Anastasia Tsioulcas | NPR

Ryuichi Sakamoto, a trailblazing composer and producer who was one of the first musicians to incorporate electronic production into popular songcraft, has died at the age of 71.

Sakamoto died on March 28 after a multi-year battle with cancer, according to a statement published on his website Sunday. "We would like to share one of Sakamoto's favorite quotes," the statement read. "'Ars longa, vita brevis.' Art is long, life is short."

The Japanese composer had an exceptionally wide-ranging career: he was by turns a synth-pop idol, the composer of both sweeping film scores and quiet, gentle sound environments, and a collaborator of such artists as David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Bernardo Bertolucci.

As a member of Japan's hugely influential band Yellow Magic Orchestra and as a solo artist, he was a grandfather of electronic pop music, making songs that influenced early hip-hop and techno.

Born on January 17, 1952, Sakamoto enjoyed a culturally rich childhood; his father was the editor for such postwar Japanese novelists as Kenzaburo Oe and Yukio Mishima. He began taking piano lessons when he was 6 years old, and later started writing his own music. As a teenager, he became enamored of the work of Claude Debussy — a composer who himself had been inspired by Asian musical aesthetics, including that of Japan.

As Sakamoto told Weekend Edition in 1988, "I think my music is based on a very Western system, because there's a beat, there's a melody, there's harmony. So this is Western music. But you know, some feeling, some atmosphere, or sense of sound is a little bit Asian, maybe 25, 30 percent."

By the time Sakamoto reached university to study composition, his musical life was already following multiple paths simultaneously. At school, he was absorbing heady works by the giants of post-war European modernism, like Stockhausen, Ligeti, Xenakis and Boulez. But he was also playing Okinawan folk music and free jazz in his spare time, as well as combing record stores for Kraftwerk.

In 1978, he joined multi-instrumentalist Haruomi Hosono and drummer Yukihiro Takahashi to form the band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). Sakamoto played keyboards, and all three members sang.

YMO proved to be an enormous cultural force not just in Japan, but internationally. With its playful, heavily layered and sophisticated use of electronics, the band — and its members' solo projects, including Sakamoto's track "Riot in Lagos" — became a guiding light for the burgeoning hip-hop and techno communities.

YMO did a turn on Soul Train, performing their song "Computer Games." Afrika Bambaataa sampled their "Firecracker" for his "Death Mix (Part 2)." In 1993, a group of leading ambient, house and techno musicians paid tribute to YMO's influence with an album called Hi-Tech/No Crime, featuring YMO remixes from producers including The Orb, 808 State and Orbital.

In 1983, he acted alongside David Bowie in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, directed by Nagisa Oshima. Sakamoto also wrote the movie's score, his first. At his initial meeting with Oshima, Sakamoto told The Guardian in 2000, he asked to write the movie's music — marking the start of a long and notable career as a film composer.

Sakamoto went on to score such films as Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor (1987) — for which he won an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Grammy, along with co-composers David Byrne and Chinese composer Cong Su — as well as Bertolucci's The Sheltering Sky in 1990, for which he also won a Golden Globe. He also wrote the scores for Pedro Almodovar's High Heels in 1991, and Alejandro González Iñárritu's Babel in 2006 and The Revenant in 2015, among others.

As Sakamoto's career matured, his interest in aesthetic and intellectual exploration grew. Throughout the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, he collaborated with a wide array of international musicians, including Thomas Dolby, Youssou N'Dour, Iggy Pop, Jaques Morelenbaum, Carsten Nicolai (aka Alva Noto) and an especially frequent partner, singer-songwriter and experimental composer David Sylvian. Sakamoto also partnered with visual artists, including Nam June Paik and Shiro Takatani, collaborating with the latter for the 1999 multimedia opera, LIFE.

In 2017 — three years into a publicly acknowledged fight with throat cancer — Sakamoto released a lush ambient album called async; he continued to make music until the very end.

In his later years, Sakamoto became an important voice in protesting nuclear power, particularly in the wake of the 2011 Daiichi nuclear disaster in Fukushima prefecture. His public activism is a fundamental part of the 2017 documentary film, Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda, as is his battle against cancer.

"I honestly don't know how many years I have left," he said in one Coda scene. It could be 20 years, 10 years, or a relapse reduces it to just one. I'm not taking anything for granted. But I know that I want to make more music. Music that I won't be ashamed to leave behind — meaningful work."

Sakamoto publicly announced that he had been diagnosed with rectal cancer in January 2021. In a message posted on his website, he wrote: "From now on, I will be living alongside cancer. But, I am hoping to make music for a little while longer."

June Swoon is a band fronted by Juli Lydell, who grew up in Citrus Heights. She's lived all over the country and currently resides in L.A. where she's preparing to release the band's second album, "A House With Windows Open." 

She spoke with CapRadio’s Modern Music Director Nick Brunner about how her struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder and letting go of control influenced her latest work.

Tell me about how you transitioned from June Swoon’s first record to this new one.

It was almost like this postpartum depression for the first record. It was a big project and then it was done and then it was out. And I felt this vacuum inside open up. And then I felt that vacuum sort of swallow me up. 

I have OCD — or I struggle with saying I have or I had because it really comes in episodes. But I had an OCD episode and this record was really sort of this diary. And then when the pandemic hit and the lockdowns happened, I was in a two bedroom apartment with a garage with three other people, and there was nowhere to write. 

So I ended up going down into the garage, which nobody used, and putting up these string lights and creating this little oasis. The lights were framing this door, which I would leave open, so I would watch the sun sort of like going up and going down as I was writing. And it really felt like I was realigning myself with the rhythms of what was going on outside the earth; you know, the seasons, the solar cycle. I really felt regulated by that.

That reminds me of when people go camping and they fall asleep at like 7:45 p.m. because the sun's down, they're away from every electronic buzz, and then they're up, refreshed at like six in the morning.

Absolutely. It reminds me of that, too. I mean, listen, I love my I love electronics, but I do think that you get this illusion that you should be able to control everything like, 'I control when I have light, I control when I have dark, I control when I have food. I should be in control.' So when things come up in your life that are out of your control, you haven't had a lot of practice sort of surrendering to bigger things outside of yourself. Like we are still at the whim of nature and that can actually be a blessing mentally to be like I'm a small part of this big thing.

Having mentioned OCD earlier, how did that mesh with letting nature take control as you're putting this album together?

That's a really good question. So I come from a religious background. And for better or for worse, there's a real sense that you can influence the outcome of events by praying. And I'm not saying whether or not you can. You know, I don't know, but I just know that for me, I have been exploring my relationship to any sort of divine or the spiritual aspect of life since my teens.

And I do know that my first OCD episode did flare up right when I sort of formally left the church. And there was again, this vacuum of like, how do I influence outcomes without prayer? For me, it's pure OCD. So it's not like external rituals, you know, but there is still this sense of like, I feel like I should be able to control, you know, ways of keeping my family safe or how can I keep horrible things from happening? And so in that sense, what I found with OCD is you can't actually seek reassurance. It is, a relinquishing of, like, I should be able to control this. And when you love people so much, you really want to try to ensure their safety in the world and then realizing that you're not god, you can't really ensure that.

I thought about releasing a few of these songs and calling it OCD E.P. I don't know if I'm going to do that anymore, but I still definitely want to be open about the fact that so much of these songs are like how can I be like a responsible loved one and a responsible citizen in the midst of so much outside of my control?

June Swoon has yet to announce a release date for the album A House With Window’s Open. Keep your ears open to CapRadio’s Hey, Listen! for more music from the band. 

Anthony Mendes, or “Mendes” to friends and colleagues, collaborates with local minority-owned businesses in Oak Park to cultivate indie art, poetry and hip-hop showcases. 

Front & Center is Mendes’ latest project with hip-hop acts local to Sacramento, which include headlining act Nate Curry. CapRadio's Victor Martinez spoke with Mendes about the event, which takes place Friday at 6 p.m.

Interview Highlights

Victor: So if this is my first front & center showcase, what can I expect?

Mendes: Mainly just our culture, whether it be hip-hop, R&B, artwork, or dancing. Almost every show I try to do, I try to curate to a different sense of style of what we're doing because hip-hop has many different styles, whether it be the classic old school backpack rap, whether it be a new style today, or whether it be something a little more conscious. If you're trying to get yourself into the scene of local hip-hop and you haven't found that way to get into it, this show is definitely your way to get into local hip-hop. 

Tell me more about the lineup and your headliner, Nate Curry.

Man, if you guys haven't heard Nate Curry, that's just something that speaks for itself. His music is some of the most creative styles, especially coming out of Sacramento, like it's something really proud to have, to finally being able to get him down for a little bit because he's been really, really busy this year. I believe he just released “Bare With Me.” That's a style that I feel like is really going to cultivate the show right now. 

EGDABEAST is going to be on there, and he's someone that if you're a real classic hip-hop Rakim-style fan, you guys are going to love him.

You have Yumz Awkword hosting. Are we going to hear any of his new music?

Absolutely! I have him, I believe have him doing at least one or two songs on there just for folks. You know, if you guys haven't got that Yumz feels yet he has a really inviting, intoxicating personality. That's why he is a perfect host. But also his new EP that just was just released is absolutely amazing.

EGDABEAST and Yumz Awkword.Gabe the Fourth

What do you want guests to take away from the show?

Sacramento has a sound. Sacramento has a voice that you don't have to just go to other places to listen to, you know, dope music you got. Personally, I understand the East Coast has amazing, you know, hip-hop Bay Area has amazing hip-hop. Southern, you know, artists have amazing hip hip-hop, but we have amazing hip-hop right here in Sacramento. And if anything, just listen to someone new. 

Front & Center

Date and Time: Friday, August 19, 6-10 p.m.
Location: Slim and Husky's, 3413 Broadway, Sacramento

Scott Simon, Samantha Balaban | NPR

Lillian Frances' Tiny Desk Contest entry is off the wall – literally. The Sacramento-based artist, who describes herself as a "sonic collager" with an "alt-pop style," filmed her entry video from a portaledge on the side of a cliff in Lake Tahoe. Her striking video – which shows her climbing up the mountain, setting up on the cliff and sporting tiny-desk jewelry – stood out among (or above, you might say) the thousands of entries NPR Music received for this year's Contest.

Rock climbing and music are Frances' two passions, so she decided to do both at the same time. "It just hit me one day!" she tells Weekend Edition's Scott Simon. "Like, oh duh, portaledge concert, obviously." Frances' idea was ambitious, but she was up for the challenge. "After a lot of planning (finding someone with a portaledge, tracking down climbing videographers, finding the right crag, setting up a totally portable music set) and a whole lot of optimism, we finally set out to accomplish this goal," she shares.

Her song "Gravestone Feel," took on a new meaning when she performed it for her Contest entry. It's about "trying to live life to the absolute fullest, take on adventure and do things you've never done before," she says. "So in a lot of ways, this was the perfect song to sing hanging off a cliff."

Frances says she's not drawn to a particular genre, but makes her creative decisions "based on experimenting, and then just selecting the little pieces that stoke me out," like the electronic beats that elegantly contrast the natural world surrounding her in the video. "I love the synthesis of natural and organic and synthesized," she says. "That's kind of what music is to me and what life is to me."

Web adaptation by Elle Mannion. You can head here to read, listen and watch more from the 2022 Tiny Desk Contest.

Each year thousands of unsigned musicians share their original songs for the chance to play NPR’s famous Tiny Desk in Washington, D.C. 

The winner of the Tiny Desk Contest also gets to tell their story on All Things Considered and headlines a tour with NPR Music. California alone saw 626 individual entries and CapRadio is once again rounding up our favorites (or at least as many as possible).

Our fingers are perpetually crossed that an area artist gets named the winner but whatever the outcome, each year this contest helps introduce us to artists who color Sacramento and it’s always exciting to share our favorites with you. Kick back with some headphones and enjoy this year’s round up of CapRadio’s favorite Tiny Desk contestants.

Jasmine Vu

Jasmine Vu is a Member Engagement Associate for CapRadio, a first soprano, and a reformed member of collegiate a cappella. Pre-pandemic (and way before CapRadio), you could find them broadcasting from KDVS 90.3FM's basement radio station or (more commonly) taking a nap in its front office.

Arson Whales | Cool

As the pandemic raged and live music opportunities shuttered, Linda Brancato, Kevin O’Shaughnessy, Joe Kimberlin, Brad Penner, and Ben Jackson found each other in Arson Whales, an alt-rock ensemble that formed in 2021. “Zephyr and Sycophant” is a sleek, leisurely song with a psychedelic touch that perfectly scratches a cerebral itch I didn’t even know I had.

On repeated listens, I find myself more and more swept up in the rhythmic, hypnotic bassline, undercut with Linda Brancato’s wonderfully raspy voice and the dreamy synth. It’s a drastic change from some of the band’s other work, and fills me with the same nostalgia of watching grainy Rilo Kiley concert recordings on YouTube in my teens. I’m excited to see where Arson Whales go next.

Get caught up with Arson Whales previous singles here.

eggcorn | Napa

This entry from Napa-based artist eggcorn (otherwise known as Lara Hoffman) is absolutely DELIGHTFUL. I hope you experience the same joy I did as the camera first zooms into the adorable cheese puff tiger, accompanied by Hoffman’s pure, effervescent voice.

“Observer Effect” follows Hoffman’s journey recovering from a broken bone. Her neuroticism over the dos and don’ts of recovery have her in arrested development with lines like, “Caught in ouroboros as my body reposes, Hoffman sings, everything is poisonous in high enough doses.”

In writing “Observer Effect,” Hoffman says she gave herself permission to enable her “vices” and focus on the little pleasures. This song is surely one of them, a lesson of allowing yourself kindness wrapped up in a sweet, whimsical melody that brings me back to coffee shop open mics, spring walks through my college town, and many other simple joys of my own.

