Music

Acrassicauda: Heavy-Metal Refugees

June 5, 2007 · The Iraqi band Acrassicauda fled its native country and now resides in Syria, where Suroosh Alvi helped them find a home and has been documenting the band's story online.

CD Reviews By David Was

A Historic Blues Concert, Newly Released

June 5, 2007 · In 1977, there was a historic meeting of two musical currents: albino guitarist Johnny Winter played with legendary bluesmen Muddy Waters and James Cotton. Their 1977 concert has been released on a new album, Breakin It Up, Breakin' It Down.

Authors

Author Interviewed Spector Weeks Before Shooting

June 5, 2007 · As Phil Spector stands trial for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson, his biographer is among the observers. Mick Brown, author of a new book about the legendary producer, interviewed Spector just weeks before Spector allegedly killed Lana Clarkson.

New McCartney Album Released by Starbucks

June 5, 2007 · Former Beatles front man Paul McCartney releases a new album Tuesday on the Hear Music label owned by coffee retail giant Starbucks rather than his longtime label EMI. It's just the latest measure of how much things have changed in the music business.

Pop Culture

Musicians Seek Sales Beyond Stores

June 5, 2007 · These days musicians rely on Wal-Mart and Best Buy to sell their CDs. Or they can take it a step further with Home Shopping Network. Former Beatles lead singer Paul McCartney hit the channel last week, playing songs from his new album and ruminating on the world.

Open Mic

Trappers Cabin: 'Running Down the Rain'

June 4, 2007 · Trappers Cabin is the music of Joel Nettesheim, an art-folk singer-songwriter who lives and works in the north Georgia mountains. He says his latest CD, 'For My Friends,' is "a celebration and appreciation of all the animals which populate and have populated the land."

Pop Music

Devon Sproule: Back to Roots

June 4, 2007 · At 25, singer-songwriter Devon Sproule has already released four albums, lived on a rural Virginia commune, toured with the Dave Matthews Band and drawn from musical influences as diverse as Frank Zappa, Bikini Kill and an assortment of Canadian folk music.

Song of the Day By Cecile Cloutier

Progressive Rock Gets Mordantly Witty

June 4, 2007 · Porcupine Tree mixes the virtuoso musicianship of progressive rock with modern electronic and guitar effects. The title of its song "Sentimental" takes a sly jab, given its bleak surroundings on Fear of a Blank Planet, the band's saga of numbed-out teens of the future.

World Cafe from WXPN

Andrew Bird: Defying Categorization

June 4, 2007 · Throughout his decade-long career, the songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has skillfully blended rock, folk, jazz and retro swing music. The new Armchair Apocrypha continues his trend toward a more crowd-pleasing sound.

Pop Music

Joan Armatrading on Getting 'Into the Blues'

June 3, 2007 · Armatrading's career spans nearly 35 years, but she's rarely stayed in the same genre for long. The singer has released 18 albums spanning folk, pop, rock, jazz and beyond, often within a single disc. Her new Into the Blues finds her delving into the blues.

Environment

Guitar-Wood Crime Spree

June 3, 2007 · The Western Big Leaf Maple tree is at the center of a web of crime in the Pacific Northwest. That's because its wood is prized by guitar makers.

Pop Music

The Black Keys: Down-and-Dirty Blues Rock

June 3, 2007 · The Black Keys are a duo from Akron, Ohio. The band went from college dropouts mowing lawns to cult stardom. Their sound is an ultra-retro throwback to the days when Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix channeled American blues artists. Web Extra: Hear a Full Concert