NPR Music

R.E.M. played its first concert there in 1980 and still draws fans to its hometown. A visit to Athens can be like a pilgrimage of the band's music.

Jason Isbell sings about his split from musician Amanda Shires on his latest album Foxes in the Snow. "What I was attempting to do is document a very specific time where I was going through a lot of changes," he says.

Over the last few years, hardcore has transformed from an underground subculture into a mainstream phenomenon. Scowl is one of the unwitting torchbearers for this paradigm shift, but their success hasn't come without tension.

The trio from Marseille, France taps into a centuries-long tradition of Gnawa music for its Tiny Desk.

Playboi Carti's supersized blockbuster MUSIC holds at No. 1 in its second week of release. Elsewhere, Kendrick Lamar's "Luther (feat. SZA)" holds at No. 1and Morgan Wallen charts a fifth top 10 hit from an album that isn't even out yet.

Dacus mixes confession and intimacy on Forever is a Feeling. The EVEN MORE Freewheelin' Jeffrey Lewis nods to Dylan's early New York City folkie days, with a great song about the pain of existence.

Kevin Hart, returning to his Chocolate Droppa moniker, came to the Tiny Desk with a clear mission: Freestyle an entire set "off the dome."

In a volatile music industry, some musicians are gravitating towards OnlyFans, a social media platform that has garnered a reputation for hosting sexual content.

Through her music, Elida Almeida carries the heart — and irresistible rhythms — of Cabo Verde to the world.

A visit to the Treefort Music Fest in Boise, Idaho. It started as a springboard to catch artists wrapping up at South by Southwest in Austin, but is becoming a national fixture itself.