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Sole Of A Band 2018: A Year In Shoes And Music

A shoe can say so much about a band's sound.
Bob Boilen
/
NPR Music
A shoe can say so much about a band's sound.

Music and fashion have always been closely connected. Whether an artists chooses a tough-looking shoe or a glittery one is often a reflection of the sound that goes with them. I call it the "sole of a band." During this past year I saw hundreds of artists and was often drawn to the fashion statement closest to the ground, so I took a whole bunch of photographs of ... shoes. I put some of my favorite shoes and photos together in this short video so you can see some of the style choices the musicians made and likely guess, in the quick flashes of imagery and names, what they must sound like.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.
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