Search results for

After much success last summer in the college radio circuit with the release of their second LP, Skeleton, Abe Vigoda is back with another collection of genre-bending tunes. Call it what you will — experimental, no wave, tropicali, punk, garage, or noise rock — this Los Angeles-based band has enough gusto and creativity to fill all these classifications, and more.

Latin music would not exist without bongos, congas or timbales — all percussion instruments, all with roots in Africa. Likewise, there wouldn't be Latin music without other African influences, such as syncopation. Latin percussionist, composer and bandleader Bobby Sanabria gives a primer on the close roots that Latin and jazz music share with the sound and soul of West Africa.

She would be the last person to complain about her success. But under the folk-pop veneer of The Indigo Girls, Ray is a punk-rocker who revels in edgier styles. She visits WFUV's Studio A for an interview and solo performance of songs from her latest album.

Global superstar Tom Jones is back on the charts with the release of 24 Hours, his first U.S. album in more than 15 years. The singer who gained fame with 1965 hit "It's Not Unusual" opted to be more involved in the songwriting process for this album, and the result is a collection of intimate songs that still retain his signature pop sensibility.

The great Les McCann is a veteran entertainer who's spent many years in jazz clubs, making sly humor of hard work. The gravel in his voice pairs sweetly with Javon Jackson's smooth tenor, as they revisit McCann's history-making LP Swiss Movement — celebrating its 40th anniversary this year — and more.

Bird is a gangly, classically trained violinist who mixes jazz, folk and quirky art-pop with whistled melodies. Along the way, he's attracted the kind of screaming crowds normally reserved for pop stars. Hear what hype is all about when NPR Music webcasts Bird's entire concert from the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., tonight, Feb. 3. The live stream will begin online at approximately 8 p.m. ET, with an opening performance by Loney Dear.

The Cramps took the rumbling sound of 1950s rockabilly and surf music and slowed it to a haunting crawl. The band's leader, Lux Interior, was the ultimate showman. He threw himself around the stage, and his growl hiccuped like Buddy Holly. He died Wednesday of a heart condition.

Kay Thompson was a musical director for MGM Studios, the author of the Eloise children's books and the star of her own long-running nightclub act. Liza Minnelli pays tribute to her real-life godmother in her latest, sold-out revue.

In this archival interview, Terry Gross speaks with singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen about his inspirations, writing style and thoughts about his earlier work.

Like the title suggests, White Flag, the latest album from neo-folk singer-songwriter Madeline, exudes an air of quiet resignation. On "Telephone Daydream," for example, Adams sings of death, feeling alone and inadequate. But the hopeless album title may be a bit deceptive.