"Observer Effect" and other music by eggcorn can be found on Bandcamp.

The Little Army | Sacramento

"2021" opens with a quiet, almost sheepish introduction before launching into a frenetic tirade of uncertainty, isolation, and possibilities gone by. It’s a spirited alt-rock anthem befitting a band called The Little Army. Evan Bautista’s lyrics underscore two years rife with loss and unrest. He makes references to hikikomori, the Japanese term for severe social withdrawal, (particularly in teens and young adults), prompting my own reflection on the effects of pandemic isolation on me and so many I know. "2021" feels like a question without an answer, a lament without comfort, and a journey with no destination.

The Little Army is Evan Bautista (guitar/vocals), Austin Neal (guitar), and Tyler Yang (drums/production). More of the group’s music can be heard at Bandcamp.

Maya Unagi | San Jose

The first thing that caught my eye in Maya Unagi’s performance is her impeccable staging. Perfectly diffused sunlight and lush greenery frame Unagi and her bandmates Tariq Morgera (bass), Alann Santiago (guitar), and Tessa Piccillo (drums). Unagi’s striking red suit (and nails!) and Morgera’s bass draw your eye straight to the center as the band slides into the beginning of "Deep Red."

The song is a slow, sumptuous piece about an infatuation so overwhelming that it brings the singer to her knees. There are moments where the entire ensemble feels downright hypnotic. As a singer myself I was impressed by Unagi’s vocal control and how she hits each note with surgical precision. Morgera, Santiago, and Unagi on synth provide a dreamy instrumental backdrop while Piccillo’s dynamic drumming sets the tone. "Deep Red" is a luxurious delight for eyes and ears, and I find myself coming back for more.

Maya Unagi is on Instagram and more of her music can be found on Soundcloud and Spotify.

Terra Lopez

Terra Lopez leads the band Rituals of Mine and the artist behind the installation This Is What It Feels Like. CapRadio has been a big fan of her work for years and thrilled to have her working with us this Tiny Desk season and keep your eyes peeled for her upcoming podcast with CapRadio later this year.

Jakhari Smith | Sacramento

The sentiment in Jakhari Smith’s chorus of “Far From Here” (“Take me somewhere/Far away from here/Take me somewhere/Take me, Take me”) feels spot on with how these last two years have been. The vibe of this performance though is pure comfort; with friends lounging on a roof, hanging out, creating together.

There’s something deeply nostalgic about this video yet undeniably fresh at the same time. Maybe it brought back memories of 2010 Sacramento, where Midtown house shows were an every weekend event, or maybe it’s just that I want to hang out with these people. Either way, the talent is effortless in this performance and quite simply, cool.

Jahkari wears his influence on his sleeve (literally), rapping about his struggles, insecurities, dealing with law enforcement while wearing a Nas shirt. Soulful guitar (played by Connor Chavez) and beautiful backup harmonies (sung by Coco Leilani and Emilee Durbin) help complete the moment, leaving me wanting to hear more. The earnestness and humility embedded within Jahkari’s lyrics evoke a yearning for something deeper.

Jahkari Smith is an artist that is destined to find it.

Find more Jahkari Smith on Spotify and Instagram.

Aviva Le Fey | Murphys

Pure, raw, simple, yet incredibly powerful; Aviva Le Fey’s “On The News Again” is a heartbreaking rumination on what it’s like to live complicitly amongst the endless cycle of chaos, war, and grief.

Mundane tasks such as paying taxes that inevitably help fuel war (“But I paid my taxes today/I had them wired away/And forged into guns”) while watching the news in the comfort of your bed (“Bloodshed on the news again/I turned away/Ever the fair-weather friend/They said 139 dead, 27 children/As I lay in bed), “On The News Again” embodies the existential crisis’ many of us are going through during these turbulent times by forcing us to question what good is being informed about the wars in Palestine and in Ukraine if we do nothing about them?

“What good is muscle when the will is weak”? Aviva Le Fey asks as flashing red and blue lights flicker on in the distance.

This performance reminds me of what Tiny Desk is all about.

Hear more of Avivia Le Fey on Spotify, Instagram and at her website.

Gillian Grogan | Healdsburg

Gillian Grogan’s voice stopped me in my tracks with her first note. She has such a distinct style and unique approach to songwriting; it immediately drew me in. The song and video are both gorgeous and compliment one another so well. I mean, she is singing in a beautiful meadow!

“Daffodil” is a stunning, intricate folk song that showcases Gillian’s talent and range. I’m very much looking forward to hearing more from her.

More from Gillian Grogan is on Spotify, Instagram and at her website.

Karega Bailey | Oakland

This performance is part hip-hop/meditation and a mindfulness retreat. Karega Bailey has to have the most calming, nurturing, soothing presence and voice I’ve heard in a long time. Pair that presence with the combination of the soft melody of the keys, Solauren Adam’s soaring vocals, a lemon tree, the positive affirmations, and his beautiful little baby … it’s an undeniable performance that will surely leave you feeling some type of way afterwards.

His lyrics touch on vital topics that most hip-hop artists have always strayed from: mental health, grief, trauma, and going to therapy. “No Weapon” is refreshing, important, and deeply powerful. It’s a crucial message about grief, hope, pain, joy, and never losing faith. But most importantly, you’re watching a father living his truth right in front of his daughter.

There’s nothing more life-affirming than that.

Find Karega Bailey at his website, on Instagram and Facebook.

Vicki Gonzalez

Years before she became the voice and face of Insight, Vicki often found herself down a rabbit hole of Tiny Desk videos on YouTube. This is her first year writing about local entrants for CapRadio.

TIP Vicious | Sacramento

From the moment TIP Vicious enters from stage right and points squarely at the camera with a welcoming hello, I knew I was in for something special. Despite the title, “Slow” is energetic and playful, with a crafted flow that struts on a confident beat. I dare you to try to stay still. 

There’s a deep, wonderful ensemble of community too. The Guild Theater surrounds this Tiny Desk, in Sacramento’s historically Black Oak Park neighborhood. From the location, to the band who learned “Slow” with one week notice, and those who stepped in behind the scenes (not to mention the electric display of local artists’ works on stage) TIP Vicious highlights in bold the meaning of being #SacramentoProud. 

See and hear more Tip Vicious on Instagram.

JMSEY | Sacramento

JMSEY’s “Lil While” begins with a dreamlike, sugar-coated comfort. But don’t settle in too easy. JMSEY captures a palpable frustration in searching for the right balance of quality cuddles — and space. His vulnerability of navigating this inner turbulence is thoughtful, endearing and in sync with a photographer who can relate. 

The video takes me back to spontaneous nights at artist warehouses (and the coffee fueled mornings that followed). Be sure and note the particularly tiny desk before “Lil While” lifts off. With two feet planted back on ground, I’m grateful for the introspective journey. More JMSEY at his website, Spotify and Instagram.

Lilian Frances | Sacramento

Want to go on a road trip? Lilian Frances will not disappoint. The artist who calls the Capital City home takes risks to new heights. I loved basking in Lilian’s other passion — rock climbing. “Gravestone Feel” dangles at Sugarloaf, a cluster of towering granite that humbly reminds us how small we truly are in the world.

Performing on a tiny portaledge (!!!) I’m immediately struck by the audio production to pull this off. Talk about taking advantage of the creative possibilities NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest offers. “Gravestone Feel” also shows Lilian’s journey as an artist. By definition, electronic alt-pop, but balancing at the center is her first instrument — Lilian’s soulful voice that soothes any fear of heights.  

Lillian Frances has a website, music on Spotify, and fun on Instagram.

Nick Brunner

Mr. Brunner is a 15-year veteran of CapRadio, host of the music discovery series Hey, Listen! and an avid cat fancier.

Caregiver | Sacramento

At any point in their work I think you'll find this artist witty, smart and sorrowful (often all at once). It's a delicate mix meted out by guitarist and vocalist Lindsey Bitson who this year adopted the non de plume Caregiver.

"Guilty Conscience" has this twangy, contemplative shuffle that makes me want to slow everything in my life down and find a nice rocking chair. Recording the video at the Red Museum is a natural choice as it's home to so many scrappy, up and coming DIY performances and an especially appropriate setting as warm lazy sunlight melts into the background to provide the perfect natural element to moment. One song isn't enough to do her stage presence justice so I hope you make time to see Caregiver live soon.

Stream more music from Caregiver on Spotify, find them on Instagram and see more videos on YouTube.

Rainbow City Park | Sacramento

I love the energy of a freshly minted band. Rainbow City Park added the final members to its roster in January, started playing frequent gigs around Northern California and have already released three singles this year. "Be" is the group's second among them. 

I really admire the balance the six members of the band manage to strike. That many electric guitars looks imposing that close together but the result is silky and inviting. I'm looking forward to seeing where this band goes next both sonically and in person. They play The Russ Room May 27.

Find Rainbow City Park on YouTube, Instagram and their website.

Farrow and the Peach Leaves | Nevada City

I was sold in the first four seconds of this entry (by now I hope you've seen why) but even if I hadn't been, I'm a sucker for lap steel guitar. That's just the start of the song's appeal. 

"All Blue" takes me straight to a spring day in the cab of my dad's truck. It's clean air, rural baseball and an utter lack of problems. This video shows off the group's tight instrumentation, sense of humor and juuuuuuuuuust the right mix of jam band (for my taste at least). If bands like Drive-By Truckers, Trampled by Turtles and early-career Wilco are up your alley, don't sleep on Farrow and the Peach Leaves.

Check out more of their work on YouTube. Pick up the group's records at Bandcamp, and I highly recommend you check out the testimonials section of the band's website. Serious brand synergy happening over there.

Coco Leilani | Sacramento

In her vocals alone Coco Leilani lays down shades of what you might hear in something by Prince or Hiatus Kaiyote. The video, like the beat in the song, is minimal ... shot on a phone, just the artist and a sampler.  What makes the two minutes and change of "tick tock" so gripping is her confident connection to that machine and her lyrics. The flow of this piece is hypnotic. 

Neat to see Leilani and Emily Durbin both contribute to Jahkari Smith's entry this year, too. This contest season has been the most interconnected I've seen Sacramento's music community and that's been both fun and encouraging.

Follow Coco Leilani on Instagram and find her recordings on Spotify and Apple Music.

Two musical couples began rehearsing together during lockdown. Within a year, the band made its official debut, released three singles and are prepping the release of its first full-length album.

DEFEM, pronounced like “defend,” is a new art and music project by Sarah Scherer (organs and synthesizers), Chris Orr (guitars), Liz Liles (vocals, bass) and Zac Brown (drums). Sarah, Chris and Liz spoke with CapRadio’s Nick Brunner about what brought the band together and how they rely on each other more than musically.

Sarah Scherer: The name actually means “the five” in Swedish. We had seen a Hilma af Klimt retrospective in New York and there was a little blurb about how she used to run this woman's art group, like a seance. And these five women would get together and would do automatic drawing and just work very freely together and collaboratively. And we just kind of like that idea, like the way it sounded, like that it didn’t necessarily sound like a real word. You know, it's just hard to name the band in general. So we found that we were super stoked on the idea.

It’s important to say that we’re all individual artists ourselves. Liz is a dancer, I do painting and drawing. Christopher also does a lot of drawing; Zac’s a graphic designer. We all have kind of an individual background but for the band I would say it’s a little bit more impulsive and collaborative.

Liz Liles: I just feel like there's a lot of inspiration to be drawn from Sarah and Christopher's visual art. A lot of Sarah's art that she does is around lips, and it's very feminine. And there is this kind of thing, especially with my lyrics, that is very feminine. So there is this tie-in as well.

Sarah: I don't know. It's just really kind of cool not to not second guess yourself and just go for it. 

When did this become something you committed to as a full-on art and music project, as opposed to just getting together and playing music with friends?

Liz: At the start of the lockdown. Sarah, Christopher and Zac all were out of the job immediately when COVID hit. I was the only one that still had something to do. My workload went real down as well. I like to be very busy. We're all very productive people.

Chris Orr: It's something that kept us mentally healthy and inspired, productive.

Liz, I've read that there is a significance for you within the lyrics of “Popped Off,” the first song that DEFEM released. Would you talk about that with us?

Liz: Yeah, it's just kind of a song that's dealing with my mourning of my mom's death, which is kind of a theme throughout the whole record. But there is a line in the song - “The god that came into being alone,” - which I found in one of my mom's old poetry books from like the seventies or something. She had found that line in readings on the Shinto religion, which my Japanese family were practicing Shinto. She wrote it in a poem that was about her mom's death because she lost her mom when she was young as well.

Has there been a bit of catharsis as a result of dealing with those feelings through the music of DEFEM for you?

Liz: Absolutely. I'm an Aquarius that's kind of weird with dealing with my emotions. Lyrics aside, just playing music is very cathartic. I mean, I've caught myself sometimes almost like crying while we are practicing, not in a bad way, in a good way. Yeah, I love it.

This one's for Chris and Sarah. The music of your previous project, Screature is a great deal different than what you're doing in DEFEM, at least to my ear. How would you two compare the two groups and what you're doing within them?

Chris: Sarah's role in this band is a little different. DEFEM kind of has her more stepping up in a lead role - playing a lot more melodic leads and rhythm parts, like a second guitar almost.

Sarah: ...and alternate riffs and everything. Trying a new instrument that's always fun and scary. 

That feels like a theme within the group. Liz, you talked about moving from drums into bass and being front and center, and I'm not used to seeing Zac behind a drum kit.

Liz: Yeah, Zac’s never played in a band as a drummer. It was funny because I was a drummer, Zac’s always been a bass guitar player and we flipped. Yeah, Christopher is the only one that's playing like what he's used to playing in a band.

