FRESH AIR ON WHYY
Jeff Goodell’s book Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America’s Energy Future, now out in paperback, argues that the U.S. is more dependent than ever on coal. Goodell is a contributing editor
at Rolling Stone magazine; he’s also the author of Our Story: 77 Hours That Tested Our Friendship and Our Faith, based on the account of nine miners trapped underground.
RADIO TIMES WITH MARTY MOSS-COANE
There is a heated debate going on in the Senate over a new energy bill. Senate Democrats have promised its passage by the July 4th recess. We talk about the controversial aspects of the plan — fuel standards, biofuel production, reliance on oil, price gouging, etc. — with DANIEL KAMMEN, professor at UC Berkeley and co-director of the University’s Institute of the Environment. LISTEN
THE WORLD CAFE
The National‘s intricate wordplay, catchy choruses and elegant arrangements have earned the Brooklyn-based indie-rock band comparisons to groups both stately (The Tindersticks) and unpredictable (Pixies). Formed in 1999, The National combines countrified folk and traditional rock, with a hauntingly reflective feel that gets under the skin. Singer Matt Berninger has described the group’s breakthrough album, 2005’s Alligator, as a “euphoric disconnection.” The disc was widely embraced by critics and fans, creating massive buzz for The National’s new fourth album, Boxer. With its mesmerizing, delicately rendered songs about love and war, the disc has lived up to the considerable hype surrounding its release last month.
THE NATIONAL: Mistaken For Strangers
[King Coal illustration courtesy of KICKSTAND]