Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'rocker'

At 72, Veteran Musician Scores in a New Scene

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:07:00 EDT

Best known for his sly, sexy party anthems, 72-year-old Andre Williams toiled in the music industry trenches for decades, battling homelessness and addiction along the way. Now he's been rediscovered by young white rockers.

Juanes Wins 5 Latin Grammys

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:04:30 EST

Colombian rocker and social activist Juanes took home five Latin Grammys last night, sweeping in all five categories in which he was nominated. His hit song, Me Enamora, won song of the year, record of the year and best short form music video.

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.

Sonya Kitchell, The Slip On Mountain Stage

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:57:00 EST

Kitchell is a singer-songwriter seasoned beyond her years, having previously joined Herbie Hancock on a worldwide tour. For her appearance in Charleston, W.Va., she brought along the Boston-based indie-rockers in The Slip, who appeared on Mountain Stage in 2006. Together, they promote Kitchell's latest album, This Storm.

Liz Phair Revisits 'Exile'

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:16:00 EDT

Fifteen years after she released her groundbreaking album Exile in Guyville, femme rocker Liz Phair is on tour. She's performing the album live in front of audiences. She discusses Exile's influence on herself as well as the music industry.

Buddhism And The Zen Of Punk Rock

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:28:00 EDT

Buddhism is finding a large following among fans of punk rock. What could the two possibly have in common? Rebellion and a sense of individual responsibility, according to ordained Zen master and bonafide punk rocker Brad Warner.

Joseph Arthur: Acoustic 'Temporary People'

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:27:00 EDT

Joseph Arthur is a versatile and prolific rocker. In addition to playing music, his humanitarian efforts have helped bring art, music and more to children in Northern Uganda refugee camps. For all his sterling credentials, Arthur remains easygoing and casual in this session on WFUV.

When Overqualified Jazz Musicians Go Rocker

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Music reviewer David Was takes a look at a new documentary about the The Wrecking Crew. They were the lesser known musicians responsible for hit songs from famous bands like The Beach Boys and the Monkees in 1960s and 1970s.

King Khan On Being A 'Genius'

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:00:00 EDT

International alternative rocker King Khan talks about his musical inspirations, and his new album, The Supreme Genius of King Khan.

Gabriel Kahane: Leader Of Indie Lieder

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:05:00 EDT

The singer and composer blends wry personal stories with often-complex brass and string arrangements, and mixes it up with both classical musicians and indie rockers. He performs live from his forthcoming self-titled album.

Ray Wylie Hubbard On Mountain Stage

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:54:00 EDT

Blending humor with philosophical, introspective lyrics, Hubbard's album Snake Farm packs a gut-busting punch with its deep, swampy electric grooves. The songs spin stories of humility, persistence and religious curiosity. Hear the country-blues rocker play solo and acoustic while overlooking West Virginia's New River Gorge.

Rainn Wilson, From 'Office' Drone To 'Rocker' Star

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:54:00 EDT

Twitchy undertaker, cubicle fiend, sassy convenience-store clerk — Rainn Wilson has long gravitated toward eccentric characters. But is The Office actor attempting the leap to sex symbol through his titular role in The Rocker? Given the hair-metal coif and the still-goofy humor, probably not.

Tapes 'n Tapes Walk Into Success

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:54:00 EDT

Minneapolis-based indie rockers Tapes 'n Tapes playsongs from their second full-length release, Walk It Off. Following up their critically-acclaimed debut, Tapes 'n Tapes have achieved a more cohesive, but still resolutely lo-fi, sound.

The Bloodsugars: 'Purpose Was Again'

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:12:00 EDT

The Bloodsugars's sound is either a descendent of the best aspects of '80s synth rockers or the offspring of trance and power pop. The Brookyln-based foursome takes radio-ready melodies and power chord guitar rock and blends them with dance floor beats, keyboards, and synths. The group's debut EP, BQEP, rides on the neon glow of its six tightly wound pop songs riddled with hooks.

Teddy Thompson, Embracing Modern Music

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:37:00 EDT

The son of folk-rockers Richard and Linda Thompson says he didn't listen to any music made after 1959 until he was 16. But his new album furthers his folk and country roots with some of the contemporary sounds he's grown to like.

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson: 'Woodfriend'

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:44:00 EDT

On his self-titled debut, Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson enlists all-star help in friends Chris Taylor and Chris Bear of Grizzly Bear and Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio. Yet despite recording with more accomplished rockers, Robinson has a style and flair all his own.

Peter Gabriel's 'Big Blue' Musical Mashup

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 06:00:00 EDT

For weeks at a time in the early '90s, musicians from around the world converged on the rocker's Real World Studios to meet, mingle and make music. Sixteen years later, the fruits of their experiments are now on record.

Joan as Police Woman: 'To Survive' Alone

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:31:00 EDT

Joan Wasser spent the 1990s as an alt-rocker and backup violinist in various bands. But when she started performing as Joan as Police Woman, she developed a knack for punk-informed soul. Hear an interview and stripped-down in-studio performance.

Paul Thorn: Skydiver, Boxer, Rootsy Rocker

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:58:00 EDT

After 10 years of being heralded as the "next big thing," the singer-songwriter has finally cracked the Billboard charts. As the son of a Pentecostal preacher, Thorn has no trouble infusing his latest CD with elements of gospel music.

Langhorne Slim: Soul and Fire

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:07:00 EDT

Langhorne Slim mixes folk, blues, and rock in a way that only lunatic rocker Hasil Adkins could understand. In a session on World Cafe, the Brooklyn-via-Pennsylvania songwriter conjures images of many other neo-folk singers, but there's soul, fire, and warmth in his recordings.

Danielia Cotton: A 'Rare Child'

Thu, 22 May 2008 14:23:00 EDT

On her latest album, Rare Child, singer-songwriter and soul rocker Danielia Cotton melds a wide range of influences — rock, gospel and blues — as she sings of her life and childhood.

Hilary Hahn and Josh Ritter: An Uncommon Duo

Thu, 22 May 2008 11:44:00 EDT

Their music might be vastly different, but when folk-rocker Josh Ritter and classical violinist Hilary Hahn share a concert stage, surprising connections develop between the two performers and their audience.

Neil Young Honored with Namesake Spider

Sat, 10 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT

A biologist at East Carolina University has named a new species of trapdoor spider after rocker Neil Young.

The Raveonettes: Lusty Reverb-Rockers

Wed, 07 May 2008 10:03:00 EDT

The Danish duo mixes '50s and '60s rock with harmonies inspired by The Everly Brothers and The Ronettes. But the band is no mere throwback, with an increasingly appealing and timeless rock catalog. The Raveonettes give an interview and performance on WXPN.

Drive-By Truckers: Where Southern Rock Meets Soul

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:58:00 EDT

On Brighter Than Creation's Dark, Drive-By Truckers offers an epic and emotional 19-song rock statement. The roots-music powerhouse knows its way around thundering Southern rockers, country ballads and, lately, Stax-inspired soul. Hear an interview and performance from WXPN.