NPR Music

Saariaho, who battled a male-dominated educational system in her native Finland, forged a strong and singular voice in contemporary music.

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's <em>Pop Culture Happy Hour</em> share what's bringing them joy. This week: <em>Clone High, </em>the "Thursday Murder Club" mystery series, Mel Mitchell on TikTok, and more.

Sometimes the right lullaby sends my kids off to dreamland so fast it makes me feel like I have a parenting superpower. Turns out the wonder of lullabies is confirmed by scientific research.

Listen closely to The Handsome Family and it's as if you have stepped into a strange, shimmering plane.

These songs ache with loss, even as they explode in full-bore rock mayhem, and that loss extends beyond the deaths of loved ones.

Teens in jail in Virginia collaborate with musicians to compose songs, write poetry and find their voices after run-ins with the law.

The band's Tiny Desk performance featured songs that leaned right into its incalculability.

A new PBS <em>American Masters </em>documentary showcases the influence of Little Richard, a dynamo performer who never let himself be defined for long by any one musical category or sexual identity.

The Portland singer-songwriter trades in twang for psychedelia on a plane-spotting song that captures a fluctuating melancholy.

The electronic-pop musician builds a distinct sense of time and place, complete with <em>Blade Runner</em> reference.

The Museum of the City of New York is marking its centennial with an exhibition of NYC-inspired film, TV, music and fashion. But this is real New York, "not a love letter," says one of the curators.

The unwritten rules of rap unpacked in <em>Louder</em>'s second season are held together by a scarcity principle that came to define the show itself. As it draws to a close, the team reflects on its mission.