David Dye

Fitz & The Tantrums On World Cafe

David Dye — Fri, 24 May 2013 18:37:00 +0000

The L.A. band Fitz & The Tantrums broke through in 2011 with its debut album, Picking Up the Pieces. Undeniable songs and exciting concerts led the group to festival dates and other high-profile live appearances around the world.

The band formed when L.A. studio engineer and musician Michael "Fitz" Fitzpatrick gathered friends such as fellow vocalist Noelle Scaggs to perform songs he'd written following a breakup.

The National On World Cafe

David Dye — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:02:00 +0000

The National's rise has been slow and steady, to match the growth and evolution of its dour but beautiful rock sound.

Next: Hanni El Khatib

David Dye — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:12:00 +0000

Hanni El Khatib is a first-generation American who grew up with a Palestinian father and a Filipino mother in San Francisco.

Frightened Rabbit On World Cafe

David Dye — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:08:00 +0000

Frightened Rabbit's Scott Hutchinson has been creating compelling, sometimes even uplifting, songs about abject failure since the Scottish band's first album, Sing the Greys, came out in 2006.

On this installment of World Cafe, Hutchinson tells host David Dye how the entire band was involved in writing lyrics for its new album, Pedestrian Verse. The singer also discusses Frightened Rabbit's unique experience during a recent tour of northern Scotland.

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & Dawn McCarthy On World Cafe

David Dye — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:48:00 +0000

In this installment of World Cafe, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (the stage name of Will Oldham) and Dawn McCarthy perform their own versions of classic Everly Brothers songs — as heard on their latest album together, What the Brothers Sang.

The two Kentuckians find new ways to harmonize on an array of famous and obscure Everly Brothers songs.

Clive Davis On World Cafe

David Dye — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:30:00 +0000

At 81, music mogul and Columbia Records president Clive Davis has slowed down just enough to write his autobiography, The Soundtrack of My Life. The book, which describes how he's consistently made hit records, has itself become a bestseller.

In this installment of World Cafe, Davis discusses how seeing Janis Joplin with Big Brother and The Holding Company at the Monterey Pop Festival changed his life — and, consequently, the history of Columbia Records.

Rod Stewart On World Cafe

David Dye — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:44:00 +0000

Rod Stewart has little to prove as a rock star. He's been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame twice, once solo and once with The Faces.

The Slide Brothers On World Cafe

David Dye — Thu, 09 May 2013 19:30:00 +0000

Calvin Cooke, Aubrey Ghent and brothers Darrick and Chuck Campbell are The Slide Brothers. The band's self-titled album debut album was produced by Robert Randolph, the spectacular young pedal-steel guitarist who became the first player from the Sacred Steel tradition to break out to a wider audience.

On this installment of World Café, the band plays three songs from its album and tells host David Dye about the difference between performing for the congregation at Church of the Living God and playing on club and concert stages.

Phosphorescent On World Cafe

David Dye — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:05:00 +0000

It's easy to hear the steady growth in the music of Phosphorescent's Matthew Houck since the release of his band's 2009 Willie Nelson tribute album, To Willie.

Next: Treetop Flyers

David Dye — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:29:00 +0000

The members of London's Treetop Flyers capture the sound of California folk-rock in the '60s on their debut album, The Mountain Moves. They met on the periphery of the London folk scene that gave the world Mumford & Sons and Laura Marling.

Treetop Flyers, led by singers Reid Morrison and Sam Beer, won Glastonbury's Emerging Sound competition in 2011.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds On World Cafe

David Dye — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:32:00 +0000

Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave recently re-formed his band The Bad Seeds, minus founding member Mick Harvey on guitar, to record a new album called Push the Sky Away.

Low On World Cafe

David Dye — Thu, 02 May 2013 17:20:00 +0000

It's hard to find another band that's stayed as true to its vision as Low. Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker have been making Low records for 20 years now, and just released their 10th full-length album, The Invisible Way.

At the invitation of Jeff Tweedy, the Minnesota band traveled to Chicago to spend just five days tracking the new songs at Wilco's space.

Pickwick On World Cafe

David Dye — Wed, 01 May 2013 17:44:00 +0000

The first incarnation of the Seattle band Pickwick revolved around Galen Disston's strummy acoustic songs. Disston eventually found himself bored with his own music until a not-so-subtle shift took place; the band began experimenting with new sounds and ideas, Disston shifted into the role of lead singer and crowds immediately noticed.

In this installment of World Cafe, you'll hear three songs from Pickwick's debut (Can't Talk Medicine), as well as the full story behind the band's reinvention.

Next: The Saint Johns

David Dye — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:02:00 +0000

A little reinvention never hurt anyone. Nashville singers Jordan Meredith and Louis Johnson met in St. Augustine, Fla., and quickly discovered how well their voices blended together, so they moved to New York City and formed Augustine.

The duo, which now resides in Nashville, has since become The Saint Johns, and recently released its gorgeous new songs on a free downloadable EP. Listen to two songs from The Live Sessions here.

Dawes: Songs And 'Stories' From Laurel Canyon

David Dye — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:06:00 +0000

Dawes' Taylor Goldsmith writes heartfelt first-person songs, somewhat in the style of Laurel Canyon predecessors like Jackson Browne.

Sons Of Fathers: Texas Rockers, Inspired By Their Dads

David Dye — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:19:00 +0000

David Beck and Paul Cauthen were both playing music around San Marcos, Texas, when they recognized that it might be a good move to combine their talents and became Sons of Fathers. Actually, they originally went by the name Beck and Cauthen until another, more famous Beck took notice.

Their revised band name makes sense, because both men have musicians in their families. In Cauthen's case, his father was a touring musician, while his grandfather was a gospel player who taught him to play guitar.

The Milk Carton Kids, Making The Most Of Two Voices

David Dye — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:31:00 +0000

When Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan ditched their solo careers to form The Milk Carton Kids, they discovered that they had a lot to teach each other. They also had a plan: to give their music away in order to find their audience. It worked remarkably well. Now, their third album, The Ash & Clay, is out on a regular label — no freebies this time around — and they're playing to packed houses across the U.S.

Next: Bleached

David Dye — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:52:00 +0000

You could hear it in their first singles in 2011: Sisters Jessica and Jennifer Clavin and their band Bleached are onto something. Now comes their debut full-length, Ride Your Heart, and it fills in the story: Beachy harmonies combine with punk attitude to take what you loved about Best Coast to a grittier place. It's fun and it's heartfelt — what could be better?

How The Energy-Guzzling Rock Tour Can Go Green

David Dye — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:27:00 +0000

While on tour with his band Guster, Adam Gardner noticed that a lot of energy was being consumed, particularly in getting bands and fans together for a show.

Eels: A 'Wonderful, Glorious' Look At Life

David Dye — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:08:00 +0000

The last few years have found Mark Oliver Everett of Eels doing more than a bit of summing up. That includes an autobiography, Things the Grandchildren Should Know, as well as an anthology of the band's past work — all while putting out an inter-related trilogy of new studio albums.

When it came time to make a new Eels record — titled Wonderful, Glorious — Everett felt no urge to adhere to an overarching concept.