NPR: Music Podcast

NPR Music's Lars Gotrich offers a tribute to the Peruvian punk, chiptuned black metal and Brazilian dub that soundtracked his home office in 2021, cranked on a trusty tape machine.

Music heard on this episode:

• Morbo: "En el cubil" from ¿A Quién Le Echamos La Culpa?
• Cara Neir: "Damnation" from Phase Out
• Felinto: "Chroma" from Futuro Antigo Perpétuo
• Wendy Eisenberg: "Don't move" from Bent Ring
• Lucy Liyou: "Uncle" from Practice
• Neo Geodesia: "Fanta Rouge" from 2562 Neon Flames
• Maraudeur: "TWYWYS" from Puissance 4
• Myriam Gendron: "C'est dans les vieux pays" from Ma délire - Songs of love, lost & found
• Bacon Grease: "What Do You Know" from The Slow Burn
• Znous: "El-Mansiette" from Znousland 3

Members of the NPR Music team share their personal picks for the best songs or albums from 2021 that didn't make our final lists.

1. dodie: "Hate Myself," from Build a Problem
2. Tōth: "Turnaround (Cocaine Song)," from You And Me And Everything
3. Flock of Dimes: "Price of Blue," from Head of Roses
4. Blu DeTiger: "Vintage," from How Did We Get Here?
5. doechii: "TRUTH," From Bra-Less
6. girl in red: "Did You Come?" from if i could make it go quiet
7. Moin: "Crappy Dreams Count," from Moot!
8. Limp Bizkit: "Dad Vibes," from STILL SUCKS
9. Madi Diaz: "Nervous," from History of a Feeling
10. Tré Burt: "Funny Story (Song for Eva)," from You, Yeah, You
11. Normani (feat. Cardi B): "Wild Side" (Single)
12. Sarah Kinsley: "The King," from The King (EP)
13. NIKARA: "Thick Girls," from NIKARA presents Black Wall Street
14. Draco Rosa: "El Amor de Borikén," from Sound Healing 1:11
15. Morgen Wurde feat. Maria Estrella: "Weiht," from Pop Ambient 2022

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include the soundtrack for Paul Thomas Anderson's new film Licorice Pizza , Turkish funk from El Michels Affair, Julie Doiron and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Various — Licorice Pizza
Featured Songs: "Peace Frog" (The Doors) and "Licorice Pizza" (Jonny Greenwood)
2. El Michels Affair — Abominable
Featured Song: "Cham Cham"
3. Julie Doiron — I Thought of You
Featured Song: "Cancel the Party"
4. Cynic — Ascension Codes
Featured Song: "Mythical Serpents"
5. Spectacular Diagnostics — Ancient Methods
Featured Song: "The Wall"

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares his favorite new songs of the week including Beach House's "Once Twice Melody," "Haunted House" from the actress Mckenna Grace, Medium Build and more.

Featured Tracks:
1. Beach House: "Once Twice Melody," from Once Twice Melody
2. Medium Build: "Rabbit" (Single)
3. Semler: "Prodigal Girl," from Late Bloomer EP
4. Mckenna Grace: "Haunted House" (Single)
5. Jasmyn: "Find the Light" (Single)
6. Lizzy McAlpine: "doomsday" (Single)

Adele's long-awaited 30 tops NPR Music's picks for the best new albums out this week, along with new ones from Snoop Dogg, Makaya McCraven, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Adele — 30
Featured track: "Oh My God"
2. Snoop Dogg — Algorithm
Featured tracks: "Big Subwoofer" and "Anxiety"
3. Makaya McCraven — Deciphering the Message
Featured track: "Black Rhythm Happening"
4. Ben LaMar Gay — Open Arms to Open Us
Featured track: "Aunt Lola and the Quail"
5. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss — Raise the Roof
Featured track: "Go Your Way"
6. Apollo Brown & Stalley — Blacklight
Featured track: "Breathe"
7. Coldcut — @0
Featured track: "Star Ray" (performed by Julianna Barwick)

Other notable releases for Nov. 19: Brian Wilson — At My Piano ; Elbow — Flying Dream 1 ; Khemmis — Deceiver ; Sting — The Bridge .

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares his favorite new songs of the week, including a just-announced track from Big Thief, the London-based Somali artist known as FACESOUL, Pinegrove and more.

Featured Tracks:
1. Big Thief: "Time Escaping," from Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
2. Maia Friedman: "Where the Rocks Are," from Under the New Light
3. Mirrors: "Una Rosa," from Mirrors
4. Pinegrove: "Alaska," from 11-11
5. Why Bonnie: "Galveston" (Single)
6. FACESOUL: "The Path," from YSRA

The Bruno Mars-Anderson .Paak collab as Silk Sonic tops NPR Music's shortlist of the best albums out this week, along with new ones from Courtney Barnett, Aesop Rock, Jon Hopkins and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Silk Sonic — An Evening with Silk Sonic
Featured Songs: "Fly As Me" and "Blast Off"
2. Atarashii Gakko — Snacktime!
Featured Song: "Free Your Mind"
3. Jon Hopkins — Music for Psychedelic Therapy
Featured Songs: "Love Flows over Us in Prismatic Waves" and "Sit Around the Fire"
4. Courtney Barnett — Things Take Time, Take Time
Featured Song: "Turning Green"
5. Aesop Rock & Blockhead — Garbology
Featured Song: "The Sea"
6. Joell Ortiz — Autograph
Featured Songs: "Uncle Chris Car" and "OG"

Other notable releases for Nov. 12: Bill Charlap — Street of Dreams ; IDLES — Crawler ; Nirvana — Nevermind (30th Anniversary Super Deluxe) ; Taylor Swift — Red (Taylor's Version) ; They Might Be Giants — Book .

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tracks of the week, including the stunning voice of West African singer Rokia Koné, new solo work from Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi and more.

Featured Tracks:
1. Julie Doiron: "You Gave Me The Key," from I Thought Of You
2. Cola: "Blank Curtain" (Single)
3. David Keenan: "What Then Cried Jo Soap," from WHAT THEN?
4. Rokia Koné & Jacknife Lee: "N'yanyan," from BAMANAN
5. Jónsi: "Pyralone," from Obsidian
6. Sóley: "Desert," from Mother Melancholia

NPR Music's picks for the best new albums out this week include ones from the Portland rapper Aminé, Snail Mail, composer and saxophonist Terrace Martin, the string ensemble Attacca Quartet and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Aminé — TWOPOINTFIVE
Featured Song: "OKWME"
2. Attacca Quartet — Of All Joys
Featured Songs: "Mishima, 1957: Award Montage," "Miserere," "Fratres"
3. Tasha — Tell Me What You Miss The Most
Featured Song: "Bed Song 1"
4. Snail Mail — Valentine
Featured Song: "Mia"
5. Terrace Martin — Drones
Featured Song: "Leave Us Be"
6. Sloppy Jane — Madison
Featured Songs: "Judy's Bedroom," "Overture" and "Lullaby Formica"
7. Curtis Harding — If Words Were Flowers
Featured Song: "Hopeful"
8. Remy Le Boeuf — Architecture of Storms
Featured Song: "The Melancholy Architecture of Storms"

Other notable releases for Nov. 5: ABBA — Voyage ; Diana Ross — Thank You ; Hana Vu — Public Storage; Joan As Police Woman — The Solution is Restless ; Radiohead — Kid A Mnesia ; serpentwithfeet — DEACON'S GROVE ; Summer Walker — Still Over It .

Every month, we ask the NPR Music staff: What's the one song you couldn't escape? What's the one album to which you'll return all year? In October, we fell far into the music of Helado Negro and Jordan Peters, screamed along to Illuminati Hotties and Cerce, and meditated on the voices of Buffalo Nichols and Emily D'Angelo.

Music featured on this episode:
• Buffalo Nichols: "Another Man" from Buffalo Nichols
• Jordan Peters, "Float (feat. Obed Calvaire)"
• Emily D'Angelo: "Nausicaa" from enargeia
• Helado Negro: "Aguas Frías" from Far In
• Illuminati Hotties: "MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA" from Let Me Do One More
• Cerce: "Fate" from Cowboy Music

Follow the #NowPlaying blog for the NPR Music staff's favorite new songs.

NPR Music picks the best new albums out this week, including new releases by Tori Amos, Mick Jenkins, Mon Laferte, The War on Drugs and more.

