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Music Features

Thursday

The Story Of 'Whittier Blvd.,' A Song And Place Where Latino Youth Found Each Other

East L.A.'s Whittier Boulevard in 2018, seen from inside a classic Chevy. Mandalit del Barco/NPR hide caption

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Mandalit del Barco/NPR

American Anthem

The Story Of 'Whittier Blvd.,' A Song And Place Where Latino Youth Found Each Other

One of the first Chicano rock bands, Thee Midniters were often called East L.A.'s Beatles. Their instrumental track "Whittier Blvd." was a regional smash that pointed to a coming cultural movement.

The Story Of 'Whittier Blvd.,' A Song And Place Where Latino Youth Found Each Other

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Wednesday

Saturday

How The 'New World' Symphony Introduced American Music To Itself

U.S. Navy CPO Graham Jackson, with tears of grief, plays "Goin' Home," from Dvorak's 'New World' Symphony, as President Franklin D. Roosevelt's body is carried from Warm Springs, Ga., where he died. Ed Clark/Life Picture Collection/Getty hide caption

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Ed Clark/Life Picture Collection/Getty

American Anthem

How The 'New World' Symphony Introduced American Music To Itself

Sometimes it takes an outsider to see a culture clearly. Czech composer Antonin Dvorak's Ninth Symphony was an ode to what American music could become.

How The 'New World' Symphony Introduced American Music To Itself

Listen · 8:05
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Tuesday

Turning the Tables: Your List Of The 21st Century's Most Influential Women Musicians

Beyoncé performs onstage during Coachella on April 14, 2018. Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella hide caption

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Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella

The 200 Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+

Turning the Tables: Your List Of The 21st Century's Most Influential Women Musicians

The results are in for our reader poll of the most influential women and non-binary musicians of this century. Your picks help us consider and question what "influence" can mean in new ways.

Friday

Wednesday

Aretha Franklin Touches The Infinite In The Long-Delayed Film 'Amazing Grace'

Aretha Franklin, pictured during a television appearance in January 1972, the same month in which the project Amazing Grace was recorded. ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images hide caption

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ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images

Review

Aretha Franklin Touches The Infinite In The Long-Delayed Film 'Amazing Grace'

It's been worth the long, long wait: Amazing Grace, made in January 1972, is an extraordinary document that depicts an artist at her technical, creative and spiritual heights.

Tuesday

In 'Let's Go,' Wilco Frontman Jeff Tweedy Details His Struggles And Joys

Jeff Tweedy of Wilco performs at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at Fair Grounds Race Course on May 5, 2017, in New Orleans, La. Josh Brasted/Getty Images hide caption

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Josh Brasted/Getty Images

Review

Book Reviews

In 'Let's Go,' Wilco Frontman Jeff Tweedy Details His Struggles And Joys

The singer-songwriter tells the story of how a kid from a Midwestern, working-class family became an idol to country-punk and alternative rock fans — and the obstacles and celebrations along the way.

Friday

'Mingus: Jazz In Detroit' Catches A Giant At A Moment Full Of Possibility

Charles Mingus poses next to a poster for his six nights of performances at the Strata Concert Gallery in Detroit in 1973. A recording of one of those nights has just been released. Sue Mingus/Courtesy of BBE Music hide caption

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Sue Mingus/Courtesy of BBE Music

Review

Music

'Mingus: Jazz In Detroit' Catches A Giant At A Moment Full Of Possibility

A newly released recording of a 1973 concert opens a window into the volatile bassist's career at a moment of transition, but also a compelling and largely unknown chapter in Detroit jazz history.

Thursday

Emel Mathlouthi Is The 21st Century's Catalyst For Change

Emel Mathlouthi performs during Nobel Peace Prize concert in 2015. Ragnar Singsaas/Getty Images and Angela Hsieh/NPR hide caption

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Ragnar Singsaas/Getty Images and Angela Hsieh/NPR

The 200 Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+

Emel Mathlouthi Is The 21st Century's Catalyst For Change

Her song soundtracked the Arab Spring, but Mathlouthi isn't interested in being seen as an exotic activist whose art is secondary to a message. Her music is adventurous, bold and entirely modern.

Wednesday

Tuesday