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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
Pete Townshend On Creativity, 'The Age Of Anxiety' And The Who's New Record

Pete Townshend originally wrote the songs on The Who's new album for Roger Daltrey as a solo artist. "I wrote them for Roger because I knew that Roger would sing them best," he says. William Snyder/Courtesy of the aritst hide caption

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William Snyder/Courtesy of the aritst

Studio Sessions

Pete Townshend On Creativity, 'The Age Of Anxiety' And The Who's New Record

XPN

Townshend talks about his debut novel, how it relates to The Who's rock opera, Tommy, and what he'd say now to his younger self – the one who wrote the lyric "I hope I die before I get old."

Pete Townshend On World Cafe

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Presenting The Groundbreaking Country-Rockabilly-Tex-Mex Mix Of The Mavericks

The Mavericks performed live at the 20th Annual AmericanaFest in Nashville. Val Hoeppner/WMOT hide caption

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Val Hoeppner/WMOT

Nashville Sessions

Presenting The Groundbreaking Country-Rockabilly-Tex-Mex Mix Of The Mavericks

XPN

Hear the band's AmericanaFest performance, drawing from its 2013 comeback album, In Time, as well as an interpretation of the John Anderson tune "Swingin'."

The Mavericks On World Cafe

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Molly Tuttle's Voice Shines In Her Live Rendition Of 'Rain And Snow'

Molly Tuttle performs live from the AmericanaFest Day Stage in Nashville. Dylan Estes/WMOT hide caption

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Dylan Estes/WMOT

Nashville Sessions

Molly Tuttle's Voice Shines In Her Live Rendition Of 'Rain And Snow'

XPN

The bluegrass guitarist, vocalist and songwriter treated the AmericanaFest Day Stage to songs from her debut full length album, plus an extra folk standard to boot.

Molly Tuttle On World Cafe

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The Relentless Energy Of The Record Company

The Record Company performs live on the AmericanaFest Day Stage presented by NPR Music, WMOT and World Cafe. Val Hoeppner/WMOT hide caption

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Val Hoeppner/WMOT

Nashville Sessions

The Relentless Energy Of The Record Company

XPN

Hear a live performance of hard rocking favorites from the 20th Annual Americana Music Festival in Nashville.

The Record Company On World Cafe

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Hear Tanya Tucker Perform Selections From Her First Original Album In 17 Years

Tanya Tucker performing live at the AmericanaFest Day Stage presented by NPR Music, WMOT and World Cafe. Val Hoeppner/WMOT hide caption

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Val Hoeppner/WMOT

Nashville Sessions

Hear Tanya Tucker Perform Selections From Her First Original Album In 17 Years

XPN

Co-produced by Brandi Carlile and Shooter Jennings, the country legend brings While I'm Livin' to the 20th annual Americana Music Festival.

Tanya Tucker On World Cafe

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Robert Randolph And The Family Band: Raucous Rock Meets The Gospel Tradition

Robert Randolph performing live at the AmericanaFest Day Stage presented by NPR Music, WMOT and World Cafe. Val Hoeppner/WMOT hide caption

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Val Hoeppner/WMOT

Nashville Sessions

Robert Randolph And The Family Band: Raucous Rock Meets The Gospel Tradition

XPN

Hear a joyous and uplifting set, recorded live at the 20th annual Americana Music Festival & Conference in Nashville.

Robert Randolph and the Family Band On World Cafe

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How Psychedelics Influenced Noah Gundersen's Latest Album, 'Lover'

Noah Gundersen inside the World Cafe Performance Studio Jamie Stow/WXPN hide caption

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Jamie Stow/WXPN

Studio Sessions

How Psychedelics Influenced Noah Gundersen's Latest Album, 'Lover'

XPN

Psychedelic drugs are just the jumping-off point for our conversation about the songs on Gundersen's rich, exquisitely crafted album.

Noah Gundersen On World Cafe

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Jessy Wilson Finds A Rock Vibe With Patrick Carney

Jessy Wilson performing live inside the World Cafe Performance Studio. Jamie Stow/WXPN hide caption

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Jamie Stow/WXPN

Studio Sessions

Jessy Wilson Finds A Rock Vibe With Patrick Carney

XPN

Wilson talks about working with The Black Keys' drummer, her extensive musical background and why she wouldn't want to make music anywhere but Nashville.

Jessy Wilson On World Cafe

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Of Monsters And Men Adds Synth Flourishes On 'Fever Dream'

Of Monsters And Men performs stripped-down versions of songs from the band's lastest record, Fever Dream, inside the World Cafe Performances studio. Jamie Stow/WXPN hide caption

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Jamie Stow/WXPN

Studio Sessions

Of Monsters And Men Adds Synth Flourishes On 'Fever Dream'

XPN

The Icelandic band's latest album includes more synthesizers and electronic instruments, including a tiny little keyboard called an OP-1.