Chris: I got some new picks…thicker gauge stings…

Judges for this year's Tiny Desk Contest waded and watched and debated through thousands of entries, but today we finally have a winner: Her family knows her as Mecca Russell – we'll come to know her as Neffy.

Today "has been absolutely wild," she tells All Thing Considered's Mary Louise Kelly in a conversation this afternoon, following the announcement of the news early this morning. "My mom is bursting at the seams," she says, adding that her parents are "really happy, and that makes me happy."

She says her winning song, "Wait Up," was written only a month and a half ago, in the wake of a move from New York, where she'd spent the last five years going to college, back home to Arlington, Va. Her reflection of her half decade in the big city is obvious enough in the song's lyrics: I'm stuck / and the city's got its grip on me / and I've had enough.

Neffy's winning song is sparse and deep, recorded in a mode that's comfortable for her. "It's always just been me and my guitar – I've never had a huge band play behind me ... and being alone at that table sort of reflects the reality of a lot of people during this troubling time. But to be simple, it's just me and my guitar. It's always been that way."

Hear "Wait Up" below, and listen to our full conversation with Neffy above.

To watch a live chat between Neffy and Tiny Desk-haver Bob Boilen on Fri. Sept. 15, you can RSVP here for a reminder.

For years, unsigned artists across the country have flocked to NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest for a shot at national recognition. With this year’s winner soon to be announced, CapRadio contributors continue the grand tradition of rounding up our favorite entries from Northern California. 

Camilla Covington's Picks

Camilla is a Sacramento born-and-raised R&B/Bedroom pop/Hip-hop artist. She is passionate about poetry and the solidarity of the Sacramento music scene.

Aviva Le Fey | Murphys

Opening with a wide shot of a smokey California skyline, Aviva Le Fey starts her submission on a somber, sober note. She personifies Earth, listing an index of grievances and existential distress. The chords at Aviva’s fingertips brighten as she tickles the strings of her guitar, her lyrics turning to the existence of infinite parallel timelines.

“and if every possibility is happening concurrently, then one of them must be ... just fine.”

The mood of the song swells until the finale, and the release of the conclusion is absolutely euphoric. I wonder if Aviva chose to film before blue skies to juxtapose against our current reality of near constant wildfire smoke. I was equally enamored after my first, third, and 20th listen by how Aviva Le Fey simplified the universe in just 120 seconds.

Aviva released an album earlier this year, find it here.

Longboy | Sacramento

The timidness of Sacramento band Longboy only enhances their sweet sound and melancholy storytelling. Lead singer Viv begins the pastel-toned break-up song with vivid images of the final scenes of a relationship, gently supported by bandmates Matt, Ryan, Chris and Keaton. The title, “You Ain’t In the Right, but You Ain’t Wrong,” becomes the skeletal structure of the story, following each of the three stages of the separation: resentment, denial, and accountability. Ranging from symbols of obsoletion like dusty track awards and old DVDs to waves of the ocean, the lyrics are deeply personal and specific. By the end of this ode, I feel sad yet safe, the bittersweet residual feelings of a challenging break-up for the better.

Visit their website and watch their feature on Good Day Sacramento

Troi Roberson | Redding

On my first listen to Troi’s molasses voice and her first lyric, “if I gotta work one more hour”, I could already feel a lump forming in my throat. Bound together by finger drumming only on each second and fourth beat, the pleas of exhaustion hum from deep in her stomach, softened by a skillful falsetto and sympathetic harmonies. This hymn reminds me of spirituals, songs that our enslaved ancestors would sing for solidarity, comfort, prayer, and to soothe the never-ending repetition of their labor. “If I Must Labor” shakes the earth with each step, making a heavy impact with its straightforward, a cappella execution.

Subscribe to Troi Roberson's Youtube channel here

Andrew Garcia's Picks

Andrew Garcia is the Weekend and Fill-in Host for News and Modern Music at CapRadio. In a previous life he was a musician and in a pre-pandemic life he could be spotted at many concerts in the Sacramento and the Bay areas.

JMSEY | Sacramento

Over the course of two and a half minutes South London raised JMSEY reveals his bandmates one by one, slowly adding layer upon layer through his raspy, soulful, English accent. The track is funky, bombastic, and absolutely begging to be played live in front of a rowdy audience. At its heart, this is an endearing love song, with talk of a shared ice cream and rainy days in, watching movies with someone you care about.

JMSEY and his band’s style jumps off the screen and demands you to dance. Maybe next year we'll see that cello in the background put to good use. 

“STYLE” has a new music video out, which you can watch here.

Bob Gemmell | Fair Oaks

Meditative and skillful, Gemmell creates a trance-like accompaniment to the roadside scenery. Gently led along by quiet percussion his lyrics reveal a thorny metaphor and rumination on a tumultuous year and a half under the pandemic. Gemmel refers to this song as, “my message of weary hope”.

“America, After the War” represents all I need when it comes to Americana, a guitar and a story worth telling. 

For more Bob, visit his website bobgemmell.com

Patrick LeMieux | Oakland

Over the past 18 months my stay-at-home hobby became playing synthesizers. It’s one of the reasons I find myself completely in awe of “Radio Tune”, created and performed by author, game designer, Assistant Professor at UC Davis and wrangler of colorful patch cables Patrick LeMieux. 

Waves of melodies, basslines, beats and samples ebb and flow through one another, creating textures that are rich and full of life. That sound amid the visual chaos of wires, knobs, buttons, and lights keeps me listening again and again.

For more in the ‘Patch Notes’ series visit Patrick LeMieux’s YouTube channel.

Mother Muerte | Vallejo

Legend has it if you play “Rio Azul” alone in a dark room, the mystical sounds will pry open a portal to a more sinister and groovy dimension than our own. 

This is my second year in a row writing about Mother Muerte. Unlike 2020, Chelsea Salanoa’s guitar and voice are backed up by live percussion accompaniment and I love what that adds to her already unique sound.  

Jose Cadenas’ wide ranging percussive excellence adds to the experience of journeying through a sweltering and beautiful desert oasis. Let your mind wander with this one.

For updates on their music, follow Mother Murte on Facebook.

Jennifer Reason's Picks

Jennifer is the Midday Classical Host at KXPR and a pianist with a passion for performance. Away from music, she can be found outdoors getting lost in the backcountry, or found anywhere delicious foods are served.

Lillian Frances | Sacramento

From the fantastic sparkly silver confetti sculpture, the baby blue satin and white lace caught in the breeze, the slightly dirty tennis shoes and an electric guitar that matches, this video has all the trappings of Lillian Frances. I was curious about the aural treats within this optic smorgasbord and it  turns out she was speaking directly to the experiences of performing artists everywhere, myself included. Not being able to rely on music during the pandemic, when before it was a staple in our lives; taking the stairs, the hard work it takes to make it anywhere in this business; the endless to-do lists, and so on, all delivered in a standing ovation performance.  Preach, Lillian!

Follow Lillian Frances on Twitter 

Tony Brisson | Sacramento

I love coffee, local coffee in particular, and I love the Chocolate Fish. I found it disarming to be included as he gets his drink and tests some prep chords. It makes the video feel all the more honest by not being too polished. His guitar feels like a steel string out of a clangy old western, but it’s full especially in this delightful modern setting. His lyrics are clever and edgy, reflecting on the protective persona and social masks we all wear, and taking them off to allow for vulnerability at a time when literal face coverings (and keeping them on) is such a hot topic. Oof. 

For more videos, follow Tony Brisson on Instagram

Blondillion and Jivemind | Chico

I admit when this video started I had zero idea what to expect. I certainly was not expecting them to break into the kind of timeless sound they brought to this song. The lyrics take me back to the era when cassette tapes and VHS dominated media ... back when there was a literal rewind button. The group’s lyrical rewind button speaks to a second try at love, at figuring out the otherwise forward-momentum life and a chance to go back in time if we’ve “forgotten the words.” If only! And speaking of buttons, do yourself a favor and hit the pause button while you’re at it — there’s a treasure trove of little fun details to find in that room. 

For updates on their music follow Blondillion on Instagram

Erin Frances | Woodland

Immediately I’m hit with a Macbook, a midi keyboard and … wait, an oboe?! Color me intrigued. There’s an innocent little sister quality to her greeting so I was completely surprised by the creative, mature performance. Erin pulls from multiple genres, and lyrically she’s equal parts brave, confident and searching. Unpredictable melodies blend with seamless production and lyrical notes from an unexpected and challenging instrument, and an effective combination of powerful vocals and half spoken words. There are so many different elements in this gem about self love. Sit back and let her guide you through this important exercise (And call me with your interpretation of that ending when you're done).

Find more of Erin Frances' music on Bandcamp 

Rainbow Girls | Bodega

This video is just ... SO FUN. First of all it’s just a great song. It’s got melt-you-where-you-stand harmonica playing, swoon-worthy harmonies, and just a delicious folksy acoustic sound (Is there maybe a hint of Janis Joplin meets girl band in there?). Then you add the bright colors and the delightfully sarcastic facial expressions. Tie it up with Erin Chapin’s lyrics and you’re set to have a seriously good time here. Each and every sentence packs a serious punch and provides relevant commentary to chew on as you smile your way through this song. The journey the camera goes through is exactly the final raucous touch the video needs. Time to go search out the rest of their discography as fast as possible.

For more Rainbow Girls, visit their website rainbowgirlsmusic.com 

More About Our Contributors:

Camilla Covington

Camilla is a Sacramento born-and-raised R&B/Bedroom pop/Hip-hop artist. She is passionate about poetry and the solidarity of the Sacramento music scene.

Jennifer Reason

Jennifer is the Midday Classical Host at KXPR and a pianist with a passion for performance. Away from music, she can be found outdoors getting lost in the backcountry, or found anywhere delicious foods are served.

Andrew Garcia

Andrew Garcia is the Weekend and Fill-in Host for News and Modern Music at CapRadio. In a previous life he was a musician and in a pre-pandemic life he could be spotted at many concerts in the Sacramento and the Bay areas.

Earlier this summer, Sacramento Soul/R&B artist Basi Vibe released a new track and video for "Wallflower." He spoke with CapRadio’s Nick Brunner about repping Sacramento, staying motivated, and why it’s the perfect time for “Wallflower.” 

Basi Vibe: The fact that people are coming out of being so secluded for like a year and some change and you know, people just feel weird and I think above all right now, people just want to let loose and shake it. I like to hear that people, y'know, resonate with it and it makes them want to dance because I feel like that's just what we need right now. So, yeah, I'm really happy that you said that, actually.

I thought it was a great setting to have the Flamingo House be so prominently featured and so much of Midtown on top of that. Tell me about your relationship with [Midtown], because it feels like a character.

You know, I think Midtown, downtown, the grid to me is just a place where I really honed my artistry. I think for most of my life, I was stuck up here in North Sacramento, stuck in Natomas. And it wasn't until I left for college that I actually left Natomas for a good chunk of time. I went to school at Sonoma State and then I came back home. And immediately, when I came back home, I hit the ground running with, like, working as a musician, as an artist, and all of that stuff was cultivated on the grid. And so making sure those areas that seem so familiar to me are featured and people get to see it. And I feel like because I was able to feature it, other people who are in the same boat who also draw their inspiration and their history from Sacramento, downtown, or midtown, they can relate to that. For people to be able to connect like, "Oh that's Flamingo House. Oh there goes the Capitol. Oh, I know that stop sign where Camilla [Covington] did the cool little rollerskate dip thing." So I was really happy to involve, you know, my city.

It's also part of what feels to me like a bigger growing community of really quality music video productions that are so tightly attached to the city and where you shoot them. The Wallflower video also shares a visual style with other videos from Sac artists like Igwe Aka and Camilla Covington.

All three of us work with the same director and the same team. Cedric Crisologo, he's from the Bay. And he's done a lot of music with other artists in Sacramento. So there is some continuity there in terms of like, style and just texture. On top of that, I do feel like there's a cool emphasis on making sure stories are being told. So, you know, it's not just us performing in front of cool areas and stuff like that. I think there's like a cool generation of storytellers in Sac.

Tell me about one of your biggest struggles.

I think motivation and inspiration are [...] things hard to grasp on to. I think it's very good to, in moments of high motivation or high inspiration that you hone in on it when it's at its peaks. And that you tell yourself that you need to be reminded of those moments where you're feeling lazy.

So that you can call upon those moments and recall in those moments, “I decided I love music, I want to do music. I'm going to do music like, every day, that's what it takes. I need to do it.” But when you're lazy and you're not feeling motivated, that just goes out the window, right? 

And to me, I think what is stronger than those things is the discipline. And it's that decision that you made to like, “I'm going to do this every day because I said I was going to do it. And just because I'm lazy. That's not going to stop me from, like, going against my word on [doing] the thing that I said that I was going to do, when I was completely inspired.”

Basi Vibe killin' it on the keyboardsProvided by Basi Vibe

I think lazy is also, if I may, a little hard on creative people. Like you can't just go, "All right. I'm now going to be creative. I'm going to turn it on like a faucet." 

Yeah, for me, I definitely have to capitalize on those moments because they come fewer than people would think. So I always find myself like, “oh, I feel inspired. Like don't talk to me, I'm going to go do some stuff.”

Check out Basi Vibe performing with fellow Sacramento musicians A Tribe Quartet.

Follow Basi Vibe on Twitter, Instagram, and his website basivibe.com for updates on new music and performances.

One of the most adventurous classical ensembles, the Grammy Award-winning Attacca Quartet, has made its reputation with an eclectic musical palette – they've explored the string quartets of Haydn and Beethoven and premiered new pieces by contemporary composers. But the latest album from the group – violinists Amy Schroeder and Domenic Salerni, violist Nathan Schram and cellist Andrew Yee – might be their most surprising: Real Life features adaptations of electronic dance music by Flying Lotus, Louis Cole and Daedelus, among others.

