Search results for

It was a banner year for the acoustic guitar. NPR Music partner Folk Alley presents the best the genre had to offer.

There's indie rock. And then there's indie rock in horn-rimmed glasses. The Texans at KUT pick out the top 10 "smart rock" albums of 2008, headlined by the new efforts of a few brainy Austin acts.

For all the jazz albums to be universally hailed as classics, many more deserve to be recognized as such. Here, arranger and Grammy-winning record producer Bob Belden picks five slept-on jazz classics.

In 'We Stand on Top of the Mountain,' host Jeffrey Yelverton from YourClassical MPR shares music and principles of Kwanzaa to celebrate the holiday. Listen on December 27 and 29.

It was an unusually strong year for great unknown artists. While bigger, more established bands continued to attract the most attention, smaller, lesser-known acts made the most memorable music of 2008. All of the great unknown artists featured here made music that was inspired, original and heartfelt.

Compiling a Top 10 list for Folk Alley is difficult because it wears so many different musical hats. Each hour, the music stream from WKSU presents more than just the typical folksinger, so care was taken to create an all-encompassing list of great songs. The songwriter still prevailed, though — probably because there are so many of them.

Highlights from New York's one-night festival of global sounds included music from Haiti's dance-clubs, Ukrainian experimental theater and Mexican cabarets.

Leprechauns, parades and green beer—at least in this country they're the trappings of a successful St. Patrick's Day. But the soul of Ireland is found in its music. Belfast-born flutist Sir James Galway picks his Top-5 favorite songs for the holiday.

On Second Stage, All Songs Considered producer Robin Hilton profiles the best of music's great unknowns. He chooses the best outsider artists of 2007: musicians who made remarkable recordings that were largely overlooked, led by Le Loup.