Hear a Live Friday XPN Free At Noon Concert at 12noon ET from WXPN and NPR Music
Broadcast Live Fridays from the stage at World Cafe Live

Five time Grammy award winner and Princeton, NJ native Mary Chapin Carpenter has been producing country/folk/rock standards for nearly 25 years. She has earned fans and accolades for her ten studio albums and countless live performances. Carpenter grew up on the likes of The Mamas & the Papas and Judy Collins. After graduating from Brown in 1981, Carpenter decided to keep music as a hobby and focus on a career. That changed quickly after a few job interviews, and was signed to a deal with Columbia a short while afterwards.

Although Carpenter initially found success when Columbia touted her as a country act, many have argued that her style is far too broad to be characterized as a strictly country or folk. Carpenter herself has long expressed her disdain for music categorization, explaining that she loves many different styles of music and draws from varied sources for inspiration. Carpenter's latest studio effort, entitled Ashes and Roses, will be released this June 12th on Zoe Records. Carpenter kicks off a North American tour in July making stops in Denver, Calgary, Alberta, Atlanta, and other cities to support her new release. You can find her tour schedule here.

Website: marychapincarpenter.com
Facebook: facebook.com/officialmarychapin
Recent Release: Ashes And Roses
Release Date: June 12, 2012
Label: Zoe/Rounder Records
Hometown: Princeton, NJ.

Having already found success as the vocalist/guitarist for the Irish band The Frames and as half of the folk rock duo The Swell Season, musician Glen Hansard is venturing out as a solo artist. His debut album, Rhythm and Repose, is slated for a June 19th American release on the ANTI record label. The album, Hansard's first since The Swell Season's 2009 Strict Joy, was recorded over the past year and a half in New York City.



To promote the new album, Hansard will be touring the US in June, followed by a two month stint in Europe. In the fall Hansard will reurn to the States for a month, and then back to Europe through mid-December. Hansard a native of Dublin, is in an Irish rock band and a multi-national folk duo and recorded his solo debut in New York. It will be interesting, at the very least, to see how his different fan-bases and audiences will receive this upcoming album and tour.

Website: glenhansardmusic.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/GlenHansardMusic
Recent Release: Rhythm And Repose
Release Date: June 19, 2012
Label: ANTI Records
Hometown: Dublin, Ireland

Although Michael Kiwanuka, born to Ugandan parents in North London, first started out in music as a session guitarist, it is his soulful voice and emotional songwriting that have made him one of Britain's up and coming singer-songwriters. His voice and style tap into vibes reminiscent of artists like Bill Withers and Otis Redding, the later whom Kiwanuka credits along with Bob Dylan as inspiring his folk-inflected soul music. After spending time recording guitar for rap and R&B acts and doing some small jam shows, Kiwanuka realized he had much more to express in musically and decided to try his hand at songwriting. When friends fell in love with his demo tapes, Kiwanuka realized he had found his calling.

Kiwanuka is XPN's Artist To Watch this month, and has released 2 EP's with Communion Records in 2011, and gained exposure traveling with Adele on her 2011 tour. Kiwanuka's first album, Home Again, was released this March by Polydor Records. The record peaked at number 4 in Kiwanuka's native UK. This June and August, Kiwanuka will tour the United States in support of his studio debut.

Website: michaelkiwanuka.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/MichaelKiwanuka
Recent Release: Home Again
Release Date: April 3, 2012
Label: Polydor UK
Hometown: UK

Michael Kiwanuka combines roots and soul with such old-school, retro-sounding verve. He's released three EPs in the last year alone, including one that so impressed Adele, she invited Kiwanuka to tour with her!

July, 2012 CD of the Month

There are some artists that just don’t act their age. And in the case of XPN Aritst To Watch Michael Kiwanuka, that's a good thing! The fact that this singer-songwriter is in his early 20’s will be the last thing to come to mind (if at all) when you make your way through his debut album Home Again. Kiwanuka is the latest in a wave of British soul and R&B singers to captivate audiences. And while connections to his peers like Adele exist, he paves his own path to our ears with the songs of Home Again.

There are some artists that just don’t act their age. And in the case of XPN Aritst To Watch Michael Kiwanuka, that's a good thing! The fact that this singer-songwriter is in his early 20’s will be the last thing to come to mind (if at all) when you make your way through his debut album Home Again. Kiwanuka is the latest in a wave of British soul and R&B singers to captivate audiences. And while connections to his peers like Adele exist, he paves his own path to our ears with the songs of Home Again.

There are plenty of albums to get excited for in 2012, whether it’s a band like The Shins, local favorite’s ala Dr. Dog or new voices that have begun to buzz like Lana Del Rey. However, towards the end of 2011 there’s another name we couldn’t resist and after spending a little time with his two EPs, it’s hard not to become a believer in Michael Kiwanuka. At just 24 years old, the British soul singer possesses that rare blend of talent, artistic integrity and natural charm. So as we begin the year, we’ll spotlight both EP’s Michael has recently released; I’m Getting Ready and Tell Me A Tale.