Robin Hilton

What Does It Mean To Listen?

Robin Hilton — Sat, 25 May 2013 17:33:48 +0000

We got a lot of thoughtful comments and replies from readers this week when we asked whether they really listen to full albums from start to finish. Much of the discussion focused on the ways we listen and what constitutes actually engaging with an entire album in a full-on listening, as opposed to merely having it on.

Most people said they listen to full albums, but many aren't giving them their undivided attention.

Do You Really Listen To Full Albums?

Robin Hilton — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:15:28 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxyUl3DrOLE

Question Of The Week: Do You Hear Music When You Dream?

Robin Hilton — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:00:35 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oxb4LayC7A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQXCELBPI6Q

How Are Your Music Tastes Changing As You Get Older?

Robin Hilton — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:59:41 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExLKJU0_bqQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhmvbywbAo4

NPR Is Relocating: What's The Best Song About Moving On?

Robin Hilton — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:31:05 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ddD9efO1Hc

First Watch: Keaton Henson, 'You'

Robin Hilton — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 20:46:47 +0000

The Keaton Henson who appears on the new album Birthdays is an avowed hermit with a profoundly broken heart. He also has one of the most beautiful voices I've heard. The 24 year-old singer from London, who says he rarely leaves his bedroom, bares his wrecked emotional remains in an arresting new video for the song "You."

Henson squats alone in the desert with his guitar, as the wind howls. It's a landscape as desolate as the shattered world he was left with after a former love betrayed him and crushed his heart.

Question Of The Week: What Is The Perfect Pair Of Headphones?

Robin Hilton — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:27:24 +0000

I've been buying headphones for 30 years now, have owned more they I can possibly remember and still haven't found the perfect pair. I must chew through one or two sets a year in a never-ending, desperate (and futile) search to find the right acoustics, feel and functionality. I've tried in-ear buds, over-the-ear hooks, full-sized cans and wireless. Some sound great but fit horribly. Or the fit is perfect but the sound too tinny, or the controls don't quite work. The truth is, I hate headphones, especially because I hate being tethered to my stereo. It's like wearing a leash.

First Listen: 'The Music Is You: A Tribute To John Denver'

Robin Hilton — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:56:09 +0000

Audio for this feature is no longer available.

Ask die-hard John Denver fans why they love the late singer's music so much and they'll likely tell you the same thing: "He makes me cry." Denver, who wrote unabashedly sentimental songs about love, nature and an ever-homesick life on the road, had a rare gift for stirring something inside listeners. To many, his melodies and lyrics could come off as maudlin and conventional.

Our SXSW Plans: Nick Cave, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Youth Lagoon, More

Robin Hilton — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 23:37:05 +0000

Get some earplugs and a case of your favorite caffeinated beverage ready: The annual sensory-overload-joy-fest known as South by Southwest is almost here. Bob Boilen, Ann Powers, Stephen Thompson and I, along with a small army of other NPR Music peeps, will be there next week for the whole thing.

Foxygen In Concert

Robin Hilton — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 18:10:23 +0000

The trippy pop group Foxygen gave a thrilling, sometimes chaotic live performance at the Rock and Roll Hotel in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night, channeling everyone from The Velvet Underground to The Rolling Stones and Ramones.

Foxygen (A-plus for the name alone) is the music of Jonathan Rado and Sam France, two friends from the Los Angeles area who share a love of avant-garde pop and classic rock. They started playing together and formed the band when they were just 15.