Featured Albums
1. The War on Drugs — I Don't Live Here Anymore
Featured Song: "Change"
2. Mick Jenkins — Elephant in the Room
Featured Song: "Stiff Arm"
3. Tori Amos — Ocean to Ocean
Featured Song: "Speaking With Trees"
4. Emily Scott Robinson — American Siren
Featured Song: "Let 'Em Burn"
5. Lily Konigsberg — Lily We Need to Talk Now
Featured Song: "Alone"
6. Eris Drew — Quivering in Time
Featured Song: "Show U Love"
7. Mon Laferte — 1940 Carmen
Featured Song: "Algo Es Mejor"
8. Theon Cross — Intra-I
Featured Song: "40Tude"
9. Lilli Lewis — Americana
Featured Song: "Wrecking Ball"
10. Johnathan Blake — Homeward Bound
Featured Song: "Homeward Bound (For Ana Grace)"

Other notable releases for October 29:Ed Sheeran — =; Migos — Culture III ; Jónsi — Obsidian ; Death Cab for Cutie — The Photo Album (20th Anniversary Edition); R.E.M. — New Adventures in Hi-Fi (25th Anniversary Edition); Spice Girls — Spice (25th Anniversary Edition); Johnny Cash — Bear's Sonic Journals: Johnny Cash at the Carousel Ballroom, April 24 1968 ; Maya Jane Coles — Night Creature ; They Might Be Giants — BOOK ; Charlotte Cornfield — Highs in the Minuses ; Hayes Carll — You Get It All ; Sam Evian — Time to Melt ; Marissa Nadler — The Path of the Clouds ; Mastodon — Hushed and Grim

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tracks of the week, including a new one from Tiny Desk contest winner Quinn Christopherson, the English punk group IDLES and more.

Featured Tracks:
1. IDLES: "The Beachland Ballroom," from Crawler
2. Quinn Christopherson: "Bubblegum," from I Am Bubblegum (EP)
3. Anjimile: "Stranger" (Single)
4. mehro: "howling" (Single)
5. Anna Leone: "Still I Wait," from I've Felt All These Things
6. Scout LaRue Willis: "Love Without Possession"(Single)
7. Chloe Lilac: "19" (Single)

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out today include new ones from the K-pop singer CL, rapper and producer Wale, a new project from Tricky called Lonely Guest, Grouper and more.

Featured Albums:
1. CL — ALPHA
Featured song: "Chuck"
2. Wale — Folarin II
Featured song: "Name Ring Bells"
3. Grouper — Shade
Featured song: "Pale Interior"
4. Helado Negro — Far In
Featured song: "Wake Up Tomorrow"
5. angel du$t — Yak: A Collection of Truck Songs
Featured song: "Love is the Greatest" and "All the Way Dumb"
6. Lonely Guest — Lonely Guest
Featured songs: "Atmosphere" and "Move Me"
7. John Forté — Vessels, Angels & Ancestors
Featured song: "88"
8. Circuit des Yeux — -io
Featured song: "Sculpting the Exodus"

Other notable releases for Oct. 22: Bedouine — Waysides ; Jackson + Sellers — Breaking Point ; John Coltrane — A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle ; Lana Del Rey — Blue Banisters; My Morning Jacket — My Morning Jacket .

This is the third and final installment in a special series from NPR's 'It's Been A Minute' podcast looking at important moments in the history of pop-music crossover. On this episode, Sam and his guests look at the so-called "Latin Explosion" of the late 1990s and ask who this historic if calculated moment was actually for, and what were the business considerations behind it? And what does "Livin La Vida Loca" have to do with all of it? You'll find all that out and more in this episode.

Atlanta rapper Young Thug's Punk , Coldplay's Music of the Spheres , solo debuts from Finneas, Remi Wolf and more are among NPR Music's picks for the week's best new albums.

Featured Albums:
1. Remi Wolf — Juno
Featured Song: "Anthony Kiedis"
2. Coldplay — Music of the Spheres
Featured Song: "People of the Pride"
3. Young Thug — Punk
Featured Song: "Tick Tock"
4. Joy Crookes — Skin
Song: "Poison"
5. Finneas — Optimist
Featured Song: "The Kids Are All Dying"
6. Pinkpantheress — to hell with it
Featured Song: "Noticed I cried"

Other notable releases for Oct. 15: The Beatles — Let It Be (50th Anniversary Ed.); Dos Santos — City of Mirrors ; Le Ren — Leftovers ; Pokey LaFarge — In the Blossom of Their Shade ; Xenia Rubinos — Una Rosa .

All Songs Considered 's Bob Boilen shares his favorite new music of the week, including a reflection on the cost of fame from Mitski, Shamir's "Gay Agenda," sweet "Change" from Big Thief and more.

Featured Tracks And Artists:
1. Mitski: "Working for the Knife" (Single)
2. Cate Le Bon: "Running Away," from Pompeii
3. Big Thief: "Change," from Change EP
4. Doran: "Old Moon," from Doran
5. Kevin Morby & Hamilton Leithauser: "Virginia Beach" (Single)
6. Shamir: "Gay Agenda" (Single)

This year marks the 35th anniversary of Janet Jackson's Control . That album was her first real commercial hit and, looking back, helped redefine all of pop music. In the late '80s and '90s, Jackson was one of the biggest stars of our time — right up there with her brother, Michael and Madonna. And yet, Jackson isn't always given her due. In this special episode from NPR's It's Been A Minute podcast, host Sam Sanders explores why that is, how she made the album Control , and the incident — that lasted all but a second — that changed the course of her career.

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include James Blake's Friends That Break Your Heart , new ones from Cimafunk, the underground hip-hop duo Atmosphere, Reba McEntire, and more.

Featured Albums:
1. James Blake — Friends That Break Your Heart
Featured Songs: "Foot Forward" and "Frozen"
2. BadBadNotGood — Talk Memory
Featured Song: "Beside April"
3. Susana Baca — Palabras Urgentes
Featured Song: "Cambalache"
4. Natalie Hemby — Pins and Needles
Featured Song: "Banshee"
5. Various — Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows Vol. 2 (John Prine tribute album)
Featured Song: "Summer's End" (Performed by Valerie June)
6. Cimafunk — El Alimento
Featured Song: "Sal De Lo Malo"
7. Various — It's A Good, Good Feeling: The Latin Soul of Fania Records
Featured Song: "Soul Drummers" (Performed by Ray Baretto)
8. Joshua Crumbly — ForEver
Featured Song: "KOLKATA"
9. Atmosphere — WORD?
Featured Song: "Fleetwood"
10. Reba McEntire — Revived, Remixed, Revisited
Featured Song: "Fancy"

Fifty years ago this month, the TV show Soul Train was first broadcast nationally. It brought Black music, dance, fashion and performance into viewers' homes every weekend and continued for more than 30 years. There was nothing like it on TV, and all these years later, there's been nothing like it since. On this special episode from the NPR podcast, It's Been A Minute with Sam Sanders, we look at the lasting impact of Soul Train and why it mattered.

Every month, we ask the NPR Music staff: What's the one song you couldn't escape? What's the one album to which you'll return all year?

Songs featured in this episode:

• Ada Lea: "hurt" from one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden
• MUNA (Feat. Phoebe Bridgers), "Silk Chiffon"
• Little Simz: "Standing Ovation" from Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
• Mon Laferte: "Nothing Else Matters" from The Metallica Blacklist
• Sun-El Musician (Feat. Simmy), "Higher"
• Jon Hopkins: "Sit Around the Fire (Feat. Ram Dass & East Forest)" from Music for Psychedelic Therapy

Follow the #NowPlaying blog for the NPR Music staff's favorite new songs.

NPR Music's picks for the best new releases out this week include the long-awaited studio album from Philly rapper Meek Mill, a stunning record from Brandi Carlile, country singer Miko Marks and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Meek Mill — Expensive Pain
Featured Song: "Blue Notes 2"
2. Brandi Carlile — In These Silent Days
Featured Song: "Broken Horses"
3. Ben Marc — Breathe Suite
Featured Song: "Breathe Suite A"
4. Tirzah — Colourgrade
Featured Song: "Hive Mind"
5. Illuminati Hotties — Let Me Do One More
Featured Song: "Knead"
6. Shad — Tao
Featured Song: "Black Averageness"
7. Miko Marks — Race Records
Featured Song: "Hard Times"

Other notable releases for Oct. 1: Dar Williams — I'll Meet You Here ; Hovvdy — True Love ; Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett — Love For Sale ; Strand of Oaks — In Heaven .

