Apr 18 Watch 7:01 Sam Amidon mines the ‘intensity & strangeness’ of tradition to make music uniquely his own By Tom Casciato Sam Amidon is a singer-songwriter on the fiddle, banjo, and guitar, but he’s mostly known for recasting traditional American folk songs into vibrant contemporary soundscapes. He spoke to NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Tom Casciato about his Vermont upbringing and how… Continue watching
Apr 17 Scott Rudin will ‘step back’ after allegations of bullying By Mark Kennedy, Associated Press Amid mounting anger over allegations of bullying, Broadway and Hollywood producer Scott Rudin broke his silence Saturday, saying he is “profoundly sorry” and will step back from his theater work. Continue reading
Apr 11 Watch 8:02 COVID-19 didn’t stop these musicians from performing—here’s how By Christopher Booker Over a year of COVID-19 shutdowns continues to be particularly hard for artists who rely on live shows and events to make a living — and despite streaming platforms like Spotify drawing more business than ever, many independent performers have… Continue watching
Apr 04 Watch 3:17 Vinyl sales prop up independent music By Christopher Booker Even with the popularity of streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, last year saw a resurgence in sales of vinyl records—for the first time since 1986, there were more vinyl sold than CDs. The boost in sales couldn’t… Continue watching
Mar 28 Eddie Murphy inducted into NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame By Jonathan Landrum Jr., Associated Press Eddie Murphy was inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame at the organization’s show that highlighted works by entertainers and athletes of color. Continue reading
Mar 21 Watch 6:00 Music had a tough year in 2020. This band managed to thrive By Christopher Booker Despite a year at a standstill for the music industry — a world without tours, concerts or crowds — musical duo the Black Pumas somehow managed to be seemingly everywhere in 2020: on late-night television, the inauguration of President Biden,… Continue watching
Feb 14 Watch 3:49 A new sculpture in the ‘heart’ of New York City symbolizes hope, nods to this past year By Ivette Feliciano, Sam Weber In the middle of New York City's Times Square, a new interactive sculpture was unveiled earlier this week as part of an annual Valentine's Day-themed design competition. But this year, in the middle of a pandemic, with so many communal,… Continue watching
Feb 07 Watch 5:20 Stephen Malkmus on his prolific career and making new music in a pandemic By Christopher Booker, Sam Weber For over 30 years, Stephen Malkmus has been celebrated and respected. His output—in bands and as a solo artist—has left a sizeable footprint in the independent music world, but as Newshour Weekend's Christopher Booker learned, the new world that we… Continue watching
Jan 17 Phil Spector, famed music producer and murderer, dies at 81 By Christopher Weber, Associated Press Phil Spector, the eccentric and revolutionary music producer who transformed rock music with his “Wall of Sound” method and who later was convicted of murder, has died. He was 81. Continue reading
Jan 03 Watch 4:05 2020 in review: Iconic bookstore weathers COVID-19, Courtney Barnett’s love for words By PBS NewsHour Looking back at the stories he covered in 2020, NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Tom Casciato joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss his profile of singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett and his reportage on the pandemic’s impact on small businesses through the lens of… Continue watching