Song Of The Day From the Sidelines to the Spotlight June 29, 2007 • After stints as a member of The Dambuilders and Those Bastard Souls, Joan Wasser is finally attracting attention with her own spellbinding voice front and center.
Anat Fort's 'Long Story' from New York June 29, 2007 • Israeli-born pianist and composer Anat Fort spent the last seven years in New York, much of it working on her first album for ECM Records. She says that though some of the music was written quickly, it took time to discover how to perform it. Anat Fort's 'Long Story' from New York Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/11610412/11610416" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Anat Fort's 'Long Story' from New York Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/11610412/11610416" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Song Of The Day 99 Seconds of a One-Woman Choir June 28, 2007 • The muted beat that opens Rose Kemp's "Tiny Flower" is nothing but modern: It sounds like feet crunching in snow, but had it been mixed higher, it might have sounded like something unleashed by hip-hop producer Timbaland. Then, in swoops the voice.
The Sweet Sound of Ruby Elzy Fresh Air June 28, 2007 • New tracks from 1930s Broadway and radio star Ruby Elzy have been released in a CD called Ruby Elzy in Song: Rare Recordings (1935-1942). Elzy's vocal talents brought her wide acclaim until her tragic death at the age of 35. The Sweet Sound of Ruby Elzy Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/11510015/11510018" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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From New York, Israeli Duo Serves Up Balkan Beats Fresh Air June 27, 2007 • The cross-cultural crew that is the New York band Balkan Beat Box came together around two Israeli musicians, Tamir Muskat and Ori Kaplan. Their latest album is called Nu Med; world music critic Milo Miles has a review. From New York, Israeli Duo Serves Up Balkan Beats Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/11464045/11464048" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Song Of The Day Digging Up the Past, in More Ways Than One June 27, 2007 • The High Strung's "Gravedigger" seems to condense the entirety of The Who's Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy into a single song. It shows both a rich appreciation for the finer points of The Who and a sharper streak of originality by capturing the band's weirdness.
Song Of The Day Sparse Melodies and Six Golden Eggs June 26, 2007 • Handsome Furs, a duo composed of Wolf Parade's Dan Boeckner and his fiancee Alexei Perry, specializes in sparse, repetitive pop melodies coupled with baffling, poetic words. "Hearts of Iron" becomes more mysterious as it progresses over an even, hymn-like tune.
World Cafe Voxtrot: An Indie-Pop Up-and-Comer Makes Good XPN June 25, 2007 • By the end of last year, Voxtrot was a known quantity without having signed to a label or released a full-length CD. But that changed with the release of the band's self-titled debut. On it, Voxtrot crafts 11 catchy and memorable songs, buoyed by tasteful strings and piano. Voxtrot: An Indie-Pop Up-and-Comer Makes Good Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/11375525/11375586" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Song Of The Day 'Soul Sister #1' Has Her Day June 25, 2007 • Marva Whitney, who sang with the James Brown Revue in the late '60s and early '70s, took three decades to release a new album. Her new cover of Brenda Holloway's "Every Little Bit Hurts" hints at a rebuke of a music industry that turned its back on her when she and Brown parted ways.
Song Of The Day Clanging Piano and a Burst of Attitude June 22, 2007 • Southerly's "Cold Caller" opens with a beguiling combination, as piano, bass and guitar merge around bandleader Krist Krueger's assertive vocal. When an organ joins the fray four-fifths of the way through, it's clear that this is one of those songs that require multiple listens.
Song Of The Day Outlandish Advice with a Spacey Rock Vibe June 21, 2007 • On "Rocket," Working for a Nuclear Free City attempts to solve some of life's most vexing problems. But as the answers get more outrageous, and the lessons get harder to come by, the music's momentum starts to take over.
Song Of The Day A Booze-Sodden World Without Consequences June 20, 2007 • Parker Longbough's new album closes with "3 Drunken Days," a tranquil folk-pop song complete with a shuffling rhythm and well-placed harmonica. It traffics in colorful imagery, as singer Matt Witthoeft recounts a three-day bender in the carnival atmosphere of New Orleans.
Michael Brecker's 'Pilgrimage' Fresh Air June 20, 2007 • Pilgrimage is the posthumously issued recording from tenor sax player Michael Brecker, who died earlier this year due to leukemia. The album features jazz greats Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny. Michael Brecker's 'Pilgrimage' Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/11211177/11211180" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Song Of The Day A Bracing Primer for Budding Scoundrels June 19, 2007 • Nick Lowe's new At My Age, his first album in six years, combines amiable, little-known country covers with rangey, vaguely R&B-ified originals. The weirdest and wittiest of these is "I Trained Her to Love Me."
World Cafe Sea Wolf: Intimate Pop Finds an Experimental Side XPN June 18, 2007 • On his debut EP, Get to the River Before It Runs Too Low, Sea Wolf's Alex Brown Church puts his skills to good use on a collection of delicate, timeless pop songs. At times, the disc recalls classic '70s and '80s songwriters like Mark Knopfler and Tom Petty. Sea Wolf: Intimate Pop Finds an Experimental Side Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/11166823/11167062" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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