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen's favorite new songs of the week include the funny, uplifting music of Wet Leg, a prayer for peace from 77-year-old Pakistani artist Ustad Saami and more.

Featured Songs And Artists:
1. Wet Leg: "Wet Dream" (Single)
2. NoSo: "Suburbia" (Single)
3. Nynke Laverman: "Stoarm" from Plant
4. Nora Brown: "The Very Day I'm Gone" from Sidetrack My Engine
5. Jane Fontana: "Untitled, No. 1" from In Situ EP
6. Grace Cummings: "Heaven" from Storm Queen
7. Le Ren: "I Already Love You" from Leftovers
8. Ustad Saami: "Prayer for Peace" from east Pakistan sky

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include new ones from R&B singer Anthony Hamilton, a Sufjan Stevens collaboration with Angelo De Augustine, country singer Mickey Guyton and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Anthony Hamilton — Love is the New Black
Featured Song: "Love Is The New Black"
2. Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine — A Beginner's Mind
Featured Song: "Lady Macbeth In Chains"
3. Kari Faux — Lowkey Superstar Deluxe
Featured Song: "While God Was Sleeping"
4. Hayden Pedigo — Letting Go
Featured Song: "Some Kind of Shepherd"
5. Mickey Guyton — Remember Her Name
Featured Song: "Different"
6. Solemn Brigham — South Sinner Street
Featured Songs: "Keep The Hope" and "Vice North"
7. Japanese Breakfast — Sable
Featured Songs: "Glider" and "Cartographer's Theme"
8. Ada Lea — One Hand on the Steering Wheel The Other Sewing A Garden
Featured Song: "Oranges"

Other notable releases for Sept. 24: Alessia Cara — In The Meantime ; Andy Shauf — Wilds ; Arturo O'Farrill — Dreaming in Lions ; Caleb Landry Jones — Gadzooks Vol. 1 ; Laura Jane Grace — At War With Silverfish ; NAO — And Then Life Was Beautiful ; Poppy — Flux .

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares his favorite new songs of the week, including a new one from the Leeds rock band alt-J, Swedish singer-songwriter Loney Dear, Amythyst Kiah and more.

Featured Artists And Songs:
1. alt-J: "U&ME," from The Dream
2. Hyd: "Skin 2 Skin," from Hyd (EP)
3. Amythyst Kiah: "Black Myself (Moby Remix)" (Single)
4. La Luz: "Lazy Eyes and Dune," from La Luz
5. Bnny: "Sure," from Everything
6. Loney Dear: "Go Easy On Me Now (Sirens + emergencies)," from A Lantern and a Bell

The debut album from singer and rapper Lil Nas X tops our list of the week's best releases, along with the 25th anniversary of Buena Vista Social Club, new ones from José González, Carly Pearce and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Lil Nas X — Montero
Featured Song: "Dead Right Now"
2. Carly Pearce — 29: Written In Stone
Featured Song: "Diamondback"
3. Charley Crockett — Music City USA
Featured Song: "Honest Fight"
4. Adia Victoria — A Southern Gothic
Featured Song: "Troubled Mind"
5. Buena Vista Social Club — Buena Vista Social Club
Featured Songs: "Chan Chan" and "El Diablo Suelto"
6. José González — Local Valley
Featured Song: "Visions"
7. Sheila Jordan — Comes Love: Lost Session 1960
Featured Song: "Ballad of the Sad Young Men"
8. Moor Mother — Black Encyclopedia of the Air
Featured Song: "Vera Hall"

Other notable releases for Sept. 17: Bob Dylan — Springtime In New York: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 16 ; Cory Henry — Best of Me ; James Vincent McMorrow — Grapefruit Season ; Lindsey Buckingham — Lindsey Buckingham ; Melissa Ethridge — One Way Out.

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares his favorite tracks of the week, including the Tiny Desk Contest-winning song from the singer, Neffy, new ones from Snail Mail, My Morning Jacket and more.

Featured Songs And Artists:
1. Neffy: "Wait Up" (Single)
2. Aisha Badru: "Rebirth," from The Way Back Home EP
3. Lily Konigsberg: "Sweat Forever," from Lily We Need To Talk Now
4. Sloppy Jane: "Party Anthem," from Madison
5. My Morning Jacket: "Love Love Love," from My Morning Jacket
6. Snail Mail: "Valentine," from Valentine

It's a packed release day, with new albums from the prince of reggaeton J Balvin, Kendrick Lamar collaborator and rising rapper Baby Keem, Kacey Musgraves, Andrew W.K. and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Common — A Beautiful Revolution Pt 2
Featured Song: "A Beautiful Chicago Kid"
2. Kacey Musgraves — Star-Crossed
Featured Songs: "Cherry Blossom" and "Gracias A La Vida"
3. J Balvin — JOSE
Featured Song: "La Familia"
4. Yebba — Dawn
Featured Song: "Boomerang"
5. Andrew W.K. — God Is Partying
Featured Songs: "Babalon" and "Goddess Partying"
6. AZ — Doe or Die II
Featured Song: "Check Me Out"
7. Park Hye Jin — Before I Die
Featured Song: "Me Trust Me"
8. Low — Hey What
Featured Song: "White Horses"
9. Deb Never — Where Have All The Flowers Gone
Featured Song: "Stupid"
10. Bomba Estéreo — Deja
Featured Song: "Agua"
11. Baby Keem — The Melodic Blue
Featured Song: "Range Brothers"

Other notable releases for Sept. 10: Heartless Bastards — A Beautiful Life; Matthew E. White — K Bay; Sleigh Bells — Texis; We Were Promised Jetpacks — Enjoy The View.

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tunes of the week, including a profoundly moving reflection on Hurricane Katrina, a new story-song from Andy Shauf and more.

Featured Songs And Artists:
1. 79rs Gang: "Stop The Water" (Single)
2. Andrea von Kampen: "Water Flowing Downward," from That Spell
3. Opium Moon: "Night," from Night + Day
4. Claire Cronin: "Bloodless," from Bloodless
5. Andy Shauf: "Spanish On The Beach" (Single)
6. Marc Farre: "Prayer Flags," (Single)

Our picks for the best new albums out this week come from the British rapper LIttle Simz, jazz pianist Kirk Lightsey, rising reggaeton singer Jhay Cortez, metal veterans Iron Maiden and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Little Simz — Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Featured Songs: "Introvert" and "The Rapper That Came To Tea"
2. Jhay Cortez — Timelezz
Featured Song: "Los Bandoleros"
3. Kirk Lightsey — I Will Never Stop Loving You
Featured Song: "I Will Never Stop Loving You"
4. Iron Maiden — Senjutsu
Featured Song: "Days Of Future Past"
5. Lady Blackbird — Black Acid Soul
Featured Songs: "Five Feet Tall" and "Blackbird"
6. Baby Queen — The Yearbook
Featured Song: "Raw Thoughts"
7. L'Orange — The World Is Still Chaos, But I Feel Better
Featured Song: "Talk To Friendly Walls"

Other notable releases for Sept. 3: Damu The Fudgemunk — Conversation Peace ; Imagine Dragons — Mercury, Act I ; Lady Gaga — Dawn Of Chromatica (remix album)

Every month, we ask the NPR Music staff: What's the one song you couldn't escape? What's the one album to which you'll return all year? In August, we got vulnerable with James Blake, leveled up with Foxing, cooed with PinkPantheress, discovered an obscure Polish composer via pianist Lucas Debargue, memorialized a member of Injury Reserve and went back in time to Lee Morgan's weekend residency at the Lighthouse.

Songs heard on this episode:
• James Blake: "Life is Not the Same" from Friends That Break Your Heart
• Foxing: "Beacons" from Draw Down the Moon
• PinkPantheress, "Just for me"
• Lucas Debargue: "Nostalgie du pays" from Zal — The Music of Miłosz Magin
• Injury Reserve: "Knees" from By the Time I Get to Phoenix
• Lee Morgan: "Absolutions (Friday, Set 2)" from The Complete Live at the Lighthouse

Follow the #NowPlaying blog for the NPR Music staff's favorite new songs.

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out on Aug. 27 include new ones from CHVRCHES, Indigo De Souza, Terence Blanchard and more.

