Ringdown, the cinematic pop duo of Caroline Shaw and Danni Lee Parpan, stopped by WNYC in New York City to perform on New Sounds' Soundcheck and talk with host John Schaefer. They perform three songs: "Reckoning," "Thirst," and "Two-Step," their Nonesuch debut single released in March. You can watch all three and hear the episode here. Ringdown recently joined Sō Percussion on New Sounds to perform songs from Rectangles and Circumstance, the new album from Shaw and Sō, out tomorrow.

"When you speak to her, you can feel her excitement about the possibilities in music, the enthusiasm for the way music tells stories and how it connects us," NPR's World Cafe host Raina Douris says of her guest, Nathalie Joachim. They talk about her new album, Ki moun ou ye—which SPIN just named one of The Best Albums of 2024 (So Far)—and more, and Joachim performs four songs from it. You can watch it here.

"For every music lover, I think there are two basic forms of pleasure: the huge satisfaction of something you love done just perfectly, and then the thrill of hearing something altogether shockingly new. When an artist does both things at once, your head comes open a little bit, which is what happened when I first heard Cécile McLorin Salvant," David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker, says of his guest on The New Yorker Radio Hour. "She's a jazz singer for sure, someone on the level of Sarah Vaughan or Ella Fitzgerald, but her repertoire and her approach to performing are totally her own." Salvant spoke with Remnick and performed three songs with pianist Sullivan Fortner: the Funny Girl favorite "Don't Rain on My Parade," the late 16th-century John Dowland song “Can She Excuse My Wrongs," and her own “Moon Song,” from her 2022 Nonesuch debut album, Ghost Song. You can hear it all (including a shoutout to Rhiannon Giddens) here.

Caroline Shaw, Sō Percussion, and Ringdown stopped by WNYC to perform on an episode of New Sounds focused on the music of Sō's Jason Treuting. They give live performances of three songs from the upcoming album Rectangles and Circumstance: Shaw and Sō on "Sing On," joined by Ringdown (Shaw and Danni Lee) on "Slow Motion" and "The Parting Glass." You can watch all three and hear the full episode here.

"The winner of five Grammy Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Music, John Adams is one of America's greatest and most performed living composers," BBC Radio 4's This Cultural Life host John Wilson says of his guest. They talk about Adams' life, work, and the influence of Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, Steve Reich, Charles Dickens, the state of California, and more. You can hear their conversation here.

"Their latest, Ohio Players, is a blast," NPR's World Cafe host Kallao says of his guests, The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, and their new album. You can hear their conversation and a live performance of three album tracks—"Beautiful People (Stay High)," "This Is Nowhere," and "On The Game"—from this year's SXSW here.

Hurray for the Riff Raff (aka Alynda Segarra) recently gave an intimate performance at Racket in New York City for WFUV's FUV Live. They spoke with host Alisa Ali about their new album, The Past Is Still Alive, and more, and were joined by their band songs from it. You can now watch the performance of the album tracks "Alibi," "Snake Plant (The Past Is Still Alive)," and "Hakwmoon" here.

"One of my favorite music labels has a momentous birthday: Nonesuch Records is turning 60 this year," says Deepa Fernandes, co-host of NPR's Here & Now, who spoke with Nonesuch President David Bither to mark the occasion. "Nonesuch has likely influenced your musical diet even if you didn't know it." "It's very hard to say what is a Nonesuch record," Bither says. "It's not a particular genre, but maybe it represents a particular kind of ambition and originality. There's a passionate audience for the music we've tried to champion." You can hear their conversation and several musical selections from over the years here.

"Alynda Segarra is a great singer and songwriter who is also a keen observer of what's really going on out there," eTown host Nick Forster says of his guest, aka Hurray for the Riff Raff, "including struggles and oppression and injustice and drug addiction and also love and dancing and friendship and nature. It's another beautiful journey." Segarra made their debut on the show this weekend, accompanied by Johnny Wilson to perform songs from the new album The Past Is Still Alive and more, including a finale of "Midnight Special," with fellow guest Peter One. Segarra also spoke with Forster about their life, the new album, and more. You can watch the interview and performances here.

“A lot on this record is about how grief is not a punishment, it’s an act of love and it’s just another expression of love,” Hurray for the Riff Raff (aka Alynda Segarra) says of their new album, The Past Is Still Alive, on the inaugural episode of KEXP's new podcast A Deeper Listen. Host Emily Fox says: "The album's melodies are catchy, and the lyrics are so beautifully crafted. They drew me in and made time stop for a moment." You can hear their conversation here.

Sam Amidon, who is currently leading a US headline tour, is on the latest episode of BBC World Service’s Music Life along with Brìghde Chaimbeul, Rhodri Davies, and Linda Buckley. They discuss the roles of tradition and place in music, and what they might think about when performing. You can hear their conversation here.

NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross gave an encore broadcast to Carolina Chocolate Drops' 2010 interview and performance on the show. Original band members Rhiannon Giddens, Dom Flemons, and Justin Robinson spoke with host Terry Gross about their then newly-released Nonesuch debut album, Genuine Negro Jig, which went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album. You can hear the episode here.