NPR Music - You Must Hear This

FIRST LISTEN First Listen: Adult Jazz, 'Gist Is' This English band's ideas move fast — riffs erupt only to disappear just as quickly. It's as though they're chasing super-concentrated bursts of bliss that gather into epic music. Stream the album

MICROPHONE CHECK Cormega: 'I Just Want To Be A Soldier For My Culture' The New York rapper on the music industry — from sitting on the shelf, to refusing deals, posthumous releases to sales expectations — music journalism and taking risks, personal and professional. Read this story

ALL SONGS CONSIDERED The Good Listener: Why Do Band Photos Look Like That, Anyway? Folk-rock bands posing on hay bales. Metal bands in alleys with burning trash cans. Why are there so many tropes in press shots — and what are some of the secrets to getting them right? Read this story

FAVORITE SESSIONS KCRW Presents: Shelby Lynne Watch the unpeggable songwriter perform a B-side from her classic album, I Am Shelby Lynne, live on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic. Watch the video