Grayson Haver Currin

NPR News

Remembering Michael Hurley, a godfather of folk music's underground

Sometimes called the father of freak-folk, the 83-year-old singer-songwriter lived, worked and died on his own terms.

On Aug. 12, 2011, Sonic Youth played the Williamsburg Waterfront in Brooklyn; it would be the band's final concert in the United States.

The sunset of Sonic Youth: An oral history of the band's final U.S. show

Grayson Haver Currin

For the first time, the band members, their crew and their fans tell the story of a landmark moment they didn't realize was happening. Sonic Youth's new album, Live in Brooklyn 2011, is out this week.

Meric Long of the Bay Area band The Dodos found his voice in a distinctive guitar style. While writing the new album <em>Grizzly Peak</em>, he watched that ability begin to slip away.

When Making Music Breaks Your Body

Grayson Haver Currin

An arthritis diagnosis means the latest album by the Bay Area band The Dodos is likely its last. It is a striking reminder of the oft-overlooked physical strains of music careers.