CD Of The Month

WXPN Radio

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

Listen Xpo

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

Singer Songwriter Radio

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

Folk Radio

Folk music radio streaming on the web; Americana, Roots Music, recordings, and stories from folk's best.
Listen Live

Ollabelle is a six piece New York based band that draws on gospel, blues, R&B, folk, rock and jazz. Formed as a side project of singer-songwriters and musicians from New York that played informally at a Sunday night gospel show at a club, 9C, located in the East Village, the band was signed by T-Bone Burnett to his label, DNZ records.

Published in 2004

All Of Our Names is Sarah Harmer’s second album, the follow-up to her wonderful 2000 debut You Were Here. The Canadian singer-songwriter received great critical acclaim for her very personal debut; Time magazine called it “the year’s best debut,”

Published in 2004

Music lovers are walking away speechless and awestruck from her live shows. The music press is tripping over its feet in jubilation, praising her eclectic debut as one of the best of the year so far. And with good reason: 19 year old Nellie McKay’s tin-pan alley-esque social commentaries are draped in comparisons to Doris Day, Randy Newman, Eminem, even Linkin Park and Tom Lehrer.

Published in 2004

Since the early 1970’s multi-instrumentalist, ace studio musician and singer and songwriter Randall Bramblett has been a significant footnote in rock history. Not everyone can stand in the spotlight, yet Randall has had a substantial studio career performing with Widespread Panic, Elvin Bishop, Government Mule, the reunited Traffic, Robbie Robertson, and Steve Winwood.

Published in 2004

Like Maxwell, D’Angelo, Anthony Hamilton, Jill Scott, Musiq, and Macy Gray, Van Hunt is a member of the “neo-soul” generation - a new generation of young artists who draw on R&B’s rich past yet give it their own unique spin.

Published in 2004

For the uninitiated - and those unfamiliar with her music - Jonatha Brooke has been making solo records that bridge folk and pop since the mid-Nineties. Prior to her solo career, Jonatha was a member of The Story, a duo that also included Jennifer Kimball. Their 1989 debut, a collection called Grace In Gravity, was originally released on the folk-based Green Linett record label, and the band was promptly signed to Elektra Records.

Published in 2004

One Moment More is the striking debut album from singer-songwriter Mindy Smith. It's an album filled with intelligent well-crafted songs characteristic of releases by artists like Norah Jones, Alison Krause, Gillian Welch, and Patty Griffin. Drawing on a variety of acoustic genres including country and folk the songs are honest, organic and from-the-heart - a winning combination for any artist to touch listeners regardless of the genre.

Published in 2004

What do you say to a new artist who won a handful of Grammies for her debut album that sold over 12 million copies globally..."What do you do for encore, Norah?"

What is so exciting about Norah Jones ‘s 2002 mind blowing climb to fame is that it really came out of nowhere. Her debut album Come Away With Me beat the odds and musical trends - and deserved to.

Published in 2004

July 14, 2001 approximately 11 months (count ‘em – 11) after Five For Fighting and John Ondrasik released America Town, John was on stage at XPN’s Singer-Songwriter Weekend and still on the brink of commercial success. John sat down at the piano and played the opening chords to “Superman,”

Published in 2004

Wendell and Sherman Holmes, and Popsy Dixon have been playing their funkified and gospel inspired blues and R&B since the Sixties and released their first album in 1989 on Rounder Records. In The Spirit was an instant classic, showcasing their tight rhythm playing and vocal harmonies. Early supporters included Peter Gabriel and Van Morrison, while Joan Osborne produced their last album and hired them as her backing band in 1997. It has taken them almost a quarter of a century, but now The Holmes Brothers are internationally acclaimed performers.

Published in 2004

Help Support WXPN

Make Music Philly Spotlight: Sylvia Platypus

If the name alone wasn’t enough to pique your curiosity, then the bagpipes will. Philly’s own six-piece...Read More

Light Heat’s new album now streaming at The New York Times website (appearing on XPN Philly Local...

Light Heat‘s self-titled debut is due out on June 25th via Ribbon Music, but if you’re itching to hear it now, the album...Read More

Folkadelphia Session: Balto (performing at Lickety Split this Wednesday)

Because you love to discover great music, this week we’ll be debuting 3 new Folkadelphia Sessions for you to fall in love with....Read More

How some Philly punk rockers are giving back to the community with the Big Footprints Project

Brendan Lukens is used to watching things grow right before his eyes. The frontman and founder of Philly local pop punk band Modern...Read More

Watch a conversation with instrumental duo El Ten Eleven, shot at the North Star (playing Johnny Brenda’s on...

El Ten Eleven is a duo that doesn’t like to be captured in a label.  They make powerful instrumental music that spans various...Read More