

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Bradley Cox/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

John Craigie Has A Knack For Spinning Stories

XPN

In this session, Craigie performs songs from his new album, Asterisk the Universe, and we get to hear what makes him such a great storyteller at his shows.

John Craigie On World Cafe

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Carolina Story's Music Has The Ability To Stop Time

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Chrissy Nix/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Carolina Story's Music Has The Ability To Stop Time

XPN

The husband and wife duo's music shimmers, hangs in the air, leaving you not thinking about anything else. Hear a mini-concert in this session.

Carolina Story On World Cafe

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Will Toledo Takes Car Seat Headrest In A New Direction

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Carlos Cruz Sol/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

Will Toledo Takes Car Seat Headrest In A New Direction

XPN

On his band's latest album, Making a Door Less Open, Toledo expanded the scope of Car Seat Headrest's sound, embracing dance music wholeheartedly.

Car Seat Headrest On World Cafe

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Hannah Georgas, The Other Singer-Songwriter Who Enlisted Aaron Dessner

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Vannessa Heins/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

Hannah Georgas, The Other Singer-Songwriter Who Enlisted Aaron Dessner

XPN

The Canadian singer-songwriter's new album, All That Emotion, was released on Friday.

Hannah Georgas on World Cafe

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Mondo Cozmo Topped The Charts, And Then Lost His Cool

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World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

Mondo Cozmo Topped The Charts, And Then Lost His Cool

XPN

Josh Ostrander shares how putting his hand through a pane of glass influenced his latest album, New Medicine.

Mondo Cozmo On World Cafe

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Are You 'Chaotic Good'? Johanna Warren Explains The Concept Of Her New Album

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Shervin Lainez/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

Are You 'Chaotic Good'? Johanna Warren Explains The Concept Of Her New Album

XPN

Showcasing her beautiful vocals, Johanna Warren also makes space for louder, more aggressive elements on her latest album, Chaotic Good.

Johanna Warren On World Cafe

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Though It May Seem Like It, Michael McDonald Can't Predict The Future

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World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

Though It May Seem Like It, Michael McDonald Can't Predict The Future

XPN

The Doobie Brothers frontperson released covers of two iconic songs earlier this year that have had an unexpected resonance during the global COVID-19 pandemic and the wave of protests against police brutality.

Michael McDonald On World Cafe

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The Unconventional Influences On Hazel English's Debut Album

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Janell Shirtcliff/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

The Unconventional Influences On Hazel English's Debut Album

XPN

English's Wake UP! was not only influenced by the sounds of the '60s but by Guy Debord's The Society of the Spectacle, a critical text that examines what we do for attention.

Hazel English On World Cafe

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Dirty Projectors On Bringing Different Voices To The Forefront

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Jason Frank Rothenberg/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Dirty Projectors On Bringing Different Voices To The Forefront

XPN

The Dirty Projectors jettisoned the traditional album format this year for a series of five EPs. Each one features one of the band members as lead vocalist and they all come together on the fifth.

Dirty Projectors On World Cafe

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Kentucky Artist S.G. Goodman Talks Her Debut Album, 'Old Time Feeling'

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Meredith Truax/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Kentucky Artist S.G. Goodman Talks Her Debut Album, 'Old Time Feeling'

XPN

The Kentucky singer-songwriter's debut album is a rocking country album called Old Time Feeling, and she talks about connecting with My Morning Jacket's Jim James to help co-produce the record.

S.G. Goodman on World Cafe

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