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Studio Sessions : World Cafe Artists in conversation and performance from the World Cafe studios in Philadelphia.

World Cafe

Essential and Emerging Artists

Studio Sessions

Jealous of the Birds Uses A Love Of Language To Craft Songs With Great Effect

Jealous of the Birds Vivian Wang/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Vivian Wang/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Jealous of the Birds Uses A Love Of Language To Craft Songs With Great Effect

XPN

Naomi Hamilton, who makes music as Jealous of the Birds, slices up genres and creates songs that sound homemade and tiny, explosive and bombastic.

Jealous Of The Birds

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Amanda Palmer's Songs Ring Out With Urgency And Compassion, Fury And Love

Amanda Palmer inside the World Cafe Performance Studio. Gabriela Barbieri/WXPN hide caption

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Gabriela Barbieri/WXPN

Studio Sessions

Amanda Palmer's Songs Ring Out With Urgency And Compassion, Fury And Love

XPN

Palmer's latest album, There Will Be No Intermission, may be her sharpest blow yet.

Amanda Palmer On World Cafe

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Maggie Rogers On Her Own Terms

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Olivia Bee/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Maggie Rogers On Her Own Terms

XPN

In her World Cafe session, the young singer-songwriter takes the opportunity to reintroduce herself on her own terms, with creative force and an abundance of joy.

Maggie Rogers On World Cafe

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David Gray Makes Music In Technicolor

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Derrick Santini/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

David Gray Makes Music In Technicolor

XPN

Gray's voice still sounds as glorious, distinct and beautiful as it did when he broke through the mainstream with 1998's White Ladder.

David Gray On World Cafe

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Welcome To Planet Kamasi Washington

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Durimel Full/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Welcome To Planet Kamasi Washington

XPN

The rules of musical gravity don't apply for the spirited saxophonist, composer and producer.

Kamasi Washington On World Cafe

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Gary Clark Jr. Shows Impressive Musical Range On 'This Land'

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Frank Maddocks/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Gary Clark Jr. Shows Impressive Musical Range On 'This Land'

XPN

The Austin native's latest album This Land incorporates punk, soul and even hip-hop.

Gary Clark Jr. On World Cafe

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From The Lumineers To 'Rattlesnake' Kate, Neyla Pekarek Goes Solo

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Liza Nelson/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

From The Lumineers To 'Rattlesnake' Kate, Neyla Pekarek Goes Solo

XPN

The Lumineers cellist left the band this past fall. In January, she officially struck out on her own with a solo album, Rattlesnake.

Neyla Pekarek On World Cafe

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More Than 50 Years In, Mavis Staples Is Still Delivering Messages Of Hope And Justice

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Chris Strong Photography/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

More Than 50 Years In, Mavis Staples Is Still Delivering Messages Of Hope And Justice

XPN

She's a political activist and a rock star. In this session, hear lots of music and legendary stories from Mavis Staples.

Mavis Staples On World Cafe

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LA's Paisley Underground Scene Reunites With New Album

The Paisley Underground scene included (from top left clockwise) The Bangles (Autumn de Wilde), Dream Syndicate (Chris Sikich), Rain Parade (Stephanie Beltran), and The Three O'Clock (Chris Haston) Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Courtesy of the artists

Studio Sessions

LA's Paisley Underground Scene Reunites With New Album

XPN

Dream Syndicate's Steve Wynn, The Three O'Clock's Danny Benair and The Bangles' Vicki Peterson share stories and songs from their new collab album, 3 x 4.

The Paisley Underground On World Cafe

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Macy Gray Has An Honest Optimism

Macy Gray outside the World Cafe Performance Studio at WXPN in Philadelphia. Taylor Johnson/WXPN hide caption

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Taylor Johnson/WXPN

Studio Sessions

Macy Gray Has An Honest Optimism

XPN

Ruby, Macy Gray's latest album, brings many similarities to her sophomore release, The Id. It's funny and funky, never saccharine, always uplifting.

Macy Gray On World Cafe

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Listening For The Future During Black History Month

Left to right: Briana Younger, music editor and writer for The New Yorker; Jon Batiste, jazz artist and bandleader for The Late Show; Rodney Carmichael, staff hip-hop writer for NPR Music. Courtesy of Briana Younger / Abby Ross / Lauren Zillinger/Courtesy of the contributors / NPR hide caption

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Courtesy of Briana Younger / Abby Ross / Lauren Zillinger/Courtesy of the contributors / NPR

Studio Sessions

Listening For The Future During Black History Month

XPN

Late Show bandleader Jon Batiste, New Yorker writer Briana Younger and NPR Music's Rodney Carmichael join World Cafe for a spirited conversation on the black creators shaping the future of music.

Listening For The Future During Black History Month

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J.S. Ondara's Sound Is Extraordinary And His Story Is Even Better

J.S. Ondara performs inside the World Cafe Performance Studio Galea McGregor/WXPN hide caption

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Galea McGregor/WXPN

Studio Sessions

J.S. Ondara's Sound Is Extraordinary And His Story Is Even Better

XPN

Ondara grew up in Nairobi, Kenya with big dreams of becoming a musician in the U.S. Hear a studio performance of songs from his debut album, Tales Of America.

J.S. Ondara On World Cafe

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Kacey, Margo And More: The Grammy-Nominated Acts That Visited World Cafe In 2018

Brandi Carlile performs a live World Cafe Session at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. Liz Waldie/WXPN hide caption

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Liz Waldie/WXPN

Studio Sessions

Kacey, Margo And More: The Grammy-Nominated Acts That Visited World Cafe In 2018

XPN

Listen back to sessions from 2019 Grammy nominees who have come through our doors this past year.

Brandi Carlile On World Cafe

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Julia Jacklin Shares A Sneak Peek Of Her Upcoming Album, 'Crushing'

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Nick McKinlay/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Julia Jacklin Shares A Sneak Peek Of Her Upcoming Album, 'Crushing'

XPN

Get a sampler of the Melbourne-based singer's forthcoming record that is personal, intimate and beautiful.

Julia Jacklin on World Cafe

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Steve Forbert's Story Spans 2 Media

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Jay Blakesberg/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Steve Forbert's Story Spans 2 Media

XPN

It's been 40 years since Steve Forbert released his debut album, Alive on Arrival, and he's marked the occasion with a new album and a new memoir.

Steve Forbert On World Cafe

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Oh Pep! Makes Unpredictable Pop

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Ebru Yildiz/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Next

Oh Pep! Makes Unpredictable Pop

XPN

The Melbourne-based band has always got a bent note or quirky chord progression up its proverbial sleeve.

Oh Pep! On World Cafe

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Gregory Alan Isakov On Barn Tunes And Sand Dunes

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Rebecca Caridad/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Gregory Alan Isakov On Barn Tunes And Sand Dunes

XPN

Take a trip to the farm in Colorado where Isakov created his latest album, Evening Machines.

Gregory Alan Isakov On World Cafe

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Jim James: The Musical Magic Of Tidying Up

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Justin Tyler/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Jim James: The Musical Magic Of Tidying Up

XPN

The My Morning Jacket frontman reflects on some of the truths he's found in his own lyrics, including his thoughts on drinking and struggles to stay in the moment.

Jim James On World Cafe

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Nothing Deconstructs Songs In Studio

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Ryan Lowry/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Nothing Deconstructs Songs In Studio

XPN

Hear a stripped-down set of songs from the band's latest album, Dance on the Blacktop, and Dominic Palermo's journey through life and the industry.

Nothing On World Cafe

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