Rock

Rhys Chatham is a classically-trained, minimalist composer who incorporates rock influences into his music. He joins Fresh Air to talk about his choice of instrumentation, and the evolution of his work over the years.

Performance group Robert Kaplow and the Punsters stage a radio play with Fresh Air host Terry Gross. Elvis Presley joins the show to talk about the current direction of pop music.

Rock historian Ed Ward says that 1960s bands from Oregon and Washington are often overlooked. Their style was distinctive, featuring distorted guitars and raw, sneered vocals -- a sound that endures today.

Rock historian Ed Ward says the city has long celebrated the holiday with rock music, some of which incorporated Black Indian traditions and style.

Rock critic Ken Tucker once more looks at the best and worst songs currently hitting the airwaves. Represented artists include Matthew Sweet, Bunny Wailer, Violent Femmes, Tone Loc, and Emmylou Harris.

Johnny Otis, who was born to Greek parents, claimed he became black by immersing himself in African American communities and culture. He later opened a blues club in Los Angeles, and helped promote new talent in the scene. Rock historian Ed Ward tells his story.

New York-based John Flansburgh and John Linnell write quirky rock songs on guitar and accordion. For the past four years, they've maintained their dial-a-song service, wherein fans can call a number to hear new music from the band. Their new album is called Lincoln.

Rock critic Ken Tucker says that few comeback albums from aging rock stars in the 1980s have been good. The late Roy Orbison's Mystery Girl is an exception.

Rock historian Ed Ward says the 1960s Mod movement started in working-class London, and was rooted more in fashion than rock music. But the amphetimine-fueled subculture was short-lived, and many Mods became hippies. The re-emergence of Mods in the 1970s didn't last long, either.

Rock critic Ken Tucker says Reed's new record, New York, doesn't live up to the artist's claim. But it may be his most sincere in its examination of contemporary, social issues.