Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'folk'

No, You Can't: Turning Down Inauguration Guests

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:38:00 EST

Washington, D.C. residents like Veronica Miller have had a shared experience lately — calls from folks they haven't seen in ages, looking for places to stay for the Inauguration. Fortunately, advice columnist Amy Dickinson has tips on how to turn down unwanted houseguests.

Whistle-Rock, Pink Floyd Jazz, West African 'Funk' And More

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:33:00 EST

We start the new year with a new mix, featuring an exclusive preview of Andrew Bird's latest album, Noble Beast. The classically trained violinist and singer performs a quirky mix of whistled melodies, Gypsy ballads, folk and art-rock. We've got the song "Oh No" here, but you can also hear the entire album as part of our "first listen" series. Also on the show: classic folk-rock singer Benjy Ferree, the Afro-funk rhythms of Chopteeth, an eclectic mixtape from Malawi-born singer Esau Mwamwaya, the haunting guitars of Begushkin, and the jazz trio Bad Plus covers the music of Pink Floyd.

Jobless Ask: Take First Offer, Or Wait For Better...

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:00:00 EST

Unemployed workers face a tough decision: Should they settle for a lower salary, and get work now, or hold out for a job commensurate with their skills? Employment counselors say some folks are still too proud to take a pay cut, but as weeks drag into months, they may have to settle for less.

Jake Shimabukuro: Solo Ukulele In Concert

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:38:00 EST

Jake Shimabukuro is a genre-demolishing artist who plays jazz, blues, funk, classical, bluegrass, folk, flamenco and rock. It's all with the mission of showing everyone that the ukulele is capable of much more than just traditional Hawaiian music. He performs a concert from San Francisco.

Web Sites That Will Save You Money

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

Penny pinchers are taking to the Web for great ideas on how to beat the recession. Slate.com's Farhad Manjoo discusses which Web sites are helping folks save money and live well.

Mary Chapin Carpenter's Christmas Special

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:54:00 EST

A venerable and popular country-folk singer, Carpenter recently made a foray into holiday music, releasing an album of traditional and original Christmas music titled Come Darkness, Come Light. She plays holiday tunes in a session from WXPN.

Charlie Haden: Just A 'Rambling Boy'

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:08:00 EST

Though Haden is best known for his jazz explorations, his latest effort, Rambling Boy, straddles Americana, folk and country. It's a return to his musical roots that brims with nostalgia for his days growing up in the American heartland. Hear a session from WXPN.

Exclusive First Listen: Andrew Bird

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:12:00 EST

Bird is a classically trained violinist and former swing-jazz musician whose sonic palette includes a quirky mix of Gypsy ballads, jazz, folk and whistled melodies. It's a sound that leaves critics swooning and fans giddy with the kind of devotion normally reserved for pop idols. On Jan. 20, 2009, the singer will release his fifth full-length studio album. Hear Noble Beast in its entirety here, exclusively on NPR Music.

Frightened Rabbit: Emotional Scottish Rockers

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:52:00 EST

Slowly stepping into the public light after years of honing their style and outfit, folks are receiving Scottish indie-rock band Frightened Rabbit with enthusiasm on all sides.

Natacha Atlas: Acoustic Takes, Arabic Classics

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:23:00 EST

She's best known for her electronica-tinged approach to Middle Eastern music. But for her latest release, Atlas takes an all-acoustic approach to folk songs from around the globe, from the Arab world to Appalachia.

WNYC's Genre Mix: Top 10 Albums Of 2008

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:09:00 EST

This is a list for the Age of the iPod Shuffle, as more people listen to more types of music than ever before. WNYC's John Schaefer mixes up his favorite CD picks for 2008, offering a wide-reaching smorgasbord of classical, pop, folk and world music.

Happy Fake Christmas And Other Holiday Pranks

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

For over 20 years, comedy writer Charlie Hauck has been sending elaborate hoax letters to his friends at Christmas. These often take the form of parodies of the kinds of family updates many folks send out around the holidays.

