Jay Farrar (Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo) and Benjamin Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie) take the stage together to perform songs inspired by the writings of Jack Kerouac.
One of Bob Boilen's favorite discoveries of the year, Watson makes imaginative pop with a cinematic bent. So NPR Music jumped at the opportunity to record his concert at The Mercury Lounge in New York City Thursday, performed as part of the CMJ Music Festival.
Moby's latest album, Wait for Me, is his best new release in a decade, full of beauty, sadness and celebration. The singer and electronic artist is currently on tour in support of the record, giving sold-out performances to packed arenas and smaller clubs throughout Europe and the U.S. For this stellar concert, recorded live in Berlin on June 26, Moby treated fans to nearly two hours of new songs and old favorites from a career spanning nearly 20 years.
The post-punk trio mixes incendiary guitar noise with funk bass lines and adrenaline-infused rhythms, while frontwoman Beth Ditto thrashes onstage, sometimes stripping down to her underwear.
Launching with "Friday," the reunited Sunny Day Real Estate played a Diary and LP2-heavy set from Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club. The influential emo-rock band sounded renewed as Jeremy Enigk tackled the old songs with the grit and passion for which he's known. A new song, "10," also showed up on the set list. Hear the concert recorded live by NPR Music.
The alternately dreamy and experimental pop group from Hoboken, N.J., celebrates its 25th anniversary with a brand-new album and a full concert, originally webcast live on NPR Music Sept. 17.
Three years after the breakup of his widely adored space-pop group Grandaddy, singer Jason Lytle has returned with one of the year's best albums, Yours Truly, The Commuter. Lytle showcased the new songs, along with some old Grandaddy favorites, in this full concert, recorded live at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City July 11.
NPR Music boldly attempts what few have done before: Deep soul, indie funk and polyglot jazz share a stage and a bill. In Lee Fields and The Expressions, The Phenomenal Handclap Band and Fight the Big Bull with Steven Bernstein, we're bringing you three very different, very large bands, recorded live from Joe's Pub in New York City.
The 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., was ground zero for a blistering assault of explosive riff-rock, courtesy of The Dead Weather, in a full concert webcast live on NPR Music.
Sonic Youth's latest album, The Eternal, is among the band's finest, with a fuzzy, tightly orchestrated mix of psych-punk rock and noisy jams. The band showcased the album in a full concert, recorded live from Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club.
Despite making one of the year's best albums, The Antlers had trouble finding a label willing to put it out. The band self-released homemade copies of Hospice, but Frenchkiss Records has since stepped in to remaster and formally release it on June 23. See and hear the band's epic, wrenching rock in a full concert, recorded live from the Black Cat in Washington, D.C., on March 11.
After a relentless tour in support of the 2005 album Live It Out, the members of Metric scattered to work on their own projects. Four years later, the Canadian group is back with its fourth studio disc, Fantasies. The album is the centerpiece of a full concert by the band, recorded live at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C.
Hear one of the year's breakout bands, recorded live in concert from Washington, D.C. Passion Pit performed selections from its new album, Manners. The concert, which originally webcast live on NPR.org June 9, includes an opening performance by the band Harlem Shakes.