NPR
: World Cafe 
Tim Robbins, the actor, screenwriter, director and activist, now adds "musician" to his already-impressive roster of successes. He has just released a self-titled record from his band, Tim Robbins and the Rogues Gallery Band, which was produced by Hal Wilner, former producer of Saturday Night Live. This session's music was recorded at a World Cafe Live performance featuring Robbins and his eight-piece band, which includes Joan As Policewoman.
On stage, Robbins was flanked by photos of his parents, a telling connection to his lifelong relationship with music. His parents met in the UCLA marching band, and his father eventually moved the family to Greenwich Village during the height of the '60s folk renaissance to pursue a career with The Highwaymen. The result is Robbins' abiding love of blue-collar Americana, as evidenced by the heartfelt tone of his eponymous debut.
"I feel I have collected a number of stories to tell on stage," Robbins says. "I've grown more and more frustrated with the opportunities in Hollywood to tell the stories I want to tell."
Robbins, an outspoken anti-war activist, has written songs about Iraq War veterans and a chance meeting with Nelson Mandela. He discusses these stories and more in an illuminating conversation on today's World Cafe.
Dan Brown: 'Inferno' Is 'The Book That I Would Want To Read'
Dan Brown, author of the blockbuster The Da Vinci Code, is back with his first novel in four years. Inferno follows academic hero Robert Langdon on a chase through Italy as he attempts to avert a biological catastrophe.'Picture Cook': Drawings Are The Key Ingredients In These Recipes
Designer Katie Shelly's upcoming cookbook offers 50 illustrated recipe "blueprints" for basic meals — from simple snacks to more hefty dishes like eggplant Parmesan. She hopes they'll inspire any level of cook to improvise in the kitchen.Ken Cuccinelli Wins GOP Nomination For Virginia Governor
Virginia's attorney general Ken Cuccinelli will face former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe in November to become Virginia's 72nd governor.
Book News: Amazon May Be Called Before Parliament Over Taxes
Also: AARP and The Nation join a growing list of ebook publishers; Hilary Mantel on Jane Austen; Anne Applebaum on Sheryl Sandberg.Leave a Comment
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