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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
Jamie Drake's Debut Album Was A Decade In The Making

Jamie Drake Peter Hastings/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Peter Hastings/Courtesy of the artist

Sense Of Place

Jamie Drake's Debut Album Was A Decade In The Making

XPN

After settling in LA, Jamie waited 10 years before she started performing publicly. But, as you are about to hear, the wait was worth it.

Jamie Drake On World Cafe

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LA Hood Life Tours: A Ride Through The Birthplace Of West Coast Hip-Hop

A mural of Nipsey Hussle close by the Crenshaw neighborhood in Los Angeles, as see on the LA Hood Live Tour. Raina Douris/WXPN hide caption

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Raina Douris/WXPN

Sense Of Place

LA Hood Life Tours: A Ride Through The Birthplace Of West Coast Hip-Hop

XPN

LA Hood Life Tours take you to where Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Nipsey Hussle and the larger genre of West Coast Hip-Hop got started.

LA Hood Life Tour on World Cafe

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Chicano Batman Speaks To Its Musical Evolution On 'Invisible People'

Chicano Batman George Mays/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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George Mays/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Chicano Batman Speaks To Its Musical Evolution On 'Invisible People'

XPN

Chicano Batman's latest album, Invisible People, is a big sounding record, but it's also tight and filled with hooks.

Chicano Batman On World Cafe

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The Airborne Toxic Event's Mikel Jollett Writes His Story In Words And Music

Mikel Jollett, Airborne Toxic Event Dove Shore/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Dove Shore/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

The Airborne Toxic Event's Mikel Jollett Writes His Story In Words And Music

XPN

Mikel Jollett shares how 'Hollywood Park,' his book and album of the same name, came to be.

The Airborne Toxic Event On World Cafe

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Possum Dixon Bandleader Rob Zabrecky Found The Magic In Performance

Rob Zabrecky Billy Baque/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Billy Baque/Courtesy of the artist

Sense Of Place

Possum Dixon Bandleader Rob Zabrecky Found The Magic In Performance

XPN

Not only was he was the rock and roll leader of Possum Dixon, but he's a world class magician, storyteller and now author with his 2019 memoir, Strange Cures, which explores his life and a very untold side of LA.

Rob Zabrecky On World Cafe

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LA Trio JEMS Creates Harmonies And Songs To Stand The Test Of Time

JEMS performs in front of a live audience at Hollywood's famed club, Hotel Cafe. Kimberly Junod/WXPN hide caption

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Kimberly Junod/WXPN

Sense Of Place

LA Trio JEMS Creates Harmonies And Songs To Stand The Test Of Time

XPN

The Los Angeles trio performs live from the famed club Hotel Cafe, sharing the importance of the venue, and how they discovered they could sing in such perfect harmony.

JEMS on World Cafe

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How The War On Drugs Perfected The Art Of The Socially Distanced Livestream

The War On Drugs Shawn Brackbill/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Shawn Brackbill/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

How The War On Drugs Perfected The Art Of The Socially Distanced Livestream

XPN

The leader of The War on Drugs, Adam Granduciel, talks from his LA home about how the band perfected performing together, even though they were recording from places all across the country.

The War On Drugs On World Cafe

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Sparks Refuses To Go Out Of Style

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Anna Webber/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Sparks Refuses To Go Out Of Style

XPN

The band's been flipping pop conventions for the past five decades; that innovation continues on its latest, A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip.

Sparks On World Cafe

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A Career-Spanning Conversation With Liz Phair

Liz Phair performs live for World Cafe at Kiss Kiss Bang Bang in Los Angeles, Calif. Kimberly Junod/WXPN hide caption

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Kimberly Junod/WXPN

Sense Of Place

A Career-Spanning Conversation With Liz Phair

XPN

We met up with Liz Phair during a Sense Of Place trip to Los Angeles in early March. She performs live and talks about her journey, overcoming expectations, her upcoming album, Soberish.

