Otis Hart

The CMJ Music Marathon, which takes place in clubs across New York City each autumn, began as a way for college-radio programmers to discover new acts for their airwaves. It was in that spirit that NPR Music chose the Philly rock band Cayetana to kick off its recent CMJ show.

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Nothing is more intimate than the human voice, and few human voices are as intimate as the one belonging to Liz Harris. The Portland ambient artist known as Grouper has recorded more than 10 albums in the past 10 years, but most of her fans likely know her from ...

Will Oldham may sing a verse in this new song from rustic songwriter Doug Paisley, but the star of "Until I Find You" is visual artist Heather Goodchild.

The multi-talented, Toronto-based Goodchild painted hundreds of portraits of Paisley, Oldham and other faces, then queued ...

Elisa Ambrogio, lead singer of the art-rock heavyweight Magik Markers, usually isn't one to get too sentimental. But her upcoming solo album, The Immoralist, includes some heart-wrenching songs, including its arresting opening track, "Superstitious."

Perhaps to temper all the #FEELS that "Superstitious" is bound to trigger, Ambrogio and director Naomi ...

Drive five hours north-northwest of London, and you'll find yourself in the North East, a sparsely-populated, Labour-leaning, working-class region of England that creeps along the eastern border of Scotland. Drive a few more minutes, and you'll reach an old coal-mining town that someone long ago felt compelled to name Pity ...

Each month, we listen to hundreds of new electronic music tracks, test the standouts on loud speakers and highlight the best of the best in a 30-minute mix.

You can stream this month's mix here or through NPR Music's SoundCloud account. If you'd rather just hear each song ...

First, it was a blimp over London. Then, stenciled logos on New York City sidewalks. A tweet to a website most people couldn't access if they tried. Now, finally, we get to hear a track from the upcoming Aphex Twin LP, Syro.

Earlier today, ...

Each month, we listen to hundreds of new electronic music tracks, test the standouts on loud speakers and highlight the best of the best in a 30-minute mix.

You can stream this month's mix here or through NPR Music's SoundCloud account. If you'd rather just hear each song ...

When people think of Toronto's music scene, the first name that comes to mind rhymes with "fake." But there's actually a bunch of great new folk acts operating in and around Canada's queen city, too. Jennifer Castle possesses one of the scene's prettiest voices, as you can hear in ...

It's the end of the month, which means it's time for the best of the month, including new music from Kyle Hall, Tessela, Cassy and more.

Are you fed up with viral marketing, hype cycles and the 24/7 onslaught of social media? Are you resisting the urge to stop worrying and love the photobomb? Are you of two minds on the hive mind? Then you have a kindred spirit in York Factory Complaint, the Brooklyn duo ...

Steve Gunn's Time Off was one of 2013's most unfairly overlooked records. The guitarist blends the traditional and the avant-garde, fusing the sounds of John Fahey, The Grateful Dead and Will Oldham into back-porch masterpieces. Time Off is the kind of album that can suck the energy out of any ...

It's turning into the largest influx of asylum seekers on U.S. soil since the 1980 Mariel boatlift out of Cuba.

Since October, more than 52,000 children — most from Central America and many of them unaccompanied by adults — have been taken into custody. That's nearly double last year's total ...

Another month means another Recommended Dose from All Songs Considered. We listen to hundreds of new electronic music tracks each month, test the standouts on loud speakers and highlight the best of the best in a 30-minute mix.

You can stream this month's mix here or through NPR Music's ...

The dream of socialist North Korea was that the government would control every part of the economy. No need for private businesses or stores - the state would give you everything. People were not supposed to sell to each other. Ever. On today's show: how markets sprung up anyway.

Music: ...

NPR Music's live concerts and massive concert archive receive a redesign today, and the changes aim to upgrade your experience everywhere you play our shows.

Whether you're on your phone or your widescreen, the redesign keeps the best and dramatically improves the rest. The renovations range broadly:

• Visual ...

In certain corners of the record-collecting world, few rock songs are revered as much as The Chills' "Pink Frost." The tune turns 30 this year, and to celebrate, the band has re-recorded it and included it as the B-side to its first single since 1995.

Before we get any further, ...

Another month means another Recommended Dose from All Songs Considered. We listen to literally hundreds of new electronic music tracks each month, test the standouts on some very loud speakers and highlight the best of the best in a 30-minute mix.

You can stream this month's mix here or

Four years ago, a small U.K. label forced listeners to rethink what we call dance music. Night Slugs, co-founded by Alex Sushon (a.k.a. Bok Bok) and James Connelly (L-Vis 1990), coalesced around the pair's monthly London gig of the same name, a party that gradually fused house music and grime ...

"Distored" is a gritty techno track with a heartwarming story behind it — and, like so many stories, it began one night in Paris.

Back in 2012, D.C. electronic duo Protect-U — Mike Petillo and Aaron Leitko — was celebrating its recent signing to Planet-Mu records by touring Europe. Petillo ...