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Thanks to their soaring sound and down-to-earth songwriting sensibilities, London's Fanfarlo has been winning over audiences for years with their charming brand of indie pop-folk.

Cory Chisel is one of those rare, contemporary folk artists whose authenticity is indubitable. No matter how you define authentic, you'd be hard pressed to put a finger on anything not-so when listening. From the emotion to the influences to the background, Chisel doesn't let one iota of insincerity into his work. For this reason (and because of his undeniable talent) XPN is choosing him as the Artist to Watch for October 2009.

When most people think of the best of jazz and soul, a skinny white kid from Ann Arbor, Michigan, is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. But Mayer Hawthorne (Andrew Mayer Cohen) is well on his way to changing that. With influences like Smokey Robinson, Curtis Mayfield, and the collaboration of Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, and Eddie Holland Jr, Mayer has a retro sound that bespeaks a seasoned yet refreshing soul.

Live Concert Broadcast and Webcast Fridays At Noon

From NPR Music and WXPN, hear a live mix of roots rock, folk, country and more.

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May 8, 2009
Fastball at World Cafe Live

XPN Free at Noon at World Cafe Live.
A co-production of WXPN and NPR Music.

Starting out as a typical '90s garage-punk outfit, Fastball went through the normal basement practices and nearby venues in Austin. While building local buzz, they caught the attention of some record execs, and soon they had a deal with Hollywood Records. They changed their initial name from Magneto USA to Fastball (after their favorite porno), released their debut, and began touring the U.S. However, the band was still something of a side-project for all three members. Joey Shuffield, Miles Zuniga, and Tony Scalzo were all working part-time up until the release of their breakthrough album in 1998, All the Pain Money Can Buy.

Suddenly, Fastball was a household name. The catchy single "The Way" was heard on radios all over the country. Teens and adults alike were flocking to stores for cassettes and CDs, and sales reached the million mark at the end of the year. Fastball hit the road for world tours and TV appearances with two Grammy nominations under their belts. Audiences around the globe fell in love with the Fastball's alt-country and '70s balladry.

Since that time, Fastball has been recording, performing, and collaborating with artists including Al Anderson and Bowling for Soup. Each of their subsequent four albums have stayed true to their infectious pop-rock sound. Their latest album is no exception, yet it also shows how much the band has evolved since those late-night garage practices. Little White Lies was produced by Miles Zuniga and C.J. Eiriksson (Blue October, Jack’s Mannequin) and mixed by Bob Clearmountain (Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie). Fastball wowed audiences with some of their new songs from the album at the SXSW Festival this past March, and they have a nation-wide tour scheduled to support the release. After over a decade of shows and music, Fastball are proving that quality guitar rock will never lose its appeal.

Fastball is in town to play the Tin Angel on Thursday night, May 7.

Website: fastballtheband.com
MySpace: myspace.com/fastballtheband
Recent Release: Little White Lies
Release Date: April 14, 2009
Label: MRI/RED Distribution
Origin: Austin, TX

Song Clips:
Little White Lies | The Way

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Serving People in Need - Help Drive Hunger from Our Communities

When you come to XPN's Free At Noon Concerts, bring a can of food to support Philabundance, Delaware Valley's hunger relief organization. We have drop-off boxes to collect canned goods for the needy. Current priority items include: canned pasta, chili, beef stew, tuna, mac & cheese, ready to eat cereal, pork & beans/ baked beans, green beans, corn, fruit cocktail, creamy peanut butter and/ or grape jelly (plastic containers only), and boxed sugar. Thanks!

WXPN and NPR Music Live Friday Free At Noon Concert Archives Include:

Dr. Dog, Carrie Rodriguez, Annuals, DeVotchKa, Adele, Angel Taylor, Winterpills, Sharon Little, Ollabelle, Andrew Lipke, The low Anthem, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Sean Lennon, Chris Smith, California Guitar trio, Joan Osborne, Disco Biscuits, Damien Rice, Cold War Kids, Marc Broussard, The Slip, Arlo Guthrie, Alice Smith, The Dears, Barenaked Ladies, and more...

WXPN Free at Noon Photo Gallery at Flickr
Click to visit our gallery for photos of the Free At Noon Concerts! Previous concerts include Hall & Oates, O.A.R., Citizen Cope, Old Crow Medicine Show, Kaki King and many more!

The Irish pop rock band Bell X1, originally known as Juniper, have experienced a multitude of changes on the path to the successful spot they currently hold. Though they were lead by popular vocalist Damien Rice, Rice ended up leaving Jupiter and was replaced by drummer Paul Noonan. Soon after the group changed their name and became Bell X1. Of their three studio-recorded albums, Flock, released February of 2008, has proven to be the most successful. The album reached #1 in Ireland and gained a huge following throughout the U.K.

Working as waitress at the start of 2008, soul-pop singer Sharon Little was suddenly the opening act for big-name stars Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, and T-Bone Burnett in their national Raising Sand tour. Though she could be called an overnight sensation, Little has been honing her distinctive, bluesy style for years.

The Bird & The Bee is an adult-pop duo from Los Angeles who have been living and loving music almost from birth. Their passion is beginning to pay off in a big way.

Meet Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero. They play flamenco guitar and are influenced as much by Metallica and Led Zep (which they cover on their debut) as they are influenced by Al DiMeola and Strunz & Farah. Their self-titled debut in the States is on ATO Records, and was produced by John Leckie.

Singer-songwriter Sasha Dobson upholds the jazz tradition of past greats like Ella Fitzgerald while breaking conventional rules. Her sultry voice, amazing talent and extensive performance experience makes her a very notable artist to watch.

The music of The Slip is deceptively straightforward rock. The layers and intricacy of the sound, with persevering drums, melodic vocals, and guitars that easily transition between smooth background and a driving heaviness, come through on a second listen.

South roots country rocker, Ryan Bingham, has a rough style that encapsulates his life struggles on Texas and New Mexico ranching communities. Though he is still young at 26 years old, his husky voice and mature content makes him appear wise beyond his years.

Devendra Banhart was named by guru Maharaji Prem Rawat. In an Indian myth, Devendra is identified as "king of gods." cripplecrow.com

Sea Wolf is Alex Brown Church, best known as the bassist and co-singer/songwriter for the L.A. indie-rock band Irving.

Amy Winehouse has exploded onto the UK pop scene as a retro-inspired, yet fiercely liberated, very modern soul singer. Her joyful clash of pop jazz stylings with brash hip-hop attitude and powerful vocals has turned more than just heads.

Lily Allen is the 21-year-old singer/songwriter who has been tearing up the web lately. As a young girl, she went to 13 different schools and never had time to make enduring friendships, so music became her lifeline.

Vampire Weekend has emerged from the fertile New York indie-rock scene. All four of its members met while attending Columbia University. Still, they stick out of the crowd for two reasons.

It's not hard to see why Melody Gardot's debut album Worrisome Heart (Verve) has already established her as one of music's most exciting new discoveries. The 23-year-old chanteuse's songs offer deeply compelling evocations of love, {readmorelink}Read More...{/readmorelink}

So who is Gnarls Barkley? It seems that, in the music world, Gnarls Barkley is always nearby yet impossible to find. The membership rolls of both the Atlanta hip-hop collective Dungeon Family and Athens, Georgia's psychedelic enclave Elephant Six list Barkley as an affiliate, but mention him to either group and they'll shoot each other frightened looks and start talking basketball. {readmorelink}Read More...{/readmorelink}