Liz Phair on World Cafe

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Ethan Gruska's Musical Family Tree Goes Way Back

Ethan Gruska performs live at Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles for World Cafe. Kimberly Junod/WXPN hide caption

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Kimberly Junod/WXPN

Sense Of Place

Ethan Gruska's Musical Family Tree Goes Way Back

XPN

Ethan Gruska has produced for artists including Fiona Apple, Phoebe Bridgers and Manchester Orchestra, but he's also a successful solo artist. He'll play a few songs from his excellent sophomore album, En Garde, for this Sense of Place session.

Ethan Gruska On World Cafe

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It'll Take More Than A Tornado And A Pandemic To Stop The Music Of Nashville

Jason Isbell performs at the To Nashville, With Love Benefit Concert on March 9. Amy Harris/AP hide caption

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Amy Harris/AP

Nashville Sessions

It'll Take More Than A Tornado And A Pandemic To Stop The Music Of Nashville

XPN

World Cafe's Nashville correspondent, Ann Powers, talks about the state of Music City and five new releases that she's excited about.

Ann Powers on World Cafe Nashville

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Did Hamilton Leithauser Write A Song About You?

Hamilton Leithauser Josh Goleman/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Josh Goleman/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Did Hamilton Leithauser Write A Song About You?

XPN

His new album is called The Loves of Your Life, and each song was written about a different person — some strangers, some friends. Hamilton embellished some details and changed some names, but he didn't tell anyone he was writing about them.

Hamilton Leithauser on World Cafe

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With 'Silver Landings,' Mandy Moore Reclaims Her First Love, Music

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Carter Smith/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

With 'Silver Landings,' Mandy Moore Reclaims Her First Love, Music

XPN

The teen pop-turned-TV star shares what it was like working with her husband, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, on her new album, and how he helped her return to songwriting.

Mandy Moore On World Cafe

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Radio DJ Zane Lowe Shares His Take On The Future Of Music

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Apple Music/Courtesy of the artist

Sense Of Place

Radio DJ Zane Lowe Shares His Take On The Future Of Music

XPN

While capturing a Sense Of Place in Los Angeles, Zane Lowe shares the city's current status and where artists and fans might go from here in this strange moment in history.

Zane Lowe On World Cafe

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How A Book Of New Orleans Brothels Inspired Don Vappie's Latest Album

Don Vappie David Spielman/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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David Spielman/Courtesy of the artist

New Orleans Sessions

How A Book Of New Orleans Brothels Inspired Don Vappie's Latest Album

XPN

The Blue Book of Storyville was a catalog that described the city's many brothels and prostitutes. Don Vappie, known for interpreting New Orleans' music canon, used it to imagine his latest album.

Don Vappie On World Cafe

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Waxahatchee Ventures From Her Rock Roots To Americana

Waxahatchee Christopher Good/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Christopher Good/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Waxahatchee Ventures From Her Rock Roots To Americana

XPN

Waxahatchee's Katie Crutchfield went through a period of personal growth while making her latest album, 'Saint Cloud.'

Waxahatchee On World Cafe

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Steve Earle Tells The Story Of A West Virginian Mining Disaster Through Song

Steve Earle and the Dukes, Electric Lady Studios. Jacob Blickenstaff/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Jacob Blickenstaff/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Steve Earle Tells The Story Of A West Virginian Mining Disaster Through Song

XPN

Earle knows the value of storytelling as a way to find our shared humanity. He used that talent to write the music for a play called Coal Country and make his latest album, Ghosts of West Virginia.

Steve Earle On World Cafe

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A Roundup Of Compelling New Nashville Music To Cure The Quarantine Blues

Rissi Palmer's latest album, Seeds, is featured in this roundup of music out of Nashville, Tenn. Jimmy Bruch/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Jimmy Bruch/Courtesy of the artist

Nashville Sessions

A Roundup Of Compelling New Nashville Music To Cure The Quarantine Blues

XPN

While Nashville's standard studio music-making processes remain at a standstill, here's another roundup of compelling new and recent music from Tré Burt, Paul Burch, Marshall Chapman and more.

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