Chuck Mead: Gleefully Sinister Country Serenades
In "Reno County Girl," Chuck Mead serenades us with a tale about a young woman with whom his narrator fell in love. It's a loping country song, Mead's version of cowboy music, but as its pretty melody...
View ArticlePharrell Williams: Just Exhilaratingly Happy
Pharrell Williams, who frequently goes by just his first name, is the sort of pop star whom many people would like to view as a friend. Emerging from hip-hop, he makes charming recordings that suggest...
View ArticleAngel Olsen: A Voice Of Confounding Power
Angel Olsen begins the song "Hi-Five" by paraphrasing Hank Williams, admitting she's so lonesome she could cry. She goes on to say she just wants someone who believes in love as urgently as she does....
View ArticleSara Evans: Country Power Ballads With A Punch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lexeFtDREPg
View ArticleCarlene Carter Carries The Heavy Burden Of History Lightly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbdrFYYgn3k
View ArticleA Duo's Debut Album: A Collaboration From 'The Both'
Transcript DAVE DAVIES, HOST: The Both is the name for the duo formed by veteran singer-songwriters Aimee Mann and Ted Leo. "The Both" is also the name of their debut album. The two began performing...
View ArticleFor Jessica Lea Mayfield, Sometimes Sanity Is The Better Option
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meHGilIpCbE
View ArticletUnE-yArDs: Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbiFcPhccu8
View ArticleRay LaMontagne Finds The Bright Side On 'Supernova'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X294h3dl2_I
View ArticleTwo New Items From Hank Williams
Williams is commonly considered the most important country music songwriter. Critic Ken Tucker has a review of a newly released CD of radio broadcasts and DVD of TV performances.
View ArticleJohn Fullbright's Uneven 'Songs' Finds A Way To Fascinate
John Fullbright's Songs is the most interestingly uneven album I've heard in a while. The work of a smart young man, it's also the work of a self-conscious young man who's prone to mistaking articulate...
View ArticleMiranda Lambert's 'Platinum' Has Backyard Swagger
Miranda Lambert's new album is called Platinum. Lambert has become one of the best-selling artists in country music, and one of the most critically acclaimed. Rock critic Ken Tucker says her new album...
View ArticleParquet Courts' Misery Is Exhilarating
Parquet Courts is a Brooklyn by way of Texas band that has just released its new third record, Sunbathing Animal. The quartet has drawn comparisons to New York rock and punk acts as various as the...
View ArticleLana Del Rey's 'Ultraviolence' Has A Firm Grasp On Pop History
Lana Del Rey is a figure of some controversy for her suggestive lyrics, and critical debate as to the extent of her vocal talent versus her talent for publicity. She recently caused a stir when she...
View ArticleStrand Of Oaks: Songs Heal All Wounds
If you're going to be downbeat, glum, or morose, it's best to do it the way Timothy Showalter does it. Which is, with an energy and purpose that doesn't contradict the melancholy, but rather frames it...
View ArticleIf Jim Lauderdale Is A Song, More People Should Hear It
Jim Lauderdale's new album is called I'm A Song, a title that suggests his deep
View ArticleThe Cowboy That Wasn't A Cowboy Sings
Cowboy Jack Clement, who died in 2013 at age 82, was a prolific producer, songwriter, arranger, and talent scout. He brought Jerry Lee Lewis to Sun Records, helped nurture the career of one of the few...
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Jenny Lewis''The Voyager' Is An Album To Spend Time With
Copyright 2014 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 new album by Jenny Lewis called "The Voyager."...
View ArticleSpoon Wants Your Soul
Spoon has just released its first new album since 2010's Transference. Fresh Air critic says that "They Want My Soul is another fine Spoon album in a career that has now come to display a remarkable...
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