World Cafe

If you've watched any livestreamed shows or concerts during self-isolation or done any video chatting at all, you know that there can be challenges: when someone's stuck on mute, or there's a bad connection, or there are awkward pauses, or if people talk over each other.

Each month, NPR member stations share the tunes that they can't get enough of. In spite of the uncertainties that plague the world outside, April brought us "Shameika," a new Real Estate track that features Sylvan Esso's Amelia Meath, the latest from virtuosic nu-jazz collaborators Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes, a stunning Nirvana cover from Amber Mark and more.

All songs from this month's Heavy Rotation are available to stream on the Spotify playlist at the bottom of this page.

You might not be able to pack your bag, get on an airplane and jet off to some new exciting place right now, but don't worry, you can still travel and explore here with World Cafe Sense of Place. In this series, we take you deep into one city's music scene, and today, we're kicking off our sessions from Los Angeles, with more to come every Friday in May.

Steve Earle knows how to tell a story. Talking to him is a whirlwind of names and places, moments that changed him, songs that moved him, lots of laughs, sharp observations and little bits of wisdom. He's someone who knows the value of storytelling as a way to find our shared humanity.

While Nashville's standard studio music-making processes remain at a quarantined standstill, here's another roundup of compelling new and recent music from visitors, part-timers, newcomers and lifers alike.

Lately — and maybe you've felt like this too — the passage of time feels weird. Whether you're working every day or you're stuck at home (or both), with our regular routines interrupted, it's hard to know sometimes what day it is. So, every so often we're doing away with the idea of time altogether here on World Cafe and taking you back into the archives to bring you Classic World Cafe sessions.

Today has been officially declared Public Radio Music Day across the country. It's a day to celebrate public radio, music and the people who love and support it. We're proud to be a part of the longstanding public radio tradition of helping you discover new artists, supporting the weird and wonderful and diving deep into the artists you love while going off the beaten musical path — and, as we discovered while doing some crate digging here at World Cafe, it's a love that goes both ways.

Thursday, April 16 has been officially declared Public Radio Music Day to celebrate the role that non-commercial music stations play in the lives of both artists and listeners. Here at World Cafe, we've decided to have some fun by filling the entire two hours of our radio broadcast with songs that mention the radio.

Sometimes, even when you think you have everything perfectly planned out, life can be unpredictable. New Orleans artist Maggie Koerner wasn't looking for a career in music; in fact, she was on her way to getting her master's in child psychology.

A couple years ago, Caroline Rose made a big impression with the release of her third album, Loner. It was a big departure for her: Up until then she'd usually been categorized as a folk artist, but Loner was a foray into power pop, punk, and electronic music. It was hailed by critics as her best work yet.

Growing up, my parents would make the drive from Chicago to my grandmother's house in Waukon, Iowa (population: just over 3,000) for visit. While in town, I distinctly remember the only sounds we'd hear in that tiny house: The only radio station played all classic country, all day long.

Since new release season is rolling on while the Nashville music community and the rest of us remain holed up at home, here's another round-up of music that shouldn't be missed.

Every month, we ask radio stations around the country one critical question: What's the one song you can't stop listening to? March's lineup brings you a comeback track from The Strokes, a jazz-tinged rendition of "Jolene," a new tune from the ever-innovative Thundercat and more.

All songs from this month's Heavy Rotation are available to stream on Apple Music and the Spotify playlist at the bottom of this page.

A few months ago, World Cafe went to Virginia for our Sense of Place series. Last month, you may have heard us explore Charlottesville, and starting this week, we bring you stories we collected during our trip to Richmond.

Stuck at home? Self-isolating? Quarantined? Feeling a bit (or extremely) anxious about this whole situation? Same. These days, I'm hosting World Cafe from a small apartment in Toronto. I haven't been outside in days, and I know I'm not alone.

So I made a playlist about all those feelings. On it, you'll find songs about isolation: about being alone and not leaving the house. There are songs about wondering what it's like outside now, and wondering what it will be like outside when this is over. And finally, there are songs about what to do to pass the time.

The fact that Nashville's famously bustling live music scene has temporarily gone silent — first partially interrupted by the March 3 tornadoes, then halted altogether in response to COVID-19 — makes this an opportune time to catch up with the loosies, EPs and albums that either went overlooked in the crowd of early 2020 releases or won't be getting signal boosts from now-canceled promotional performances.

This month on Heavy Rotation, hear the latest from indie-pop duo Tennis, a gospel-infused jazz standard from vibraphonist Warren Wolf, the '80s nostalgia of Green Day's newest track and more in this dynamic mix curated by NPR Public Radio Member Stations.

All songs from this month's Heavy Rotation are available to stream on Apple Music and the Spotify playlist at the bottom of this page.

All this week, World Cafe has been taking you on a tour of the Charlottesville, Va., music scene with our Sense Of Place series. Next month we'll continue our musical tour of Virginia with Sense Of Place: Richmond.

All this week we're joining you on the road from Charlottesville, Va., for our Sense Of Place series, where we bring you a deep dive into one community's music scene. And today, it doesn't get more Charlottesville than the Hackensaw Boys, who have been performing together for nearly 20 years.

It's Mardi Gras season and in North America, no celebration is more famous than the one put on by the people of New Orleans. For two weeks, local groups called Krewes organize balls, parades and dance parties. Colorful plastic beads are everywhere.

Kate Bollinger writes smart, melodic indie pop music. It makes for easy listening, but there's real insight in her lyrics. Dig deeper and you'll discover a thoughtful songwriter coming into her own.