First Listen

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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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First Listen

  1. First Listen: Mount Kimbie, 'Cold Spring Fault Less Youth'
    The British beat-makers shed their electronics in pursuit of a sound designed to translate live. For their second album, Mount Kimbie's Dominic Maker and Kai Campos even trot out languid vocal performances and a real live drum kit, while still sounding like themselves in the process. More....
  2. First Listen: Tricky, 'False Idols'
    The producer's best album since the mid-'90s, False Idols is one of 2013's biggest surprises so far. His signature mix of menace and seduction still sounds contemporary after Tricky's more than 20 years in (and out of) the spotlight. More....
  3. First Listen: Laura Marling, 'Once I Was An Eagle'
    Marling's songs dig well beyond the everyday, with each sung in a wise, dusky, brooding voice that always seems in control of its surroundings. The U.K. folksinger's fourth album, Once I Was an Eagle, takes a remarkable journey over the course of 16 hypnotic, subtly inventive songs. More....
  4. First Listen: Sean Nelson, 'Make Good Choices'
    Eight years after his last album with Harvey Danger, Nelson returns with a wonderfully catchy and quotable solo record. True to virtually every piece of music the singer-songwriter has ever written, Make Good Choices is fueled by a cocktail of quotability and charm. More....
  5. First Listen: G&D, 'The Lighthouse'
    On The Lighthouse, Georgia Anne Muldrow and Dudley Perkins engineer an overstuffed, idea-packed collision of funk, soul, hip-hop, jazz, psychedelic space-rock, spoken-word poetry, protest music and more. Along the way, they examine innumerable intersections of love, politics, spirituality, healthy living, parenthood and world citizenship. More....
  6. First Listen: Piñata Protest, 'El Valiente'
    The band embraces the century-old traditions of Mexican music its members encountered while growing up in south Texas. But it also freshens classic sounds with an ear toward punk energy and reckless, intense power. More....
  7. First Listen: The Handsome Family, 'Wilderness'
    The duo returns with a concept album about wildlife, with an emphasis on nature's capacity for destruction. Animals may burrow in and out of each of these songs, but they're merely helping humanity forge a pathway to madness. More....
  8. First Listen: Glenn Jones, 'My Garden State'
    The American Primitive-style guitarist wrote My Garden State while caring for his mother in New Jersey. A bittersweet record, it reminds us that our roots are stronger than we remember — and that wherever you end up, it's about the home you make. More....
  9. First Listen: Eluvium, 'Nightmare Ending'
    Often amorphous and mostly instrumental, Matthew Cooper's songs suggest a sea of emotions: joy, sorrow, fear, love, awe. Nightmare Ending is a double album of hymns celebrating the majesty and wonder of life. More....
  10. First Listen: Classixx, 'Hanging Gardens'
    All at once, Hanging Gardens feels vibrant and vintage, unmistakably young and inexplicably nostalgic. Classixx's Michael David and Tyler Blake may be known as DJs, but they're pop stars at heart, with melody reigning over rhythm and simple chord progressions carrying the day. More....

Holy Cross, The Mahogany Stompers next up at Eric Cabonara’s Highwire Gallery series on 5/24

This month, Nada Sound Studios’ Eric Carbonara is guest curating a series of shows at Fishtown’s Highwire Gallery. Next in the...Read More

Watch Low Cut Connie perform two pop-up shows in Chicago (playing Appel Farm on 6/1 and Underground Arts on...

Local saloon-style rock band Low Cut Connie found themselves at the center of attention in a Chicago bowling alley a few weeks ago...Read More

Scottish garage rockers Paws playing a free show at Morgan’s Pier on 6/12

Scottish garage pop rockers Paws have announced a free show at Morgan’s Pier on June 12th with We Were Promised Jetpacks.  The...Read More

Non-COMM Recap: The Relatives wrap up the show with gospel harmonies (photos)

Sharply-dressed gospel-funk ensemble The Relatives wrapped up this year’s Non-COMM with a Friday night set of sweet harmonies on...Read More

Non-COMM Recap: Jose James brought smooth sounds to the World Cafe Live stage (photos)

Singer and songwriter José James and his his impressive backing band brought smooth, jazzy and eclectic sounds to Non-COMM last...Read More