Having come together as Juilliard School students in 2003, the original members of the ensemble leafed through a music dictionary, trying to come up with a name for their group. Starting with the A's, they quickly found what not only turned out to be a perfect name, but also a definition of their aesthetic.

"Attacca means attached; to keep playing music and to not stop," says Yee, a founding member. "And I think that's been sort of what we've done over the past almost 20 years; is to do something, but always be sort of in motion, always be really intentional about moving on and then discovering new things and finding joy in different places."

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw collaborated with the group on the Grammy-winning album, Orange. "One of the things that I love about Attacca is that they approach everything with creativity and enthusiasm and a willingness to try something new," she says. "Whether it's, you know, with something that I've written in the last few years or it's Beethoven. Everything feels – not to overuse a word – but it feels very fresh.

So, when Attacca puts together a concert program, they like mixing things up, says Schram. "What we've been doing in our repertoire for so many years, we've been playing Beethoven next to Flying Lotus next to Caroline Shaw."

That's right: Flying Lotus, the Los Angeles-based producer and DJ.

The members of the group listen to all kinds of music, including electronic dance music, so, it wasn't such a leap for them to record a full album of string quartet adaptations. "It seemed to make a lot of sense with what we do," says Schram, "because it's instrumental music, it's extremely dynamic, it's super intelligent and sophisticated. And it was such a perfect fruit to try to dig into."

The quartet's members made their own transcriptions and worked, via Zoom, with the album's producers, including Michael League of Snarky Puppy. "This whole record is sort of like poster child of pandemic production," Yee explains. "We had a laptop that had just Mike's face on it in the studio with us. We could see him jamming out five seconds behind, you know, on the computer."

Attacca used all sorts of technology on the recording: they overdubbed themselves, added electronic effects and even enlisted some EDM producers, like TOKiMONSTA, to work with them. Their collaboration – done entirely long-distance – was on a Flying Lotus tune, "Remind U."

"They had already recorded kind of like a demo, and it was just amazing," says TOKiMONSTA. "I changed some of the sequencing, but not too much. I added more rhythm and movement and that's what I did with the percussion."

The quartet is aware that the new album, Attacca's first on the Sony Classical label, might raise some eyebrows. "For us, this music isn't that different than Beethoven—like, in so many ways it is!" Schram says, laughing. "Ultimately for us, it's music we love playing. We're using our instruments in the same creative way we would if we were playing classical music. Obviously, the production techniques are very different. But for us, it still feels very much like we're playing string quartet music."

And already, Attacca Quartet is promising more instrumental mash-ups: Their next album, scheduled for fall release, will pair works by contemporary composers Philip Glass and Arvo Pärt with Renaissance polyphony.

When the Pulitzer-winning composer Caroline Shaw wants a snack, she soft-boils an egg. She knows that six minutes and 15 seconds leads to the ideal texture — a jammy yolk, with a chalky outer edge and a flowing center. But her ritual for the past few years has been to surrender the process to music, letting whatever she's listening to that day dictate the precise cook time. She documents her research on Instagram, archiving each test in a collection titled "eggtime": A screenshot of a piece of music around six minutes long, like a movement from an Alban Berg string quartet or a song by the band Japanese Breakfast, will precede a picture of the finished egg, annotated with her notes on texture. (After testing a Beethoven piano sonata movement played by Mitsuko Uchida: "Mitsuko's cadences are on the safe side for salmonella.")

"The process is never going to be perfect," Shaw said recently. "It's always going to depend on the size of the egg, the pot, the temperature. I don't really want to perfect it. I want there to be variation." Her friends consider her practice more than a quirk, but a gastronomic microcosm of her creative impulses. "It would be so much easier to set a timer," says Andrew Yee, cellist of the Attacca Quartet, "but she chooses to listen. Not every musician you hang out with loves music as much as Caroline loves music."

When Shaw's composition Partita for 8 Voices won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2013, making her the youngest person to ever win the award at age 30, it led her to places many of her peers never reach: recognition beyond the classical scene, and the freedom to work on any kind of creative project that interests her. In the years since, she has collaborated with Kanye West, written for film, guest acted in Mozart in the Jungle and been anointed one of the modern figures making classical music "cool." Through her rise, though, Shaw has maintained a flexibility that makes her career difficult to define and predict. She has neither settled into a traditional composer's path of hunting for prestigious commissions, nor swerved strongly toward pop. She continues, instead, to seek intimate, amorphous musical experiences where composing and performing overlap, and where the boundaries of classical blur beyond recognition.

Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part, released June 25 on Nonesuch Records, is the composer's latest attempt to stay true to that compass. In the fall of 2018, Shaw scaled up her egg operation for a few days, cooking in the mornings for a small crew at Guilford Sound, a recording studio on a lush 400-acre property in southern Vermont. She was there with So Percussion, a four-person ensemble that, since the 2000s, has pushed contemporary classical music to experimental, playful heights. (Found objects, such as cacti and tin cans, are as common in So's performances as glockenspiels and drums.) After each day's breakfast caucus, Shaw, the producer Jonathan Low and the percussionists — Eric Cha-Beach, Josh Quillen, Adam Sliwinski and Jason Treuting — set to work on their latest collaboration, an album of songs with Shaw as the singer and lyricist. Let the Soil, the result of that freewheeling session, is a collection of clandestine earworms — nonchalant but generous music whose swarms of percussion and electronics swirl around the spine of her bright voice.

Becoming a songwriter gave Shaw yet a new way to define what moves her. "I really love songs about wondering about the other side, the essential questions of life," she says. "What happens when you die? How do you get there, how do you understand it?" More than that, though, she says the themes of this latest project reflect the kind of liminal space she likes to create in all her music, where a listener surrenders to a song's evolution. "I love the harmonies that you can't really assign an affect or emotion, the way that they have pivoted from the thing before. There's a sweet sadness there. That is what music sometimes is for me."

On a recent afternoon, Shaw was at her father's one-room cottage in North Carolina, on a brief respite from her 325-square-foot apartment in Hell's Kitchen. Over a fragile Zoom connection, she could be seen in front of a wall of maroon-painted shingles, short brown hair easily swept back, a pair of round glasses making her face appear even more open and curious than usual. She composed parts of the Partita's final movement there nearly a decade ago, looking out from the porch at a swamp rimmed with basking turtles. "It's not particularly beautiful, but it's magical to me," she said over the phone, after the clouds shifted overhead and the internet signal finally evaporated. "I go to this weird, deep childhood place that can't be replicated anywhere else."

Music began shaping that childhood as early as speech. In Greenville, N.C., a suburban college town not far from the cottage, Shaw started the Suzuki violin method at age 2. Her first violin teacher was her mother — also a singer, "a soprano with a soprano personality." But more communal music-making always surrounded her. She joined the choir at their small Episcopal church, where she watched the organist commit all of Bach's organ pieces to memory for fun, and first played around with composition over summers at music camp. Her personal place of worship was in front of her Sony boombox radio. She would call into the classical station and request a piece — a duet from The Magic Flute, say — and get ready to record it on cassette when it came on. If they aired the wrong duet, she would call back and correct them.

Shaw attended Rice University, and then the Yale School of Music, for degrees in violin performance, a choice that generally leads musicians down a narrow path: a customary repertoire, rigid focus on technique, rarely touching other instruments. She took notice of the students around her who seemed less constrained — like the percussionists, who had a shorter, more experimental history of music to work with. "The percussion guys are always way cooler than the string kids," Shaw says. "You just sort of admire them from a distance. They're playing all this new music and making new things, and I was in the Paganini and Brahms and Beethoven world."

In school and after, Shaw found ways to stretch beyond her education. Without any formal composition training, she won a fellowship that let her practice writing string quartets in England, on her own. In New Haven, she joined the choir at a dark, vaulted Episcopal cathedral, and regularly drove 20 minutes north to Wesleyan to pick up gigs playing violin for dance classes. There, instead of following a score, she had to learn to respond to the needs of artists right in front of her, which she loved. "That act of making music for people immediately, in the room, isn't just theoretical," she says. "I'm not by myself, trying to top-down design something that's important. What do they need right now?"

When Shaw moved to New York in the late aughts, contemporary classical music was also squirming within its boundaries. Composers like Judd Greenstein, Nico Muhly and Missy Mazzoli were toying with the tenets of pop, and the oft-debated term "indie classical" arose to signal music that was harmonic and effervescent — and, market-wise, interested in wider audiences than New York Philharmonic season ticket holders. The moment had any number of precedents: the wide footprint of mid-century minimalists like Philip Glass and Steve Reich, or Bang on a Can, the groundbreaking collective started in the late '80s by Julia Wolfe, David Lang and Michael Gordon, which redefined how to present more tonal, playful music by putting on casual and provocative concerts, acting more like a band than a chamber group.

The music bubbling up in the late 2000s wasn't the first to pivot from the dissonant serialism of Pierre Boulez and Milton Babbitt, still powerful influences in composition schools. But the artists who shone were newly adept at twisting how listeners heard their work, and how marketing companies categorized it. New collectives like yMusic and the NOW Ensemble collaborated with The National and Sufjan Stevens. Composers were publicized as exciting, singular figures rather than the fruits of academic institutions, and new labels, like New Amsterdam Records, gave them homes. In 2007, the New Yorker classical critic Alex Ross wrote that New Amsterdam's "scene," as many saw it, had "an appealing openness about it, an optimistic spirit." He called it "music beyond ideology."

The scene's attitude aligned with Shaw's. "I always thought of it as the edges getting wider and the middles getting smaller," she says. "I was just trying to say yes and play all sorts of stuff." Her compositional instincts, still nascent, gained muscle by playing almost exclusively new music, like learning how to paint by living in a painter's studio. Still, growth brings growing pains, and the scene could be "a mixture of supportive and snarky," leaving room for familiar social hierarchies to take root. "I hate the snark," Shaw says. "Life is too short for that."

On an afternoon in 2009, Shaw made her way to an apartment on the Upper West Side to audition for a new vocal group. Brad Wells, a singer and composer who had peeled off from an operatic trajectory, wanted to create a group that could disrupt the centuries-old traditions that determined the forceful tone of classical singing. Wells didn't have members yet, but he had a name: Roomful of Teeth.

"I had been auditioning people for a couple of months and hadn't found any singers that did what I was looking for," Wells says. "Caroline was the first." After Shaw finished her audition and left — she sang a plainchant and "I've Been Loving You Too Long," by Otis Redding — Wells turned to his friend, whose apartment they were using, and said, "She's it." The friend was surprised. "Caroline doesn't have that larger, developed classical solo voice," Wells says. (Hers, in the alto range, is round and unforced, like the tone of a boys' choir.) "But what I heard was boatloads of musicality."

Roomful of Teeth started rehearsing at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art over the summer, bringing experts in yodeling, throat singing, belting and other techniques for lessons. These excursions into unfamiliar singing practices, from a swath of cultures, were the group's foundational objective — Wells once described Roomful's project as a chance to "liberate the voice." For material, Shaw started cobbling together her own ideas to test out on the ensemble. The piece that came out of that writing would become the fourth movement of the Partita for 8 Voices, "Passacaglia" — a flurry of vocal techniques and spoken words, taken from a set of drawing instructions by the conceptual artist Sol LeWitt, that fuses into rapturous harmony. Over three summers, often late at night, Shaw wrote the three other movements, connecting percussive breaths, hums, grumbles and polished tones with boggling flow. It's the kind of piece that people, especially in the classical world, remember hearing for the first time: Live performances tend to elicit sobs, recordings instant replays. Wells, who knew little about Shaw's composition abilities beforehand, recalls watching audiences leap to their feet in the middle of movements. "It's kind of as if you have royalty in your family," he says, "and you didn't know it."

"A lot of it feels psychological," Shaw says about composing the Partita. "If I feel really comfortable with people, or they really love music and they show it, I make the best stuff. It just comes out of you differently." Submitting the piece to the Pulitzers was mainly a roundabout PR strategy, a way to introduce the prize committee members to Roomful of Teeth. Then, on the day winners were announced, Shaw was walking in downtown Manhattan's Hudson River Park when her phone started buzzing.

"It felt like this coming of age of my generation, in a pretty swift and sudden way," says contemporary classical torchbearer Nadia Sirota, a violist and former host of the NPR member station podcast Meet the Composer. While some scoffed at classical's drift into mainstream harmony (with one of the most lauded living composers taking a veiled swipe at Shaw's "user-friendly, lightweight" music), Sirota didn't see things as black and white. "There was still a sense of what kind of complexity new classical music had to contain from the academic world," she says. "What I love about Caroline's music is you can make something unabashedly beautiful, and something that's also smart. Beauty doesn't exist in opposition to rigor or structure or architecture. That was a big sea change."

After writing bits of the Partita for Roomful of Teeth, Shaw applied to Princeton's competitive PhD program in composition. She knew she wasn't a contender for violin programs, and she wanted to avoid the looming law school application she had as a backup plan. Still with no formal training, she got in. Shaw worried at first that serious composition instruction would calcify her self-spun instincts into rigid patterns, but at Princeton she found teachers, like the composer and fiddler Dan Treuman, who shared her interest in folk music and encouraged her exploratory, collaborative methods. It's also where she first met So, in a workshop class they taught as artists in residence. "We'd give these assignments — write a 30-second piece for tin cans, or something — and a lot of people would try to write the coolest thing they could," Eric Cha-Beach says. "Caroline would just come into class and be like, 'OK, I don't have any notes on the page, but I have six ideas.' "

Making Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part was a bit like that. After teaming up with the soprano Dawn Upshaw and the pianist Gil Kalish on the album Narrow Sea (released this January), Shaw and the percussionists felt like they had enough momentum to do more: write lyrics, improvise and shape as they went along. "What if we dove into that space together?" Shaw says, recounting the moment of inspiration. "No one is in charge, and everyone can come to the table. No one is the composer or the performer."

