Three Ways to Discover New Music From NPR

National Public Radio is a wonderful resource for music from every type of genre, as well as all over the world. The station features both undiscovered talent and acclaimed, award-winning musicians in a variety of different formats. Check out these NPR music shows and you just may find your new favorite artist.

Mountain Stage
Broadcasted from West Virginia’s beautiful Mountain Stage, a beloved venue for over 25 years, this show features some of the best modern singers and songwriters in a great live setting. It offers performances from acts like Paula Cole, Billy Bragg, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and many more.

World Café
World Café, one of NPR’s most popular music shows, aims to feature the best essential and emerging artists. Hosted by the knowledgeable David Dye and recorded in Philadelphia, the World Café offers interviews and in-studio performances online and on NPR affiliates across the country.

JazzSet
If you’re a fan of the jazz, you’ll look forward to JazzSet every week. Offering performances from today’s best jazz performers from all around the world, this show will help you discover new artists each time you tune in. The NPR website also features full video recordings of each performance.

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4 Mickey Mouse Club Singers That Are Famous Today

Some of our favorite pop stars got their starts in the Mickey Mouse Club. The original Mickey Mouse Club aired from 1955 to 1959. The All New Mickey Mouse Club aired from the late 80s to the 90s and launched the careers of some of our favorite celebrities, including these three mega-stars:

Justin Timberlake
Way before his solo career, Mr. JT got his start singing and dancing on the Mickey Mouse Club. While he came onto our radar as the lead singer of N'SYNC, he has now also become a movie star and an entrepreneur.

Ryan Gosling
The actor who won our hearts by starring as the leading man in The Notebook got his start as a member of the Mickey Mouse Club. Before he won an Academy Award, Gosling showed off his singing and dancing skills as a part of the club.

Christina Aguilera
Aguilera also got her start on the Mickey Mouse Club. In addition to her hit pop songs, she also works as a celebrity judge on the hit TV show The Voice!

5 Must See Movies About Music

Movies and music play a big part in our culture, so it makes sense that the two come together in these great movies about music. And it's not just in documentaries or films about live performances; it's in some of the best-loved fictional films of all time. Here are a few popular films with music as a theme:

This Is Spinal Tap
The 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap follows the fictional band Spinal Tap as they embark on a comeback tour. Watch as the musicians who once played to sold out arenas fight, argue, and struggle through creative differences while trying to keep their careers going in this hilarious ode to playing in a band.

High Fidelity
Nick Hornby's book set in London is made into the Chicago-based High Fidelity. John Cusack plays the lead working in a record store, making mix tapes to suit every situation, and obsessing about music.

The Blues Brothers
Jack and Elwood may not be the best of singers but they do try. Music is at the forefront of The Blues Brothers, a comedy about two brothers trying to raise money through their blues band. The cameos by famous singers like Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, and James Brown make it a classic music film. 

That Thing You Do!
1960s fictional musical act The Wonders try to make it big after their first hit song in That Thing You Do! The film is full of catchy pop tunes, screaming fans, and a sense of melancholy as the glitz and glam of fame fade away.

Almost Famous
Cameron Crowe takes us on a journey in Almost Famous as we follow a band who wants to be big and an aspiring Rolling Stone writer on the road to fame.

Pandora: Personalized Radio

Pandora is customizable internet radio that allows you to craft stations that reflect your music preferences. Available as both an app and a website, Pandora enables users to build custom radio stations that are intuitive and curate songs that are similar to your musical preferences.

For example, if you decide to create a Lady Gaga radio station, the station will not only play Lady Gaga's hits, but also any other songs that are similar in the "Top 40" genre. When songs play, you can either give them a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, to further hone-in on your likes.

Both the Pandora app and Pandora website are free, but if you would like your stations to play without any commercial interruptions, you can pay a nominal membership fee.

Ready to start listening? Check out Pandora here.

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