Featured Albums
1. CHVRCHES — Screen Violence
Featured Song: "Final Girl"
2. Madi Diaz — History Of A Feeling
Featured Song: "Woman In My Heart"
3. Chapel Hart — The Girls Are Back In Town
Featured Song: "You Can Have Him Jolene"
4. Tré Burt — You, Yeah, You
Featured Song: "Sweet Misery"
5. GRIP — I Died For This?!
Featured Song: "The Lox! (feat. Tate 228)"
6. Indigo De Souza — Any Shape You Take
Featured Song: "Way Out"
7. Terence Blanchard — Absence
Featured Song: "The Elders"
8. Andrew Cyrille Quartet — The News
Featured Song: "Go Happy Lucky"

Notable releases for Aug. 27: Halsey — If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power ; Big Red Machine — How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? ; Steve Gunn — Other You ; Marisa Anderson & William Tyler — Lost Futures ; The Bug — Fire ; Yann Tiersen — Kerber ; Mouse Rat — The Awesome Album ; Nite Jewel — No Sun ; Southern Avenue — Be The Love You Want ; Carlos Henriquez — The South Bronx Story ; Kenny Garrett — Sounds From The Ancestors

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares his favorite songs of the week, including a 50th anniversary edition of George Harrison's "Isn't It A Pity."

1. George Harrison: "Isn't It A Pity," from All Things Must Pass (50th Anniversary)
2. Immersion, (feat. Laetitia Sadier): "Riding The Wave," from Nanocluster Vol. 1
3. Circuit des Yeux: "Dogma," from -Io
4. Hand Habits: "Aquamarine," from Fun House
5. Coco: "Knots," from Coco
6. Big Thief: "Sparrow" (Single)

Black Thought guests on a new one from the British duo Jungle, The Killers' Pressure Machine documents the hopes and horrors of rural America, Boldy James & The Alchemist team up again and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Jungle — Loving in Stereo
Featured Songs: "Talk About It" and "Romeo"
2. The Killers — Pressure Machine
Featured Songs: "Terrible Thing" and "West Hills"
3. Boldy James & The Alchemist — Bo Jackson
Featured Song: "E.P.M.D."
4. Falkner Evans — Invisible Words
Featured Song: "Made Visible"
5. Meet Me @ The Altar — Model Citizen
Featured Song: "Feel A Thing"
6. El Michels Affair Meets Liam Bailey — Ekundayo Inversions
Featured Songs: "Conquer & Divide" and "Intro"
7. Wednesday — Twin Plagues
Featured Songs: "Toothache" and "Twin Plagues"

Other notable releases for Aug. 13: Dan + Shay — Good Things ; Devendra Banhart and Noah Georgeson — Refuge ; Jade Bird — Different Kinds of Light ; Joy Orbison — Still Slipping Vol. 1 ; $uicideboy$ — Long Term Effects of SUFFERING.

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include new ones from the R&B singer Tinashe, composer Max Richter and the greatest rap duo you've never heard of, Abstract Mindstate.

Featured Albums:
1. Abstract Mindstate — Dreams Still Inspire
Featured Track: "I Feel Good"
2. Max Richter — Exiles
Featured Tracks: "Flowers Of Herself" and "Exiles"
3. Laura Stevenson — Laura Stevenson
Featured Tracks: "State" and "Mary"
4. Tinashe — 333
Featured Track: "333"
5. Fuubutsushi — Natsukashii
Featured Track: "Suzushii Kaze"
6. Lingua Ignota — Sinner Get Ready
Featured Tracks: "Pennsylvania Furnace" and "The Order of Spiritual Virgins"

Other notable releases for Aug. 6: Barbra Streisand — Release Me 2 ; Eluvium — Virga II ; Moritz Von Oswald Trio — Dissent ; Ty Segal — Harmonizer .

In July, we found solace in veterans (Billy Bragg) and newcomers (Canary Room), witnessed personal transformations from IDK and WILLOW, hit funky grooves with William Parker and heard angels become mortal in a collaboration between Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine.

Songs heard in this episode:
• Billy Bragg: "I Will Be Your Shield" from The Million Things That Never Happened
• Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine: "Reach Out" from A Beginner's Mind
• Canary Room: "Christine" from Christine
• WILLOW: "don't SAVE ME" from lately I feel EVERYTHING
• IDK: "Hey Auntie" from USEE4YOURSELF
• William Parker: "Tabasco" from Mayan Space Station

Follow the #NowPlaying blog for the NPR Music staff's favorite new songs.

The sophomore full-length from Billie Eilish tops our shortlist of the best new albums out this week, along with a posthumous Prince record, Jack Antonoff's Bleachers, the singer Yola and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Billie Eilish — Happier Than Ever
Featured Song: "NDA"
2. Isaiah Rashad — The House Is Burning
Featured Songs: "True Story" and "HB2U"
3. Bleachers — Take the Sadness Out Of Saturday Night
Featured Songs: "Stop Making This Hurt" and "91"
4. Los Lobos — Native Sons
Featured Song: "The World Is A Ghetto"
5. Prince — Welcome 2 America
Featured Song: "One Day We Will All Be Free"
6. Torres — Thirstier
Featured Song: "Are You Sleep Walking?"
7. Yola — Stand For Myself
Featured Song: "If I Had To Do It All Again"
8. Skirts — Great Big Wild Oak
Featured Song: "Easy"

Other notable releases for July 30: Leela James — See Me ; LUMP — Animal ; Naia Izumi — A Residency in the Los Angeles Area ; Poise — Vestiges ; Son Volt — Electro Melodier.

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen's favorite new tracks of the week include an amped-up Steady Holiday, late-'70s, post-punk sounds from Gustaf and Wet Leg, the calming guitar of Lanterna and more.

Featured Songs:
1. Steady Holiday: "Love Me 2" (Single)
2. Gustaf: "Book," from Audio Drag For Ego Slobs
3. Wet Leg: "Chaise Longue" (Single)
4. Ada Lea: "damn," from one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden
5. The Colorist Orchestra & Howe Gelb (feat. Pieta Brown): "Sweet Pretender," from Not On The Map
6. AHI: "Danger," from Prospect
7. Lanterna: "Aix," from Hidden Drives

Kanye West's long-awaited (and much-hyped), DONDA tops our list of the best albums out this week, along with new ones from Leon Bridges, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Ledisi and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Kanye — DONDA
2. Leon Bridges — Gold Diggers Sound
Featured Song: "Motorbike"
3. Chiiild — Hope For Sale
Featured Song: "Wasting Time"
4. Samia — Scout
Featured Song: "As You Are"
5. Christone "Kingfish" Ingram — 662
Featured Song: "Too Young To Remember"
6. Bardo — Everywhere Reminds Me Of Space
Featured Song: "Neon Light"
7. Emma-Jean Thackray — Yellow
Featured Song: "Venus"
8. Ledisi — Ledisi Sings Nina
Featured Song: "Feeling Good"

Other notable releases for July 23: Brittany Howard — Jaime Re-imagined ; Dave — We're All Alone In This Together ; Mega Bog — Life, And Another.

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen's favorite tracks of the week include a classic murder ballad reimagined by Bonnie "Prince" Billy, a new collaboration with Nils Frahm and F.S. Blumm, Soccer Mommy and more.

Featured Tracks And Artists:
1. Soccer Mommy: "rom com 2004" (Single)
2. My Idea: "Stay Away Still," from That's My Idea EP
3. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & Nathan Salzburg: "Stagger Lee" (Single)
4. Hana Vu: "Maker" (Single)
5. Devendra Banhart & Noah Georgeson: "In A Cistern," from Refuge
6. F.S. Blumm & Nils Frahm: "Desert Mule," from 2X1=4

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include Willow's Lately I Feel Everything , new ones from Clairo and John Mayer, a posthumous release from Alice Coltrane and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Willow — Lately I Feel Everything
Featured Songs: "Breakout" and "Xtra"
2. Clairo — Sling
Featured Song: "Zinnias"
3. Rodrigo Amarante — Drama
Featured Song: "Tao"
4. John Mayer — Sob Rock
Featured Song: "Guess I Just Feel Like"
5. Cakes da Killa — MUVALAND Vol. 2
Featured Song: "Lite Werk"
6. Alice Coltrane — Kirtan: Turiya Sings
Featured Song: "Jagadishwar"
7. John Vanderslice — I Can't Believe Civilization Is Still Going Here In 2021! Congratulations To All Of Us, Love DCB
Featured Song: "I Get A Strange Kind Of Pleasure From Just Hanging On"
8. John Vanderslice — Ethical Jute Mouse: Lost Songs from Tiny Telephone 2001-2021
Featured Song: "Advancing Army Clip"

Other notable releases for July 16: Charlie Worsham — Sugarcane; Ida Mae — Click Click Domino ; Jodi — Blue Heron ; Karen Black — Dreaming Of You: 1971-1976 ; Pop Smoke — FAITH .

