From the archives of the nationally-acclaimed WORLD CAFE® radio show, comes this series of limited edition CDs. This collection of rare, live performances from the most significant musical artists has created over the past 15 years and today is an absolute must-have for music fans nationwide.
The sound of The Magic Numbers revolves around the brilliant songwriting and guitar playing talents of singer Romeo. Born and raised in Trinidad (where his mother had her own opera show on TV)
Being this month's WXPN Artist To Watch coincides with Boggia's second solo release Safe In Sound due in stores on May 3.
Authentic. Timeless. Harmonious. Exhilarating. Any or all of these adjectives could describe the folk-rock sound created by Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion.
Blue Merle is a band that doesn't simply defy expectations; it renders them irrelevant. Despite its mostly acoustic instrumentation, the band is well practiced at the art of catching an audience unaware and transporting it to a place of pure rock pleasure.
Listening to Danielia Cotton, you're bound to believe: Black is rock and roll.
As the daughter of a jazz singer, Danielia grew up in a small New Jersey town.
For a band no one outside of New York had heard before June 2005, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have certainly done well for themselves. Their success is even more impressive when you consider the fact that they aren't signed to a record label,
Britain's Guillemots are a young band greatly skilled at fusing unique sonic textures to their catchy and uplifting music. {readmorelink}Read More...{/readmorelink}
So who is Gnarls Barkley? It seems that, in the music world, Gnarls Barkley is always nearby yet impossible to find. The membership rolls of both the Atlanta hip-hop collective Dungeon Family and Athens, Georgia's psychedelic enclave Elephant Six list Barkley as an affiliate, but mention him to either group and they'll shoot each other frightened looks and start talking basketball. {readmorelink}Read More...{/readmorelink}
As most people probably know the only things closer to Helen Leicht's heart (other than her family and Paul McCartney) are our local musicians. Helen loves having the opportunity to share this music with you, the WXPN audience.
From NPR Music and WXPN, hear a live mix of roots rock, folk, country and more.
Made possible by XPN Members, and Comcast.
XPN Free at Noon at the World Cafe Live.
A co-production of WXPN and NPR Music.
Called a musical mixologist for his expert blending of differing genres, Citizen Cope (Clarence Greenwood) is the name for both the lead singer and the band he heads. Born in the blues-drenched city of Memphis, the young musician learned to tell stories with music and has continued to do so ever since. Hip-hop beats, quiet piano melodies, a hint of pop, and ever-present blues have served him well in every release. He'll be performing this Friday at World Cafe, bringing his "gritty urban poetry" to the stage for a lunch-break performance.
First catching the eye of the music world in the '90s with his contributions to rap albums, Citizen Cope released his debut in the mid-90's, "Cope Citizen". He's created three more LPs to date, as well as contributing his talents as a DJ, singer/songwriter, keyboardist, guitarist, and producer to numerous projects. His latest album, The Rainwater LP, is due out this March on his own label.
Releasing half of the album to devoted fans in the fall of 2009, Citizen Cope has built anticipation for the second half with its deeply personal feel. As said by the creator, ""When you’re writing a song, you take in everything – the people you’ve met, what you’ve experienced. You take in everything and it makes a story.” The Rainwater LP is filled with stories from the life and musical journey of Citizen Cope, and told well. As quoted in Rolling Stone, he's "a modern day bluesman who paints a plaintive portrait of the human condition".
Be sure to make it to this week's Free at Noon with Citizen Cope as he stops in Philly for his massive album tour. This will be one heck of a bluesy lunch break.
Website: http://www.citizencope.com/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/citizencope
Recent Release: The Rainwater LP
Release Date: March 2, 2010
Label: Rainwater Recordings, Inc.
Origin: Brooklyn, NY
Due to the construction in the area, free parking is no longer available for XPN Free At Noon shows. Metered parking on 31st street is no longer available, and metered parking on Walnut Street is extremely limited as a result of the closure and reconstruction of the South Street Bridge, and the rerouting of traffic onto Walnut Street.
