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The premier guide for new and significant artists in rock, blues, and folk - including NPR-syndicated World Cafe ®

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24/7 Musical discovery. A unique mix of emerging and heritage blues, rock, world, folk, and alt-country artists.

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Featuring classics from heritage troubadours to new musicians and bands in the singer-songwriter tradition.

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Folk music radio streaming on the web; Americana, Roots Music, recordings, and stories from folk's best.
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December 31, 2012 - London folk rockers Mumford and Sons made a splash on the indie music scene with their 2009 debut album Say No More. The album combines the raspy crooning vocals of lead singer Marcus Mumford with lush harmonies and thoughtful lyrics in songs that range from soft and soothing to rocking, toe-tapping tunes.
Published in Guests

Hear a Live Friday Free At Noon Concert at 12noon ET from WXPN and NPR Music
Broadcast Live Fridays from the stage atWorld Cafe Live


Third World Well known as ambassadors of reggae, Third World is a Jamaican outfit that came together in the 1970s and has since become something of an institution. They've had 35 years of experience. Despite several line-up changes over the years, their sound has remained just as fresh and inspiring over the decades. Incorporating Jamaican folk music as well as pop, R&B, rap, soul, and classical music influences, Third World has changed the face of reggae.

Hitting it big in the late '70s with singles such as the reggae-fusion release "Now That We Found Love", Third World has collaborated with the likes of Stevie Wonder and shared the stage with The Jackson 5 and Bob Marley and the Wailers. Dedicated to the spread of 'peace, love, and unity', Third World has released 22 albums and garnered numerous awards such as the 1986 United Nations Peace Medal, the 1992 and 1996 Jamaica Music Industry awards for Best Show Band, and ten Grammy nominations. Third World's latest release, 2005's "Black Gold & Green," refers to the colors of the Jamaican flag. Its thirteen tracks are upbeat and inspired, featuring a Bruce Cockburn cover and plenty of pop-infused new material.

Don't miss this week's Free at Noon performance, featuring one of the best-known reggae acts out there. Famed for their striking and expert performances, Third World are sure to give a great show.

This legendary Jamaican Reggae band has been performing for nearly 40 years and plays The Trocadero in Philly, Saturday, April 28!

Website: thirdworldband.com/
Myspace: myspace.com/thirdworldreggaeband Facebook: facebook.com/thirdworldband
Recent Release: PATRIOTS
Release Date: April 5, 2011
Label: THIRD WORLD MUSIC GROUP distributed by VP RECORDS
Hometown: Jamaica

A co-production of WXPN and NPR.org/music.
Made possible by support from XPN Members, and Comcast.

Published in Free At Noon
Dwight Yoakam The legendary country singer-songwriter and actor continues to fuse multiple genres in his music with 3 Pears, his first album in five years. Released last month, the record is full of surprises, jumping from Motown and soul to light pop and no-frills rock and roll.
Published in Guests
credit Pamela Littky The Divine Fits are an indie rock group comprised of Spoon’s Britt Daniel, Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs, and New Bomb Turks’ Sam Brown. A few years ago, Daniel attended a Handsome Furs concert; he and Boeckner have remained friends ever since.
Published in Guests
Debo Band Debo Band is an eleven member group from Boston that has a sound deeply influenced by the traditional music played in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in the late 60’s and early 70’s. This groovy harmony, referred to as Addis swing, came about in the cultural freedom of that period before a military coupe put an end to the era.
Published in Guests
Photo Credit:  Courtesy of Jo Metson Scott It has been six years since Beth Orton released an album. In 1993, Orton had a chance meeting with Grammy winning producer William Orbit.
Published in Guests
David Wax Museum The David Wax Museum fuses traditional Mexican and American folk music into what the band refers to as “Mexo-Americana,” a style that is lively and unique. Museum’s breakthrough came during a performance at the 2010 Newport Folk Festival after which they were dubbed the breakout act of the festival.
Published in Guests
Iris Dement Singer-songwriter Iris DeMent was born the youngest child of a large, Pentecostal family in rural Arkansas. She later moved to southern California and grew up listening to traditional country and gospel music that largely influenced her folk-country sound.
Published in Guests
Yasek Manzano Our Sense of Place Havana continues with a look at jazz in Cuba.
Published in Guests
Photo Credit:  West Vit San Antonio-based group Hacienda is a family band, comprised of brothers Abraham, Jaime, and Rene Villanueva and their cousin Dante Schwebel. The Tex-Mex rockers had just started the band and recorded their first demo when they had an encounter that would change the course of their musical career.
Published in Guests
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