Oct 28th, 2008 · Halstead has gone from making warm, fuzzy, distorted noise in Slowdive to dusty Americana in Mojave 3. Now on his own, he plays music with a stunning yet carefree style. Here, he shares his acoustic sound in a session from KEXP.
Aug 28th, 2008 · Iraq's tourism board aims to promote Baghdad as a fun place to be. There are already plans for a six-star hotel on the Tigris River, golf courses — and now a Ferris wheel. It's inviting proposals for the "Baghdad Eye," which it wants to be taller than the largest Ferris wheel in Europe, the London Eye.
Aug 1st, 2008 · The political parties are trying new methods for writing their platforms this year. The Republicans are going all digital, inviting comments via YouTube and message boards. Meanwhile, the Democrats have embraced the Obama camp's fondness for caucuses — they'll hold 1,400 platform-writing meetings in living rooms and community centers around the country. Both camps say they're making the platform-writing process more democratic — to an extent.
Jul 10th, 2008 · Sera Cahoone got her start playing drums for a few widely adored bands in the Pacific Northwest, most notably Band of Horses and the spell-checker-defying Carissa's Wierd. But her self-titled, self-released 2006 album marked her as a fully formed talent — a warm and inviting singer whose songs convey world-weariness and homespun grace. Cahoone stopped by the NPR offices to perform a few songs at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen.
Jun 6th, 2008 · J.K. Rowling gave the commencement address at Harvard on Thursday. While some graduates were giddy to hear from the Harry Potter author, others grumbled. They noted that Harvard is known for inviting heavy hitters, like Bill Gates, to address students.
Jun 5th, 2008 · The Country Music Association's annual festival officially begins Thursday in Nashville, and one boutique hotel is inviting fans to "live local." The Hotel Preston is offering what they call the "Redneck Package." It includes complimentary pork rinds and a six-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer.
May 22nd, 2008 · German filmmaker Uwe Boll still can't grasp why he's drawn such a negative title. He takes his fight with critics seriously; even inviting them to a boxing match. His latest movie will go up against Indiana Jones this weekend.
May 20th, 2008 · Burial's "Ghost Hardware" features a warm Middle Eastern vocal hook, along with a clipped soul-singer sample featuring the words "love you" that hints at a desire for warmth and connection. But the crackly lo-fi production, the fall-off-a-cliff bass line, and nervous drums invoke existential terror.