Music Reviews : NPR

Song Of The Day

Larry McDonald: The Sound Of The Waves

July 31, 2009 • The instrumental "Mento in 3" feels as unforced as a backyard jam, yet as carefully textured as a movie soundtrack. The sound of waves crashing opens the piece, with McDonald's voice outlining a tune with a wordless "Ba boom boom, boom boom."

Song Of The Day

Grizzly Bear: Dynamic And Disquieting

July 30, 2009 • With the help of a plunky piano riff and layered melodies reminiscent of The Beach Boys, Grizzly Bear's buoyant "Two Weeks" functions as one of the band's most accessible and delightfully hook-drenched songs.

Song Of The Day

Depeche Mode: One Vivid Syllable

July 29, 2009 • "Wrong" is an example of what happens when Depeche Mode follows its better instincts. A burning, deeply rhythmic electro-romp, it brings to the fore the imperious quality of Dave Gahan's baritone, and deftly snowballs in intensity before ending abruptly with the same ominous shout that began it.

Wrong

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Music Interviews

Horowitz Rediscovered At Carnegie Hall

July 28, 2009 • Before he died, the great pianist donated a treasure trove of privately made recordings to Yale University. Now some of those very public recitals are being issued on CD, including searing 1940s performances from Carnegie Hall.

Horowitz Rediscovered At Carnegie Hall

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The Fiery Furnaces, 'Going Away' From Excess

Fresh Air

July 28, 2009 • The Fiery Furnaces' new album, I'm Going Away, features pared-down songs to reflect the darker national mood, the brother-sister duo says. For the listener, it's a transporting experience.

The Fiery Furnaces, 'Going Away' From Excess

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Song Of The Day

Riverboat Gamblers: 'Crazy' For 25 Years Of 'Purple Rain'

July 28, 2009 • Replacing Prince's sass with raging raunch, Riverboat Gamblers' members transform "Let's Go Crazy" into the kind of tune that might animate a packed Irish bar on St. Patrick's Day. Singer Mike Wiebe closes the song with a few off-color memories of his sixth-grade Purple Rain fandom, which helps breathe much-needed sincerity into Riverboat Gamblers' rollicking tribute.

The Monks: A 'Transatlantic' Gambit Gone Awry

Fresh Air

July 27, 2009 • The Translantic Feedback, a documentary about an oddball band of American ex-GIs dressed up like monks and singing bitter songs, is out on DVD at last. Ed Ward explains the appeal of The Monks.

The Monks: A 'Transatlantic' Gambit Gone Awry

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Song Of The Day

Bat For Lashes: Beauty Atop Beauty

July 27, 2009 • Within the first 25 seconds of "Moon and Moon," Bat for Lashes' Natasha Khan drops the line, "I'm a huntress for a husband lost at sea," revealing both a stark seriousness and a penchant for lyrical flights of fancy. But then, within the song's first five seconds, Khan had already uncorked a mesmerizing minor-key piano melody, so it was already clear that she's not messing around.

Moon and Moon

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All Songs Considered

Discoveries From The Pitchfork Music Festival

July 24, 2009 • On this episode of All Songs Considered, host Bob Boilen talks with freelance reporter Jacob Ganz about some of the music he discovered while at this year's Pitchfork Festival.

Discoveries From The Pitchfork Music Festival

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Song Of The Day

Paul Burch: Blown Off By 'Honey Blue'

July 24, 2009 • Thank goodness for Burch's fumbling fingers: The latter-day honky-tonk artist accidentally erased the finished take of his song "Honey Blue," so he put an earlier version on his new album, Still Your Man. As a result, the track has an earthy, impromptu feel, as if a bunch of talented musicians just wandered into a studio and began jamming.

Honey Blue

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Song Of The Day

The Bats: A Vibrant, Gentle Jangle

July 23, 2009 • In The Bats' "The Orchard," plaintive strings meld with plucky guitars as wistful hope burns off a mist of gloom. "I want to be somewhere I know / When I get to go, I'll feel just right," Robert Scott sings, almost tentatively. "You'll hold my hand, the dangers are passed / We're raising a glass to a better time."

Orchard

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Music

With 'Wilco', Wilco Shows Its Earnest Side

Fresh Air

July 23, 2009 • Ken Tucker reviews the seventh studio album from Wilco. It's a mature and confident work, but it also has a playfully affectionate side.

With 'Wilco', Wilco Shows Its Earnest Side

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Maxwell Takes Soul Back To Basics

July 22, 2009 • At a time when soul music is heavily tricked-out, singer Maxwell likes to pare things down, inviting listeners in with his smooth, fluttery singing and raw emotion. In 2001, Maxwell scored a top-selling album, then disappeared. He's back with a new album, BLACKsummers' Night.

Maxwell Takes Soul Back To Basics

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Song Of The Day

Regina Spektor: When Every Sound Sings

July 22, 2009 • Spektor possesses unmistakable warmth and a pronounced sunny side to go with her impeccable phrasing, which finds her crafting and subtly bending every note, whether she's pining for faded memories or honking like a dolphin. She opts for the former over the latter in the marvelous "Eet."

Eet

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Lee Fields: Older And Closer To Perfection

July 21, 2009 • In a curious case of musical evolution, the older Lee Fields becomes, the closer he gets to perfecting the sound of soul that he grew up with. His latest release, My World, finds an ideal middle ground between the slow grind of Southern blues and the faster, funkier stylings of retro-soul.

Lee Fields: Older And Closer To Perfection

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