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World Cafe WXPN in Philadelphia and host Raina Douris present interviews and performances with today's essential and emerging artists.

World Cafe

Essential and Emerging Artists
Owen Pallett Is A Home-Recording Wizard

Owen Pallett Yuula Benivolski/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Yuula Benivolski/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Owen Pallett Is A Home-Recording Wizard

XPN

In this session, what you're going to hear are solo performances — just Pallett, using effects and looping to create layers of sound.

Owen Pallett On World Cafe

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Hear World Cafe Interviews With 12 Of This Year's Grammy Nominees

Grammy Nominees Brittany Howard (credit Brantley Guttierez), Big Thief (credit Dustin Condren), Marcus King (credit Jamie Stow) Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Courtesy of the artists

Studio Sessions

Hear World Cafe Interviews With 12 Of This Year's Grammy Nominees

XPN

Get acquainted (or re-acquainted) with the artists and albums nominated this year by listening to their World Cafe sessions.

Black Pumas On World Cafe

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Nashville Recommendations: Hear 4 New Songs From The Music City

Molly Parden's "Kitchen Table" is featured on the latest list of new music from Nashville by Ann Powers. Jacqueline Justice/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Jacqueline Justice/Courtesy of the artist

Nashville Sessions

Nashville Recommendations: Hear 4 New Songs From The Music City

XPN

NPR pop critic Ann Powers highlights new songs from Brit Taylor, Molly Parden, The Brummies and C.A. Jones.

Ann Powers - New Nashville Music on World Cafe

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Cordovas Epitomize What It Means To Be A Free Spirit

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Joseph Ross/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Cordovas Epitomize What It Means To Be A Free Spirit

XPN

Cordovas frontperson Joe Firstman speaks with host Raina Douris about the unusual path of his music career — and performs four songs.

Cordovas On World Cafe

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Joan Osborne Returns, With A Very Personal Album

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Keith Cotton/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Joan Osborne Returns, With A Very Personal Album

XPN

Joan Osborne has had a lot of success with music written by other people over the years, but Trouble And Strife is all her.

Joan Osborne On World Cafe

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Hear Beabadoobee Perform A Concert From Her Childhood Bedroom

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Jordan Curtis Hughes/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Hear Beabadoobee Perform A Concert From Her Childhood Bedroom

XPN

Beabadoobee plays her hit "Coffee," plus three songs from her new album, Fake It Flowers.

Beabadoobee On World Cafe

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Hear The Inspirational Protest Songs Of The Resistance Revival Chorus

Resistance Revival Chorus Ginny Suss/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Ginny Suss/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Hear The Inspirational Protest Songs Of The Resistance Revival Chorus

XPN

A collective of around 65 women and nonbinary singers perform both originals and covers on Resistance Revival Chorus' album This Joy, recorded just before the pandemic.

Resistance Revival Chorus On World Cafe

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Chicago Rock Trio Dehd Will Leave You Feeling Alive

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Alexa Viscius/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Chicago Rock Trio Dehd Will Leave You Feeling Alive

XPN

DEHD's Emily Kempf started out as a very shy kid – but now, she loves the rush of performing live. Hear a live performance in this session.

Dehd On World Cafe

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Alanis Morissette's 'Jagged Little Pill' Is Like Catching Up With An Old Friend

Alanis Morrisette Shelby Duncan/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Shelby Duncan/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Alanis Morissette's 'Jagged Little Pill' Is Like Catching Up With An Old Friend

XPN

When Alanis Morissette released her breakout record 25 years ago, it was powerful and brutally honest in ways hadn't been heard before. In this session, she speaks on the album and more recent musical of the same name.

Alanis Morrisette On World Cafe

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Big Chiefs Of Rival Mardi Gras Tribes Come Together As The 79rs Gang

79rs Gangs - Jermain Bossier (left) and Romeo Bougere (right) Diwang Valdez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Diwang Valdez/Courtesy of the artist

New Orleans Sessions

Big Chiefs Of Rival Mardi Gras Tribes Come Together As The 79rs Gang

XPN

The 79rs Gang's new album, Expect the Unexpected, feeds the head and tickles the feet, featuring collaborations with members of Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem, among others.

79rs Gang On World Cafe

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Gillian Welch Opens Up The Archive On 'Boots No. 2: The Lost Songs'

David Rawlings & Gillian Welch Henry Diltz/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Henry Diltz/Courtesy of the artist

Nashville Sessions

Gillian Welch Opens Up The Archive On 'Boots No. 2: The Lost Songs'

XPN

The third volume in her quarantine series of archival recordings is out Nov. 13.

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings On World Cafe

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Tim Heidecker's New Album Is Not Comedy. No, Seriously.

Tim Heidecker (right) Sean Cook/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Sean Cook/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Tim Heidecker's New Album Is Not Comedy. No, Seriously.

XPN

Heidecker's comedy show, Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! developed a cult following. But his new record is a "serious album about serious topics."

Tim Heidecker On World Cafe

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Becca Mancari Grapples With Painful Memories On 'The Greatest Part'

Becca Mancari Tonje Thilesen/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Tonje Thilesen/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Becca Mancari Grapples With Painful Memories On 'The Greatest Part'

XPN

In this session, Becca Mancari talks about the personal journey that brought about her latest album.

Becca Mancari On World Cafe

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Sam Morrow Leans Into The Groove

Sam Morrow Christine Solomon/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Christine Solomon/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Sam Morrow Leans Into The Groove

XPN

The songs on the country rock musician's latest album are filled with personality — and funk.

Sam Morrow On World Cafe

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Bob Mould Unplugs To Perform Songs From His Latest Album, 'Blue Hearts'

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Blake Little Photography/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Bob Mould Unplugs To Perform Songs From His Latest Album, 'Blue Hearts'

XPN

The former frontman of Hüsker Dü and Sugar goes acoustic for his World Cafe session.

Bob Mould On World Cafe

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Why Algiers Went Personal Instead Of Political In 2020

Algiers Christian Högstedt/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Christian Högstedt/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Why Algiers Went Personal Instead Of Political In 2020

XPN

The rock band Algiers has a reputation for being a firebrand. But that wasn't the case on There Is No Year.

Algiers on World Cafe

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Elvis Costello Takes You On A Journey With 'Hey Clockface'

Elvis Costello Ray Di Pietro/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Ray Di Pietro/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Elvis Costello Takes You On A Journey With 'Hey Clockface'

XPN

Elvis Costello's new album was recorded in Helsinki and Paris, and that change in locales is palpable.

Elvis Costello On World Cafe

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The Prison Music Project: Songs from Inside New Folsom Prison

Nathan Jackson Brown (left), Zoe Boekbinder (center), Ani DiFranco (right) Nathan Jackson Brown / Krys Fox/Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Nathan Jackson Brown / Krys Fox/Courtesy of the artists

Studio Sessions

The Prison Music Project: Songs from Inside New Folsom Prison

XPN

Producer Ani DiFranco, songwriter Zoe Boekbinder, and formerly incarcerated writer Nathan Jackson Brown talk about bringing the stories from inside New Folsom Prison to the world.

The Prison Music Project On World Cafe

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