Music Reviews : NPR

Vintage Highlife and Afrobeat on 'Bokoor Beats'

July 31, 2007 • In Ghana, the '70s was a time of political repression, high inflation, and funky pop music. A young British emigre named John Collins formed the Bokoor Band with locals in 1971. The Bokoor Beats retrospective captures a band full of pride and confidence from Ghana's then-recent independence.

Vintage Highlife and Afrobeat on 'Bokoor Beats'

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Culver City Dub Collective's Unique Mish-Mash

July 31, 2007 • On Dos, the new reggae album from the Culver City Dub Collective, you'll hear contributions from Ben Harper, Jack Johnson and Money Mark of Beastie Boys fame. The album features more serendipitous creativity than hook-laden songs aimed at the charts.

Culver City Dub Collective's Unique Mish-Mash

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Massacre's 'Lonely Heart,' Claudia Quintet's 'For'

Fresh Air

July 31, 2007 • Critic Milo Miles reviews a pair of what he considers rarities — all-instrumental albums that don't belong to a clear school or style of music. But in the case of the band Massacre and the Claudia Quintet, he says that's a good thing.

Massacre's 'Lonely Heart,' Claudia Quintet's 'For'

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Song Of The Day

'In Our Talons,' a Homemade Gem

July 30, 2007 • "In Our Talons"'s pumping accordion and creaky guitars feel as fragile as the bending branches and creeping beetles the song carefully describes. But it soon morphs into a more straightforward lament.

Song Of The Day

A Soulful Homage to the Secular Slow Jam

July 27, 2007 • An ordained preacher at 15, Keite Young now aims to conquer the sinful world of secular music. At 27, he showcases all the tools on "E.N.S.," including a keening tenor, a sharp falsetto and a thorough knowledge of both the gospel idiom and the school of funk.

Song Of The Day

'Winter Is Gone,' but a Chill Remains

July 26, 2007 • Nick Drake never bothered with covers on the three albums released in his lifetime. Part of that may have been due to the specific sadness at the core of his music, but the traditional ballad "Winter Is Gone" shows that his melancholy didn't sprout from nowhere.

Song Of The Day

After Five Years, Finding a Way to 'Do It Better'

July 25, 2007 • Since the mid-'90s, Imperial Teen has been known for its blend of garage-rock, new-wave and shimmering pop-punk. "Do It Better" follows that formula to perfection.

Arts & Life

Finnish Group Rocks Retro Soul in 'Keep Reachin' Up'

July 25, 2007 • Nicole Willis is a retro soul singer from Brooklyn. Her really tight band, the Soul Investigators, is from Finland. The group sounds like it's from Memphis – and it's one of Oliver Wang's favorites of the year so far.

Finnish Group Rocks Retro Soul in 'Keep Reachin' Up'

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Arts & Life

Looking Back at 'Sister Love': Lorraine Ellison on CD

Fresh Air

July 24, 2007 • Fresh Air's resident rock historian remembers soul singer Lorraine Ellison, who recorded a handful of albums and dozens of singles in the '60s and '70s; though she charted a few R&B hits, she never quite broke through to stardom. Her biggest success was with the string-saturated ballad "Stay With Me," which topped out at No. 11 on the R&B charts and has since been covered by everyone from Bette Midler to teenybopper idol Rex Smith.

Looking Back at 'Sister Love': Lorraine Ellison on CD

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Song Of The Day

An Imaginary Soundtrack to an Unmade Film

July 24, 2007 • The first thing that jumps out as The Cinematic Orchestra's "Breathe" begins to unfold is that voice — a voice that sounds weathered by time, with a layer of sultry melancholy. It belongs to Fontella Bass, a soul singer best known for her 1965 R&B hit "Rescue Me."

World Cafe

Scott Matthews: Inviting Lofty Comparisons

XPN

July 23, 2007 • Frequently (and justifiably) compared to a cross between Jeff Buckley and Nick Drake, English singer-songwriter Scott Matthews crafts an endlessly listenable blend of folk, rock and blues.

Scott Matthews: Inviting Lofty Comparisons

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Music

New Music from the Gulf States' King of Khaleeji

July 23, 2007 • Recent decades have seen a rise in music from the Gulf states in the Middle East. The musical style is called khaleeji, and the king of that music — Mohammed Abdo – recently released a live album, Al Amaken.

New Music from the Gulf States' King of Khaleeji

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Song Of The Day

'Runouttaluck' Slashes Without Bludgeoning

July 20, 2007 • "Runouttaluck," from the Toronto band The Golden Dogs, is the sound of pop nerds engaging in charmingly bratty displays of melodic gamesmanship. Throughout the song, the band tips its hat to pop music that can be quirky and hooky all at once.

Brad Paisley Shifts Into Witty '5th Gear'

July 19, 2007 • Brad Paisley is a major country music star in the midst of a huge North American tour, with stops in towns like Syracuse, Cedar Rapids and Saskatoon — and he has a new CD, 5th Gear.

Brad Paisley Shifts Into Witty '5th Gear'

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Song Of The Day

All the Wrong Moves, in a 'Backfire at the Disco'

July 19, 2007 • Demonstrating The Wombats U.K.'s firm grip on multi-part harmonies and bouncy choruses, "Backfire at the Disco" represents everything that can go right with melodic guitar pop. The song chronicles a disastrous date from singer Matthew Murphy's perspective.