"Other Song," the second track on the album, served as a proof of concept, recorded on a whim during the Narrow Sea sessions. Quietly dramatic, with tentative chugging percussion, it's the kind of song that might soundtrack a hopeful overnight escape scene. Shaw's voice tumbles down melodic lines, each one inching higher: "The song is in the fold / The harmony is cold / What's old is new is old is ever, ever told." Some songs on Let the Soil make lyrics out of existing verse, like Anne Carson poems or the Sacred Harp hymnal; one is a riff on ABBA's "Lay All Your Love on Me," spun into echoing, Gregorian-like choral chants over marimba. But many lyrics are Shaw's own. On the title track, a lullabyish duet with music box-like steel pans, her attraction to abstract, geometrical themes is in overdrive: "Every angle has its fabled / tangent tied behind the backs of / folded hours." Then, as the drum surfaces from minor to major, Shaw gets out of her head: "Do you ever think of me? / I hope that / you are well."

"Some of my favorite songs, pop songs, are about love and having lost someone," she says. "Those have always really moved me, and I'd never written one. How do you write a sort of sad, really sincere, honest love song? That's what came out." It's one of many times she has found motivation by tricking herself into the mindset of a beginner, or placing herself in situations where she literally is one.

Before the Partita, Shaw's body of work was small, and rarely left her home turf of strings and voice."In manus tuas," a solo cello piece written for her friend Hannah Collins in 2009, exemplifies her sonic hallmark, combining the satisfying resolution of sacred music with a buoyant, curious sense of direction. She likes making instrumentalists use their voices, as in the surreal 2012 piece "Taxidermy," her first for So Percussion. Between waves of struck flower pots that together sound like a gamelan ensemble, the percussionists speak the T.S. Eliot line that shows up in the Partita, which has become a kind of Shaw mantra: "The detail of the pattern is movement." Since her breakthrough, her compositions have expanded in scope — pieces for full choruses and orchestras, two concertos — but also settled into smaller chamber groups that have released her pieces on albums. In 2016, the group yMusic commissioned "Draft of a High-Rise," a sparkling, anxious piece with a determined melody, released on the 2020 album Ecstatic Science. In 2019, the acclaimed Attacca Quartet released Orange, an album of string quartet works by Shaw, which won a Grammy.

This trusting, shapeless approach is perhaps what links Shaw's creativity to that of her most famous collaborator. In 2015, Kanye West went to a performance of the Partita by Roomful of Teeth at Walt Disney Hall. (It was their first time doing it memorized, and Shaw, nervous, mixed up two of the movements.) After the show, he asked to meet her backstage and told her that he wanted her music to score a video game he was developing that depicted his mother, Donda, ascending to heaven. "The heart of our relationship is that he connected to my music through the memory of his mother, and that feels like a sacred, beautiful thing," she says.

Multiple West projects have since been shaped by Shaw's ear for spectral melodies. The first was a remix of his song "Say You Will" that layers her voice into a wall of triumphant, open vowels. One of the most iconic riffs on 2016's The Life of Pablo is Shaw's voice, rounded into an echoey "ooo" that sounds sampled from a monastery, acrobatically hopping and bending over fuzzy bass hits in "Wolves." She worked on Pablo at Rick Rubin's Malibu home, West's own house, and studios in LA, while Ye took her out to West's ranch in Wyoming. Compared to working with ensembles of classically trained musicians, Shaw felt shyer in those environments — "smaller," as she put it — but she recognized in West the same desire she has for conversational creation. (Their relationship is off-and-on: Shaw left the Pablo tour when West began voicing ambiguous support for Donald Trump in 2016, but she is open to working with him again.)

That wide-eyed, absorbent attitude has limits, however. In October 2019, Tanya Tagaq, a Canadian Inuk throat singer, composer and Polaris Music Prize winner, tweeted about the Partita's use of katajjaq, a traditional form of Inuit throat singing. "This is appropriation," she wrote, condemning the work as part of a pattern of musicians, often white, employing techniques from colonized groups without meaningful compensation or attribution: "Do you think any of the appropriated cultures benefited in any monetary way?"

What Roomful of Teeth had historically been praised for — reaching outside of the members' own traditions — had become its most contested quality. Shaw and Wells responded on Twitter and with a statement, detailing how their katajjaq teachers were paid. They said they would more clearly credit them and Inuit culture, look into changing the composition, and find ways to financially support Indigenous artists. "Vulnerability, risk-taking, and a willingness to change have been central to our work from the start," they wrote. "We are grateful for these opportunities to learn and grow in ways we might not have anticipated but which we welcome."

"Digesting criticism like that is gut-wrenchingly difficult and deeply necessary. I'm grateful to those who have talked about it," Shaw says. "I think our early experiments with Roomful of Teeth hadn't fully evolved to deal with some of the questions of identity and who should be allowed to engage with certain traditions." (She is currently rewriting the sections that included katajjaq and says she has, privately, redistributed money made through the Partita to Inuit arts organizations.)

Shaw's renown places her at an odd focal point in growing discussions about her field's diversity, or lack of it. Even as her presence diversifies a world dominated by the work of dead men, many major institutions are still only inching toward recognizing the industry's deep-rooted structural inequities, racism in particular. In April, the New York Philharmonic staged its first live, indoor concert since the start of the pandemic and the protests following George Floyd's death. In the initial announcement, the program included only white male composers; by the time of the event, perhaps recognizing the homogeneity, the organization had swapped an orchestral piece by Shaw in for a canon by Arvo Pärt. In his review, New York Times classical editor Zachary Woolfe noted that "even after adding Shaw's piece, the Philharmonic would be coming back to a city that is only a third white without any Black or Latino players onstage and any music by composers of color."

Any young composer's success tends to be framed, at one point or another, as a proxy narrative for the longevity of classical music. But what kind of future the field can have may be the more pressing question. Shaw's adventurous work, slant approach to the composer role and collaborative spirit have helped welcome more unorthodox paths — but as a white woman with degrees from top conservatories, she is still of the scene's dominant identities. The conflicts over the Partita offer the same reminder: Opening music to new influences can be democratizing, but it does not mean the underlying power structures change.

Shaw feels far from the Partita now, 10 years after writing its first notes, and attentive to its missteps. But there are kernels of its creation that she hopes to hold onto — the late-night inspiration, and the feeling of building something without knowing how it will turn out, or what narrative will be crafted to sell it. "At its best, music writing feels like that," she says. "It feels like a gift for those who are close to you, rather than reaching for something far away."

Shaw was recently asked by a musician friend (the French artist known mononymously as Chris, frontwoman of the band Christine and the Queens) how commissions work in the classical world. Does she have an endless list of pieces she is expected to write, based on which orchestras have called her name? To a degree, yes — the clients of her in-progress works include both the Lyric Opera of Chicago and a major pop star she's not yet allowed to name. But Let the Soil is a window into the kind of creative pace she'd like to experience again.

"I have this little slice of stuff that I want to do for myself," she says. "It's just this folder and a bunch of Trello notes of songs and album ideas." She says she wants to keep working with any musicians who inspire her, but she's interested in getting further away from the world of formal composing. The artists from whom she draws the most inspiration — FKA twigs, Moses Sumney, Anne Carson, the choreographer Crystal Pite — are like her: of specific creative backgrounds, but forging relatively isolated paths to privilege their work over its categorization.

In some ways, the music industry has finally caught up with Shaw. Listeners are freer than ever from genre, thanks to the hungry and indiscriminate pace of streaming services that have made irrelevant the categories that once organized record stores. But what this means for the musicians themselves, still frequently pigeonholed by race, nationality and style, is unresolved. And the genre trap has, for generations, puzzled the classical community, where its pressures take on curiously high stakes. For artists to reach beyond traditional audiences and influences is also to take a step back from the institutions that brought them up — music conservatories, orchestras and opera companies, the legacies of a handful of composers — and move toward a hyped, fast-moving mainstream.

But even while algorithms have shaped listeners in Shaw's maverick image, she remains firmly between musical communities, guided by her instincts alone. It's a creatively powerful position, and a potentially lonely one, too. "There's all this pressure to 'be relevant,' and I've seen it at the highest levels — the people at the top of pop mainstream music who are also worried," she says. "It doesn't ever go away, and it's really not what it's about. The sooner you recognize it and realize it, the deeper the roots can go, if you're not stuck at the surface trying to make sure that everyone can see you."

Instead, Shaw has modeled a way of trudging into the unknown by bringing others along, and trusting them to shape her creations with her. "She's so open to that last 11 percent of the music that comes in the performance," Sirota says. "As a performer, that's sometimes the most exciting stuff to work on, because you feel like you're vital as opposed to incidental." Yee, from Attacca Quartet, has been co-composing pieces with Shaw lately, which has offered a chance to see her conspiring creative instincts up close. "I would have an idea and would say, why don't we try this?" Yee says. "She would look really excited and smile and say, 'That's great, and then what happens?' There's this sense of a journey, and being excited about a musical story, that I'm very familiar with as a performer, but hadn't really thought of in terms of being a composer."

Even Shaw needs breaks, though. She was only at her dad's cottage for a few days when we spoke, but she lived there for the first three months of the pandemic. She deleted social media from her phone and "hibernated," working on music, watching the turtles — more numerous than she had ever seen them — and getting rare, extended time on her own. She can convene with her own musicality in moments like these. They help develop the centered confidence that allows her freer, flexible moments to happen. It's a necessary recharge, in other words, before her next collaboration.

"What I like the most," she says, "is always having the feeling of not quite knowing what I'm doing, but having the confidence that I'm standing on good, solid ground. A good foundation as a musician, and as a person."

Elena Saavedra Buckley is a writer based in Los Angeles. She works for Epic Magazine and edits at The Drift.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Best Move applies eclectic influences and earnest human connection to their music and runs with it. Add in some beautifully layered soundscapes, twinkling reverb guitars, intimate production, and sentimental lyrics and you have the band's recently released EP Mirror Image Twins. 

Back in February, Modern Music Director Nick Brunner sat down with two thirds of the Sacramento based trio, Kris Anaya and Joseph Davancens, to talk about making music as Best Move, any hold over influences from the pair’s prior electronic project Doombird, and hopes for what it might be like to play a live show again one of these days.

Kris Anaya: The last show that Joe and I went to before the pandemic, we saw you there, it was Andy Shauf. We loved his performance because the band just sounded incredible. And they were like so tied into the record and the sound of the record. And I think everyone in the audience really kind of noticed that. 

And so when Joe and I left that, we were like, “Oh, we got to step up our game.” We need to get better gear. We need to practice more and stuff like that. And we want to get this sound between, like the record and live and put it together and the pandemic happened. [Chuckles] So that didn't happen.

But we're still hoping to, when we get back and play a show to kind of give the audience that kind of vibe you know? Where they come in and they go,’ “Oh, they really performed the sound on the record, like they said they were going to.”

Yeah, that Andy Shauf show reminded me of something. When I saw it, I was amazed by how one to one the sound was live, that it is on the record. Is that the kind of thing that you want to explore with Best Move?

Joseph Davancens: We're very interested in that and reproducing the record as faithfully as possible live. It's also really hard. Especially with this record, because there's like so many layers on it. And then also, the music is really kind of, it's really quiet and kind of soft and in a way the performances are sort of minimalistic. Especially the drums and our drummer, like, hates us because of this. Not really. But I think the payoff is good.

Multi-instrumentalist Joseph Davancens playing bass at a recording session.Photo by Raoul Ortega, Courtesy of Park the Van

You know, Kris, when I listen to the music you make with Joe and Best Move, I'm taken back to the music you were making as Doombird, a little more baroque pop kind of style. Is that a fair comparison?

Anaya: Yeah. So it definitely does draw that comparison in sound. And it just feels like, you know, with electronic music, I think I was excited to do it because it was something new. But this kind of music [with Best Move] is more comfortable to me, you know, as a singer songwriter.

Just seemed like for me, a place that I wanted to travel back to. So the first person I could think of to work with on it was Joe at the time. And yeah, it kind of just draws back to that old singer-songwriter stuff that seems more natural to me.

Well, it’s not like we're out of the woods pandemic-wise, and we probably won't be for some time. What do you want to do this year that maybe you otherwise couldn't in 2020?

Anaya: Yeah, we've got a lot of things coming up. So we're going to perform a live session at this studio called Panoramic House in March. We're going to film it so we can broadcast it live for people to watch.

And then we're going to release an EP coming up in the next couple of months. And then we're hoping by fall that we'll start playing shows again.

Davancens: Yeah, I can't wait to play a show, and I'm sure there's a lot of people who can't wait to go see shows. I can totally understand and would probably be sort of scared and like, have some trepidation about getting in a room with a bunch of people. But yeah, it's going to be weird when it kind of comes back on.

Is it daunting to have to debut music [right now]? There's going to be so many people vying for so much attention.

Anaya: I think it's gonna be fine. I'm not overly nervous about it. I think that there's still gonna be space for this band. And I think people are gonna want to go out to shows because they like the music, you know? And if we put it on social media and we say, “Hey, we're finally playing a show.” I'm sure that people that liked listening to it, wanna come see us play. 

I think I'm mostly concerned about the energy because our music is kind of more emotional in a sense. And maybe some people just want to go see electronic music, you know, cause they want to forget the pandemic that happened. Or maybe they just want to still wrap in some very depressing songs and still enjoy that. So I think that's what I'm kind of most concerned about.

You can keep up to date on Best Move on their Instagram and find their new EP Mirror Image Twins at Bandcamp.

While every band in America is different, their members all have at least one thing in common right now — they’re looking for something to do. 

