Patty Griffin On World Cafe
It's a middle-age milestone, dealing with a parent's death. Singer-songwriter Patty Griffin turns the experience into powerful moments on her new album, American Kid. The album features songs inspired...
View ArticleWorld Cafe Next: Last Good Tooth
Last Good Tooth shares a hometown — Providence, R.I. — with The Low Anthem, and the two bands have both shown a penchant for experimenting with fiddles and Appalachian music.Led by songwriter Penn...
View ArticleLow Cut Connie On World Cafe
Low Cut Connie is a Philadelphia band led by piano player Adam Weiner, who's a born ham: an entertainer who will pound his piano (and his listeners) into submission. Low Cut Connie began when Weiner...
View ArticleJohn Mellencamp, Stephen King And T-Bone Burnett On World Cafe
Stephen King, John Mellencamp and T-Bone Burnett's collaboration on the musical Ghost Brothers of Darkland County began 13 years ago.
View ArticleJosé James On World Cafe
Originally from Minneapolis, José James began chasing his dreams of jazz singing at 17. He found his way to London and New York, and eventually ended up at The New School to study jazz vocals. James...
View ArticleLatin Roots: Timba, Cuba's Funky Dance Music
The Cuban music form known as timba developed in the 1980s, but exploded in popularity throughout the '90s. While training in jazz and classical conservatories, many Cuban musicians were looking for a...
View ArticleKT Tunstall On World Cafe
In the spring of 2012, Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall traveled to Tucson, Ariz., to work on her sixth album, Invisible Empire/Crescent Moon. But before she could return to finish the record, a...
View ArticleBRONCHO On World Cafe
The fun, aggressive pop band BRONCHO is reminiscent of both The Ramones and Weezer. Straddling the line between pop and punk, the band's 2011 debut Can't Get Past The Lips has 10 songs but clocks in at...
View ArticleCharles Bradley On World Cafe
Soul man Charles Bradley knew he could sing — former band members and friends always told him that. But he just never got the shot, shuttling from one odd job to another.
View ArticleFrank Turner On World Cafe
Singer-songwriter Frank Turner has a fanatically large following in the U.K. Though he might not be filling large halls in the States quite yet, his American fans are just as dedicated and...
View ArticleLatin Roots: Catupecu Machu
Though Argentina may be known for tango music, there is a strong and thriving rock scene that seems to be taking over. World Cafe recently traveled to Buenos Aires to visit the home-studio of Catupecu...
View ArticlePhoenix On World Cafe
The French band Phoenix seems to be appearing at the top of music charts all over the world. In 2009, Phoenix's album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix guided them to fame with popular tracks like "1901" and...
View ArticleNext: Danny Michel And The Garifuna Collective
Canadian Danny Michel is a veteran songwriter with a lengthy career: The folk-rock musician, whose voice recalls that of Paul Simon, already has nine albums to his name. But his latest record,...
View ArticleAlo Brasil's Alex Shaw On The Urbanization Of Samba
Based in Philadelphia, Alo Brasil synthesizes various types of samba, with the hopes of making it a style accessible to American audiences. Alex Shaw, director of Alo Brasil, recently appeared on World...
View ArticleRoots Of Samba: Exploring Historic Pelourinho In Salvador, Brazil
The first stop on World Cafe's trip to Brazil was in Pelourinho, the old part of the city of Salvador on the country's northeast coast. In this installment of Sense of Place: Rio, World Cafe captures a...
View ArticleBeautiful Bossa Nova From Rio's Seu Jorge
The music of Seu Jorge occupies a singular place in today's Brazil. His songs are widely hailed as a return to the traditional songwriting of Tom Jobim and Caetano Veloso. But his style, and his...
View ArticleSylvio Fraga: Rio De Janeiro, By Way Of New York City
In this installment of Sense of Place: Rio, songwriter Sylvio Fraga performs two songs with his trio. There are underlying hints of samba in his performance, as well as a hefty dose of American...
View ArticleOs Mutantes On World Cafe
One of the most influential Brazilian psychedelic rock bands of the Tropicália movement, Os Mutantes released its first album in 35 years, Haih or Amortecedor, in 2009.
View ArticleDo Amor: A Rock Band In Rio
The four members of Do Amor have been playing together since they were 15, when they first bonded over their love of cheap vinyl records. They recently released their second album, Piracema, even...
View ArticleBebel Gilberto On World Cafe
Bebel Gilberto may be the daughter of Joao Gilberto, one of the first bossa nova composers, but that's hardly her only claim to fame. Her album Tanto Tempo, produced by the electronic artist Suba, was...
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