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Few bands can rival The Polyphonic Spree's sound — not to mention its size. A whopping two dozen members strong, the group brings its commanding stage presence to a live performance at WXPN and World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, along with alt-country singer Mark Olson.
"Real Life" displays Joan Wasser's musical talents, but her spellbinding voice is front and center.
Cesaria Évora's voice draws upon the swaying breezes and rhythms of her native Cape Verde. Web Extra: Hear Songs From Her CDs
The Polyphonic Spree, Travis, More
NPR critics share their favorite songs, daily.
Now featuring Rufus Wainwright, more.
Heard a song between stories on the radio? Find it here.
June 28, 2007 · Gomez's sweetly layered, melodic songs draw together elements of folk and rock, grounded by a strong pop sensibility. An accomplished guitarist, Gomez got his start in instrumental jazz before shifting gears. Hear Gomez give an interview and in-studio performance.
June 28, 2007 · Jarrett is known to spontaneously improvise entire concerts with no planning beforehand. He is equally versed in jazz, classical music and the American songbook. Marian McPartland cornered Jarrett after his Carnegie Hall concert and asked him to guest on Piano Jazz.
June 28, 2007 · The muted beat that opens Rose Kemp's "Tiny Flower" is nothing but modern: It sounds like feet crunching in snow, but had it been mixed higher, it might have sounded like something unleashed by hip-hop producer Timbaland. Then, in swoops the voice.
June 28, 2007 · Songstress Lena Horne is preparing to celebrate her 90th birthday. Author Donald Bogle talks about Horne's legendary career as a singer and an actress as chronicled in his book "Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood."
June 27, 2007 · Davis' trumpet style was instantly recognizable, even though his music was ever-changing. His was a restless spirit, always pushing himself and his music forward into uncharted terrain.
June 27, 2007 · Los Straitjackets' new album marks a radical departure from the tight instrumental rock of its predecessors: On it, the band enlisted three vocalists to help perform classic rock 'n' roll songs in Spanish. Hear Los Straitjackets give an interview and in-studio performance.
June 27, 2007 · Listener and musician Randy Granger of Las Cruces, N.M., plays the Hang, an odd-shaped instrument created in Switzerland in the late 1990s. It looks and sounds alien.
June 27, 2007 · Mitchell's work took an unexpected turn with Mingus, her streaky and often brilliant 1979 collaboration with jazz bassist Charles Mingus. After it, she sounded wiser and hipper, a jazz sophisticate whose melodies came bunched in waves and bursts of scat-singing capriciousness.
June 27, 2007 · The cross-cultural crew that is the New York band Balkan Beat Box came together around two Israeli musicians, Tamir Muskat and Ori Kaplan. Their latest album is called Nu Med; world music critic Milo Miles has a review.
June 27, 2007 · The High Strung's "Gravedigger" seems to condense the entirety of The Who's Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy into a single song. It shows both a rich appreciation for the finer points of The Who and a sharper streak of originality by capturing the band's weirdness.
June 26, 2007 · With a sound that recalls classic pop songwriters like Francoise Hardy, chanteuse and multi-instrumentalist Keren Ann combines literate, worldly pop with delicate vocals and subtly catchy melodies. Hear an interview and in-studio performance.
June 27, 2007 · NPR station WFUV has a backstage view of one of the country's most impressive music festivals, held each year in rural Tennessee. Rita Houston, host of The Whole Wide World talks with special guests Gillian Welch, Manu Chao, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Elvis Perkins.
Tell us your favorite Summer song and why you love it. Selected songs and stories will appear in our annual Summer music feature.
Eric Woodruff left the "spacerock" behind when he started alt-country outfit Prosser.
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Hear the symphonic rock group the Polyphonic Spree in a full concert, live from Washington, D.C. on NPR.org, Sat. Jun. 30
"Shadow Classics" showcases an overlooked rock, pop, soul, jazz or classical recording that critic Tom Moon feels should be discussed in the same breath as music's essential recordings.
From member station WXPN, host David Dye welcomes acts from the worlds of blues, rock, folk and alternative country.
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