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Raina Douris

The Lone Bellow Brings Light Into A World That Can Seem Pretty Dark Sometimes

The Lone Bellow's album, Half Moon Light, is out next Friday. Hear live performances of a few new songs in this session. Shervin Lainez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Shervin Lainez/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

The Lone Bellow Brings Light Into A World That Can Seem Pretty Dark Sometimes

XPN

The band's new record, Half Moon Light, features sing-along choruses, hand-clapping rhythms and melodies that somehow sound familiar even on a first listen.

The Lone Bellow On World Cafe

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Leif Vollebekk Sees His Song 'Hot Tears' As Yellow

Leif Vollebekk performing live for World Cafe Jamie Stow/WXPN hide caption

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Jamie Stow/WXPN

World Cafe

Leif Vollebekk Sees His Song 'Hot Tears' As Yellow

XPN

The Canadian songwriter explains what it's like being a musician with synesthesia, meaning he can see sounds.

Leif Vollebekk On World Cafe

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Tyler Childers Is Passionate About The Country Music Tradition

Tyler Childers outside the World Cafe Performance Studio Galea McGregor/WXPN hide caption

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Galea McGregor/WXPN

World Cafe

Tyler Childers Is Passionate About The Country Music Tradition

XPN

Though his music is sometimes called Americana, Tyler Childers rejects that label. "I don't know what it's called, but I've been calling it country," he says in this session.

Tyler Childers On World Cafe

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Honed On The Road, Samantha Fish's Music Is Bold And Expressive

Samantha Fish performing live for World Cafe Jamie Stow/WXPN hide caption

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Jamie Stow/WXPN

World Cafe

Honed On The Road, Samantha Fish's Music Is Bold And Expressive

XPN

Nothing about the music Samantha Fish makes suggests that she's ever been shy. Hear a live performance in this session.

Samantha Fish On World Cafe

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Hear Marcus King Perform Acoustic Versions Of Tracks From 'El Dorado'

Marcus King performs solo in front of an intimate audience at The Lounge at World Cafe Jamie Stow/WXPN hide caption

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Jamie Stow/WXPN

World Cafe

Hear Marcus King Perform Acoustic Versions Of Tracks From 'El Dorado'

XPN

Hear Marcus King perform songs from his new solo album and share his first memories of playing guitar from The Lounge at World Cafe Live.

Marcus King On World Cafe

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Hiss Golden Messenger Is Looking For Truth On 'Terms Of Surrender'

Hiss Golden Messenger Graham Tolbert/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Graham Tolbert/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Hiss Golden Messenger Is Looking For Truth On 'Terms Of Surrender'

XPN

M.C. Taylor's new album is so full of truth he originally wasn't sure if he should release it at all. Fortunately for us, he did.

Hiss Golden Messenger On World Cafe

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The Growlers: Your Best-Kept Secret Favorite Band

The Growlers Taylor Bonin/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Taylor Bonin/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

The Growlers: Your Best-Kept Secret Favorite Band

XPN

The California band's music blends lo-fi surf-rock, garage rock, Americana and psychedelic into something so unique it needed to come up with its own genre.

The Growlers On World Cafe

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The New Pornographers Craft Hooks With Heart

The New Pornographers performing live at WXPN's Free At Noon Concert - recorded live for the World Cafe. Jamie Stow/WXPN hide caption

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Jamie Stow/WXPN

World Cafe

The New Pornographers Craft Hooks With Heart

XPN

With In the Morse Code of Brake Lights, the Canadian band delivers big, bright songs with thoughtful lyrics.

The New Pornographers On World Cafe

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Michaela Anne's Voice Shines Like A Beacon, Bringing You Back Home

Michaela Anne performing at WXPN's Free At Noon Concert, recorded live for World Cafe. Jamie Stow/WXPN hide caption

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Jamie Stow/WXPN

World Cafe

Michaela Anne's Voice Shines Like A Beacon, Bringing You Back Home

XPN

Desert Dove is a country album, but kind of like her life, it doesn't stay settled in just one place. There are cinematic strings, and nods to indie rock and honky-tonk.

Michaela Anne On World Cafe

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Supergroup Puss N Boots Brings Cozy Tunes To The Holidays

Puss N Boots Shervin Lainez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Shervin Lainez/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Supergroup Puss N Boots Brings Cozy Tunes To The Holidays

XPN

Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper recently released a Christmas EP called Dear Santa. They performed some of the songs in a live mini concert for World Cafe.

Puss N Boots on World Cafe

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How Clairo Turned A Viral Bedroom Video Into A Successful Music Career

Clairo outside the World Cafe Performance studio at WXPN in Philadelphia. Galea McGregor/WXPN hide caption

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Galea McGregor/WXPN

World Cafe

How Clairo Turned A Viral Bedroom Video Into A Successful Music Career

XPN

The 21-year-old artist's song, "Pretty Girl," reached a million views on YouTube within a week. "It's very hard for me to wrap my own head around, and I understand what the internet is," Clairo says.

How Clairo Turned A Viral Bedroom Video Into A Successful Music Career

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Michael Kiwanuka On Embracing His Name And How 'Big Little Lies' Changed His Life

Michael Kiwanuka went to music school, but he thinks technical knowledge is less important than passion and free expression. Olivia Rose/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Olivia Rose/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Michael Kiwanuka On Embracing His Name And How 'Big Little Lies' Changed His Life

XPN

As the son of Ugandan parents, he struggled with feeling like an outsider. But he's back with his third album, simply titled Kiwanuka.

Michael Kiwanuka On World Cafe

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From Studios To Stadiums: Jeff Lynne And The Story Of ELO

Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" is one of Jeff Lynne's favorite songs to have co-written. Joseph Cultice/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Joseph Cultice/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

From Studios To Stadiums: Jeff Lynne And The Story Of ELO

XPN

The multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer talks about returning to the stage with ELO, his new album From Out of Nowhere and shares his advice for young producers.

Jeff Lynne On World Cafe

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The Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde Goes For Jazz Karaoke On 'Valve Bone Woe' Covers

"They were very musical and they made great songs and had great harmonies," Chrissie Hynde says of The Beach Boys. "I only didn't appreciate them then because I was tripping my brains out and listening to Jimi Hendrix." Jill Furmanovsky/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Jill Furmanovsky/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

The Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde Goes For Jazz Karaoke On 'Valve Bone Woe' Covers

XPN

The Pretenders' frontwoman reunites with Marius de Vries 20 years after Eye of the Beholder for her latest album, a series of jazzy reinterpretations of rock songs.

Chrissie Hynde On World Cafe

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