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Music Reviews

Tuesday

Fiona Apple's 'Wheel' Of Extravagant Emotions

Known for brevity's sake as The Idler Wheel..., Fiona Apple's new album is her first in seven years. Lionel Deluy hide caption

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Lionel Deluy

Fiona Apple's 'Wheel' Of Extravagant Emotions

Fresh Air

Apple's new album, The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do, is her first in seven years. Rock critic Ken Tucker says the frequently stripped-down sound is a backdrop for her thoughts about the complications of love.

Fiona Apple's 'Wheel' Of Extravagant Emotions

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Monday

A Posthumous Masterpiece Adds To E.S.T.'s Legacy

E.S.T. was Esbjorn Svensson, Dan Berglund and Magnus Ostrom. Jim Rakete hide caption

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Jim Rakete

A Posthumous Masterpiece Adds To E.S.T.'s Legacy

The Swedish jazz trio sculpts epic soundscapes on its first posthumous album, released four years after pianist Esbjorn Svensson's death.

A Posthumous Masterpiece Adds To E.S.T.'s Legacy

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Tuesday

Ray Anderson: A Pocket-Size Suite Makes A Huge Racket

It's tricky making a little band sound big on Sweet Chicago Suite, but trombonist Ray Anderson knows his tricks. Jeanne Moutoussamy Ashe hide caption

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Jeanne Moutoussamy Ashe

Ray Anderson: A Pocket-Size Suite Makes A Huge Racket

Fresh Air

It's tricky making a little band sound this big, but trombonist Ray Anderson knows his tricks.

Ray Anderson: A Pocket-Size Suite Makes A Huge Racket

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Friday

The Dynamites: A Celebration Of Resurrection

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Song Of The Day

The Dynamites: A Celebration Of Resurrection

Soul music is rooted in gritty perseverance, so pairing up stalwarts Bettye LaVette and Charles Walker works on so many levels, it's a miracle it hasn't happened until now. "Yours and Mine" is an exhilarating affirmation of the power to prevail.

'Yours and Mine' by The Dynamites feat. Charles Walker and Bettye LaVette

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Thursday

On 'Banga,' Patti Smith Pays Homage To Friends

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On 'Banga,' Patti Smith Pays Homage To Friends

Fresh Air

Banga is Smith's 11th studio album, her first collection of original material since 2004 and the first record she's released since the publication of her memoir Just Kids. Rock critic Ken Tucker says the music on Banga is marvelously uneven and frequently transporting.

On 'Banga,' Patti Smith Pays Homage To Friends

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Trailer Trash Tracys: A Shoegazer's Dream

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Song Of The Day

Trailer Trash Tracys: A Shoegazer's Dream

"Candy Girl" sounds like a shoegazer's modern take on Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" — the song that soundtracked the makeout scene in Top Gun. Cool but still beautiful, it's touching, revealing and almost painfully intimate.

'Candy Girl' by Trailer Trash Tracys

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Wednesday

The Untold Story Of Singer Bobby Charles

Singer, songwriter and swamp-pop pioneer Bobby Charles poses for a portrait in 1972. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images hide caption

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Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

The Untold Story Of Singer Bobby Charles

Fresh Air

Charles was one of those rock 'n' roll figures whose work you're almost certainly familiar with, even if you've probably heard of him. He lived in isolation, recorded very little, didn't perform live and died in 2010. Rock historian Ed Ward looks at his memorable body of work.

The Untold Story Of Singer Bobby Charles

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Elephant Micah: Message In The Mystery

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Song Of The Day

Elephant Micah: Message In The Mystery

Ambiguous words, delivered with earnest passion, lend special power to "Airline Living." It's the sort of song that's sure to force different meanings onto different people, depending upon their place in life and state of mind.

'Airline Living' by Elephant Micah

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Tuesday

Edmar Castaneda's 'Double Portion' Of Harp

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Edmar Castaneda's 'Double Portion' Of Harp

Fresh Air

There have been a few groundbreaking harpists in jazz and improvised music, from Dorothy Ashby to Zeena Parkins. Now, Fresh Air's jazz critic says the Colombian phenomenon joins that list with Double Portion, his new album of solos and duets.

Edmar Castaneda's 'Double Portion' Of Harp

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The dB's: After A 25-Year Absence, A Vital Return

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Song Of The Day

The dB's: After A 25-Year Absence, A Vital Return

In "That Time Is Gone," guitarist, part-time lead vocalist and pop-music legend Peter Holsapple lays bare the anxiety of re-assembling an act that was never much more than a cult phenomenon.

'That Time Is Gone' by The dB's

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Monday

Sidi Touré And The Sonic Heritage Of The Sahara

Sidi Touré plays guitar and sings in the Songhaï tradition. Jonathan Crawford hide caption

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Jonathan Crawford

Sidi Touré And The Sonic Heritage Of The Sahara

When Touré plays and sings on his new album, you can feel him channeling ancient folklore through the modern filter of an acoustic guitar.

Sidi Touré And The Sonic Heritage Of The Sahara

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Waxahatchee: A Love Song, Without The Love

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Ryan Russell

Song Of The Day

Waxahatchee: A Love Song, Without The Love

In few words, "Be Good" profiles two people who love and trust each other deeply, who share their dreams and secret shames, but who would rather shotgun beers together than make out.

'Be Good' by Waxahatchee

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Friday

Squarepusher: Pushing Every Envelope

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Song Of The Day

Squarepusher: Pushing Every Envelope

"Dark Steering" flirts subtly with the sounds of modern dubstep, mixing them with atmospheric squeals and detailed drum programming. The result is an unbelievably fitting soundtrack for a life-or-death motorcycle race through neon-lit city streets.

'Dark Steering' by Squarepusher

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