Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'disco'

The Top 11 Debut Albums Of 2008

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 09:06:00 EST

Not to be outdone by its fellow Top 10 listmakers, KEXP presents its Top 11 debut albums of the year. Seattle's Fleet Foxes headlines a deep class of great rock, pop, disco, hip-hop, folk and electro-dance records.

On Billboard Chart, No Longer Lonely At Top

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

Hip hop artist T.I. is currently sitting atop the Billboard singles chart. He's taking up a lot of room, too. He's got the No. 1 and No. 2 songs in the country. It's a rare feat — accomplished by the Beatles in 1964 and the Bee Gees at the height of disco. Andrea Seabrook spins a few hot hits and examines the phenomenon.

Panic At The Disco Goes Psychedelic

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:10:00 EDT

Panic at the Disco's new album, Pretty. Odd, experiments with psychedelic pop, vaudeville and new instrumentation, while retaining the infectiousness of the band's debut. In a session with host David Dye, Panic at the Disco plays some of its new material.

Nepal Closes Nude Disco

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Everybody faces economic trouble these days, but Nepal's trouble may be more fun. The United States has the collapse of Lehman Brothers; Nepal has the collapse of the nude disco. Police ordered nude dancing establishments to close early. Then police started shutting them down entirely. Disco workers protested this week. They claim that the government's move endangers 80,000 jobs.

Remembering Soul Icon Isaac Hayes

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:58:00 EDT

Award-winning soul singer Isaac Hayes died August 10. Hayes' "Theme From Shaft" won both Academy and Grammy awards, and his album Hot Buttered Soul helped pave the way for disco.

Soul Legend Isaac Hayes, From 'Shaft' To 'Chef'

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:01:00 EDT

Isaac Hayes, the legendary soul singer and composer, died Sunday in Memphis, Tenn. He was 65. His signature sound laid the groundwork for the lush orchestrations of disco and the hip vocals of rap. He was known more recently as the voice of "Chef" on South Park.

Panic at the Disco: Still 'Odd,' Sans Guyliner

Sat, 17 May 2008 13:17:00 EDT

When Panic at the Disco released its debut CD, its members hadn't yet graduated from high school. Three years later, Pretty. Odd marks the band's massive change from heart-on-sleeve emo-punk songs to Sgt. Pepper's-style rock. The group performs stripped-down songs in NPR's Studio 4A.

Was Back on Tour, Late in Life

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:03:00 EDT

Eighties absurdo-disco band Was Not Was has a new album. David Was shares some of his thoughts about embarking on a rock and roll odyssey at a time when he should be figuring out how to stretch his Social Security check.

Summer Memories Sparked by a Disco Track

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 09:00:00 EDT

For our staff song pick of the week, producer Christopher Johnson chooses Anita Ward's 1979 chart topping disco hit "Ring My Bell," which reminds him of childhood and summertime drives through the park.

Thelma Houston Still Stayin' Alive

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:31:00 EDT

Former disco diva Thelma Huston talks with Farai Chideya about her difficult road through the music business and explains the motivation behind her new album, A Woman's Touch.

All the Wrong Moves, in a 'Backfire at the Disco'

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 10:05:00 EDT

Demonstrating The Wombats U.K.'s firm grip on multi-part harmonies and bouncy choruses, "Backfire at the Disco" represents everything that can go right with melodic guitar pop. The song chronicles a disastrous date from singer Matthew Murphy's perspective.

The Foundations of Disco at Its Finest

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 14:47:00 EST

The Sisters Love wasn't a disco act, but it laid down the sound and rhythm that would influence the style's breakout success in the mid-'70s. The group's members were innovators, but they were also survivors, created by and from former members of The Raelets, Ray Charles' backup singers.

Creator Seeks to Preserve 'Electric Slide'

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 06:00:00 EST

The Electric Slide slithered out of '70s disco venues to global popularity. But choreographer Richard Silver says his creation has lost key steps in more recent representations. He's considering a suit to protect the artistic integrity of his dance.

