World Cafe

Known for his uncanny ability to unearth surprising facts about some of the world’s most famous musicians, Nardwuar has become a legendary interviewer in the process. On the next World Cafe, the Canadian music journalist shares behind-the-scenes stories of some his most memorable encounters, including Snoop Dogg, Kurt Cobain, and James Brown. Plus, we dig into what drives his unrelenting curiosity.

This summer, King Gizzard and Lizard Wizard released their 26th album, Flight b741, their most collaborative album to date. But before World Cafe could tape our interview with them, the band announced a new album, next year’s Phantom Island. Exploring new sonic territory as usual, it’s their first record written and performed with an orchestra. Hear about both albums on the next World Cafe.

We return to Louisiana’s Cajun Country with a new installment of our monthly series Acadiana Music Showcase, produced in conjunction with our friends at KRVS in Lafayette, LA. Experience a live performance from the indie rock quintet The Debtors, that includes music from their latest album Everyone is Alright, on the next World Cafe.

Quincy Jones was a peerless figure in popular music. He passed away in November at the age of 91, and on the next World Cafe, Culture Corner correspondent John Morrison takes you through some of Quincy Jones’ work in pop, jazz, and film, as he shows how pretty much all of post-World War II popular music can be traced along Quincy Jones’ career.

The Black Keys have been on a tear, releasing four albums in under half a decade. Their latest, Ohio Players, is a blast. Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach wanted to recreate the energy of their early records and invited some friends along, including Beck who co-wrote several songs on the album, and Oasis’s Noel Gallagher, who’d never written with another band before. Patrick and Dan join World Cafe to talk about a “back-to-fun” approach, and to share live performances from this year’s South by Southwest.

Lupe Fiasco is one hip-hop’s most gifted lyricists; words seem to effortlessly flow out of him. But, he doesn’t think there’s anything magical about that talent. As he explains on the next World Cafe, rap is a purely scholastic endeavor for him – a skill that takes practice and study to hone. Lupe also talks about his role as co-founder of the Society of Spoken Arts and as a visiting professor at MIT. Join us.