Song Of The Day Feeling the Blues of the World September 29, 2006 • Nuru Kane arrives at his blues by way of Malian traditions, and blends it with his roots in Senegal, the traditions of the Gnawa people and his life in France. Playing guitar and the traditional Gumbiri three-stringed bass, he creates a musical journey that covers centuries, continents and many ways of thinking.
Song Of The Day Breaking Ground on a Modern Message Song September 28, 2006 • Years after breaking through as one of the most innovative and musically gifted acts in hip-hop, The Roots' members return with Game Theory, another groundbreaking collection of stellar and often political material.
Eric Whitacre's Modern Choral Magic September 28, 2006 • Tom Schnabel is in love with the work of choral composer Eric Whitacre. For a modern composer, Whitacre's choral music is surprisingly popular amongst those that perform choral music; it is rich and challenging. His recent CD is Cloudburst. Eric Whitacre's Modern Choral Magic Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/6161883/6161886" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
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Song Of The Day Jazz and Pop Get Languid and Wistful September 27, 2006 • But "Like A Star" is a real find: Languid and wistful, mild in a weirdly appealing way, it's a worshipful ode to a quarrelsome lover that's meandering, tentative and hook-free. It shouldn't sound nearly as good as it does, but Rae sells the song as if her life depended on it, uncovering new layers of longing and lust that probably weren't on the page to begin with. As a songwriter, Rae isn't fully developed, but as a rehabilitator of creaky jazz ballads, she's already first-rate.
Song Of The Day Channeling Patsy Cline, by Way of Neko Case September 26, 2006 • Sera Cahoone has played drums for Band of Horses and Carissa's Wierd (sic), two groups whose music can be majestically beautiful, wrenchingly powerful or both. None of their output, however, provides reason to expect Cahoone's solo work to drift into territory as soothing as her gorgeous, breezily hypnotic "Couch Song."
Arts & Life Diana Krall: 'From This Moment On' September 26, 2006 • Jazz pianist and singer Diana Krall has become a favorite of jazz fans and critics worldwide. But musician and Day to Day contributor David Was finds her latest album less than satisfying. Diana Krall: 'From This Moment On' Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/6146045/6146108" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
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The Bonnie Prince, Onscreen And In Your Head September 25, 2006 • Will Oldham is an enigmatic folk-rock musician — and actor — who performs under various monikers, including Palace, Palace Brothers, Palace Music, and Bonnie Prince Billy. In addition to playing a part in a new film, Oldham has a new CD out: The Letting Go. The Bonnie Prince, Onscreen And In Your Head Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/6140845/6140846" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
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Director's Cuts Animated Sounds for the Younger Set September 24, 2006 • Every once in a while, rockers take a stab at reaching a new generation of listeners, with decidedly mixed results. The movies are a lucrative way into the tween market. Among the artists making music for recent animated films are indie rockers Ben Folds and Paul Westerberg. Animated Sounds for the Younger Set Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/6119714/6130916" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
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Music Lists New Island Sounds from Cuba's Young Guard September 24, 2006 • Cuba's younger musical generation has adopted the classic Cuban rhythms — familiar to fans of the Buena Vista Social Club and other old-school performers — and added international influences to create a new flavor of island music. New Island Sounds from Cuba's Young Guard Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/6126331/6134663" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
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Song Of The Day From Blogs to the Brink of a Blockbuster September 22, 2006 • Smartly sloppy, Cold War Kids' "Tell Me in the Morning" exudes soulful swagger, driven by bright, shimmering guitar and handclaps. With a great hook, a catchy chorus and many changes in between, the song conjures up the giddy thrill of discovering Gang of Four or The Jam for the first time, which is no small feat.
Song Of The Day At Once Antiquated and Weirdly Modern September 21, 2006 • Pete Yorn's guitar- and synthesizer-heavy, distinctly American-sounding albums suggest the end result of a mating ritual between Ryan Adams and The Cars. Vague and occasionally indecipherable, "The Man" may be his finest moment.
Song Of The Day The Thermals: Raw-Throated but High-Minded September 20, 2006 • Over a grungy guitar riff, singer Hutch Harris brings his anthemic howl roaring back again and again, but anthems aren't usually this nuanced. "Returning to the Fold" is one of the smartest, most honest depictions of religious anxiety in pop music, and it rocks to boot.
New Recording Issued from Bassist Harry Miller Fresh Air September 20, 2006 • Everybody knows jazz is an American invention that mediates between African and European musical conventions. But for decades, African and European improvisers have been forging their own bonds and hybrids, without American mediation. As a case in point, here's a newly issued historical recording by the South African-born bassist Harry Miller: Harry Miller's Isipingo: Which Way Now. New Recording Issued from Bassist Harry Miller Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/6110327/6110328" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Music Jaxx Scratch Back with 'Crazy Itch Radio' September 20, 2006 • A decade ago, Basement Jaxx couldn't get a record label interested in releasing the group's first EP. Fast forward to 2005: Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe, the producers behind the Jaxx sound, are a global phenomenon in the dance music scene. Jaxx Scratch Back with 'Crazy Itch Radio' Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/6110028/6110051" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Song Of The Day Dr. Octagon's Seduction of the Invaders September 19, 2006 • By the time Dr. Octagon's science-fiction caper in miniature ends, countless styles and funk attitudes have been blurred together, subsumed into the rare bit of contemporary hip-hop that fully commits to celebrating genuine weirdness.