Robin Hilton

First Watch: Grant Olney, 'Not From Body'

Robin Hilton — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 19:03:00 +0000

When singer-songwriter Grant Olney started working on his latest album, Hypnosis For Happiness, he never imagined it'd take six years to finish. But after laying down the first tracks in 2006, Olney left for the U.K. and the Netherlands to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics. After finishing a 300-page dissertation on something called "high dimensional geometry," Olney returned to music and found himself reflecting on identity, friendship and what it means to really know someone.

First Watch: Sam Amidon, 'As I Roved'

Robin Hilton — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:34:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCHcH2xCBlE

Song Premiere: Emily Wells, 'Los Angeles'

Robin Hilton — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 18:48:00 +0000

Singer and violinist Emily Wells was one of our favorite discoveries at last year's South by Southwest music festival. Her 2012 album Mama was a surprising and beautiful mix of hip-hop beats and strings, with folk-flavored pop arrangements. Now Wells is back with a re-imagined, all-acoustic version of Mama, with the songs stripped bare and her voice more fragile than ever.

First Watch: Field Report, 'I Am Not Waiting Anymore'

Robin Hilton — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:32:00 +0000

Guitarist and singer Chris Porterfield has done a lot of soul searching since his previous band, DeYarmond Edison, broke up in 2006. Other guys in the group went on to start their own projects — Justin Vernon formed Bon Iver, while some of the other members formed Megafaun.

Hear Lisa Hannigan Cover Nick Drake For A New Tribute Album

Robin Hilton — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:54:00 +0000

Veteran producer Joe Boyd says he'd long resisted putting together some sort of tribute album for his late friend, the legendary folksinger Nick Drake. But he finally decided to make one when Boyd realized that the recordings could be captured in a live concert.

Song Premiere: Beck Remixes Philip Glass With 'NYC: 73-78'

Robin Hilton — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 12:03:00 +0000

The latest tease from this fall's upcoming collection of remixed Philip Glass tunes comes from Beck. The 20-minute song, "NYC: 73-78," includes snippets from more than 20 Glass songs, which Beck cut together and re-imagined.

Beck turned the many clips into a gorgeous, trance-inducing meditation on Glass' nearly half-century of work as a pioneering avant-garde composer.

Song Premiere: Dana Falconberry, 'Crooked River'

Robin Hilton — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 12:14:00 +0000

My favorite new artist seems to change week to week, or sometimes even day to day. It turns out there's a lot of great music being made. But for now, my new favorite is Dana Falconberry. She's been putting out records for a few years, but only popped up on my radar this week. She's got a fantastic new record coming out soon called Leelanau, which includes this meticulously crafted little gem, "Crooked River."

Falconberry's songs on Leelanau are like magical but strange little fairy tales. They shimmer and creep.

We're Headed To Newport!

Robin Hilton — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:03:00 +0000

NPR Music will hit the road later this month and head north to Newport, R.I., where we'll live broadcast and webcast two weekends of concerts from the Newport Folk and Newport Jazz festivals. Our folk coverage begins with a live webcast of Wilco on Friday night, Jul. 27.

Old Music Tuesday: Andy Griffith's 'Flop-Eared Mule'

Robin Hilton — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 20:00:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpKhWePGNPc

Old Music Tuesday: Bill Fay's 'Be Not So Fearful'

Robin Hilton — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 17:10:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJfca3ImjKc