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Music Features

Friday

Watch Brandi Carlile's Star-Studded Video Tribute To Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell and Brandi Carlile at Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration in 2018. Carlile recently performed a tribute to Mitchell's Blue. Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for The Music Cente hide caption

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Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for The Music Cente

Watch Brandi Carlile's Star-Studded Video Tribute To Joni Mitchell

Carlile's tribute concert established a new approach to canonizing Mitchell's work. And in a video produced for the concert, musicians and friends share their favorite lyrics by Mitchell.

First Reviled, Now Revered: The Historic Albums Of 1969

The lineup of Santana as of May, 1969, photographed in San Francisco. From left: Michael Shrieve, Carlos Santana, Gregg Rolie, Jose 'Chepito' Areas, David Brown and Michael Carabello. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images hide caption

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Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

First Reviled, Now Revered: The Historic Albums Of 1969

It's not easy to see that history is being made when it's happening right in front of you — just ask the critics tasked with assessing these classic, ahead-of-their-time recordings.

Music

How I Made It: Flor De Toloache

When Mireya Ramos found herself subject to scrutiny and machismo as the only woman mariachi singer in the male-dominated mariachi circles, she decided to do something about it. So she founded Flor De Toloache in 2008, the first all-female mariachi in New York City. The Latin Grammy winning group's new album, 'Indestructible,' features beautiful harmonies and creative fusions that go beyond traditional mariachi. Today, we hear from core members of the group who describe how they came to be and how the sisterhood they have formed, made them.

How I Made It: Flor De Toloache

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Wednesday

Forgotten: The Things We Lost In Kanye's Gospel Year

Kanye West performs his Sunday Service event during the 2019 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 21, 2019 in Indio, Calif. Rich Fury/Getty Images for Coachella hide caption

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Rich Fury/Getty Images for Coachella

Opinion

Forgotten: The Things We Lost In Kanye's Gospel Year

In 2019, Kanye West rose from the ashes of a career flameout by taking his faith on tour. But engaging with this self-styled salvation means forgetting what gospel music was created to do.

Saturday

Friday

Wednesday

Sudden Death Of A Young K-Pop Star Spurs Talk Of Action On Mental Health, Bullying

Fans and supporters of singer/actress Sulli flooded social media with posts celebrating her artistry, praising her outspoken and unapologetic stances on sexuality and feminism, and calling for an end to online harassment and bullying. Han Myung-Gu/WireImage/Getty Images hide caption

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Han Myung-Gu/WireImage/Getty Images

Sudden Death Of A Young K-Pop Star Spurs Talk Of Action On Mental Health, Bullying

Sulli wasn't afraid to defend herself against online bullies, or advocate for women's rights in South Korea — a relative rarity. Now, after her death, the country is looking inward.

Tuesday

'There Will Be No Darkness': Laetitia Tamko On The Making Of 'Vagabon'

"I'm naturally soft spoken," Laetitia Tamko says. "But when I sing, I'm not soft spoken." Kholood Eid for NPR hide caption

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Kholood Eid for NPR

Featured Stories

'There Will Be No Darkness': Laetitia Tamko On The Making Of 'Vagabon'

Laetitia Tamko has found a way to cram all of the sounds that personally move her — pop, punk, trap, African music — into Vagabon. "I feel like I made an amazing record. Why can't I say that?"

'There Will Be No Darkness': Laetitia Tamko On The Making Of 'Vagabon'

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Thursday

Wednesday

Tuesday

2 Years After Route 91, Nashville's Artistic Community Is Still Learning How To Heal

Rafael Sarabia holds an American flag in tribute to those killed during the Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting on Oct. 1, 2017, in Las Vegas. Ethan Miller/Getty Images hide caption

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Ethan Miller/Getty Images

2 Years After Route 91, Nashville's Artistic Community Is Still Learning How To Heal

"I think everyone got on their horse too fast," says trauma therapist Dr. Lee Norton of the many performers affected by the 2017 tragedy — but there's often no other choice for stage-bound artists.

How I Made It: KAINA

Chicago is a breeding ground for diverse sounds: it is the birthplace of house music and has a thriving indie hip-hop scene. One of the city's up-and-coming artists is Kaina Castillo. Known simply as KAINA, the 23-year-old singer-songwriter blends genres like soul and rock, creating dreamy soundscapes. A Latina of Venezuelan and Guatemalan descent, she writes about struggling with her identity, all while uplifting her immigrant roots. In this "How I Made It" segment, KAINA tells us about what it was like growing up with a small family, making a name for herself in Chicago's vibrant music scene and the inspiration behind her album.

How I Made It: KAINA

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Thursday

Netflix Loves Music Content – But Also All Other Content

From left: Caleb McLaughlin, Kai, Gaten Matarazzo and Suho, photographed in Seoul, South Korea on June 20, 2019. McLaughlin and Matarazzo star in the popular Netflix series Stranger Things; Kai and Suho are members of the K-pop group EXO. JTBC PLUS/Imazins via Getty Images hide caption

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JTBC PLUS/Imazins via Getty Images

Netflix Loves Music Content – But Also All Other Content

Netflix seems to release so many music-related projects — but are they just another box to check on the road to eyeball monopolization?