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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
The Culture Corner: How Todd Rundgren shaped a generation of bedroom musicians

Todd Rundgren Richard Creamer/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images hide caption

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Richard Creamer/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Studio Sessions

The Culture Corner: How Todd Rundgren shaped a generation of bedroom musicians

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by , , , Will Loftus

World Cafe correspondent John Morrison dives into Rundren's 1973 album, A Wizard, a True Star.

The Culture Corner on World Cafe

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Robyn Hitchcock's latest work is a party with a little melancholy

Robyn Hitchcock inside the WXPN Performance studio Paige Walter/WXPN hide caption

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Paige Walter/WXPN

Studio Sessions

Robyn Hitchcock's latest work is a party with a little melancholy

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Enjoy this mini-concert featuring songs from Shufflemania!, Hitchcock's latest album of surrealistic rock.

Robyn Hitchcock on World Cafe

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Adeem The Artist wants to expand what's possible in country music

Adeem The Artist Shawn Poynter/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Shawn Poynter/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Adeem The Artist wants to expand what's possible in country music

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Country music belongs to anyone with a story. Adeem The Artist asks big questions about privilege, race and toxic masculinity on their new album White Trash Revelry.

Adeem The Artist on World Cafe

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For Weyes Blood, gentleness can be a powerful tool against tech-driven apathy

Weyes Blood Neil Krug/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Neil Krug/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

For Weyes Blood, gentleness can be a powerful tool against tech-driven apathy

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The musician talks about the message behind her mesmerizing fifth studio album, And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow.

Weyes Blood on World Cafe

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Will Sheff strikes out on his own on 'Nothing Special'

Will Sheff Paige Walter/WXPN hide caption

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Paige Walter/WXPN

Studio Sessions

Will Sheff strikes out on his own on 'Nothing Special'

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The Okkervil River frontman plays songs from his debut solo album in this mini-concert recorded live for World Cafe.

Will Sheff on World Cafe

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For Omar Apollo, making music should feel like falling in love

Omar Apollo Gustavo Garcia Villa/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Gustavo Garcia Villa/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

For Omar Apollo, making music should feel like falling in love

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The R&B singer talks about striving for musical perfection on his debut album, Ivory.

Omar Apollo on World Cafe

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Ron Gallo dances through his anxieties on 'Foreground Music'

Ron Gallo Paige Walter/WXPN hide caption

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Paige Walter/WXPN

Studio Sessions

Ron Gallo dances through his anxieties on 'Foreground Music'

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The Philadelphia musician shares his fears and observations on an increasingly anxiety-inducing world.

Ron Gallo on World Cafe

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zzzahara charts the constant change of their native LA on 'liminal spaces'

zzzahara Braden Morgan/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Braden Morgan/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

zzzahara charts the constant change of their native LA on 'liminal spaces'

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The musician explores the ways their hometown has grown and changed over the years.

zzzahara on World Cafe

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Michigander charts the long journey to 'It Will Never Be The Same'

Michigander performs live for WXPN's Free At Noon Concert at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, PA. Paige Walter/WXPN hide caption

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Paige Walter/WXPN

Studio Sessions

Michigander charts the long journey to 'It Will Never Be The Same'

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Jason Singer's mix of optimism and vulnerability has been one of indie rock's most exciting stories in the last few years.

Michigander on World Cafe

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The Culture Corner: R&B in the '00s and today

SZA performs onstage at the 60th annual Grammy Awards on Jan. 28, 2018, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Christopher Polk/Getty Images for NARAS hide caption

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Christopher Polk/Getty Images for NARAS

Studio Sessions

The Culture Corner: R&B in the '00s and today

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World Cafe caps off its exploration of the Black roots of R&B with a look at the genre in the 2000s, forward.

The Culture Corner on World Cafe

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Tegan and Sara are still growing as artists and sisters on 'Crybaby'

Tegan and Sara Eluvier Acosta/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Eluvier Acosta/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Tegan and Sara are still growing as artists and sisters on 'Crybaby'

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The duo talk to World Cafe about their first album of all-new music since 2016.

Tegan and Sara on World Cafe

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'Anarchist Gospel' is Sunny War's most compelling album yet

Sunny War performs live for WXPN's Free At Noon Concert Paige Walter/WXPN hide caption

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Paige Walter/WXPN

Studio Sessions

'Anarchist Gospel' is Sunny War's most compelling album yet

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The Nashville, by way of Los Angeles, singer and virtuoso guitarist experimented with punk and folk music for the last decade, often to dazzling results.

Sunny War on World Cafe

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St. Paul & The Broken Bones take a psychedelic trip on 'The Alien Coast'

St. Paul & The Broken Bones Bobbi Rich/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Bobbi Rich/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

St. Paul & The Broken Bones take a psychedelic trip on 'The Alien Coast'

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The Birmingham, Ala.-based eight-piece band play songs from their entire catalog in this mini-concert for World Cafe.

St. Paul & The Broken Bones on World Cafe

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The Culture Corner: R&B in the '90s

American R&B group TLC poses at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in Los Angeles, circa 1995. From left to right: Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas, Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins and Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes. Archive Photos/Getty Images hide caption

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Archive Photos/Getty Images

Studio Sessions

The Culture Corner: R&B in the '90s

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The '90s saw the continued rise of powerhouse vocal groups in R&B music.

The Culture Corner on World Cafe

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The Backseat Lovers chronicle young adulthood on 'Waiting to Spill'

The Backseat Lovers Allyson Lowry/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Allyson Lowry/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

The Backseat Lovers chronicle young adulthood on 'Waiting to Spill'

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The Utah band talks about how they grew closer during the making of their second album, Waiting to Spill.

The Backseat Lovers on World Cafe

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Jean Dawson's 'CHAOS NOW*' is an exercise in empathy and self-reflection

Jean Dawson Nico Hernandez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Nico Hernandez/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Jean Dawson's 'CHAOS NOW*' is an exercise in empathy and self-reflection

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The genre-defying artist talks about his latest album, CHAOS NOW*.

Jean Dawson on World Cafe

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The Culture Corner: R&B music in the '80s

Prince performs live at the Fabulous Forum on Feb. 19, 1985, in Inglewood, Calif. Michael Montfort/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images hide caption

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Michael Montfort/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Studio Sessions

The Culture Corner: R&B music in the '80s

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From Prince to Whitney Houston, the '80s was a pivotal decade for R&B music in the mainstream.

The Culture Corner on World Cafe

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How 'Weird Al' Yankovic turned the parody song into an art form

"Weird Al" Yankovic Robyn Von Swank/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Robyn Von Swank/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

How 'Weird Al' Yankovic turned the parody song into an art form

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With six platinum records and a career going on its fifth decade, "Weird Al" went from parodying the biggest artist to becoming one.

Weird Al on World Cafe

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