Richie Havens: A Folk Icon, Still Strumming

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 06:19:00 EST

Richie Havens is the man who opened Woodstock, and he hasn't stopped performing or inspiring ever since. Here, the legendary folk singer and guitarist discusses his new album, Nobody Left to Crown.

Chris Velan On Mountain Stage

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:41:00 EST

Montreal-based singer-songwriter Chris Velan played in many bands throughout his youth before forming a reggae group with his two brothers in 1998. Now a solo artist, he has two solo albums under his belt, and has honed his sound into a reggae-influenced, socially conscious brand of folk music. Velan recently performed live on Mountain Stage in anticipation of his upcoming third album, Solidago.

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.

Folk Alley's Favorite CDs Of 2008

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 14:55:00 EST

This year proved once again that folk music is alive and thriving in all its forms: Americana, bluegrass, Celtic, country, blues, world and so on. Our top picks for 2008 not only illustrate the rich mix of folk music heard every day at FolkAlley.com, but also showcase the genre's ongoing diversity and vitality.

Joker's Daughter: 'Worm's Head'

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:02:00 EST

Team Love Records describes Joker's Daughter as "folk pop," but the truth is that the collaboration between vocalist and songwriter Helena Costas and famed producer Danger Mouse is hardly typical of that genre. A full-length debut album won't be unveiled until February 2009, but a single, "Worm's Head," has been released as part of a three song EP and offers a glimpse into the eclectic nature of the project.

Odetta: Legendary Folk Singer Dies At 77

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:58:00 EST

Activist and singer Odetta has died. When you talk to some of the most famous singers in America, they'll tell you she inspired the way they sing. One moment she'd grimace like something was hurting. Then suddenly Odetta would smile. And you'd melt.

Folk Singer And Civil Rights Activist Remembered

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:04:00 EST

Folk singer Odetta Holmes died yesterday in New York. The 77-year-old enjoyed a celebrated music career and was a source of inspiration for many. She was a classically-trained vocalist but is also being remembered for lending a powerful voice to the Civil Rights movement.

Folk Legend Odetta Dies

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:00:00 EST

Folksinging legend Odetta has died. She was 77. Her ballads and songs became, for many, the sound track to the American civil rights movement.

Unbunny: 'The Path'

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:47:00 EST

Seattle-based Unbunny is primarily the work of singer and songwriter Jarid del Deo. His latest album, Sensory Underload, is a compilation of previously unreleased material spanning Unbunny's 12-year career and takes a look at many of del Deo's personalities: from introspective folk musician to pop humorist.

John Mellencamp: Heartland Rocker Goes Folk

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:16:00 EST

On Life, Death, Love and Freedom, the iconic heartland rocker John Mellencamp distances himself from his musical brand and makes a turn toward rumbling folk and blues. With the help of producer T-Bone Burnett, they created a whole new textured, acoustic sound.

Alexander Tucker: 'Veins To The Sky'

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:34:00 EST

Alexander Tucker got his start in the early 1990s in a hardcore band called Suction. Later he played synths in a space-rock group in Detroit. These days he lives in the U.K. where he writes and records as a solo artist. Tucker recently released his third album, Portal, through the London-based ATP Recordings. It's a rich mix of styles, featuring the finger-picking folk of Tucker's guitar, along with psychedelic rock, drones, detuned guitars, and sound loops.

'Worlds Of Sound' A Tribute To Folkways

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:15:00 EST

Sixty years ago, Moses Asch set out to record "all the sound of the world." He established Folkways Records — "the little label that could" — and in the decades that followed, recorded everything from folk singers, to jazz greats, to sounds of the natural world.

Hanggai: Chinese Punk Looks To The Past

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 05:47:00 EST

Modern Chinese music is most famous for sappy Canto-pop love songs. But on the mainland, young Chinese musicians are innovating and taking risks with ancient music forms such as throat singing. Former punk singer Ilchi is now a force in the Mongolian folk-music revival with his band Hanggai.