Of Monsters And Men On World Cafe

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The Infectious Joy Of Mwenso & The Shakes

Mwenso & the Shakes perform live at WXPN's Free At Noon Concert - recorded live for this World Cafe Session. Rich McKie/WXPN hide caption

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Rich McKie/WXPN

Studio Sessions

The Infectious Joy Of Mwenso & The Shakes

XPN

Emergence [The Process of Coming Into Being] blends jazz, R&B and spoken word in a live album that feels like a Broadway show.

Mwenso & the Shakes On World Cafe

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Edward Norton Shares His Vision For The Music Of 'Motherless Brooklyn'

Edward Norton Vava Ribeiro/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Vava Ribeiro/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Edward Norton Shares His Vision For The Music Of 'Motherless Brooklyn'

XPN

Songs from Wynton Marsalis, Radiohead's Thom Yorke and a pulpy score from Daniel Pemberton all help set a noir scene for the film's 1950s New York setting.

Edward Norton On World Cafe

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A Taste Of Jonatha Brooke's Favorites

Jonatha Brooke performing live for World Cafe Emily DeHart/WXPN hide caption

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Emily DeHart/WXPN

Studio Sessions

A Taste Of Jonatha Brooke's Favorites

XPN

On her latest EP called Imposter, the singer-songwriter cherry-picked the five songs she loved most from what she had written since her last album in 2016.

Jonatha Brooke On World Cafe

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Ranky Tanky Shares The Music Of Gullah

Ranky Tanky inside the World Cafe Performance Studio Ranky Tanky/WXPN hide caption

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Ranky Tanky/WXPN

Studio Sessions

Ranky Tanky Shares The Music Of Gullah

XPN

The Charleston, SC band draws on the musical traditions of slave descendants from the region.

Ranky Tanky On World Cafe

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Quinn Christopherson Is Protective Of His Tiny Desk Contest-Winning Song 'Erase Me'

Quinn Christopherson performs live at WXPN's Free At Noon Concert. Jamie Stow/WXPN hide caption

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Jamie Stow/WXPN

Studio Sessions

Quinn Christopherson Is Protective Of His Tiny Desk Contest-Winning Song 'Erase Me'

XPN

The 2019 Tiny Desk Contest winner visits World Cafe and shares stories about the evolution of his career.

Quinn Christopherson On World Cafe

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Grace Potter Shifts Towards 'Daylight'

Grace Potter performs live for World Cafe. Jamie Stow/WXPN hide caption

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Jamie Stow/WXPN

Studio Sessions

Grace Potter Shifts Towards 'Daylight'

XPN

Her second solo album follows the 180 degree pivot in her personal life and marks a return to her beloved blues rock sound.

Grace Potter On World Cafe

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Getting To The United States Wasn't Easy For The Muckers

The Muckers inside the World Cafe Playlist Jamie Stow/WXPN hide caption

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Jamie Stow/WXPN

World Cafe

Getting To The United States Wasn't Easy For The Muckers

XPN

Iranian musician Emir Mohseni had procured a work visa and was preparing to start a U.S. tour when Trump announced a travel ban in early 2017.

The Muckers On World Cafe

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David Wax Museum Creates A Positive Message From A Difficult Situation

David Wax Museum performing live for the World Cafe Galea McGregor/WXPN hide caption

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Galea McGregor/WXPN

Studio Sessions

David Wax Museum Creates A Positive Message From A Difficult Situation

XPN

The Unite the Right rally and subsequent counterprotests in the band's hometown of Charlottesville, Va. inspired the duo's latest release, Line of Light.

David Wax Museum On World Cafe

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Questlove Invites You To A 'Mixtape Potluck'

Questlove Michael Baca/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Michael Baca/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Questlove Invites You To A 'Mixtape Potluck'

XPN

The latest book from the co-founder and drummer of The Roots is a collection of recipes from his friends and inspired by his "food salon" dinner parties.

Questlove On World Cafe

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From North Carolina To Buenos Aires With Che Apalache

Che Apalache performing live for World Cafe Jamie Stow/WXPN hide caption

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Jamie Stow/WXPN

Studio Sessions

From North Carolina To Buenos Aires With Che Apalache

XPN

Together with three of his former banjo students, Joe Troop creates music that combines the Latin American influences of his adopted home with the bluegrass he grew up on.

Che Apalache On World Cafe

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The Hold Steady Are Sleeping Over

The Hold Steady D James Goodwin/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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D James Goodwin/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

The Hold Steady Are Sleeping Over

XPN

The veteran rockers talk about the benefits of the nontraditional way they've chosen to record and support their latest studio album, Thrashing Thru The Passion.

The Hold Steady On World Cafe

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