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Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Stagecoach; Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Warner Bros. DiscoveryIt's a slow week on the Billboard charts, but Jack Black breaks a surprising record on the chart. Plus, rapper Doechii lands her first Top 10 album and Alex Warren's 'Ordinary' continues to move up the Hot 100. -
Chad Lanning for Portland State UniversityTo foster equity and community, people gather several times a year to sing together in Portland, Oregon. The woman behind this effort has twice been nominated for a Grammy in music education.
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The seven acts voted into the Rock Hall this year include Southern rap and Midwest garage rock duos, pillars of the grunge and English blues rock eras and the '80s most unusual pop star. -
The legendary west African kingdom of Kaabu has long been memorialized in the songs and stories of griots. That's inspired archaeologists to excavate the kingdom's capital. -
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Samia about her new album, Bloodless, and the inspiration she took from contemplating nothingness.
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For musicians like Rhiannon Giddens and Rissi Palmer, trying to break down doors in the folk and country music scenes has been a long road. A festival in Durham this weekend aims to remedy that. -
Haggard, who died in 2016, spoke to Fresh Air in 1995 about his love of trains. When he became a star, he acquired his own observation car. Now that coach is part of the Virginia Scenic Railway.
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On Robeson, opera singer Davóne Tines pays tribute to the musician often remembered for singing "Ol' Man River." Tines' album pairs well with the 14-CD album Paul Robeson: Voice of Freedom.
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NPR Music's Stephen Thompson welcomes Ayana Contreras of Denver public radio stations KUVO Jazz and The Drop to discuss today's top new releases. -
Vote for your favorite independent artist in this year's Tiny Desk Contest. -
Formed in 1975, Pere Ubu embodied the industrial decay and hardscrabble ethics of Cleveland. Thomas tied together the band's sound with uncompromising vocals that exuded steely menace and unfettered anguish. -
NEA Jazz Master Braxton turns 80 this year. Lehman, one of his proteges, has created a tribute that highlights the composer's early work and shows the roads to and from his music.
