World Cafe on KRVS

The much buzzed-about Toronto-based band Alvvays joins us today. We first heard about Molly Rankin and the band in 2013 when Frank Yang of the blog Chromewaves presented them as a band to watch on our Sense of Place visit to Toronto. Their self-titled debut came out last year and within a month had become the most played album on college radio. They join us in the studio today. Make sure to download the band's performance of "Adult Diversion."

Nude Beach, a punk trio from Brooklyn, is today's guest on World Cafe. The band recently released a double album called 77, and it's full of catchy power-pop tunes.

Formed in 2008 while its members were still in high school, the band includes guitarist and singer Chuck Betz, drummer and singer Ryan Naideau, and bassist Jim Shelton. Nude Beach made three albums together before releasing 77 in October. In this session, we'll learn what the title 77 signifies and hear some of its songs performed live.

On this episode of Latin Roots from World Cafe, Rachel Faro joins the show to discuss cancion de protesta. While the U.S. experienced its own period of politically charged songs about the Vietnam War and more in the '60s and '70s, Latin American songwriters were creating commentary about the repressive regimes in power there.

Here, Faro shares some of the musicians who put their lives at risk — and identifies the artist she considers the Bob Dylan of the Latin music world.

Philadelphia singer Son Little cut his teeth on collaborations with The Roots and RJD2. Now, he's got his own nationally released EP, titled Things I Forgot.

Israel Nash got his start in music after moving to New York City; his 2009 debut came out of his experiences there. His 2011 follow-up album was recorded on a small farm in the Catskills and was co-produced by Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley. A relocation to a small ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas, preceded his new record, Rain Plans.

On this episode of World Cafe, he describes how he wanted his third album to reflect the Hill Country, and professes his love for Neil Young. And, of course, he performs a few of his songs live.