Sleater-Kinney Comes Roaring Back With 'No Cities To Love'
Sleater-Kinney is one of the most widely-praised rock bands of the last 20 years. The band formed in the mid-90s in Olympia, Wash., and went on to record seven albums. The group split up in 2006, but...
View ArticleBob Dylan Looks To The Ageless American Songbook
Bob Dylan's unusual new album Shadows in the Night consists of ten cover versions of standards from the American Popular Songbook including "Autumn Leaves" and "Some Enchanted Evening." Dylan is...
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Robert Earl Keen Delves Into Bluegrass With A Texan Twang
Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Transcript TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. Robert Earl Keen is best known as a Texas-based singer-songwriter in the story-song tradition...
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Mavericks' Singer Raul Malo Restlessly Explores Genres
Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Transcript DAVE DAVIES, HOST: The Mavericks' last album, "In Time," was a hit with critics and fans, reminding listeners of the veteran...
View ArticleNora Jane Struthers Is Wide Awake On New Album
Nora Jane Struthers is a singer-songwriter who grew up in New Jersey and was teaching high-school English in Brooklyn before moving to Nashville to attempt a full-time career in music. With her band...
View ArticleJames McMurtry Is More Expressive Than Ever On 'Complicated Game'
Complicated Game is James McMurtry's first new studio album since 2008. The Texas-born singer-songwriter, now based in Austin, is known for songs with strong narratives and a blend of country, blues,...
View ArticleBrandi Carlile's Surging Voice Grounds 'The Firewatcher's Daughter'
Brandi Carlile is a singer-songwriter who has cited influences as various as Elton John, Patsy Cline, and Queen's Freddie Mercury. Carlile has been releasing albums for the past 10 years, and Fresh Air...
View ArticleCourtney Barnett Makes Ennui Vivid On Debut Album
Courtney Barnett is an Australian singer-songwriter in her late 20s who's just released her first full album. It's called Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit. Barnett fills her songs...
View ArticleThere Is A Rich World In Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp A Butterfly'
Kendrick Lamar made a big impact for his storytelling skills on his 2012 major-label debut Good Kid, M.a.a.d City, and won two Grammys in February for the song "i." That song appears in Lamar's latest...
View ArticleThe Mountain Goats' John Darnielle Finds Refuge In The Ring
The Mountain Goats have a new album called Beat The Champ. It's unusual in that it is a concept album about professional wrestling, based on the interest in that sport band leader John Darnielle has...
View ArticleDwight Yoakam's 'Second Hand Heart' Is First Class
Dwight Yoakam has been making music that mixes country with rock 'n' roll since the 1970s. Working out of Los Angeles rather than Nashville, he's built a career that has also included a solid acting...
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Alabama Shakes Opens New Territory On 'Sound & Color'
Over the course of Sound & Color, Alabama Shakes messes with what had already, after its first album, become its signature sound. Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker has this review. Copyright 2015...
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Nellie McKay Celebrates The '60s With 'My Weekly Reader'
Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Transcript DAVID BIANCULLI, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. Nellie McKay's new album, "My Weekly Reader," is a collection of covers of songs made...
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Country Hit Writer Chris Stapleton Breaks Out On His Own In 'Traveller'
Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Transcript TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. Our rock critic Ken Tucker has a review of the debut solo album by Chris Stapleton. He's...
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Joanna Gruesome's 'Peanut Butter' Rises Above The Band's Gimmicky Name
Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Transcript TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR.
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Shamir Bailey Invites Everyone In, With Plenty Of Pop Star Potential
Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Transcript TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. Our rock critic Ken Tucker says the debut album by Shamir is one of the year's most striking...
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Leon Bridges Offers Retro R&B With A Twist In 'Coming Home'
Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Transcript DAVE DAVIES, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. Growing up in Fort Worth, Tex., Leon Bridges started out listening to and making hip-hop music.
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Country's Kacey Musgraves Mixes Wit And Sincerity In 'Pageant Material'
Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Transcript TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. Since her last album two years ago, Kacey Musgraves has won a couple of Grammy awards and...
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Jason Isbell's 'Something More Than Free' Rings With The Promise of Joy
Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Transcript TERRY GROSS, HOST: This FRESH AIR.
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'Sonic Trickster' Miguel Blends Genres And Melodies On 'Wildheart'
Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Transcript TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. The singer and songwriter Miguel has just released his third album, called "Wildheart." He...
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