Music Features : NPR

Chronixx: 'I'm Not A Perfectionist With Music'

Chronixx onstage on Saturday at LargeUp's SummerStage event in New York City's Central Park. Sherwin Dyer/Courtesy of LargeUp hide caption

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Sherwin Dyer/Courtesy of LargeUp

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Chronixx: 'I'm Not A Perfectionist With Music'

July 29, 2014 • The roots reggae singer has played to thousands and appeared on Jimmy Fallon, but he says he is only willing to go a certain distance to please the mainstream.

Andrija Tokic in his East Nashville studio, The Bomb Shelter. Joshua Shoemaker/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Joshua Shoemaker/Courtesy of the artist

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East Nashville Rocks

July 29, 2014 • Four stories of rock and roll musicians making a home — and a scene — in a buzzing neighborhood just across the Cumberland River from the palaces of country music.

"Crash On The Highway" by Hurray For The Riff Raff

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A Rational Conversation: The Sound Of TDE's Success

Kendrick Lamar (right) onstage at the BET Hip Hop Awards 2013 in Atlanta with Ali, TDE's engineer and sometimes DJ. Rick Diamond/BET/Getty Images for BET hide caption

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Rick Diamond/BET/Getty Images for BET

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A Rational Conversation: The Sound Of TDE's Success

July 23, 2014 • One of the biggest and developing stories in hip-hop is the Los Angeles label Top Dawg Entertainment. The company employs an in-house production team responsible for its best and best-loved songs.

Prince headlined the 2014 Essence Festival at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA. Splash News/Corbis hide caption

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Splash News/Corbis

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For The Love Of Black Music

July 17, 2014 • For four days in the Superdome, the Essence Festival conjures an alternate universe where mature R&B performed by seasoned veterans is elevated over material aimed at teenagers.

'There Is No Such Thing As A Subculture In 2014'

York Factory Complaint's Ryan Martin (left) and vocalist Michael Berdan. Gillian Bowling/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Gillian Bowling/Courtesy of the artist

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'There Is No Such Thing As A Subculture In 2014'

July 10, 2014 • Frustrated by hype cycles and social media? You have a kindred spirit in York Factory Complaint, two punks who've created one of the year's most political albums. Read a Q&A with the fed-up duo.

Song Premiere: York Factory Complaint, 'Loved'

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Paramore's "Ain't It Fun" was originally released on Paramore in April 2013, but the single hit radio in February and hasn't left since. Mike Coppola/Getty Images hide caption

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Mike Coppola/Getty Images

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The Hits Of Yesterday And Today

July 3, 2014 • Many of today's biggest radio hits came out months — even years — ago. That extended lifespan can change your relationship with a song, but it's not always a matter of overexposure.

A Rational Conversation: Is Charli XCX A Pop Star?

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A Rational Conversation: Is Charli XCX A Pop Star?

July 2, 2014 • Opportunities for the British singer and songwriter have not shriveled up, despite disappointing sales for her debut album. What could be her route to stardom from here?

You've Got A Friend: Ed Sheeran's second album, X, released this week, sets out to prove that the "friend zone" doesn't have to be toxic. Ben Watts/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Ben Watts/Courtesy of the artist

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He'll Be There For You

June 26, 2014 • On his new album, X, rising singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran turns the at times troubling idea of the "friend zone" into something safe and sustaining.

Darkness Comes Alive: The Paradox Of Lana Del Rey

Elizabeth Grant, better known by her stage name, Lana Del Rey. Neil Krug/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Neil Krug/Courtesy of the artist

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Darkness Comes Alive: The Paradox Of Lana Del Rey

June 20, 2014 • Despite the fact that critics have dismissed her, Lana Del Rey's music — and her message of complicated love that approaches addiction — is more sophisticated than you might think.

Who Can I Be Now? How David Bowie Spent 1974

David Bowie in September of 1974 onstage in Los Angeles. Terry O'Neill/Getty Images hide caption

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Terry O'Neill/Getty Images

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Who Can I Be Now? How David Bowie Spent 1974

June 15, 2014 • To say that '74 was a year of change and challenge for David Bowie and his fans is an understatement as extreme as the lurid outfits he'd worn as his just-abandoned alter ego, Ziggy Stardust.

Casey Kasem, An Iconic Voice Of American Radio

Casey Kasem, in 1975. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption

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Hulton Archive/Getty Images

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Casey Kasem, An Iconic Voice Of American Radio

June 15, 2014 • There was a time when you didn't know what the No. 1 song in America was until Casey Kasem said so. The listener had an emotional relationship with the American Top 40 host for four decades.

Casey Kasem, An Iconic Voice Of American Radio

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A Rational Conversation: Album Trailers, Really?

A still from the album trailer for Daft Punk's Random Access Memories. Courtesy of Columbia Records hide caption

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Courtesy of Columbia Records

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A Rational Conversation: Album Trailers, Really?

June 3, 2014 • Amy Phillips, who runs Pitchfork News, debates whether trailers are cheap promotional pieces or creative outlets for artists.

D'Angelo with Nelson George (left) onstage at the Brooklyn Museum Wednesday night. Drew Gurian/Red Bull Content Pool hide caption

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Drew Gurian/Red Bull Content Pool

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D'Angelo: 'I'm Trying To Go Deep'

May 23, 2014 • In a conversation with author Nelson George at the Brooklyn Museum, the elusive singer and songwriter spoke on his idols, his process and his teenage years, and hinted at a new album.

Listen: D'Angelo In Conversation With Nelson George

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The Long Shadow Of Tom Warrior, Metal's Dark Innovator

Throughout his career, Thomas Gabriel Fischer has hinted that he makes his best music under bleak circumstances. Ester Segarra/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Ester Segarra/Courtesy of the artist