All Songs host Bob Boilen shares his favorite songs of the week, including a long-overdue celebration of Sparks, a Ben Gibbard collaboration with Tycho, the return of Courtney Barnett and more.

Featured Songs And Artists:
1. Sparks, Adam Driver & Marion Cotillard: "So May We Start (feat. Simon Helberg)," From Annette
2. Courtney Barnett: "Rae Street," From Things Take Time, Take Time
3. Indigo De Souza: "Kill Me," From Any Shape You Take
4. Tycho & Benjamin Gibbard: "Only Love" (Single)
5. Lala Lala: "DIVER," From I Want The Door To Open
6. Mega Bog: "Station to Station," From Life, And Another

The best albums out this week include a revealing, self-titled release from rapper Vince Staples, Snoh Aalegra's Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies , Half Waif's Mythopoetics and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Vince Staples — Vince Staples
Featured Song: "Are You With That?"
2. Attacca Quartet — Real Life
Featured Songs: "Real Life" and "Drifting Circles"
3. Snoh Aalegra — Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies
Featured Songs: "Tangerine Dream" and "Indecisive"
4. Half Waif — Mythopoetics
Featured Song: "Horse Racing"
5. The Goon Sax — Mirror II
Featured Song: "In The Stone"
6. Les Filles de Illighadad — At Pioneer Works
Featured Song: "Eghaas Malan"

Other notable releases out on July 9: The Alchemist — Rapper's Best Friend 6 ; Rejjie Snow — Baw Baw Black Sheep ; Royal Canoe — Sidelining ; The Wallflowers — Exit Wounds .

All Songs Considered 's Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tunes of the week, including one with The National's Aaron Dessner and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, a Jack Antonoff-produced song from Clairo and more.

Featured Songs:
1. Orla Gartland: "You're Not Special Babe," from Woman on the Internet
2. Aldous Harding: "Old Peel" (Single)
3. Matthew E. White: "Genuine Hesitation," from K Bay
4. Big Red Machine: "Latter Days (feat. Anaïs Mitchell)," from How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?
5. Dos Santos: "A Shot in the Dark" (Single)
6. Clairo: "Blouse," from Sling
7. jess joy: "her0," from PATREEARCHY

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out now include Chicago rapper G Herbo's 25 , the wild euphoria of The Go! Team, singer Laura Mvula's first new music in five years and more.

Featured Albums:
1. The Go! Team — Get Up Sequences Part One
Featured Song: "Let The Seasons Work"
2. G Herbo — 25
Featured Song: "Demands"
3. Laura Mvula — Pink Noise
Featured Song: "Conditional"
4. Declaime and Madlib — In The Beginning Vol. 1
Featured Song: "Cool Ways"
5. boyband — Never Knows Best
Featured Song: "IRL"
6. Izzy Johnson — Earth Tones
Featured Song: "Existing"

Doja Cat, SAULT and Tyler, The Creator lead a crazy-packed day for new releases, along with Lucy Dacus, Cautious Clay and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Doja Cat — Planet Her
Featured Song: "Payday (feat. Yung Thug)"
2. Tyler, The Creator — Call Me If You Get Lost
Featured Song: "Lumberjack"
3. SAULT — NINE
Featured Songs: "London Gangs" and "9"
4. Hiatus Kaiyote — Mood Valiant
Featured Song: "Chivalry Is Not Dead"
5. Lucy Dacus — Home Video
Featured Song: "Hot & Heavy"
6. Squirrel Flower — Planet (i)
Featured Song: "Roadkill"
7. Cautious Clay — Deadpan Love
Featured Song: "Whoa"
8. Faye Webster — I Know I'm Funny haha
Featured Song: "Sometimes"
9. Pom Pom Squad — Death of a Cheerleader
Featured Song: "Drunk Voicemail"
10. Lightning Bug — A Color Of The Sky
Featured Song: "September Song, Pt. ii"

Other notable releases for June 25: Cedric Burnside — I Be Trying; Hiss Golden Messenger — Quietly Blowing It; L'Rain — Fatigue; Matthew Dear — Preacher's Sigh And Potion: Lost Album; Modest Mouse — The Golden Casket; The Mountain Goats — Dark In Here.

Our favorite new artists of 2021 (so far) include Jay Som and Palehound together as Bachelor, the queer pop celebrations of girl in red, Olivia Rodrigo, the warped rap duo Paris Texas and more.

1. Bachelor (Jay Som & Palehound): "Back Of My Hand," from Doomin' Sun
2. girl in red: "Serotonin," from if i could make it go quiet
3. Arlo Parks: "Hurt," from Collapsed in Sunbeams
4. Celeste: "Strange," from Not Your Muse
5. mehro: "lightning," from SKY ON FIRE
6. dodie: "Hate Myself," from Build A Problem
7. Olivia Rodrigo: "brutal," from SOUR
8. Paris Texas: "A QUICK DEATH," from BOY ANONYMOUS

The best albums out this week include GoldLink's Haram! , H.E.R.'s Back of My Mind, a comic book soundtrack called Dark Nights: Death Metal , a debut album from trans punk Cher Strauberry and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Goldlink — Haram!
Featured Songs: "Terrordome" and "Evian"
2. Various — Dark Nights: Death Metal
Featured Song: "Diana" by Chelsea Wolfe
3. H.E.R. — Back of My Mind
Featured Song: "We Made It"
4. Amythyst Kiah — Wary + Strange
Featured Song: "Wild Turkey"
5. Donnie — The Colored Section (20th Anniv.)
Featured Song: "Beautiful Me"
6. Ambar Lucid — Get Lost In The Music
Featured Song: "The Door"
7. Mykki Blanco — Broken Hearts & Beauty Sleep
Featured Song: "Free Ride"
8. Cher Strauberry — Chering Is Caring
Featured Song: "Swish And Spit"

Other notable releases for June 18: Angelique Kidjo — Mother Nature ; Azure Ray — Remedy ; Francis Lung — Miracle ; Hania Rani — Music For Film And Theater ; Joan Armatrading — Consequences.

Lorde talks about her new song, we get an update on the Tiny Desk contest, Pokey LaFarge recalibrates his sound, Illuminati Hotties go "Pool Hopping" and other great new songs to fall in love with.

Featured Artists And Songs:
1. Lorde: "Solar Power" (Single)
2. Illuminati Hotties: "Pool Hopping," from Let Me Do One More
3. Azure Ray: "Bad Dream," from Remedy
4. The Go! Team: "A Bee Without Its Sting," from Get Up Sequences Part One
5. The Goon Sax: "Psychic," from Mirror II
6. Lea Thomas: "Howl," from Mirrors To The Sun
7. Pokey LaFarge: "Get It 'Fore It's Gone," from In The Blossom of Their Shade

Sleater-Kinney's Path of Wellness , the thundering pop of Marina, Brooklyn rapper Skyzoo and the blood-slowing sounds of Dustin O'Halloran are among NPR Music's picks for the best music out on June 11.

Featured Albums:
1. Marina — Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land
Featured Songs: "Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land" and "Goodbye"
2. Skyzoo — All The Brilliant Things
Featured Song: "St. James Liquors"
3. Sleater-Kinney — Path of Wellness
Featured Song: "Path of Wellness"
4. Jesse Markin — Noir
Featured Song: "This Is A Testament"
5. Dustin O'Halloran — Silfur
Featured Song: "Opus 17"
6. Ches Smith & We All Break — Path of Seven Colors
Featured Song: "Here's The Light"

Other notable releases for June 11: Dean Blunt — Black Metal 2; Garbage — No Gods, No Monsters; Migos — Culture III; Mind Maintenance — S/T; Polo G — Hall of Fame.

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tracks of the week, featuring former Tiny Desk contest winner Naia Izumi, West African art-folk group The Narcotix, Laura Stevenson and more.

