The latest mix from All Songs Considered includes a sneak preview of Andrew Bird's highly anticipated new album Break It Yourself, the hypnotic harmonies of Julianna Barwick, sweet pop from Hospitality and a couple of CDs picked solely for their cover art, from the bands Thee American Revolution and Artificial Lover. Also on the show: the surprising and elusive music of Spoek Mathambo, and NPR Music's Frannie Kelley joins hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton to share one of her favorite new hip-hop songs of the year from the artist known as INDEED.

Andrew Bird

Album: Break It Yourself

Song: Eyeoneye

Hospitality

Album: Hospitality

Song: Liberal Arts

iNDEED

Album: iNDEED

Song: Black Tears 

Spoek Mathambo

Album: Father Creeper

Song: Stuck Together 

Julianna Barwick

Album: Never Change

Song: Never Change

Artificial Lover

Album: Nava

Song: Happy Nightmare

Thee American Revolution

Album: Buddha Electrostorm

Song: Electric Flame

First Listen: Sharon Van Etten, 'Tramp'

An interview with Sharon Van Etten with questions from NPR Music listener and Sharon fans.

On her 2009 breakthrough Because I Was in Love, Sharon Van Etten is the embodiment of exposed nerves; the very essence of wounded vulnerability. In that record's best song, "Much More Than That," she lays out her insecurities while laying herself bare: Adorned by little more than a chorus of her own looped voice, Van Etten tentatively recalls tiny romantic gestures as a way of expressing the inexpressible. "One day I'll be a better writer," she sings at one point, as if laying out illustrative details in only a few words weren't already the hallmark of a gifted communicator.

The albums which follow, 2010's epic and the new Tramp, stretch muscles and viscera over those raw nerves. Even when she's conveying disappointment, hurt or longing, Van Etten sounds more assertive and complex these days, aided by the ever-knottier contributions of guest players from The National, Wye Oak, Beirut and The Walkmen. The feathery coos of "Much More Than That" have given way to a tensely argumentative and conflicted sneer in "Serpents," the remarkable first single from Tramp, out Feb. 7. When she sings, "I had a thought that you would take me seriously," her words are smeared with accusation instead of apologies. She says it herself in the song's chorus: "Everyone changes in time." By the time she gets to "All I Can" a few songs later, even her most defensive pronouncements — "I do all I can / We all make mistakes" — ring out with stormy grandiosity that sounds downright triumphant.

To put it mildly, Van Etten wears those changes well. Evolving convincingly before the eyes of the world, she's now both a fearless balladeer and a blood-and-guts rocker, not to mention an increasingly vital and promising live performer. There's no artifice to Sharon Van Etten: With refreshing, unmistakable directness, she sings like a human being who wants more from herself. On Tramp, she finds what she's looking for.

This week on All Songs Considered: Bob Boilen drops a party-rap track direct from Canada; Robin Hilton explains what he loves so much about Thomas Patrick Maguire, the songwriter he recently named his favorite new artist; and a surprise guest busts up the proceedings with some good old-fashioned California punk. Plus: pulsing, atmospheric tracks from Young Magic and Lucius, and the original voices of Liz Green and Sea of Bees.

NEW MIX: CEREMONY, SEA OF BEES, YOUTH LAGOON, MORE

Mitchmatic

Album: It's Probably Raining

Song: Why Don't You Know

Young Magic

Album: Melt

Song: Slip Time

Liz Green

Album: O, Devotion!

Song: Displacement Song

Thomas Patrick Maguire

Album: The Future's Coming So Fast

Song: What's Your Malfunction 

Ceremony

Album: Zoo

Song: Hysteria

Sea of Bees

Album: Orangefarben

Song: Broke

Lucius

Album: Lucius EP

Song: Don't Sit There

To celebrate the return of producer and co-host Robin Hilton, this week's All Songs Considered is the first proper episode of all-new music this year. On this episode, three guys who have never had trouble cranking out songs — Leonard Cohen, The Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt and Lambchop's Kurt Wagner — unveil cuts from their new albums. Also: a sneak preview from Lower Dens, an under-the-radar band from Baltimore that's also readying a new release.

The Magnetic Fields

Album: Love at the Bottom of the Sea

Song: Andrew In Drag

Gotye

Album: Making Mirrors

Song: Easy Way Out

White Rabbits

Album: Milk Famous

Song: Heavy Metal

Lambchop

Album: Mr. M

Song: Gone Tomorrow

Leonard Cohen

Album: Old Ideas

Song: Going Home

Porcelain Raft

Album: Strange Weekend

Song: Drifting In and Out

Lost In The Trees

Album: A Church That Fits Our Needs

Song: Red

Lower Dens

Album: Nootropics

Song: Brains

Twelve bands, 17 different countries, three stages, one frenzied night: That's the promise of globalFEST, a yearly showcase for international musicians who come from around the world to New York's Webster Hal. There, they introduce themselves to American club bookers, festival programmers, band managers and, of course, music fans. If you pace yourself well, there's just enough time during the evening's six hours to get a good taste of each band — and this year's amazing array of talent was fresh and surprising, from the funked-out psychedelic grooves of Ethiopia (by way of Boston's Debo Band) to the Silk Road's joyously rollicking cross-cultural collaboration, to the atmospheric and haunting sounds of Wang Li, a solo Chinese jaw harp player.