Sacramento funk-soul band The Gold Souls united another group of disparate artists into its latest music video for ‘Got It.” I spoke with the band’s singer, Juniper Waller, about what it took to create the video, as well as what else is keeping the band busy in 2020.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Interview Highlights

On the artists behind the video’s animations

We have six different animators that worked on the video. One of them, Bronko Zlatar, is a Sacramento animator. And then the rest of them we found on the Internet. And so that's why the styles are so different, because … each member of the band got to choose how they wanted theirs to look. They got to choose their animator and choose their storyline.

On how this project came together

We had started talking about the music video [and] forgot it before shelter-in-place happened. We had a concept, we were going to work with Jayson Angove. He was going to shoot and direct the video. We've been wanting to work with him for a while. And so we were going to do a more traditional music video scenario. 

But then when shelter-in-place started, the question was, can we still do a music video? How can we pull this off with everybody in their own home? And so it was just like, well, what if each member of the band is kind of doing their shelter-in-place activity and then their imagination takes over? And the animation is sort of, what would they be doing if they could be doing anything or just where is their imagination taking them in this moment? And there is one common thread through the video of this black and yellow moth that's floating through every person's imagination and connecting our collective consciousness and imagination while we're all isolated. And then that comes together in this imaginary backyard party. 

On the struggles as an artist of staying at home due to COVID-19

Well, it's been huge. Of course. I mean, the first few weeks, we're all just about accepting that this big part of our lives as performers was not going to be a thing for a while. I actually realized that during our last show, I had this moment that just came over me while I was on stage at Torch Club, where I in my mind just said, this is the last time we're going to do this for a long time. And it was on March 13. That's challenging for all of us. 

But I think every member of the band, from the very beginning stages of shelter-in-place and quarantine, I think each and every one of us had a moment where we were like, we want to be part of the solution. We want to be a positive force in this time. Right? We still want to provide music to our fans and friends. We still want to be in touch and be creating.

On the Gold Souls’ plans for the rest of the year

We're still working on our album. We kind of laid off the guys on that because we got time. [We’re] going to be putting out more singles. The album, we promised it for this year, but all sorts of people promised all sorts of things for this year. So probably the album will end up being [released in] 2021. We can hopefully play live again. 

We've got a livestream on August 15 with Rockwood Music Hall in New York. So it's almost like we're going to New York to play a show, which hopefully we'll do for real one day. And yeah, the music video [released on Aug. 8]. I'm really excited about that.

Courtesy Slovenly Recordings
Tim Foster founded Th’ Losin Streaks in the early 2000s, and brings us up to speed on the past few years in a conversation with Hey Listen! host Nick Brunner..

Tim Foster: The Streaks started out as my project. I wrote all the original songs, picked all the covers and hand-picked every band member. I really loved the approach of this very raw British band called Thee Headcoats — stripped-down punk rhythm and blues — so that was kind of the ideal I was going for initially. But as we played together, the other guys started bringing in really good ideas, and before long we were splitting the songwriting three ways, so it started to sound like a different thing. You can really hear that difference between our first record and the new album. Also, our original drummer Matt retired in 2018 so that has been a change, too. Luckily our new drummer Brian was one of Matt's biggest influences when he was a kid, so I think we still have the same basic vibe.

Nick Brunner: How long have you been a musician?

TF: I started playing harmonica 25-30 years ago and picked up a guitar shortly after that — but I wasn't really a 'musician' per se — for years I just did the absolute bare necessity in the service of a live show with the band ... if you had asked me to perform a song solo, I couldn't have done it at all. Then around 2000 I really started practicing and trying to understand what I was doing a little bit. I'm still not much of a guitarist, technically, but I've gotten good at making sounds I like.

NB: What did you listen to growing up (music or otherwise) and how did it influence your art?

TF: My parents loved Hank Williams, Fats Domino, Nat "King" Cole and classic big band like Harry James and Glenn Miller, so that stuff is in my DNA. I love it. My siblings were into The Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel, so I grew up on that too, but I didn't get into music heavily until my late teens.

I really got obsessed with music when I discovered "garage punk" — the records made by the teen garage bands in the mid sixties ... They had all the energy of punk rock, but with all the limitations of trying to make that aesthetic work in 1965 or 66. There were thousands of these bands, with names like The Sonics, The One Way Streets, The Stoics ... I found a collection of '60s garage band recordings one day in 1987 and I was gone — it literally changed my life when the needle hit that record. Everything I've ever done musically really springs from hearing those recordings for the first time.

NB: Does your art fully support you? If not what else do you do to survive?

TF: Ha! No ... I have always had a day job. I worked as a commercial artist for a long time, but these days I run a public affairs journalism nonprofit in Sacramento.

NB: Tell me about one of the biggest struggles/triumphs you've faced recently.

TF: The biggest recent struggle for the band has been the loss of our tour, and all the other shows this year. We were slated to do a full European tour in May. We had a bunch of festivals lined up, including our first-ever shows in the UK. Our record label planned to reissue our first album to coincide with the tour, so we were going to have two albums to take with us. We'd been working on the planning for nearly a year ... and suddenly it was just gone. In the grand scheme of things it's nothing compared to people getting sick or losing their jobs, but still, it hurt. Playing shows is the best part of being in a band, and we don't have any idea when — or if — that's going to happen again. That's been hard.

NB: What's the best (or worst) advice you've ever received?

TF: It wasn't exactly advice, but the best "training" I ever got was watching this band called "The Mummies" back in the early '90s. These guys played every show dressed in full, filthy, mummy costumes, drove around in a 1965 Pontiac ambulance with "THE MUMMIES" painted in giant letters on the side, and basically destroyed every stage they set foot on. They played sixties-inspired songs and used all-vintage gear, but they weren't some retro "nostalgia" act — they insulted each other, fought with the audience, and abused their equipment so badly that it often broke mid-song. They weren't loud compared to most bands of the time, but there was more sheer power coming off the stage when they played than anything I've seen before or since. They were all incredible musicians, but they never let that get in the way of the performance. Even if the audiences (and sound guys) weren't always on board, there was never any question who owned that stage while they were up there, a lesson I always take to heart whenever we play.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Click the "play" button above to hear more of the conversation with Tim Foster

Updated on June 10 at 6:14 p.m. ET.

As more festivals, performances and concerts are canceled due to the coronavirus shutdown, musicians of all stripes and sizes are taking to social and streaming platforms to play live for their fans,

NPR Music is compiling a list of live audio and video streams from around the world, categorized by date and genre, with links out to streaming platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Some will require registration or a subscription, but most will be free, often with digital tip jars and opportunities to directly support artists by buying music and merchandise.

Some artists are planning daily streams — like Ben Gibbard and Christine and the Queens — and will be noted below as information becomes available.

This is a living document, updated every day until it's no longer needed.

If you would like a live concert to be considered for the list, please fill out this Google Form. Thanks!

June 10

Classical

WXQR Celebration of Pride: Anthony Roth Costanzo, New York City Gay Men's Chorus, ChamberQUEER, pianist Sara Davis Buechner
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Greene Space / YouTube

Paul Lewis, piano
Time: 8 a.m. ET
Link: Wigmore Hall / YouTube

Vienna Staatsoper: Strauss' Verklungene Feste and Josephs Legende
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

The Kanneh-Mason Family
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Metropolitan Opera: Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Link: Met Opera

Tulsa Opera: Coleen Daly, soprano
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Link: Tulsa Opra

Multi-Genre

A Night For Austin: Paul Simon, Norah Jones, Willy Nelson, Black Pumas and more
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: A Night For Austin / Twitch

All in WA: Pearl Jam, Macklemore, Ben Gibbard and more
Time: 10 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch

R&B / Soul

H.E.R.
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Jazz

Ivan Neville
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Blue Note at Home
- Christopher Turner Presents Pher: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram / Facebook

Rock

Pickathon Presents A Concert A Day: Lake Street Dive
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch / YouTube / Facebook

David Bazan of Pedro the Lion
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: David Bazan

Desert Noises
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Archers of Loaf
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Dave Matthews Band
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Dave Matthews Band

Bob Weir
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Noon Chorus

Country / Americana

Brandy Clark
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

American Aquarium
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Clint Black
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Rhett Miller
Time: 11 p.m. ET
Link: Stage It

Indie

Alfie Templeman
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Pop

Chris Urquiaga
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Zella Day
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

June 11

Classical

Philadelphia Orchestra 100th Birthday Concert: Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy, Dukas The Sorcerer's Apprentice and more
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: PhilOrch

Beth Morrison Projects: Opera of the Week
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Link: Beth Morrison Projects

Vienna Staatsoper: Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

London Symphony Orchestra
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Link: LSO / YouTube

Metropolitan Opera: Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Link: Met Opera

Country / Americana

Picture Show: A Tribute to John Prine: Jason Isbell, Kacey Musgraves, Brandi Carlile, Bonnie Raitt and more
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube / Facebook

Christian Lee Hutson
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Faren Rachels
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Multi-Genre

Live with Carnegie Hall: Roseanne Cash, Gary Clark, Jr., Brandi Carlile, Ry Cooder and more
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Link: Carnegie Hall / Instagram / Facebook

RoadNation: Hamish Anderson, The Gold Souls, Ruby Velle and more
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch

Hip-Hop

Lollapalooza From The Vault: J. Cole
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Pop

Perfume Genius
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Jazz

Blue Note at Home
- Nicholas Payton: 8 p.m. ET, 9:30 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram / Facebook

Norah Jones
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Charlie Hunter
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Signature Sounds

Joe's Pub Live From The Archive: Mira Awad & Guy Mintus
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Public Theater

R&B / Soul

H.E.R.
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Latin

Jesse & Joy
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Folk

Pickathon Presents A Concert A Day: Ora Cogan
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch / YouTube / Facebook

Whitney
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Noon Chorus

Heather Mae and Crys Matthews
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Link: Side Door

Rock

Altin Gün
Time: 7 a.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Brendan Benson
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Radiohead
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Low Cut Connie
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram / Facebook

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch

Kyle Hollingsworth
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Noon Chorus

Experimental

Fridman Gallery Solos: C. Lavender
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Fridman Gallery

June 12

classical

Carnegie Hall Fridays: New World Symphony
Time: 3 a.m. ET
Link: Carnegie Hall
Note: Carnegie Hall's Friday streams are available from 3 a.m. ET Friday until 3 a.m. ET the following Monday.

Taiwan Philharmonic
Time: 7:30 a.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Lang Lang Foundation Play It Forward: Carey Byron
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Vienna Staatsoper: Puccini's La fanciulla del West
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

The Kanneh-Mason Family
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

New World Symphony Fellows Live From Our Living Rooms
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Tulsa Opera: Weston Hurt, baritone
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Link: Tulsa Opera

Jazz

Blue Note at Home
- Maurice Brown: Mobetta Live: 8 p.m. ET
- Mike Dillon Nolatet: 10 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram / Facebook

Multi-Genre

XPNFest Fridays: Mavis Staples and Chicano Batman
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: NPR Live Sessions

Folk

SFJazz Fridays at Five: Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: SFJazz

Prison Music Project Long Time Gone Release Show: Ani DiFranco, Zoe Boekbinder, Terence Higgins and more
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: LiveXLive

The Tallest Man on Earth
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Country / Americana

Carly Pearce
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Clayton Anderson
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Rhett Miller
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Stage It

Hip-Hop

IDK
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Latin

Arthur Hanlon
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Rock

Pickathon Presents A Concert A Day: Wolf Parade
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch / YouTube / Facebook

Grateful Dead
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Experimental

Derya Yildirim
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Electronic

Digital Mirage: Chromeo, Big Gigantic, Matoma and more
Time: 12 - 11:59 p.m. ET
Link: Digital Mirage

Diplo and Dillon Francis
Time: 11 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch

June 13

Classical

Vienna Staatsoper: Prokofiev's Der Spieler
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

Jennifer Koh's Alone Together Finale: New works from Kati Agócs, Vincent Calianno, Patrick Castillo, and Sugar Vendil
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram / Facebook

Jazz

Joe Locke and Warren Wolf
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Link: Instant Seats

Live at the Village Vanguard: Billy Hart Quartet
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Village Vanguard

Blue Note at Home
- Kandace Springs: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram / Facebook

Hip-Hop

Shoreline Mafia
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Rock

Low Cut Connie
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram / Facebook

Ben Folds
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Country / Americana

Saturday Night Opry: Lady Antebellum
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube / Facebook

Old Crow Medicine Show
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube / Facebook

Dylan LeBlanc
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Jameson Rodgers
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Indie

LA Priest
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Link: Veeps

Folk

Pickathon Presents A Concert A Day: CAAMP
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch / YouTube / Facebook

Cabaret

Puddles Pity Party
Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
Link: Veeps

Pop

Joe's Pub Live From The Archives: 2Scoops
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Public Theater

Electronic

Digital Mirage: A-Trak, Snakehips, Kaskade and more
Time: 12 - 11:59 p.m. ET
Link: Digital Mirage

Charlotte Adigery
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Major Lazer
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch

June 14

Classical

Vienna Staatsoper: Verdi's Nabucco
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

London Symphony Orchestra
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Link: LSO / YouTube

National Symphony Orchestra @ Home
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube / Facebook

Metropolitan Opera: Handel's Rodelinda
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Link: Met Opera

Experimental

Bang on a Can Marathon: Rhiannon Giddens, Terry Riley, Roscoe Mitchell, Nico Muhly, Conrad Tao and more
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Link: Bang on a Can

Jazz

Live at the Village Vanguard: Billy Hart Quartet
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Link: Village Vanguard

Blue Note at Home
- Michel Camilo: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram / Facebook

Latin

Gaby Moreno
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Link: QChamberStream

Hip-Hop

G Herbo
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Rock

Alex Henry Foster & The Long Shadows
Time: 9 a.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Pickathon Presents A Concert A Day: Mikal Cronin
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch / YouTube / Facebook

