Mumford & Sons On World Cafe

Courtesy of the artist Mumford and Sons.

Courtesy of the artist "Whispers In The Dark""Lover's Eyes""Ghosts That We Knew""If I Needed You"

It took a while, but the London folk-rock band Mumford & Sons broke big with its 2009 debut album, Sigh No More. The album combines the raspy vocals of singer Marcus Mumford with lush harmonies and rootsy instrumentation on tracks that range from soothing to rocking.

Mumford & Sons finally burst into the mainstream in early 2011 after receiving nominations for two Grammy Awards and performing at the ceremony that same year. Since then, the band's career has skyrocketed, with headlining spots at large concerts and music festivals all over the world.

In this session of World Cafe, David Dye talks to Mumford & Sons' members about how they achieved success. And, of course, they perform songs from their highly anticipated second album, Babel.

This segment originally aired on September 28, 2012.

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Alabama Shakes On World Cafe

"Going To The Party""I Found You""Hold On""Boys And Girls"

Alabama Shakes, a soulful rock 'n' roll quartet, is riding a well-deserved wave to fame. Since the release of its self-titled debut in 2011, the band has entranced listeners with its diverse and energetic songs. Alabama Shakes' style is marked by lead singer Brittany Howard's powerful voice and the group's irresistible energy. Together, they enthusiastically blend rock with soul, country, blues and roots.

The band's deft, gritty and joyous soul revival has attracted widespread praise — especially for Howard, whose vocals have been compared to those of Janis Joplin and Otis Redding. On this episode of World Cafe, Alabama Shakes' members talk with David Dye about the Muscle Shoals scene. Hear Alabama Shakes perform live, including the title track of the band's latest album, Boys and Girls.

This segment originally aired on January 26, 2012.

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Latin Roots: The Christmas Music Of Latin America

Eric Jamison/Getty Images Ranchera star Lila Downs.

Eric Jamison/Getty Images Héctor Lavoe, "En La Navidad"Lila Downs, "Amarga Navidad"Cuco Valoy, "A Comer Lechon"Daddy Mack Blues Band, "Feliz Navidad"

In this edition of World Cafe, Beat Latino host Catalina Maria Johnson sits down with host David Dye to discuss the Christmas music traditions of Latin America. One thing that sets Central America's music apart from that of North America, she says, is the fact that a lot of it is made for dancing.

The first song Johnson plays, "En La Navidad," proves just that. It's a classic salsa tune, performed here by Héctor Lavoe; he's one of Puerto Rico's most famous salsa singers, or salseros. Joining Lavoe in the song is fellow Puerto Rican Yomo Toro, who was among the most revered players of the country's national instrument, the cuatro.

From there, Johnson plays a song from Lila Downs, one of Mexico's most talented ranchera singers. She performs "Amarga Navidad," or "Bitter Christmas." The song strays far from the upbeat tone of much holiday music, and Johnson describes its words as a parting message at the end of a relationship: "December is, like, a really good time for you to leave, because I'd like to start the new year without you."

A lot of Latin Christmas music describes other popular traditions practiced during the holidays. Dominican salsa and merengue singer Cuco Valoy's "A Comer Lechon" is an ode to lechon, a suckling-pig-based dish popular in a number of countries; it's often eaten on Noche Buena, or Christmas Eve.

Finally, Johnson brings a North American interpretation of Latin Christmas music. "Feliz Navidad," originally written in 1970 by Puerto Rican singer-songwriter José Feliciano, has become part of the popular holiday-music canon, even outside of Latin America. Daddy Mack Blues Band's version adds Memphis twang to the popular tune.

Listen to Catalina Maria Johnson's holiday playlist on Spotify.

Latin Roots from World Cafe is made possible by a grant from the Wyncote Foundation.

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The Polyphonic Spree On World Cafe

Steve Wrubel/Courtesy of the artist The Polyphonic Spree.

Steve Wrubel/Courtesy of the artist

Every Christmas season is accompanied by an abundance of holiday album releases, but few of the artists who make them bother to take the Christmas show on the road. The Polyphonic Spree, however, is not your average band. Formed in Texas by bandleader Tim DeLaughter in 2000, this massive group — the number of members often nudges toward 20 or more — is well-suited to re-imagine popular Christmas music, combining the instrumentation of a rock band with the layered harmonies of a choir.

This Christmas season, the band has hit the road with its "Holiday Extravaganza," turning each of its shows into a sort of traveling holiday music carnival. Here, The Polyphonic Spree brings its dense, exuberant songs to the World Cafe studios to perform spirited renditions of Christmas classics.

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Gotye On World Cafe

Gotye's new album is titled Making Mirrors.

James Bryans Gotye's new album is titled Making Mirrors.

James Bryans "Somebody That I Used To Know (Album Version)""State Of The Art""Easy Way Out""Eyes Wide Open"

Gotye (a.k.a. Wouter "Wally" De Backer) has become an international pop star on the strength of his new album, Making Mirrors. The poppy collection includes "Somebody That I Used To Know," which has topped the charts in six countries and hit the Top 20 in 14 others. There's something hauntingly relatable and undeniably catchy about the insightful, ubiquitous break-up song.

Making Mirrors was a breakout release for Gotye, but it's not his first time around the block. Born in Belgium but raised in Australia, the bilingual multi-instrumentalist began playing drums, piano and other instruments as a child. He started a band in his teens, started another in college and released three albums during that time. Given Gotye's bold, quirky and vivid songwriting, he's looking to stick around for a while, too.

This segment originally aired on April 13, 2012.

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Brian Eno On World Cafe

Courtesy of the artist

British musician, composer and producer Brian Eno is commonly recognized as one of the most important innovators in ambient music. Though he now mainly composes using computers, Eno was one of the early pioneers of tape-loop music. He's been an important figure in the history of more conventional pop, as well; he began his career as a member of Roxy Music, and later went on to collaborate with a variety of artists, including U2 and David Byrne.

Eno's latest album, Lux, began as a piece he was commissioned to create for a baroque gallery within a palace near Turin, Italy. He wrote the piece at a studio he built within the gallery, and tailored the music specifically for the physical space of that room, working with its natural acoustics. He was so enamored with the result that he later produced a reworked version to be released as a standalone album.

Here, Eno talks with World Cafe host David Dye about Lux, as well as some of the other projects he's been created during his remarkable career.

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Pink Martini On World Cafe

Autumn De Wilde "Little Drummer Boy""Congratulations (Happy New Year)""Do You Hear What I Hear""White Christmas""We Three Kings"

From Portland, Ore., stems a global sound that is powerful in its orchestral beauty. Thomas Lauderdale started Pink Martini more than 15 years ago, a fitting name for the colorful and classy orchestra. Lauderdale's mission was to create a sound that would support political fundraisers for civil, environmental and educational causes, among others. Since then, the group has sold millions of albums worldwide.

With the same global outlook, Pink Martini released Joy to the World in November 2010, a collection of nondenominational holiday music from various countries. Among the traditional holiday tunes, the album features works in Chinese, Japanese, Hebrew and Spanish.

This edition of World Cafe originally aired December 24, 2010.

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