Second Stage Asbury: 'Covered in Acrylic' April 30, 2008 The music of Asbury plays like a soundtrack to a haunted circus. It jangles and rattles with dirge-like rhythms and scratchy, distant voices. The instrumentation — glockenspiel, synths, piano — is drenched in reverb, with the wispy voice of frontman David Franklin tiptoeing delicately through the haze. Asbury's debut CD, Under the Asbury is a calming, if fantastical world, with rich character studies, sometimes haunting narratives and a touch of humor. "Covered in Acrylic" Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/90077140/90081008" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Go-Betweens' Robert Forster Goes Solo April 30, 2008 The Australian band the Go-Betweens had a limited American profile, but they were huge in Europe until co-founder Grant McLennan died in 2006 of a heart attack. McLennan's old partner, Robert Forster, has a new solo album out. Go-Betweens' Robert Forster Goes Solo Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/90078083/90078052" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
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Song Of The Day Evangelicals: The Woozy Sounds of 'Midnight' April 30, 2008 As Evangelicals' singer hits the warbling chorus his brooding devolves all the way into madness. Yet the song marries those moods with moments of catharsis that wash away the angst in an instant. Midnight Vignette Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/90065116/90064346" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Le Trio Joubran: Brothers of the Oud April 29, 2008 The oud is one of the world's oldest string instruments, dating back as much as 4,000 years. But on their new album Majaz, three Palestinian siblings prove that its traditions are still evolving. Le Trio Joubran: Brothers of the Oud Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/90035747/90041668" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
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Second Stage Melomane: 'Hilarious' April 29, 2008 Listening to the music of New York pop quartet Melomane can be a life affirming experience. The band's cheery tunes on their latest CD, Glacier sound like an easy-breezy stroll through the park on a cloudless day. But to the group's credit, they don't suffer from blind idealism — there are shadows in the songs where darker thoughts lurk — which turns what might otherwise be saccharine pop songs into more thoughtful meditations on love and loss. "Hilarious" Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/90040262/90040390" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Madonna, Santogold Make Dance Records April 29, 2008 Blender magazine's Lizzie Goodman tests out the week's biggest new albums, paying special attention to releases from Portishead, Madonna, Robyn, and Santogold. Madonna, Santogold Make Dance Records Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/90025168/90025137" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
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Song Of The Day Amiina: A Dance of Sounds in Space April 28, 2008 Amiina's "Rugla" begins with a quiet clicking, which is immediately fleshed out by guitar and ringing vibraphone. For a band that embraces a kitchen-sink approach, what emerges is hardly noise. Instead, it's a series of auditory concepts that capture the mind and soothe the soul. 'Rugla' by Amiina Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/89998996/89996429" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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World Cafe Los Campesinos!: Unabashed Pop Hooks XPN April 28, 2008 Coming off like a more youthful Broken Social Scene, the Welsh band Los Campesinos! plays bratty indie-pop, with an emphasis on pop. Hold on Now, Youngster... is big on punky energy and never lets up. Death to Los Campesinos! Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/89998722/89991562" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Madonna Indulges with 'Hard Candy' April 25, 2008 Madonna's new single, "4 Minutes," is an airtight, spit-polished production loaded with current stars, designed to send the message that Madonna still matters. Music critic Tom Moon reviews the pop icon's latest album, Hard Candy. Madonna Indulges with 'Hard Candy' Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/89948317/89953745" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Madonna Indulges with 'Hard Candy' Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/89948317/89953745" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Song Of The Day Headlights: Taking Self-Improvement to Heart April 24, 2008 In "Get Your Head Around It," Headlights' Tristan Wraight mourns the connection lost between friends and lovers who've outgrown each other: "In silence, we both walk away." Under his words, the instruments fix together into a massive wall of sound. 'Get Your Head Around It' by Headlights Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/19230600/19218606" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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What's 'Go-Go'? A 'BPP' Assisted Listen April 24, 2008 Robert Reed, keyboardist for go-go pioneers Trouble Funk, died last week of pancreatic cancer. He helped pioneer a kind of music that anyone who hasn't lived in Washington D.C. might never have had the funky pleasure of encountering. What's 'Go-Go'? A 'BPP' Assisted Listen Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/89904810/89904751" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
What's 'Go-Go'? A 'BPP' Assisted Listen Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/89904810/89904751" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Was (Not Was) Is Back After 15-Year Hiatus Fresh Air April 23, 2008 Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Boo!, the new album from the band Was (Not Was). It's the band's first full-length disc since 1993. Was (Not Was) Is Back After 15-Year Hiatus Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/89875130/89877772" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Song Of The Day Kate Walsh: Swooning Devotion in 'Your Song' April 22, 2008 Walsh finds the loveliest possible melodies in "Your Song" ("I'm stuck on a boy who fills me with joy"), strolling right up to the line between innocent and cloying without winding up on the wrong side of it. Throughout the song, Walsh's vocal aches with the weight of the highest possible stakes. Your Song Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/89834846/89834595" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Your Song Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/89834846/89834595" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
New Music: Lyrics Born, Billy Bragg and More April 22, 2008 Washington Post pop music critic Josh Freedom du Lac discusses the week's album releases, including albums from rapper Lyrics Born, Billy Bragg, Elvis Costello, and Jessica Simpson's sister Ashlee. New Music: Lyrics Born, Billy Bragg and More Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/89830815/89830763" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
New Music: Lyrics Born, Billy Bragg and More Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/89830815/89830763" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
World Cafe Sera Cahoone: Soft as a Shawl XPN April 21, 2008 Like Band of Horses and Grand Archives, Sera Cahoone got her start in the surprisingly fruitful band Carissa's Wierd [sic]. Unlike her former cohorts, with their tendency toward sweeping rock, Cahoone plays country-infused music that's soft and quiet. You Might as Well Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/89812375/89804967" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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