Public transportation to XPN Free At Noon is recommended. WXPN has made arrangements with the University of Pennsylvania to open UPENN Lot #26 on Walnut Street between the hours of 10:30am and 2pm every Friday. If you must drive, you can park there (Cost is $5.00). Entrance to the Lot 26 is on Walnut Street, just east of 32nd street. Here's a link to Penn's Parking map.
When you come to XPN's Free At Noon Concerts, bring a can of food to support Philabundance, Delaware Valley's hunger relief organization. We have drop-off boxes to collect canned goods for the needy. Current priority items include: canned pasta, chili, beef stew, tuna, mac & cheese, ready to eat cereal, pork & beans/ baked beans, green beans, corn, fruit cocktail, creamy peanut butter and/ or grape jelly (plastic containers only), and boxed sugar. Thanks!
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Dr. Dog, Carrie Rodriguez, Annuals, DeVotchKa, Adele, Angel Taylor, Winterpills, Sharon Little, Ollabelle, Andrew Lipke, The Low Anthem, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Sean Lennon, Chris Smith, California Guitar trio, Joan Osborne, Disco Biscuits, Damien Rice, Cold War Kids, Marc Broussard, The Slip, Arlo Guthrie, Alice Smith, The Dears, Barenaked Ladies, and more...
WXPN Free at Noon Photo Gallery at Flickr
Click to visit our gallery for photos of the Free At Noon Concerts! Previous concerts include Hall & Oates, O.A.R., Citizen Cope, Old Crow Medicine Show, Kaki King and many more!
The music of The Slip is deceptively straightforward rock. The layers and intricacy of the sound, with persevering drums, melodic vocals, and guitars that easily transition between smooth background and a driving heaviness, come through on a second listen.
Singer-songwriter Sasha Dobson upholds the jazz tradition of past greats like Ella Fitzgerald while breaking conventional rules. Her sultry voice, amazing talent and extensive performance experience makes her a very notable artist to watch.
Meet Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero. They play flamenco guitar and are influenced as much by Metallica and Led Zep (which they cover on their debut) as they are influenced by Al DiMeola and Strunz & Farah. Their self-titled debut in the States is on ATO Records, and was produced by John Leckie.
It's not hard to see why Melody Gardot's debut album Worrisome Heart (Verve) has already established her as one of music's most exciting new discoveries. The 23-year-old chanteuse's songs offer deeply compelling evocations of love, {readmorelink}Read More...{/readmorelink}
Vampire Weekend has emerged from the fertile New York indie-rock scene. All four of its members met while attending Columbia University. Still, they stick out of the crowd for two reasons.
Lily Allen is the 21-year-old singer/songwriter who has been tearing up the web lately. As a young girl, she went to 13 different schools and never had time to make enduring friendships, so music became her lifeline.
The Bird & The Bee is an adult-pop duo from Los Angeles who have been living and loving music almost from birth. Their passion is beginning to pay off in a big way.
Amy Winehouse has exploded onto the UK pop scene as a retro-inspired, yet fiercely liberated, very modern soul singer. Her joyful clash of pop jazz stylings with brash hip-hop attitude and powerful vocals has turned more than just heads.
Sea Wolf is Alex Brown Church, best known as the bassist and co-singer/songwriter for the L.A. indie-rock band Irving.
Devendra Banhart was named by guru Maharaji Prem Rawat. In an Indian myth, Devendra is identified as "king of gods." cripplecrow.com
South roots country rocker, Ryan Bingham, has a rough style that encapsulates his life struggles on Texas and New Mexico ranching communities. Though he is still young at 26 years old, his husky voice and mature content makes him appear wise beyond his years.
Working as waitress at the start of 2008, soul-pop singer Sharon Little was suddenly the opening act for big-name stars Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, and T-Bone Burnett in their national Raising Sand tour. Though she could be called an overnight sensation, Little has been honing her distinctive, bluesy style for years.
The Irish pop rock band Bell X1, originally known as Juniper, have experienced a multitude of changes on the path to the successful spot they currently hold. Though they were lead by popular vocalist Damien Rice, Rice ended up leaving Jupiter and was replaced by drummer Paul Noonan. Soon after the group changed their name and became Bell X1. Of their three studio-recorded albums, Flock, released February of 2008, has proven to be the most successful. The album reached #1 in Ireland and gained a huge following throughout the U.K.