An Unlikely Chart-Topper Aims Even Higher

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:00:00 EST

While Modest Mouse's "Dashboard" lacks the snaky charm of "Float On," it's a pure pop confection: danceable, uncomplicated and ripe for airplay. Fans too young to remember XTC can draw comparisons to Franz Ferdinand, what with the song's stiff, guitar-driven neo-disco rhythms.

The Disco Biscuits in Concert

Fri, 29 Dec 2006 16:08:00 EST

The Disco Biscuits' members call their sound "trance-fusion" -- a mixture of jam-band and electronic music with bits of Frank Zappa, rock, techno, jazz, soul, blues and classical. It's no surprise that the band writes its music for live shows and then records it, instead of the other way around.

Elton John: Pop Music's Chameleon

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 10:43:00 EST

John was one of the most successful musical acts of the '70s, but he's remained in the spotlight ever since, thanks in large part to his versatility. Trafficking in rock, disco, pop, adult-contemporary, soul and even country, John has become an icon.

The Changes: Adventurous and Well-Crafted

Mon, 25 Sep 2006 15:00:00 EDT

Of all the modern acts influenced by '80s rock and new wave, few do it better than the Chicago band The Changes. Led by Darren Spitzer's appealing croon and songwriter David Rothblatt's music, the group combines elements of The Police, Steely Dan and R.E.M. with grooves that seem almost disco-friendly.

Three Decades of Pop Music, Colliding at Once

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 17:03:00 EDT

"In the Clouds" practically bursts with infectious energy, spilling over with disco beats and Vocoder-enhanced backing vocals, while singer Aaron Bruno unleashes a mean falsetto, evoking a younger and hipper Barry Gibb. The result is a fun, sexy anthem that shimmies with a cool confidence.

Phoenix in Concert

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 17:11:00 EDT

The four-man Parisian pop band Phoenix mixes '80s rock influences, '70s disco grooves and an appealing French accent to create likeable, danceable songs. The group just released its third album, the immensely appealing It's Never Been Like That.

Rawls Leaves Rich Musical, Philanthropic Legacy

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 00:00:00 EST

Singer, songwriter and philanthropist Lou Rawls died Friday after a battle with cancer. Rawls' career spanned gospel, blues, jazz, pop and disco. For the last quarter century of his life, Rawls also devoted himself to educating black youth.

Drug Use on the Rise Among Spanish Youth

Mon, 26 Dec 2005 00:00:00 EST

In contrast to times under the repressive Franco dictatorship, Spain has become a strikingly permissive society. Recent studies show Spain has become Europe's new drug mecca, while Spanish discos rave with nonstop, drug-fueled parties. Authorities are becoming increasingly alarmed.

Rite On: An Ode to the 'Bar Mitzvah Disco'

Tue, 13 Dec 2005 00:00:00 EST

Leisure suits, big hair and the Bee Gees are just part of the draw of a new book, Bar Mitzvah Disco. Essays from Jonathan Safran Foer, Sarah Silverman and others document bar and bat mitzvahs from the 1970s through the '90s.

'Roll Bounce': 1970s Roller Disco Memories

Fri, 23 Sep 2005 00:00:00 EDT

Director Malcolm Lee's new film is as much about family as it is roller skating. The film is set in the golden era of 1970s roller-skate jams, a coming-of-age comedy starring hip-hop star Bow Wow.

'Fabulous Sylvester': Chronicles of a Disco Icon

Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 EDT

Author Joshua Gamson discusses his new book The Fabulous Sylvester: The Legend, the Music, the 70s in San Francisco. Gamson charts the life and times of the late disco icon Sylvester from his roots in South-Central Los Angeles to the height of his fame as an out, gay, African-American who became a legend in the gay San Francisco nightlife -- before AIDS ended the party.

'Saturday Night Fever' Floor on the Auction Block

Fri, 11 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EST

Got $60,000 to $80,000 to spare? If so, you could own a part of disco history and be strutting in your boogie shoes on the famous Saturday Night Fever dance floor. The multicolored platform where John Travolta showed off his moves is to be auctioned to the public.