NPR Music celebrates 15 years

Plus, the best new albums out this week. [View this email online]( [NPR Music]( Oct. 1, 2022 by [Marissa Lorusso]( This week, we're sharing details about two nights of live music to celebrate NPR Music’s 15th anniversary; plus, our Latinx Heritage Month celebration continues at the Tiny Desk. [NPR Music Celebrates 15 Years]( NPR In November, NPR Music will turn 15 — and in honor of that milestone, we’re throwing a celebration: two-nights of concerts in Washington, D.C. I asked my colleague Elle Mannion, from NPR’s Events team, to tell me about the festivities, and here’s what she said: If you’ve followed NPR Music for a while, you know we take birthdays pretty seriously around here. In 2016, to celebrate 16 years of All Songs Considered, we threw ourselves a party (with a little help from friends including [Sharon Van Etten]( and [Dan Deacon](. And when NPR Music turned 10 in 2017, we celebrated at the historic 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. (alongside artists like [Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon]( and [Tank and the Bangas](. And just for fun, we celebrated Tiny Desk back in 2019 with Tiny Desk Fest (which included surprise concerts from [Sheryl Crow]( [Megan Thee Stallion]( and more). On November 28 and 29, to celebrate 15 years of NPR Music, we’re [returning to the 9:30 Club]( for two nights of performances featuring eight beloved acts, plus on-stage interviews with some artists and NPR Music staff. The shows will honor what we’ve built over the past 15 years — and also nod to the future of NPR Music and where we’re headed. Performers that’ll appear over those two nights include: Cimafunk, an artist we’ve [championed over the years]( who will kick off the party (if the Afro-Cuban rockstar’s [Tiny Desk concert]( is any indication of the type of performance he’ll put on at the anniversary event, we’re in for an exciting night); YEИDRY, [an artist on the rise]( who’s been featured on Alt. Latino multiple times and made one of our favorite songs of 2021; [indie rock favorite]( Hurray for the Riff Raff; Leikeli47, who was part of our [Austin 100]( and one of [Bob Boilen’s favorite Tiny Desk concerts]( in 2019, and most recently was [interviewed]( by Louder Than A Riot host Sidney Madden; Amber Mark, who was part of our [We Insist]( project in 2020, will play songs from her [impressive new album]( Cory Henry, who will also bring his dynamic, neo-soul- and funk-infused [music]( to the stage. And because we love a good birthday surprise, there will be a couple unannounced artists at the shows, too. [If you’re in Washington, D.C., we hope you’ll [buy tickets to join us in November](. But wherever you are in the world, you’ll be able to stream the performances live on NPR Music’s YouTube channel.] OR [The shows sold out in minutes yesterday, but if you didn’t get tickets, don’t worry — we’ll be livestreaming the performances to NPR Music’s YouTube channel so you can tune in and celebrate with us wherever you are in the world.] Thank you to everyone who has helped shape NPR Music into what it is today. Cheers to the next 15. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- New Music - Lambchop, the long-running Nashville collective led by singer and songwriter Kurt Wagner, has always been an expression of absolute possibility. The Bible, Lambchop’s new album and its best in a decade, “[wrestles plainly with the complications of getting older]( says writer Grayson Haver Currin, “while presenting whatever lessons Wagner may have about the process.” - The new album The Urban Hymnal is groundbreaking on more than one front: It manages to [translate the sound of an HBCU marching band]( — in this case, Tennessee State University’s celebrated The Aristocrat of Bands — into a studio recording. It also captures the band fully in gospel mode for the first time. "It's a journey of the gospel story, coming from 1619 all the way to 2022," says Sir the Baptist, a gospel artist and producer who helped bring the project to life. - Cool It Down is the first new album from Yeah Yeah Yeahs in nine years, and critic Stacey Anderson calls it “[an intuitive and exhilarating step forward]( The album surveys environmental ruin and pandemic-era isolation over patient noir soundscapes, Anderson writes, but ultimately lands “at a vantage of hope.” Featuring - Interpol was one of the biggest bands to come out of the downtown New York rock scene of the early 2000s. But two decades later and a couple thousand miles to the south, the band continues to have massive success — and a devoted fan base — [all across Mexico]( writes Vita Dadoo. - Joe Bussard, the record collector and American roots music historian, died Monday at age 86. Bussard sought out and preserved obscure 78-rpm records that otherwise would have disappeared and [shared the music with giddy excitement](. - Earlier this year, Tyshawn Sorey debuted his work Monochromatic Light (Afterlife) at the Rothko Chapel in Houston. This week, the composer [relaunched the deep, deliberative piece]( on a monumental new scale in a limited run at New York's Park Avenue Armory. - The rapper [Coolio]( who was among the biggest names in 1990s hip-hop, died this week at age 59. He was known for hits including "Fantastic Voyage” and "Gangsta's Paradise," for which he won a Grammy. - This week, our friends at [KUTX in Austin]( shared a video of The Tiarras performing “Soy Chingona” live in the studio. Tiny Desk [Trueno's Tiny Desk (home) concert]( NPR This week, our Latinx Heritage Month celebration continued at the Tiny Desk. [Argentinian rapper Trueno]( performed a set that feels like a meditation on the music and communities — especially his home neighborhood of La Boca in Buenos Aires — that have shaped him. And [Colombian-Canadian musician Jessie Reyez]( gave an El Tiny performance with the assuredness and deftness of a true reina owning her stage. Also this week: Tiny Desk series producer Bobby Carter was a guest on NPR’s It’s Been A Minute to talk about the [series’ recent nomination for a BET Award]( and share some behind-the-scenes stories. One More Thing "[History is freaking cool, you guys!]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Listen Live]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on [Spotify]( and [Apple Music]( What do you think of today's email? 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