The Folk Show

January 6, 2009 | NPR· Listening to the music of Micah Blue Smaldone, it's hard to believe that his roots are in punk rock. The singer, now based in Portland, Ore., fronted the Pinkerton Thugs in the mid-1990s, performing brash, provocative songs with an anarchist political bent. But Smaldone has since mellowed considerably. These days, he makes sparely arranged songs that draw on neo-traditional folk, country and blues.

January 5, 2009 | NPR· We start the new year with a new mix, featuring an exclusive preview of Andrew Bird's latest album, Noble Beast. The classically trained violinist and singer performs a quirky mix of whistled melodies, Gypsy ballads, folk and art-rock. We've got the song "Oh No" here, but you can also hear the entire album as part of our "first listen" series. Also on the show: classic folk-rock singer Benjy Ferree, the Afro-funk rhythms of Chopteeth, an eclectic mixtape from Malawi-born singer Esau Mwamwaya, the haunting guitars of Begushkin, and the jazz trio Bad Plus covers the music of Pink Floyd.

January 2, 2009 | NPR· Jake Shimabukuro is a genre-demolishing artist who plays jazz, blues, funk, classical, bluegrass, folk, flamenco and rock. It's all with the mission of showing everyone that the ukulele is capable of much more than just traditional Hawaiian music. He performs a concert from San Francisco.

December 23, 2008 | NPR· Bird is a classically trained violinist and former swing-jazz musician whose sonic palette includes a quirky mix of Gypsy ballads, jazz, folk and whistled melodies. It's a sound that leaves critics swooning and fans giddy with the kind of devotion normally reserved for pop idols. On Jan. 20, 2009, the singer will release his fifth full-length studio album. Hear Noble Beast in its entirety here, exclusively on NPR Music.

December 23, 2008 | NPR· An honest and seasoned performer, Mayfield has a real knack for poetry and powerful lyrics. At 19, the singer-songwriter already has a wealth of experience behind her. In a video session from Folk Alley, she performs two songs from her debut album.