Search results for

A venerated art-funk band that helped spawn hip-hop and No Wave, ESG should always stay in the way-back machine: It has such a singular sound that, were it to deviate even for a second, it would come across as calculated and fake. Thankfully, it's still 1978 in ESG's world.

His song cycle Cross That River tells how African Americans helped shape the western frontier. The CD is part of a project that includes a novel, a musical and plans for an educational offering in Harlem schools.

Snow Patrol appears content to issue a series of great, gooey ballads familiar to anyone who's heard Coldplay's "Fix You." "Chasing Cars" is formulaic and utterly irresistible, built to play in trailers for romantic movies involving Zach Braff.

If the souls of Sly Stone and Prince were united in the form of a white British singer, his name would probably be Jamie Lidell. Though Lidell is likely to perform his funk jams backed by a laptop, he still has the full-throated, improvisational vocal talent and showmanship of his predecessors.

Two new movies, The Lake House and Wordplay, take different paths to tricky subjects. One is about playing with time, the other about playing with words.

For Henry Belcher, learning to dance was a snap. After a friend taught him the basics, he picked up steps from dancers at shows -- and on the streets, where he earned money for "hoofing," a form of tap dance. After a long break, Belcher is back at it.

Peter Sagal, host of Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me, guest hosts Talk of the Nation and interviews Neal Conan about his role in the new documentary Wordplay. The film looks at New York Times puzzle master Will Shortz and those who feel passionately about crossword puzzles.

"Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken," from the Glasgow chamber-pop sextet Camera Obscura's recent album Let's Get Out of This Country, serves as a gloriously bubbly answer to Lloyd Cole's "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken," one of the all-time great breakup songs.

The "Fresh Films" contest challenges teens from all over the country to create a short film in just one week. One filmmaking team from New York City learned that making a film isn't at all easy, but can be a very rewarding way to break into the film industry.

Writer and director Melvin Van Peebles talks to Ed Gordon about his latest project, a new production of his 1971 Broadway hit, Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death -- a critically lauded play with music about black street life.