Deep Sea Diver
Time: 10 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Pop

Gemma
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Country / Americana

Brandi Carlile Performs The Firewatcher's Daughter
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Veeps

Nikki Lane
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Noon Chorus

American Aquarium
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Electronic

Digital Mirage: GRiZ, Mr. Carmack, Baauer and more
Time: 12 - 11:59 p.m. ET
Link: Digital Mirage

Folk

Patty Larkin
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Signature Sounds

David Wax Museum
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

June 15

Classical

The Violin Channel Live
- Violinist Callum Smart: 1 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube / Facebook

Vienna Staatsoper: Verdi's Un ballo in maschera
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

Metropolitan Opera: Rossini's Armida
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Link: Met Opera

Rock

The National
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Waxahatchee plays Cerulean Salt
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Noon Chorus

Grace Potter
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Country / Americana

Rhett Miller
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Stage It

Metal

Metallica
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube / Facebook

June 16

Classical

Vienna Staatsoper: Janácek's Vec Makropoulos
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

Metropolitan Opera: Rossini's Semiramide
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Link: Met Opera

Rock

Phish
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Link: Live Phish / Facebook

Joe Pernice
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Signature Sounds

Country / Americana

Caylee Hammack
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Bob DiPiero
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram / Facebook

Trixie Mattel
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch

Experimental

Live@National Sawdust: Sxip & Coco
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

Folk

David Wax Museum
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

SONiA disappear fear
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Electronic

Dim Mak Records
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch

June 17

Classical

Vienna Staatsoper: Verdi's Simon Boccanegra
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

The Kanneh-Mason Family
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Metropolitan Opera: Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Link: Met Opera

Jazz

Ivan Neville
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Rock

Lucy Dacus
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Link: Royal Albert Hall

David Bazan of Pedro the Lion
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: David Bazan

Dave Matthews Band
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Dave Matthews Band

Bob Weir
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Country / Americana

Brandy Clark
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

American Aquarium
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Clint Black
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Rhett Miller
Time: 11 p.m. ET
Link: Stage It

June 18

classical

Beth Morrison Projects: Opera of the Week
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Link: Beth Morrison Projects

Vienna Staatsoper: Janácek's Kátja Kabanová
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

Metropolitan Opera: Verdi's La Forza del Destino
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Link: Met Opera

Jazz

Live@National Sawdust: Dayramir Gonzalez
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

Imani and Pepe González
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

R&B / Soul

H.E.R.
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Latin

Jesse & Joy
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Rock

Phoebe Beidgers
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Angel Olsen
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Noon Chorus

Radiohead
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Low Cut Connie
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram / Facebook

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch

Experimental

Fridman Gallery Solos: Leila Bordreuil
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Fridman Gallery

June 19

Classical

Carnegie Hall Fridays: Munich Philharmonic
Time: 3 a.m. ET
Link: Carnegie Hall
Note: Carnegie Hall's Friday streams are available from 3 a.m. ET Friday until 3 a.m. ET the following Monday.

Lang Lang Foundation Play It Forward: Amir Siraj
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Vienna Staatsoper: Verdi's Otello
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

Live@National Sawdust: Anthony Roth Costanzo
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

The Kanneh-Mason Family
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Ben Folds and the National Symphony Orchestra
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Link: Kennedy Center

Metropolitan Opera: Philip Glass's Akhnaten
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Link: Met Opera

pop

Joe's Pub Live From The Archive: Purple Heart: The Music of Michael Callen
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Public Theater

Latin

VF7
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Folk

The Tallest Man on Earth
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Country / Americana

Rhett Miller
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Stage It

Rock

Grateful Dead
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Electronic

Diplo and Dillon Francis
Time: 11 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch

June 20

Classical

Vienna Staatsoper: Eröd's Pünktchen und Anton
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

Vienna Staatsoper: Verdi's Macbeth
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

Metropolitan Opera: Philip Glass's Satyagraha
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Link: Met Opera

Jazz

Live at the Village Vanguard: Vijay Iyer Trio
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Village Vanguard

k-pop

KCON:TACT 2020 Summer
Time: 12 a.m. - 11:59 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube
Note: KCON has not yet announced a detailed lineup or schedule. Check the festival's website for more details.

Rock

Low Cut Connie
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram / Facebook

Ben Folds
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Country / Americana

Saturday Night Opry
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube / Facebook

Old Crow Medicine Show
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube / Facebook

Dylan LeBlanc
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Jameson Rodgers
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

June 21

Classical

Vienna Staatsoper: Verdi's Don Carlo
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

National Symphony Orchestra @ Home
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube / Facebook

Metropolitan Opera: Verdi's La Traviata
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Link: Met Opera

Jazz

Live at the Village Vanguard: Vijay Iyer Trio
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Link: Village Vanguard

k-pop

KCON:TACT 2020 Summer
Time: 12 a.m. - 11:59 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube
Note: KCON has not yet announced a detailed lineup or schedule. Check the festival's website for more details.

Multi-Genre

City Winery Father's Day Celebration: Billy Bragg, Bruce Cockburn, Fantastic Negrito, Joan Osborne and more
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Link: City Winery

R&B / Soul

Black Pumas
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube / Twitch / Facebook

Rock

Deep Sea Diver
Time: 10 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Country / Americana

American Aquarium
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Folk

David Wax Museum
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

June 22

classical

Vienna Staatsoper: Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

rock

The National
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Waxahatchee plays Ivy Tripp
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Noon Chorus

Grace Potter
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

k-pop

KCON:TACT 2020 Summer
Time: 12 a.m. - 11:59 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube
Note: KCON has not yet announced a detailed lineup or schedule. Check the festival's website for more details.

Country / Americana

Rhett Miller
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Stage It

Metal

Metallica
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube / Facebook

June 23

classical

Vienna Staatsoper: Händel's Ariodante
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

Live@National Sawdust: Kangmin Justin Kim
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

k-pop

KCON:TACT 2020 Summer
Time: 12 a.m. - 11:59 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube
Note: KCON has not yet announced a detailed lineup or schedule. Check the festival's website for more details.

Rock

Phish
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Link: Live Phish / Facebook

Country / Americana

Yola
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram / Facebook

Caylee Hammack
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Trixie Mattel
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch

Folk

David Wax Museum
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

SONiA disappear fear
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Electronic

Dim Mak Records
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch

June 24

Classical

Vienna Staatsoper: Bellini's La sonnambula
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

The Kanneh-Mason Family
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Jazz

Ivan Neville
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Rock

David Bazan of Pedro the Lion
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: David Bazan

Dave Matthews Band
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Dave Matthews Band

Bob Weir
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Whitehorse
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Country / Americana

Brandy Clark
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

American Aquarium
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Clint Black
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Rhett Miller
Time: 11 p.m. ET
Link: Stage It

June 25

Classical

Beth Morrison Projects: Opera of the Week
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Link: Beth Morrison Projects

Live@National Sawdust: Adam Tendler
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

Electronic

Electric Blockaloo: JAUZ, Diplo, A-Trak, Anjunabeats and more
Time: TBA
Link: Electric Blockaloo
Note: The festival will take place in the video game Minecraft.

R&B / Soul

H.E.R.
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Rock

Radiohead
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Low Cut Connie
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram / Facebook

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch

Latin

Jesse & Joy
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Experimental

Fridman Gallery Solos: Mendi and Keith Obadike
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Fridman Gallery

June 26

Classical

Carnegie Hall Fridays: Philip Glass Ensemble: Music with Changing Parts
Time: 3 a.m. ET
Link: Carnegie Hall
Note: Carnegie Hall's Friday streams are available from 3 a.m. ET Friday until 3 a.m. ET the following Monday.

Vienna Staatsoper: von Einem's Dantons Tod
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

Live@National Sawdust: Jamie Barton
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

The Kanneh-Mason Family
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Electronic

Electric Blockaloo: JAUZ, Diplo, A-Trak, Anjunabeats and more
Time: TBA
Link: Electric Blockaloo
Note: The festival will take place in the video game Minecraft.

Diplo and Dillon Francis
Time: 11 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch

Folk

The Tallest Man on Earth
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Country / Americana

Rhett Miller
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Stage It

Rock

Grateful Dead
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

June 27

Classical

Vienna Staatsoper: Alma Deutscher's Cinderella (Children's Opera)
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

National Symphony Orchestra @ Home
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube / Facebook

Vienna Staatsoper: Verdi's Don Carlo
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

Folk

Bluegrass Pride: Allison de Groot and Patrick M'Gonigle, Jake Blount, Front Country, Alice Gerrard and more
Time: 4 - 11 p.m. ET
Link: Bluegrass Pride

Country / Americana

Saturday Night Opry: Jimmy Buffett, Brad Paisley and Mac McAnally
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Jazz

Live at the Village Vanguard: Joe Martin Quartet
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Village Vanguard

Electronic

Electric Blockaloo: JAUZ, Diplo, A-Trak, Anjunabeats and more
Time: TBA
Link: Electric Blockaloo
Note: The festival will take place in the video game Minecraft.

June 28

Classical

Vienna Staatsoper: Adam's Le Corsaire
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

Folk

Bluegrass Pride: Amythyst Kiah, Kimber Ludiker and Avril Smith, Sam Gleaves, Noa Laniakea and more
Time: 4 - 10:30 p.m. ET
Link: Bluegrass Pride

Jazz

Live at the Village Vanguard: Joe Martin Quartet
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Link: Village Vanguard

Electronic

Electric Blockaloo: JAUZ, Diplo, A-Trak, Anjunabeats and more
Time: TBA
Link: Electric Blockaloo
Note: The festival will take place in the video game Minecraft.

June 29

Classical

Vienna Staatsoper: Verdi's Rigoletto
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

Rock

The National
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Waxahatchee plays Out In The Storm
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Noon Chorus

Grace Potter
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Country / Americana

Rhett Miller
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Stage It

Metal

Metallica
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube / Facebook

June 30

Classical

Vienna Staatsoper: Verdi's Falstaff
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: Staatsoper Live

Rock

Phish
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Link: Live Phish / Facebook

Country / Americana

Caylee Hammack
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Steve Wariner
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram / Facebook

Trixie Mattel
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch

Folk

David Wax Museum
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

SONiA disappear fear
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Electronic

Live@National Sawdust: Drum & Lace
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

Dim Mak Records
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Twitch

July 1

Classical

The Kanneh-Mason Family
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Jazz

Ivan Neville
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Rock

David Bazan of Pedro the Lion
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: David Bazan

Dave Matthews Band
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Dave Matthews Band

Bob Weir
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Facebook

Country / Americana

Brandy Clark
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

American Aquarium
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Rhett Miller
Time: 11 p.m. ET
Link: Stage It

July 2

R&B / Soul

H.E.R.
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Instagram

Experimental

Fridman Gallery Solos: Lea Bertucci
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Fridman Gallery

July 3

Rock

Grateful Dead
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube

Experimental

Live@National Sawdust: Robert Wilson
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

July 4

Jazz

Live at the Village Vanguard: Joe Lovano Trio Fascination
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: Village Vanguard

July 5

Jazz

Live at the Village Vanguard: Joe Lovano Trio Fascination
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Link: Village Vanguard

July 6

Rock

Waxahatchee plays Saint Cloud
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Link: Noon Chorus

July 7

Classical

Live@National Sawdust: Andrew Yee, cello
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

Mimir Chamber Music Festival
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Link: Mimir Festival

July 9

Classical

Mimir Chamber Music Festival
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Link: Mimir Festival

Experimental

Fridman Gallery Solos: Marina Rosenfeld / Ben Vida (solos)
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Fridman Gallery

July 10

Classical

Live@National Sawdust: Lara St. John
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

Mimir Chamber Music Festival Emerging Artists Concert
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Link: Mimir Festival

July 11

Classical

Mimir Chamber Music Festival
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Link: Mimir Festival

Multi-Genre

Winnipeg Folk Fest at Home: Jason Isbell, Sheryl Crow, Brandi Carlile, Courtney Barnett, Waxahatchee, Tash Sultana and more
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Link: YouTube / Facebook
For a full lineup, check the festival's website.

July 14

Jazz

Live@National Sawdust: Dan Tepfer
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

July 16

Classical

Live@National Sawdust: Molly Joyce
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

Experimental

Fridman Gallery Solos: Rena Anakwe
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Fridman Gallery

July 17

Classical

Live@National Sawdust: Jennifer Walshe
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

July 18

Country / Americana

Nashville Meets London: The Cadillac Three, Michael Ray, Tenille Townes and Twinnie
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Link: Royal Albert Hall

July 21

Jazz

Live@National Sawdust: Joel Ross
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

July 23

Classical

Live@National Sawdust: Brooklyn Rider
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

Experimental

Fridman Gallery Solos: Diamanda Galás
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Fridman Gallery

July 24

Classical

Live@National Sawdust: Cameron Carpenter
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

July 25

Electronic

Tomorrowland Around the World
Time: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. ET
Link: Tomorrowland

July 26

Electronic

Tomorrowland Around the World
Time: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. ET
Link: Tomorrowland

July 28

Jazz

Live@National Sawdust: Julian Lage
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

July 30

Classical

Live@National Sawdust: Sae Hashimoto
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Link: National Sawdust

Experimental

Fridman Gallery Solos: Janet Biggs
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Link: Fridman Gallery

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

"How do I keep from starting this off about the pandemic...?"

I've been sitting here for too long thinking about how to answer that. And even though I'm weary of practically everything being framed through the lens of COVID-19, there's little way to avoid it.

NPR's Tiny Desk Contest deadline was pushed back a month. One of the main prizes — a national tour with an NPR show — won't be happening this year. The same goes for CapRadio's third annual Tiny Desk Sacramento Showcase and, in general, the national mood is understandably dim.

