Essentials

First Listen

Dolly Parton on stage at the Ryman Auditorium on July 31, one of two sold out shows that marked her first headlining gigs in Nashville in 12 years. Rick Diamond/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Dolly In Nashville: Authenticity That Makes Room For Rhinestones

by Ann Powers

August 3, 2015 • At her first headlining shows in Nashville in a dozen years, Parton turned the Ryman Auditorium into the Church of Dolly.

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Courtesy of Amistad

Weekend Edition Sunday

Luther Campbell Of 2 Live Crew On Fame, Obscenity And Community

August 2, 2015 • Before joining the notoriously shocking rap crew, Campbell was a party-rocking DJ in Miami. Even then, he knew that being aggressively different could lead to success.

Hear the interview 9:59

Buddy Guy's latest album is titled Born To Play Guitar. Josh Cheuse/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Morning Edition

Buddy Guy: 'I Worry About The Future Of Blues Music'

August 3, 2015 • Buddy Guy is the blues, and he's our connection to a genre that's embedded in the history of America. But it's a sound the guitarist fears is fading.

Hear the interview 7:04

Look, she did such a great job picking music that they don't even need to keep their eyes on the road! Monkey Business Images/iStockphoto.com hide caption

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All Songs Considered

The Good Listener: How Do I Play DJ Without Embarrassing Myself?

by Stephen Thompson

August 1, 2015 • You're in the passenger seat. The driver asks you to pick the music. What's an insecure DJ to do?

Songs We Love

Handpicked by NPR Music staff and public radio hosts

The New York rock band Gold released a self-titled album in April. Carrie Jordan/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Listen Loading… 2:59 Gold Wake Of The World

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Mito Habe-Evans/NPR

Picked by Mike Katzif

A potent punk reminder that, while life is good, it could be so much better.

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Listen Loading… 6:04 The Hand Slow Bullet

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Maggie Starbard/NPR

Picked by Lars Gotrich

Featuring a former member of Low, this barn-burner howls like Crazy Horse gone noise-rock.

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SiR's new album, Seven Sundays, is out Friday. Dana Washington/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Listen Loading… 2:39 SiR Crashing Down

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Picked by Kiana Fitzgerald

The prolific pen pusher from Inglewood contemplates whether a stagnant love is worth saving.

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First Listen

Hear upcoming albums in their entirety

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Pavement

The Secret History, Vol. 1

A new collection of unreleased recordings from the early 1990s captures Pavement's rough charm.

1:38:19 • Until Aug 11

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Health

Death Magic

What Mad Max: Fury Road is to the road movie, Death Magic is to synth-pop.

39:30 • Until Aug 7

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Worriers

Imaginary Life

Brooklyn punks sparkle on their debut LP, produced by Against Me! singer Laura Jane Grace.

28:10 • Until Aug 7

Courtesy of the artist

Chelsea Wolfe

Abyss

The metallic Abyss chases darkness with a tenderness that understands the beauty therein.

1:00:00 • Until Aug 7

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La Luz

Weirdo Shrine

Surf-rock with deep intensity behind the reverb mellow.

31:27 • Until Aug 7

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Night Beds

Ivywild

Winston Yellen's folk project dims the lights on songs inspired by electronic pop and R&B.;

1:05:22 • Until Aug 7

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Music By Genre

Featured Radio Streams

KEXP.org

Seattle's renowned indie music station.

All Songs 24/7

Hosted by All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton

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Videos

Watch live concerts, studio sessions and music documentaries

Tiny Desk Concert with SOAK. Lydia Thompson/NPR hide caption

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Tiny Desk

SOAK

by Bob Boilen

August 3, 2015 • Irish singer-songwriter Bridie Monds-Watson makes the most of a single voice and an acoustic guitar.

Watch the video 15:12

Ashley Monroe performs live at The Greene Space in New York City. Ebru Yildiz/NPR hide caption

itoggle caption Ebru Yildiz/NPR

Music

Ashley Monroe, Live In Concert

by Ann Powers

July 29, 2015 • Watch Ashley Monroe play songs from her new, breakthrough album, The Blade, live at WNYC in New York.

