World Cafe is a cutting edge, two-hour program of alternative contemporary music. It offers a broad range of innovative sounds drawn from American as well as international music. It includes music that is familiar but also showcases works by new and emerging artists.
The Great American Canyon Band is a Baltimore indie-folk act featuring husband-and-wife duo Paul and Krystal Jean Masson. The pair's first single, "Tumbleweed," is a lovely, dreamy piece of countrified rock, destined for road trips. The rest of the self-titled EP came out in May, and an additional track, "Young Lady," was released on Sept. 5; it's available for download here.
Originally published on Mon November 19, 2012 4:31 pm
Credit Tom Hines
Grizzly Bear began in 2004 as a bedroom project for Ed Droste. By 2006, Droste had a full band alongside him: Daniel Rossen, Christopher Bear and Chris Taylor. They released Yellow House the same year, but it was 2009's Veckatimest that propelled the group to worldwide fame.
Originally published on Tue December 18, 2012 8:59 am
Credit Courtesy of the artist
Detroit singer-songwriter Rodriguez has finally found the fame that had eluded him for more than four decades. In the early '70s, he achieved cult status in South Africa, while at home, he remained virtually unknown. His public obscurity sparked rumors that he'd killed himself, but while he was alive and well, he'd retreated from music, earning a philosophy degree while working as a demolition man.
Originally published on Fri October 19, 2012 6:08 pm
Credit Courtesy of the artist
As part of World Cafe's Latin Roots series, Felix Contreras from NPR's Alt.Latino explores the ranchera. We'll hear old and new examples of this Mexican narrative form.
Ahmed Janka Nabay was one of the first musicians to take 500-year-old bubu music outside of his homeland of Sierra Leone, where he'd been a rock star. Nabay was forced to flee the country in the midst of that country's civil war, and eventually wound up in Philadelphia in 2003. Nine years later, Nabay's band has released its first album, En Yay Sah, which blends bubu and electronic dance music.