Still, I couldn't be happier to tell you, none of that stopped area artists from showing up for this. While submissions may be lighter than years past, the amount of talent remains top-notch. We saw familiar faces return (hi there, Lillian Frances! Hey, The Midnight Dip and Casey Smith!) and there were so many musicians we didn't have the time to explore in a single web article.

And there was even some growth. Our panel of local contributors is now up to four and we're here to share some of our favorite local Tiny Desk Contestants in 2020.

David Mckissick's Picks

David is a trumpeter, composer and the band leader of South Sacramento’s A Tribe Quartet, also last year's Tiny Desk Sacramento headliner.

The New Crowns | Sacramento

This track isn’t about your traditional Cinderella story. It’s more relatable and DEFINITELY on my Saturday morning playlist. Immediately I’m hit with America (the band) vibes, similar to “Ventura Highway” or something from that record. I really love how cohesive they are as a group. They set the mood well before Timothy Brown comes in with the vocals, and when they do I find myself almost in another world, captivated.

Brown’s vocals are refreshing, firm and original. The bridge is sick! Guitarist Connor Chavez gives us some sweet rock ballad vibes that drew my attention. I love that this video is captured in somebody’s apartment (dope poster of Mac Miller on the wall btw). This song is an absolute banger. I really appreciate the amount of work that went into getting this together.

Cristina Elena | Sacramento

Right off the bat, I appreciate the level of skill it takes to be able to play the piano (in odd meters) and sing at the same time. I really like the way Christina Elana tells her story. It’s unique to her but relatable even if you aren’t from Sacramento. You can see and hear emotion in every lyric. I chuckled a little at the panic in her face as she sang about “going 65 in a 45 zone.” She segues into her childhood, jumping on an old trampoline, a noisy fridge and her dog that never stops barking. It’s playful, personal, bittersweet all at once. It’s an impressive level of storytelling.

The Bad Barnacles | Sacramento

I didn’t know I liked surf rock until I heard this song. They remind me a little of The Doors and also capture a vintage rockabilly/'70s surf kind of vibe. They play the heck out of a minor blues riff. The effect the lead singer uses makes his voice take on the characteristic of an instrument. You can tell these cats have played together for a while and I love how everyone in the band is grooving and locked together. The lyrics are interesting (from what I can make out) — asking the river to take away his woes. This is a stellar group.

Tony Brisson | Sacramento

At first listen, Brisson comes off as a complete natural. In spite of the name, it sounds like his "Sugar Coated Dreams" are actually nightmares or a disillusion of reality. He references being kept up at night and a few lines make me feel like people are casting him aside after he’s no longer useful. Other lines make me think he’s struggling with someone who isn’t being completely truthful with him. I like this song a lot because the lyrics can be interpreted many different ways. The chords he chose for the song are a good fit and Brisson’s vocal inflection reminds me of artists like Ben Rector. The way he sustains notes keeps me drawn in. "Sugar Coated Dreams" has plenty to like (even when it’s not so sweet).

Jennifer Reason's Picks

CapRadio's Classical Midday Host

Tefty and Meems | Roseville

I got hooked twice in quick succession on this one. First, kick off with up-close shots of the sweet, sweet gear so I can see just what Tefty is doing to create the track? Yes please. (I mean, it’s basically my wish list of items, all in that first shot. Swoon.) Then Meems starts singing, and ... what?! Swoon again! I almost fainted. What a voice! I liked the different but impactful take on a concept we’ve all heard sung about a thousand times (I gave you the best I had to give when we were together, you threw it away, blah blah). The duo alter that trope when we hear: “You got all of my good nature, but that’s not all I can be.” Yeah. That's the stuff.

Jake Hill | Sacramento

I love it when solo acts have a full, energetic sound and personality without the need for a full band. That’s Jake Hill. His giant guitar playing + grab-you-right-away vocals + onstage energy are all I need here. He also has this fantastic, unexpected grit to his voice and it was just the right instrument to deliver strong, self-aware lyrics. There’s commitment across the board — his voice, lyrics and playing showcases Hill as a true showman, and an effortless storyteller. A great modern take on a juicy old cowboy song.

Island of Black and White | El Dorado Hills

Ok, the vans. I loved the vans. The image of them circled together made me want to call all my friends and make music from our respective cars. What a fun way to handle a trying time, and make the best of things. There is so much visual creativity here — the power plug start, the unicycle accordion, the desk in the middle of the cul de sac, the bottle of wipes subtly stuck to a window — lots of points earned in addition to it being super well played. Overall it just put me in a great mood! It’s impossible not to smile with this song. I’m most impressed with their coordination. This looks like it could have been a logistical nightmare so kudos to the sound crew for a killer mix, recorded outside no less.

Rebekah Hood-Sava | Oregon House

I’m stereotyping myself with this one, but I don’t care. My degree is in classical music, so yes, this one appeals to me. It’s not just that I love the cello in general, I’m also a sucker for a loop station. I really love what she did here — lots of mini two-bar loops, allowing for lots of creative layers. Halfway through changes up the groove entirely, which kept me fully engaged. It’s so inspiring when someone takes a gorgeous centuries-old instrument outside the box, making use of all the modern possibilities in the sound worlds available through technology. That can be a brave undertaking in a genre that sometimes rabidly clings to its roots, ready to reject the forward thinkers.

Gheni | Sacramento

This one punches all the nostalgia buttons for me. This is exactly the type of song my dad and brothers would sit in a circle and jam out, when I was growing up. In fact, they even had the same exact guitar as the lead singer. (And to make it even more weirdly familiar, my dad’s favorite photo/video edit was always that same kind of sepia tone color Gheni chose for this song) So, is this me really voting for a fond childhood memory? Maybe. But I sure was tapping my toes/banging my head along with these guys. A little “blue-eyed soul” as they say, gets me every time. And those lyrics, ouch. A little too close to home right now: “We’re all so human, aren't we all ... having a devil of a time.”

Majel Connery | Berkeley

There’s this inviting, inexplicable intimacy about the performer as much as the song. It pulls me in before I even realize what’s happening. I find myself hanging on her every perfectly sung note, and appreciating the depth of every lyric. “My hands are flowers, my face is snow.” “I’d like to see if I can last on nothing but sun.” Yup, It sweeps me away. Her audio choices are consistently interesting and diverse. One of my main complaints with electronic artists is a lack of bass, so it’s nice to hear Majel bring that to this piece. The cherry on top for me, she’s a classically trained opera vocalist turned electronic creative and I just can’t get enough.

Andrew Garcia's Picks

Station Advisor to KSSU, Sacramento State’s student-Run radio station. (An aspiring radio producer himself, he teaches students about audio production and broadcasting)

Miggy & Friends | Sacramento

“Shades of Roy Hargrove,” was the first thought to cross my mind as Miggy (trumpeter Miguel Recendez) and his crew of supremely talented friends struck up their first notes. They display sharp hip hop sensibilities and a penchant for all things cool throughout this original jazz composition. Kevin Hamby sprinkles a beautiful Rhodes keyboard into a swirling melody that features some effortlessly smooth interplay from the leads Isaac Negrete (saxophone) and Miggy himself. Though I must tell you, the song stealing moment comes during bassist Bryant Whaley’s turn to solo. Gliding all over his five-string, Whaley’s funky playing can’t help but force a smile across his bandmate’s faces, culminating into a driving crescendo that drummer Nico Vines joins in on to bring it all home, back to the pocket. The future of jazz and of Miggy and his collaborators is very bright.

Willy Tea Taylor | Oakdale

Beset on all sides by cultural curios, stacks of records, trinkets, and the soft brown patina of old wooden furniture Willy Tea Taylor shares a slice of Americana in “Fighting Man.” Crooning over the soft ringing of his tenor guitar Taylor embodies a narrator who bears witness to a difficult life unfolding before their eyes, “You were crazy as a child, raised in a different kind of wild”. Taylor’s subtle, nimble playing serves to highlight the craftsmanship of his lyrics and the empathetic journey he takes us on. “I understand,” he sings out in earnest, “Nothing’s ever easy for a fightin’ man.” It can’t be easy writing and performing such a powerful song but damn if Willy Tea Taylor doesn’t make it look easy.

Mother Muerte | Vallejo

On a first listen, Mother Muerte’s entry soothed me into an exquisite trance-like calm. The cyclical and reverb-drenched chords of her guitar and the chanting refrain of “ooos” floated gently over my psyche. As I dove deeper through subsequent listens, I realized there is something much more sinister lurking underneath the surface of “Impending Doom.” Halfway through Chelsea Rose Salanoa’s guitar playing becomes more stringent and her ethereal voice takes on a more haunting tone as she pleads “wake me up, wake me up before, this dream becomes much more.” In a world where impending doom seems to be around every corner, I’m glad we have music as vibrant as this to soothe us.

Comfort Creature | Sacramento

“Staggered Peaks” begins sparsely and with a raw energy as Comfort Creature lays out a lyrical mosaic of rich imagery in the opening chant that will become the foundation which the rest of his song is built. Philip Kumsar begins to add layers with each ensuing repetition of the form, including shakers, ominous synth pings, and droning keyboard bass lines. All leading into an absolute knockout of a voice, booming out words of pain for a lost loved one. “Staggered Peaks” ends abruptly, leaving me with more questions than answers much in the same way those that we love do when they pass on. The complex lyrical and emotional tapestry Kumsar weaves here is challenging but one that I’ll enjoy unraveling a little bit more each time I listen.

Sam C Jones | Sacramento

The title grabbed my attention. I went in hoping for a fun, dare I say jaunty little shanty about sailing and life on the open sea, however, while Sam C. Jones did deliver on my expectations, there is so much more to this tune than I had imagined. Jones' poetic one-liners and almost performative delivery serve to build a winding narrative of love, loss, regret, and moving on that gives Dickens a run for his money. This song is so rife with clever wordplay and adept folksy metaphors that I can hardly do much to talk it up in a way that is not immediately present upon first listening. “When home ain’t where the heart can be free … It’s time to cast your line back to the sea.” Let me just step back and allow you to enjoy lines like that and the rest of the track for yourself.

Nick Brunner's Picks

CapRadio Modern Music Director

Makebelief | Sacramento

Schuyler Peterson was still wrapping production on his debut record when the deadline for Tiny Desk 2019 came and went. This year aaaaaalmost slipped by him too until his partner, artist Eva Roethler, convinced him to take a day for Bow Down. The artist is in signature Makebelief mode here — heavy, melodic drums, warped facial expressions to help those emotive vocals. Peterson told me he knew he wanted to do a new song since putting the music on his debut album to bed. Bow Down was "new and exciting" for Peterson (not to mention the furthest along in the writing process having just been finished).

Erica Ambrin & The Eclectic Soul Project | Sacramento

Before she even begins singing, Erica Ambrin's voice is warm and powerful, setting up what we're about to hear. If I hadn't had a visual, I would have guessed the band was larger than a three-piece. I hadn't known about Abrin and the Eclectic Soul Project until now and This is big energy without being overwhelming. "Suga" is a must-hear if you're a fan of Talking Heads, Angelique Kidjo and roots rock (though certainly not ONLY those).

Stevie Nader | Antelope

Ever since DLRN brought Stevie Nader to their CapRadio in-studio session in 2013, I've been hooked. "Together" takes a hard turn from the hallmarks of what I came to expect from him. Slick studio production is traded for a lo-fi recording. The poetic, confident swagger in his voice takes a back seat to intimacy. And the setting where he shot the video ties it all ... together. It can be fun to see an artist you think you know well take new routes in their career. I'm looking forward to seeing what Nader has for us next.

Dia Luna | Sacramento

There can be a lot of power in the simple and sparse. Dia Luna (Andrea Marisa Diaz) proves that not just in this piece, but all of her work. "Animal" feels like it's part chant, part prayer and that trance-like pace makes the track feel much faster than it's runtime. Her video for Animal had me instantly curious about the rest of her work and I recommend you make time to fall down that particular rabbit hole.

Adrian Bourgeois | Sacramento

Leave it to Adrian Bourgeois to save the little spark of hope from a dark corner of Pandora's Box. Both fragile and strong, this tune came from Bourgeois' return to northern California. "I wrote this song about a month ago driving up from my LA apartment to begin quarantine at my parent's house in Sacramento indefinitely, not knowing when I’d return or where things were headed." I can only imagine how many songs will come from the wake of COVID-19 — Bourgeois brings us one of the most outwardly vulnerable.

Foxtails Brigade | Oakland

I'm cheating a little here and writing about a band a bit further than the CapRadio FM signal reaches. Foxtails Brigade is an Oakland group that centers around the songwriting of Laura Weinbach and Anton Patzner. Their entry this year is an unreleased track from their catalog and I love the structure. Patzner's lead guitar melody is infectious and Weinbach's voice ties it all together in such a satisfying way. Put this one on repeat.

More About Our Contributors:

David Mckissick

David is a trumpeter, composer and the band leader of South Sacramento’s A Tribe Quartet, also last year's Tiny Desk Sacramento headliner.

Jennifer Reason

Jennifer has been a classical host at CapRadio for a year now, but she’s been talking about music long before that! A musical alumni of Sac State, Jennifer is an avid performer in the community and host of many artistic events in the area. 

Andrew Garcia

Station Advisor to KSSU, Sacramento State’s student-Run radio station. (An aspiring radio producer himself, he teaches students about audio production and broadcasting.)

Here at CapRadio, we’re proud to play a part in Sacramento’s vibrant local music scene. So this Public Radio Music Day, we wanted to take a look back on some of our favorite projects we’ve done here at the station that have highlighted the amazing artists in our local community.

Featuring everyone from student musicians to seasoned professionals, here are some of the projects that make us proud to be a part of Sacramento’s community and of the broader community of public radio music stations around the nation.

Learn more about Public Radio Music Day here.