NPR Music - You Must Hear This

Beck On 'Morning Phase': The All Songs Considered Interview Prolific even in his down time, Beck has spent the years since 2008's Modern Guilt ensconced in side projects. On the occasion of a new studio release, Beck discusses the value of creative playtime and why great music careers often start with a stumble. Read this story

DECEPTIVE CADENCE Popular Japanese Composer Confesses Musical Fraud In the run-up to the Sochi Olympics, a sudden revelation: A very popular Japanese composer, Mamoru Samuragochi, announced that he doesn't write his music. And that's not all. His ghostwriter says that Samuragochi isn't deaf, either. Read this story

FAVORITE SESSIONS Folk Alley Presents: Cahalen Morrison & Eli West The Seattle folk duo's new song, "Down in the Lonesome Draw," is about searching for work and opportunity — a relevant topic for musicians and music lovers alike. Watch Morrison and West perform the song live for FolkAlley.com. Watch the video

THE RECORD Eightball, MJG And Rap From Memphis 20 Years On From the birthplace of Stax and Sun Records, and the site of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, the pair of rapper-producers snatched soul music and put it to work for a new generation. Read this story

FIRST LISTEN First Listen: Cibo Matto, 'Hotel Valentine' Cibo Matto has always been skilled at Trojan-horsing weird art within glossy, goofy songs (often about food), but the new Hotel Valentineisn't so concerned with disguising its intentions. For their first album together in 14 years, Miho Hatori and Yuka C. Honda showcase their evolution. Stream the album