Watch the video 57:06

Chris Baio and his band perform live on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic. Larry Hirshowitz/KCRW hide caption

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Favorite Sessions

KCRW Presents: Baio KCRW-FM

by Jason Bentley

July 31, 2015 • Danceable strings! Orchestral pop! It's the bassist from Vampire Weekend, back and with vigor.

Watch the video 3:26

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Interviews

Conversations with emerging and essential artists

July 28, 2015 • I felt that as a young black man, I needed to go back to the roots, to where it all started.

Hear the show 35:08

All Songs Considered

Leon Bridges

Erin Margaret Alison Rambo/Courtesy of the artist

July 29, 2015 • We are living the world of hip-hop.

Hear the interview 48:10

Microphone Check

Large Professor

Large Professor at an event in New York City in April, 2013. Cindy Ord/Getty Images hide caption

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Music Radio

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Rock

All Songs 24/7

A mix of old favorites and new music from NPR's All Songs Considered.

The Current

New music and the music that inspired it, from local to legendary. From Minnesota Public Radio.

Eclectic24

KCRW's 24/7 music channel, curated by Morning Becomes Eclectic.

KEXP

Dedicated to music and discovery, from indie rock to Afropop.

opbmusic.org

Portland's mix of Pacific Northwest artists and the best new music.

WFUV

New York City's premier public radio music station.

WNKU

Public radio that rocks, covering Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and West Virginia.

WXPN

Philadelphia's top music source, and producer of World Cafe.

R&B

I'll Take You There

Everything from early doo-wop to contemporary slow jams, hosted by Jason King.

Classical

WQXR

New York's world-renowned classical music station.

Q2

WQXR's channel devoted to music from living composers.

Classical MPR

Minnesota Public Radio's classical music channel.

Jazz

Jazz24

From the classics to today's best, spiced with blues, funk and Latin.

WBGO

The jazz source for more than 30 years, and co-presenter of Jazz Night In America.

Latin

Alt.Latino Radio

Hosted by Felix Contreras and Jasmine Garsd, NPR's Alt.Latino spins Latin rock, hip-hop and psychedelic cumbia.

Folk

Folk Alley

Bringing you the best in folk music since 2003, presented by WKSU.

ThistleRadio

A Celtic roots music channel, brought to you by The Thistle & Shamrock.

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Articles

In-depth stories, artist profiles and music lists

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All Songs Considered

Recommended Dose: Our Favorite Dance Tracks From July

by Sami Yenigun, Otis Hart

July 31, 2015 • This month's mix features boogie from Australia, funk and techno from London, deep house from Paris, broken beats from Berlin, and a remix of one of last year's most memorable songs.

Hear the mix 34:20

Miranda Lambert on stage in June. Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images hide caption

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In The Middle Of A Whirlwind, Miranda Lambert Shares The Spotlight

by Jewly Hight

July 31, 2015 • Forget tomatogate. Put aside the still-fresh news of her divorce. When Miranda Lambert played the tiny stage at Nashville's 3rd & Lindsley last week, she put the focus on fellow female songwriters.

Read the essay

Mac DeMarco's Another One is out Aug. 7 via Captured Tracks. Coley Brown/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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All Songs Considered

Mac DeMarco Explains His Mini-Album Of Love Songs, Track By Track

by Jacob Ganz

July 31, 2015 • The lived-in, sun-bleached songs on Another One explore adjacent angles on love that's simply not going to work out.

Stream the album

Sturgill Simpson performs at the 2015 Newport Folk Festival. Adam Kissick for NPR hide caption

itoggle caption Adam Kissick for NPR

Newport Folk Festival

Hear Sturgill Simpson's Set From Newport Folk

by Rachel Horn

July 30, 2015 • From dubstep entrance music straight into outlaw country? Makes sense to Simpson, who performs a high-octane, honky-tonking set here.

Hear the concert 56:02

Fans attend New York's Brasil Summerfest, which highlights Brazilian music in a wide variety of styles and genres. Eliseu Cavalcante hide caption

itoggle caption Eliseu Cavalcante