Featured Artists And Songs:
1. Laura Stevenson: "State," from Laura Stevenson
2. Jomoro: "Nest," from Blue Marble Sky
3. The Narcotix: "Lilith," from Mommy Issues EP
4. Gone to Color: ""The 606" (feat. Jessie Stein,) from Gone To Colo r
5. Naia Izumi: "Voodoo," from A Residency in the Los Angeles Area
6. Maddie Jay: "Spiral," from CMYK EP

Rostam's beautifully transfixing Changephobia , Japanese Breakfast's Jubilee and Liz Phair's first new album in more than a decade are among NPR Music's picks for the best albums out on June 4.

Featured Albums:
1. Rostam — Changephobia
Featured Song: "Bio 18"
2. Poté — A Tenuous Tale Of Her
Featured Song: "Valley"
3. The Avalanches — Since I Left You (20th Anniv. Ed.)
Featured Songs: "Frontier Psyychiatrist" and "Two Hearts In 3/4 Time"
4. Loraine James — Reflection
Featured Song: "Simple Stuff"
5. Japanese Breakfast — Jubilee
Featured Song: "Savage Good Boy"
6. Liz Phair — Soberish
Featured Song: "Spanish Doors"
7. Tristen — Aquatic Flowers
Featured Song: "Complex"
8. Juana Molina — Segundo
Featured Song: "Martin Fierro"

Other notable releases for June 4: August Fannon and Defcee — We Dressed The City With Our Names ; Hailu Mergia and The Walias Band — Tezeta ; Joy Oladokun — In Defense Of My Own Hapiness ; Lil Baby and Lil Durk — The Voice Of The Heroes; Wolf Alice — Blue Weekend .

In May, we swooned to Olivia Rodrigo's Sour , marveled at Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen, went back to the '90s with The Zolas, bathed in the opulent luxury of Sinéad Harnett's voice, got lost in Bill Laurance's piano universe, and jazz group Sound Prints expanded its possibilities.

Songs featured on this episode:
• Olivia Rodrigo: "jealousy, jealousy" from Sour
• Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen, "Like I Used To"
• The Zolas: "Yung Dicaprio" from Come Back to Life
• Sinéad Harnett: "Stay" from Ready is Always Too Late
• Bill Laurance: "Cables Rewired" from Cables Rewired
• Sound Prints: "The Flight" from Other Worlds

Follow the Press Pause playlist for the NPR Music staff's favorite new songs.

NPR Music picks the best new albums out this week, including new releases by DMX, Bachelor, Mustafa, Natalia Lafourcade and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Bachelor — Doomin' Sun
Featured Song: "Spin Out"
2. DMX — Exodus
Featured Song: "Hold Me Down"
3. Mustafa — When Smoke Rises
Featured Song: "Ali"
4. Various Artists — Fire in Little Africa
Featured Song: "City of Dreams"
5. Mereba — Azeb
Featured Song: "Rider"
6. Natalia Lafourcade — Un Canto por México, Vol. 2
Featured Song: "La Llorona"

Notable releases for May 28: Black Midi — Cavalcade ; GWAR — The Disc With No Name ; k.d. lang — Makeover ; Moby — Reprise; Porter Robinson — Nurture; Quivers — Golden Doubt; Lou Barlow — Reason to Live; Juanes — Origen ; Scotch Rolex — Tewari

This weeks All Songs Considered features a striking collaboration between Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen. I also share a conversation and music with Angélique Kidjo, psych-guitar from Mdou Moctar and more.
1. Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen: "Like I Used To" (Single)
2. Aerial East: "The Things We Build," from Try Harder
3. Saint Sister: "Manchester Air," from Where I Should End
4. Sunny Jain: "Where is Home," from Phoenix Rise
5. Angélique Kidjo: "Africa, One Of A Kind (feat. Mr Eazi & Salif Keita)," from Mother Nature
6. Mdou Moctar: "Afrique Victime," from Afrique Victime

NPR Music picks the best new albums out this week, including new releases by Olivia Rodrigo, Allison Russell, Audrey Nuna and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Olivia Rodrigo — Sour
Featured Song: "Brutal"
2. Patrick Paige II — If I Fail, Are We Still Cool?
Featured Song: "Curfew"
3. Allison Russell — Outside Child
Featured Song: "4th Day Prayer"
4. Georgia Anne Muldrow — VWETO III
Featured Song: "Old Jack Swing"
5. Audrey Nuna — A Liquid Breakfast
Featured Song: "Damn Right"
6. Erika de Casier — Sensational
Featured Song: "Polite"

Notable releases for May 21: Twenty One Pilots — Scaled and Icy ; Blake Shelton — Body Language ; Counting Crows — Butter Miracle, Suite One ; Mdou Moctar — Afrique Victime ; CHAI — Wink ; Lambchop, Showtunes ; Lord Huron — Long Lost ; Edmar Castañeda — Family ; Sunny Jain — Phoenix Rise ; Rising Appalachia — The Lost Mystique of Being in the Know ; Claire George — The Land Beyond the Light ; BLK JKS — Abantu: Before Humans

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out on May 14 include Jorja Smith's Be Right Back , St. Vincent's homage to early '70s rock, a staggering new project from saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Jorja Smith — Be Right Back
Featured Song: "Digging"
2. St. Vincent — Daddy's Home
Featured Song: "Melting of the Sun"
3. Paris Texas — Boy Anonymous
Featured Song: "Force of Habit"
4. Maxine Funke — Séance
Featured Song: "Quiet Shore"
5. Giant Claw — Mirror Guide
Featured Song: "Until Mirror"
6. Shabaka Hutchings and Sons of Kemet — Black to the Future
Featured Song: "Let The Circle Be Unbroken"
7. Billy Bang — Lucky Man
Featured Song: "Jungle Lullaby"

Other notable releases for May 14: The Black Keys — Delta Kream; Damien Jurado — The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania; Fatima Al Qadiri — Medieval Femme; Holly Macve — Not the Girl; Juliana Hatfield — Blood; Rodrigo y Gabriela — The Jazz EP; Sarah Neufeld — Detritus.

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tracks of the week, including "the most fun song" Torres has ever written, the latest from Laura Marling's project called LUMP and more.

1. Torres: "Don't Go Puttin Wishes in My Head," from Thirstier
2. LUMP: "Animal (feat. Laura Marling & Mike Lindsay)," from Animal
3. Caveman: "Like Me," from Smash
4. Rodrigo Amarante: "Maré," from Drama
5. koleżanka: "7th st/ 7th ave," from Place Is
6. Water From Your Eyes: ""Quotations"," from Structure

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include the intricately detailed pop of Dodie, a posthumous release from legendary drummer Tony Allen, a mind-blower from Daniel Bachman and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Dodie — Build A Problem
Featured Song: "Special Girl"
2. L'Orange & Namir Blade — Imaginary Everything
Featured Song: "Nihilism"
3. Daniel Bachman — Axacan
Featured Songs: "Blues in the Anthropocene" and "Year Of The Rat"
4. Tony Allen — There Is No End
Featured Song: "Stumbling Down"
5. Sophia Kennedy — Monsters
Featured Song: "I'm Looking Up"
6. James Brandon Lewis — Jesup Wagon
Featured Song: "Lowlands of Sorrow"
7. Nasimiyu — Potions
Featured Song: "Parasite"

Other notable releases for May 7: Angel Olsen — Song of the Lark and Other Far Memories; Iceage — Seek Shelter; Miranda Lambert — The Marfa Tapes (with Jack Ingram and John Randall); Squid — Bright Green Field; Sufjan Stevens — Convocations; Weezer — Van Weezer.

In April, we adored biting and beautiful indie rock from Pom Pom Squad and Flock of Dimes, witnessed Zao's metallic brutality, were transported by Catalan multi-instrumentalist Rita Payés and kora player Toumani Diabaté, and were reminded why we love ILOVEMAKONNEN.

Songs featured on this episode:
• Pom Pom Squad: "Head Cheerleader" from Death of a Cheerleader
• Flock of Dimes: "Awake for the Sunrise" from Head of Roses
• Zao: "Creator/Destroyer" from The Crimson Corridor
• Rita Payés: "Nunca vas a comprender" from Como La Piel
• Toumani Diabaté & London Symphony Orchestra: "Elyne Road" from Kôrôlén
• ILOVEMAKONNEN: "So Saucy" from My Parade

Follow the Press Pause playlist for the NPR Music staff's favorite new songs.

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include girl in red's long-awaited debut, the Flying Lotus soundtrack for Yasuke and more.

