When The Decemberists came by the World Cafe to play a live set of their new music, band leader Colin Meloy joked about having multiple songs about “agriculture and death.” On the next World Cafe, Meloy talks about how he…

Billy Allen and Jay Burgess were session musicians at the legendary FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Both had their own musical projects, Billy was a solo artist, and Burgess founded the band “The Pollies.” A collaboration at FAME over…

Prince’s iconic song “Purple Rain” was originally intended to be a country ballad…sung by Stevie Nicks! On the next World Cafe, correspondent John Morrison joins us to talk about Prince’s most popular album, as well as the movie Purple Rain,…

Nestled in the back of Peggy and Buddy Parker's piano store in Williamsburg, the Virginia Musical Museum & Music Hall of Fame traces the lineage of recorded music through collected artifacts. From nickelodeons and organs, to the first voice recording…