Janelle Monae, 'PYNK'

The Chart Show: Monae Makes Us Feel


Shaking up the chart this week were debuts from Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, The Decemberists, and Tune-Yards, while Janelle Monae held the top spot for another week.

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The Chart Show

The Chart Show Ballot


Vote every week for your top five tracks (and enter our weekly ticket giveaway while you're at it), then tune in Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. CT to see if your favorites make the Chart Show, hosted by Mark Wheat!

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BrownMark explains how he and Prince reinvented bass in the ’80s


When you think about the Minneapolis Sound, synths and drum machines probably jump to mind before you think of bass. Possibly the best-known thing Prince ever did regarding bass guitar was to leave it out of one of his most iconic hits: “When Doves Cry.” As BrownMark explains, though, there was a reason that song…

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Oak Center General Store

Oak Center General Store: a landmark music venue at the crossroads


'It's a truly unique venue,' says Barbara Jean of Dusty Heart, describing Oak Center General Store. 'The room itself feels like a cross between an old saloon and a barn loft -- everything from the ceiling to the creaking floor boards is wooden, with an old potbelly stove crackling and cranking out heat from the back of the room.' How much longer the venue will continue to operate is the big question.

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Talking Prince and drums with the NPG’s Michael Bland


Though Prince’s use of drum machines—in particular, the LM-1, designed by Roger Linn—was a major part of his singular sound, he could also play serious grooves in a wide array behind a real-deal drum kit. Prince began drumming at age 12. “I learned on a big box of newspapers,” he told Modern Drummer in 2001.…

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Giveaways

The Current Sessions®

Margaret Glaspy performs in The Current studio

Margaret Glaspy in The Current studio

'Born Yesterday,' the new EP from Margaret Glaspy, was largely written while Glaspy was on tour. 'That's why it's only three songs!' Glaspy laughs. In town for a show at First Avenue, Glaspy, along with guitarist Julian Lage, stopped in The Current studio for a session hosted by Mary Lucia.

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Gang of Youths spread hope and joy in The Current studio

Gang of Youths perform in The Current studio

'I think the whole point of our career was to bring a sense of hope and joy to the circumstances that are devoid of it,' says Gang of Youths frontman David Le'aupepe. 'I think every artist has their purpose, and I think in Gang of Youths, we've sort of found ours.' The Sydney-based band recently visited The Current, where they played their uplifting and empowering songs.

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L.A. Salami performs in The Current studio

L.A. Salami performs in The Current studio

Is the artist L.A. Salami (whose full name is Lookman Adekunle Salami) a storyteller, a philosopher, a poet, or just a dude in a band? 'When arrogance possesses me, I would like to think of myself as one of those,' he says. 'It's whatever people make of it.' L.A. Salami visited The Current today to play three songs that showcase this music-making wordsmith.

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Oake and Riley Features

Coffee Break: Drummer singers

Levon Helm

Levon Helm, the drummer and one of the vocalists for The Band, passed away today in 2012. So for today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what drummer singers do you want to hear?

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