Featured Albums:
1. girl in red — If I Could Make It Go Quiet
Featured Song: "Serotonin"
2. Dawn Richard — Second Line
Featured Song: "Bussifame"
3. Ashley Monroe — Rosegold
Featured Song: "Siren"
4. Shelley FKA Dram — S/T
Featured Song: "Rich And Famous"
5. Amy Shark — Cry Forever
Featured Songs: "The Wolves" and "Amy Shark"
6. Matt Sweeney & Bonnie "Prince" Billy — Superwolves
Featured Song: "Make Worry For Me"
7. Flying Lotus — Yasuke
Featured Song: "African Samurai"

Other notable releases for April 30: Amy Speace & The Orphan Brigade — There Used To Be Horses; Gojira — Fortitude; Julia Stone — Sixty Summers; Manchester Orchestra — The Million Masks of God; Marianne Faithful & Warren Ellis — She Walks In Beauty; Rosie Tucker — Sucker Supreme; Teenage Fanclub — Endless Arcade; Tōth — You And Me And Everything.

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tracks of the week, including the calming sounds of Ballaké Sissoko, the plainspoken wisdom of singer Faye Webster and more.

Featured Songs:
1. No-No Boy: "The Best God Damn Band in Wyoming," from 1975
2. Faye Webster: "Cheers," from I Know I'm Funny haha
3. Tōth: "Guitars Are Better Than Synthesizers for Writing Through Hard Times," from You And Me And Everything
4. Ballaké Sissoko: "Kadidja," from Djourou
5. Lau Noah: "Las Siete Lágrimas," 3
6. Manchester Orchestra: "Telepath," from The Million Masks of God

NPR Music's shortlist for the best albums out on April 23 includes Nashville singer and rapper Houston Kendrick's technicolor pop, Malian Kora player Toumani Diabaté, Dinosaur Jr. and more.

1. Houston Kendrick — Small Infinity
Featured Song: "Ugly Vybes"
2. Hannah Jadagu — What Is Going On?
Featured Song: "Sundown"
3. Dinosaur Jr. — Sweep It Into Space
Featured Song: "And Me"
4. Arooj Aftab — Vulture Prince
Featured Songs: "Suroor" and "Baghon Main"
5. Toumani Diabaté and The London Symphony Orchestra — Korolen
Featured Songs: "Elyne Road" and "Cantelowes"
6. Hasaan Ibn Ali — Metaphysics: The Lost Atlantic Album
Featured Song: "El Hasaan"

Other notable releases for April 23: Alfa Mist — Bring Backs; Ethel Cain — Inbred; Jupiter Okwess — Na Kozonga

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tunes of the week including a "Hot and Heavy" track from Lucy Dacus, and Beatles producer George Martin's little-known side project, Ray Cathode.

1. Lucy Dacus: "Hot & Heavy," from Home Video
2. Uwade: "The Man Who Sees Tomorrow" (Single)
3. Field Music: "When You Last Heard From Linda," from Flat White Moon
4. Ray Cathode (George Martin and Maddalena Fagandini): "Time Beat" (Single)
5. Ray Cathode (George Martin and Maddalena Fagandini): "Waltz In Orbit" (Single)
6. Rosie Tucker: "Barbara Ann," from Sucker Supreme
7. Smoothboi Ezra: "Stuck" from Stuck EP

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out on April 16 include the latest from UK rapper AJ Tracey, Norah Jones' first-ever live album, a feast of sonic wonders from Son Lux and more.

Featured Albums:
1. AJ Tracey — Flu Game
Featured Song: "Anxious"
2. Norah Jones — Til We Meet Again
Featured Song: "Cold, Cold Heart"
3. Masabumi Kikuchi — Hanamichi
Featured Song: "Ramona"
4. London Grammar — Californian Soil
Featured Song: "America"
5. Sharon Van Etten - Epic 10
Featured Songs: "Don't Do It" and "Peace Signs"
6. Son Lux — Tomorrows III
Featured Songs: "Come Recover" and "Unbind"

Other notable releases for April 16: The Armed — ULTRAPOP; Conway the Machine — La Maquina; David Wax Museum — Euphoric Ouroboric.

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares his favorite new songs of the week including an ambient track from Sufjan Stevens, solo work from Phish's Page McConnell, Squirrell Flower and more.

1. Charlotte Jacobs: "Where You Want Me To," from The Shape of Wandering EP
2. Damien Jurado: "Tom," from The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania
3. Squirrel Flower: "Hurt A Fly," from Planet (i)
4. Jess Locke: "Tell Me I'm Okay," from Don't Ask Yourself Why
5. Mabe Fratti: "Hacia el Vacío," from Será Que Ahora Podremos Entendernos
6. Sufjan Stevens: "Meditation V," from Convocations
7. Page McConnell: "Radio Silence," from Maybe We're The Visitors

A deeply personal and revealing record from Brockhampton, Dutch artist Benny Sings, breakout rapper Lakeyah, the Vijay Iyer Trio and more make NPR Music's picks for the best albums out on Apr. 9.

Featured Albums:
1. Benny Sings — Music
Featured Song: "Nobody's Fault"
2. Brockhampton — Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine
Featured Song: "The Light"
3. Lakeyah — In Due Time
Featured Song: "Look At Me"
4. claire rousay — A Softer Focus
Featured Song: "Peak Chroma"
5. Mon Laferte — Seis
Featured Song: "Se Me Va Quemar El Corazon"
6. Matthew E. White & Lonnie Holley — Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection
Featured Song: "Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection"
7. Sheep, Dog & Wolf — Two Minds
Featured Song: "Two Minds"
8. Cehryl — Time Machine
Featured Song: "Outside the Party, Inside the Dream"
9. The Vijay Iyer Trio — Uneasy
Featured Song: "Children of Flint"

Other notable releases for April 9: Ballaké Sissoko — Djouro; Damon Locks Black Monument Ensemble — Now; Max Richter — Voices 2; Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turissi — They're Calling Me Home; Taylor Swift — Fearless (Taylor's Version); Yaya Bey — The Things I Can't Take With Me.

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares his favorite songs of the week, including a Leonard Cohen cover from First Aid Kit, reflections on the comforts of home from Rhiannon Giddens and more.

1. Bachelor, (Jay Som & Palehound): "Stay in the Car," from Doomin' Sun
2. Wallice: "Hey Michael," from Off The Rails EP
3. Major Murphy: "Real," from Access
4. Iceage: "Shelter Song," from Seek Shelter
5. Rhiannon Giddens (feat. Francesco Turrisi): "Avalon," from They're Calling Me Home
6. First Aid Kit: "Famous Blue Raincoat/Anthem," from Who By Fire
7. Skullcrusher: "Song for Nick Drake," from Storm In Summer EP

NPR Music picks the best new albums out this week, including new albums by Leslie Jordan, Flock of Dimes, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and more.

1. Nasty Cherry — The Movie EP
Featured Song: "Six Six Six"
2. Mello Music Group — Bushido
Featured Song: "One of the Last (feat. Marlowe)"
3. Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad with Gary Bartz — Jazz Is Dead 6
Featured Song: "Spiritual Ideation"
4. Leslie Jordan — Company's Comin'
Featured Song: "Working on a Building (feat. Ashley McBryde & Charlie Worsham)"
5. Flock of Dimes — Head of Roses
Featured Song: "Price of Blue"
6. Dry Cleaning — New Long Leg
Featured Song: "Scratchcard Lanyard"
7. Godspeed You! Black Emperor — G_d's Pee (AT STATE'S END)
Featured Song: "OUR SIDE HAS TO WIN (for D.H.)"

In March, we indulged R&B pleasures from Joyce Wrice and Solomon Fox, we missed our friends with a sweet song by Joel Young, dreamed of summer with Hirsch, bum-rushed IKOQWE's razor-edged boom-bap, and discovered the cosmic secrets of Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders.

Songs featured on this episode:
• IKOQWE: "Pele" from The Beginning, The Mediums, The End and The Infinite
• Joyce Wrice: "Losing" from Overgrown
• Solomon Fox: "Rockaways" from Solomon
• Hirsch: "Reaction" from Denihilism
• Joel Young, "Friend"
• Floating Points & Pharoah Sanders: "Movement 5" from Promises

Follow the Press Pause playlist for the NPR Music staff's favorite new songs.

