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Music Features

Sunday

'It Was Magic': Unearthed Video Shows Freddie Mercury In Rare Form

Dave Clark, creator of Time, found and released the original recording of Mercury's performance of "Time Waits for No One" after decades of searching for it. Fox Photos/Getty Images hide caption

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Fox Photos/Getty Images

'It Was Magic': Unearthed Video Shows Freddie Mercury In Rare Form

Songwriter and producer Dave Clark recalls working with Freddie Mercury on the song "Time Waits for No One," and he describes how he found the recording after decades of searching.

'It Was Magic': Unearthed Video Shows Freddie Mercury In Rare Form

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Saturday

These Tiny Desk Contest Entrants Bring Mini-Symphonies To The NYC Subway

Bandits on the Run, composed of members Adrian Enscoe, Sydney Shepherd and Regina Strayhorn, submitted a stand-out video to the 2019 Tiny Desk Contest. Sophia Schrank/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Sophia Schrank/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

These Tiny Desk Contest Entrants Bring Mini-Symphonies To The NYC Subway

NPR's Sarah McCammon speaks with Adrian Enscoe, Sydney Shepherd and Regina Strayhorn, members of the band Bandits on the Run and stand-out entrants in this year's Tiny Desk Contest.

These Tiny Desk Contest Entrants Bring Mini-Symphonies To The NYC Subway

Listen · 6:16
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Thursday

Harry And The Potters Return To Find, And Help Heal, A World Full Of Dark Magic

Paul and Joe DeGeorge (left and right, respectively) of Harry and the Potters, photographed in 2005. That same year, the brothers founded the Harry Potter Alliance, which encourages young readers of the eponymous book series to become active in their communities. Dina Rudick/The Boston Globe via Getty Images hide caption

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Dina Rudick/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Harry And The Potters Return To Find, And Help Heal, A World Full Of Dark Magic

The punk-ish duo, made up of brothers Paul and Joe DeGeorge, helped pioneer the micro-genre of "wizard rock" in 2002. Now, much like You-Know-Who (but benevolent), they've returned.

Wednesday

'You Don't Own Me,' A Feminist Anthem With Civil Rights Roots, Is All About Empathy

Lesley Gore and producer Quincy Jones at work in the studio. The two collaborated on "You Don't Own Me" and a handful of other 1960s hits. Donaldson Collection/Getty Images hide caption

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Donaldson Collection/Getty Images

American Anthem

'You Don't Own Me,' A Feminist Anthem With Civil Rights Roots, Is All About Empathy

Ever since a 17-year-old Lesley Gore sang it in 1963, the coolly mutinous song has moved women to reject passive femininity. Its writers, though, say there are layers of resistance in its words.

'You Don't Own Me,' A Feminist Anthem With Civil Rights Roots, Is All About Empathy

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Saturday

Satchmo In His Adolescence: 1915 Film Clip May Show Young Louis Armstrong

March 1950: Louis Armstrong plays trumpet in his dressing room before a show in New York. AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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History

Satchmo In His Adolescence: 1915 Film Clip May Show Young Louis Armstrong

Music historian James Karst explains his recent research into the early life of the legendary Louis Armstrong.

Satchmo In His Adolescence: 1915 Film Clip May Show Young Louis Armstrong

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Friday

How Prince Worked His Magic On The Bangles' 'Manic Monday'

"We Bangles hovered around the cassette machine... and we were smitten with the song," Bangle Susanna Hoffs says of first hearing Prince's demo of "Manic Monday." Virginia Turbett/Courtesy of The Prince Estate hide caption

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Virginia Turbett/Courtesy of The Prince Estate

New Music

How Prince Worked His Magic On The Bangles' 'Manic Monday'

In the 1980s, Prince wrote one of the Bangles' biggest hits, "Manic Monday." Now, The Prince Estate has released the demo version of the track as part of the artist's posthumous album, Originals.

How Prince Worked His Magic On The Bangles' 'Manic Monday'

Listen · 7:10
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Missed For A Decade, Roots Icons Buddy And Julie Miller Return To A Shared Spotlight

Breakdown on 20th Ave. South is Buddy & Julie Miller's first album together in nearly a decade. Kate York/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Kate York/Courtesy of the artist

Missed For A Decade, Roots Icons Buddy And Julie Miller Return To A Shared Spotlight

A prolific force in Americana, beloved and emulated by Nashville royalty, the couple is back with its first album together in a decade — guided, as always, by a powerful but adaptable partnership.

Missed For A Decade, Roots Icons Buddy And Julie Miller Return To A Shared Spotlight

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Thursday

A woman walks through La Perla, a neighborhood on the edge of Old San Juan, in 2017.

A woman walks through La Perla, a neighborhood on the edge of Old San Juan, in 2017. AFP Contributor/Getty Images hide caption

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AFP Contributor/Getty Images

American Anthem

For Those Missing Puerto Rico, A Song About Dreaming Of Home

The official anthem of the capital city, "En Mi Viejo San Juan" also serves as a nostalgic lament, evoking memories of the island for the many forced to leave it behind.

For Those Missing Puerto Rico, A Song About Dreaming Of Home

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Wednesday

Tuesday