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out on Mar. 26 include the relentlessly infectious songs of AJR, Israeli rapper and singer Noga Erez, Tune-Yards, jazz legend Dr. Lonnie Smith and more.

Featured Albums:
1. AJR — OK ORCHESTRA
Featured Song: "Joe"
2. Noga Erez — KIDS
Featured Song: "End of the Road"
3. Clark — Playground In A Lake
Featured Songs: "Lambent Rag," "Forever Chemicals," "Earth Systems"
4. Miko Marks — Our Country
Featured Song: "Ancestors"
5. Tune-Yards — Sketchy
Featured Song: "Make It Right"
6. Dr. Lonnie Smith — Breathe
Featured Song: "Track 9"
7. serpentwithfeet — Deacon
Featured Song: "Sailor's Superstition"

Other notable releases for Mar. 26: Armand Hammer & The Alchemist — HARAM; Dntel — The Seas Trees See; El Michels Affair — Yeti Season; First Aid Kit — Who By Fire; Floating Points/Pharoah Sanders/London Symphony Orchestra — Promises; Rod Wave — Soulfly.

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tracks of the week, including an uplifting piece from Kishi Bashi, the Malian kora master Toumani Diabaté, the return of Gem Club and more.

Featured Artists And Songs:
1. Kishi Bashi: "Wait for Springtime," from Emigrant EP
2. Gem Club: "Spirit & Decline" (Single)
3. Red Ribbon: "Renegade," from Planet X
4. Madi Diaz: "New Person, Old Place" (Single)
5. Montparnasse Musique: "Panter," from Montparnasse Musique
6. Toumani Diabaté & The London Symphony Orchestra: "Mamadou Kanda Keita," from Kôrôlén
7. Witch Camp (Ghana): "Left To Live Like an Animal," from I've Forgotten Now Who I Used To Be

Hear monumental new music from Jon Batiste, country legend Loretta Lynn, the rapper Benny the Butcher and more on NPR Music's list of the best new albums out this week.

Featured Albums:
1. Jon Batiste — We Are
Featured Song: "We Are"
2. Loretta Lynn — Still Woman Enough
Featured Song: "You Ain't Woman Enough"
3. Melissa Carper — Daddy's Country Gold
Featured Song: "Makin' Memories"
4. Vegyn — Like A Good Old Friend
Featured Song: "I See You Sometimes"
5. Benny The Butcher — The Plugs I Met 2
Featured Song: "Live By It"
6. Middle Kids — Today We're The Greatest
Featured Song: "R U 4 Me"
7. Colin Miller — Hook
Featured Song: "From the Other Room"
8. Maria DeHart — Quarantunes
Featured Song: "In My Head"
9. New Pagans — The Seed, The Vessel, Roots And All
Featured Song: "Christian Boys"

Other notable releases for March 19: Alex Somers — Siblings and Siblings 2; A.A. Williams — Songs From Isolation; Lana Del Rey — Chemtrails Over The Country Club; Landlady — Landlady; Pink Siifu and Fly Anakin — $mokebreak.

Host Bob Boilen shares more songs about finding both light and darkness in life on this week's All Songs Considered, including a devastating new single from Lucy Dacus.

1. Ben Howard: "Far Out," from Collections From The Whiteout
2. Lucy Dacus: "Thumbs" (Single)
3. Sour Widows: "Crossing Over," from Crossing Over EP
4. Kelli Scarr: "Eve of Spring" (Single)
5. Cautious Clay: "Roots" (Single)
6. Lightning Bug: "The Right Thing Is Hard To Do," from A Color of the Sky

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out on March 12 include Valerie June's magical meditations, a Blake Mills and Pino Palladino collaboration, Selena Gomez's first Spanish language record and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Valerie June — The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers
Featured Songs: "You And I" and "Starlight Ethereal Silence"
2. Selena Gomez — Revelación
Featured Song: "Adios"
3. Pino Palladino and Blake Mills — Notes With Attachments
Featured Song: "Soundwalk"
4. Lushlife — Redamancy
Featured Song: "Depaysement"
5. LOUISAHHH — The Practice of Freedom
Featured Song: "Love Is A Punk"
6. Graham Lambkin — Solos
Featured Songs: "Ginkamix"

Other notable releases for March 12: Allie Crow Buckley — Moonlit and Devious; DJ Muggs — Dies Occidendum; Lake Street Dive — Obviously; Leanne Betasamosake Simpson — Theory of Ice.

All Songs Considered 's Bob Boilen and Stephen Thompson listened to the nearly 300 artists performing at this year's online edition of SXSW and share their most exciting discoveries.

This includes the Korean electro-pop duo HAEPAARY, the South African folksinger Bongeziwe Mabandla, the gentle Australian pianist Sophie Hutchings and the occasional detour into Welsh indie-rock, danceable hip-hop and more.

Our picks for the best new albums out on March 5 include an ambitious remix from Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats, the surreal hip-hop of Genesis Owusu, flickering dance pop from Jane Weaver and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats — Unlocked 1.5
Featured Song: "Cosmic"
2. Ian Sweet — Show Me How You Disappear
Featured Song: "My Favorite Cloud"
3. Adult Mom — Driver
Featured Song: "Wisconsin"
4. Hafez Modirzadeh — Facets
Featured Song: "Facet 33 Tides"
5. Genesis Owusu — Smiling With No Teeth
Featured Songs: "Centrefold," "Drown," "Smiling With No Teeth," and "On The Move!"
6. Jane Weaver — Flock
Featured Song: "The Revolution of Super Visions"
7. Elizabeth and the Catapult — Sincerely, e
Featured Song: "Together Alone"

Other notable releases for March 5: Arab Strap — As Days Get Dark; Fruit Bats — The Pet Parade; Jesswar — TROPIXX; Jimbo Mathus and Andrew Bird — These 13; Kings of Leon — When You See Yourself; Tigers Jaw — I Won't Care How You Remember Me.

In February, new albums by Aaron Lee Tasjan, Wild Pink and Black Country, New Road had us yearning for live music; VanJess sang matters of the heart; and Will Liverman devoted an entire album to Black composers.

Songs featured on this episode:
• Aaron Lee Tasjan: "Computer of Love" from Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan!
• Wild Pink: "Oversharers Anonymous" from A Billion Little Lights
• Black Country, New Road: "Science Fair" from For the First Time
• VanJess: "Slow Down" from Homegrown
• Maxine Funke: "Lucky Penny" from Seance
• Will Liverman: Three Dream Portraits: No. 2, Dream Variation from Dreams of a New Day

Follow the Press Pause playlist for the NPR Music staff's favorite new songs.

NPR Music's picks for the best new albums out this week include Julian Baker's Little Oblivions , the warped pop of Jimmy Edgar, stirring protest songs from Chris Pierce, a debut from Sam Dew and more.

Featured Albums:
1. Julien Baker — Little Oblivions
Featured Song: "Highlight Reel"
2. Karima Walker — Waking The Dreaming Body
Featured Song: "Window I"
3. Chris Pierce — American Silence
Featured Song: "Sound All The Bells"
4. Don Cherry — Cherry Jam
Featured Song: "You Took Advantage Of Me"
5. Jimmy Edgar — Cheetah Bend
Featured Song: "Cheetah"
6. Sam Dew — Moonlit Fools
Featured Song: "Rap Shit"
7. Adrian Younge — The American Negro
Featured Song: "James Mincey Jr."
8. A Winged Victory For The Sullen — Invisible Cities
Featured Songs: "The Merchant Of Seven Nations" and "The Celestial City"

Other notable releases for Feb. 26: Blanck Mass — In Ferneaux; Cloud Nothings — The Shadow I Remember; Glitterer — Life Is Not A Lesson; Lucy Spraggan — Choices; Nick Hakim — Will This Make Me Good (Remixes)

All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares his favorite tracks of the week, including Charlie Hickey's collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers, José González's first song in Spanish and more.

Featured Songs And Artists:
1. Charile Hickey: "Ten Feet Tall," from Count The Stairs
2. Francis of Delirium: "Let It All Go," from Wading
3. Floatie: "Catch a Good Worm," from Voyage Out
4. Matt Sweeney and Bonnie "Prince" Billy w/ Mdou Moctar: "Hall of Death," from Superwolves
5. José González: "El Invento" (Single)
6. Ethel Cain: "Michelle Pfeiffer," from Inbred
7. Mint Julep: "Pulse," from In A Deep And Dreamless Sleep