For this week's edition of All Songs Considered , NPR Music's Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR contributor and Afropop.org  senior editor Banning Eyre, and Rob Weisberg of WNYC (who also hosts WFMU 'sTranspacific Sound Paradise ) join Bob Boilen to revisit some of the highlights and favorite discoveries from this year's globalFEST.

Sleigh Bells

Album: Reign of Terror

Song: Born to Lose

Shearwater

Album: Animal Joy

Song: Animal Life

 

Stew & The Negro Problem

Album: Making It

Song: Love Is A Cult

Adam Arcuragi

Album: Like a Fire That Consumes All Before It...

Song: The Well

Craig Finn

Album: Clear Heart Full Eyes

Song: Rented Room

Dirty Three

Album: Toward The Low Sun

Song: That Was Was

Imperial Teen

Album: Feel the Sound

Song: Out From Inside

Charlie Haden/Hank Jones

Album: Come Sunday

Song: Going Home

Sharon Van Etten

Album: Tramp

Song: Serpents

Laura Gibson

Album: La Grande

Song: La Grande

The White Buffalo

Album: Once Upon a Time in the West

Song: BB Guns and Dirtbikes

Chairlift

Album: Something

Song: Met Before

Holiday music is inescapable this time of year, but it's worth remembering that "Jingle Bell Rock" isn't the only game in town. This week on All Songs Considered, Bob Boilen sits down with NPR's Jacob Ganz and Barrie Hardymon to play some holiday music you may not have heard before. That includes a 15th-century English carol, a 2010 club banger revamped with a Hanukkah theme, and a truly bizarre Prince song that finds the Purple One toasting his dead lover with a banana daiquiri ... on Christmas Eve.

Paul Simon

Album: So Beautiful or So What

Song: Getting Ready For Christmas Day

Natalie Merchant

Album: A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 3

Song: Children Go Where I Send Thee

Adam Arcuragi

Album: Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)

Song: Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)

This song is available on Bandcamp.

 

Prince

Album: Hits/The B-Sides

Song: Another Lonely Christmas

 

The King's Singers

Album: A Little Christmas Music

Song: The Boar's Head Carol

 

The Polyphonic Spree

Album: It's Christmas!

Song: It's Christmas!

This release is available from Good Records Recordings.

 

The Walkmen

Album: Little House of Savages EP

Song: The Christmas Party

Darlene Love

Album: SNL Sketch

Song: Christmas for the Jews

The Leevees

Album: Hanukkah Rocks

Song: Kugel

The Maccabeats

Album: Candlelight

Song: Candlelight

YouTube

Merle Haggard

Album: A Christmas Present

Song: If We Make It Through December

Kate & Anna McGarrigle

Album: McGarrigle Christmas Hour

Song: Spotlight on Christmas

Julian Koster and the Music Tapes

Album: Tiny Desk Concert

Song: Zat You, Santa Claus?

This summer, when All Songs Considered asked listeners to vote for their favorite albums of the year so far, there were a handful of shoo-ins. Instantly beloved releases by Bon Iver, Adele, Fleet Foxes, The Decemberists and others all made a predictably strong showing.

Six months later, many of those albums have held their ground — but our poll of listeners' 100 favorite records from all of 2011 still had its surprises. The Black Keys swooped into the No. 6 slot with El Camino, an album just a few days older than the poll itself. Ceremonials, the follow-up to Florence + the Machine's sleeper hit Lungs, followed close behind. And it wasn't just the dark horses that stunned us — two of our personal favorites, the strong spring releases from Wye Oak and The Antlers, each dropped a dozen spots.

This week's episode includes songs from the top 25 listener picks. Once you've listened to the show, head to the All Songs blog for the full list of your 100 favorite albums of 2011.

Bon Iver

Album: Bon Iver

Song: Calgary

Fleet Foxes

Album: Helplessness Blues

Song: Grown Ocean

Adele

Album: 21

Song: Rolling In The Deep

 

The Decemberists

Album: The King Is Dead

Song: June Hymn

Radiohead

Album: The King Of Limbs

Song: Lotus Flower

The Black Keys

Album: El Camino

Song: Lonely Boy

Wilco

Album: Whole Love

Song: Born Alone

Florence + the Machine

Album: Ceremonials

Song: Shake It Out

 

Beirut

Album: The Rip TideSong: Santa Fe

Foster the People

Album: Torches

Song: Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)

M83

Album: Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

Song: Midnight City

 

Feist

Album: Metals

Song: How Come You Never Go There

Iron & Wine

Album: Kiss Each Other Clean

Song: Tree by the River

tUnE-yArDs

Album: w h o k i l l

Song: Bizness

St. Vincent

Album: Strange Mercy

Song: Cruel

The Civil Wars

Album: Barton Hollow

Song: Barton Hollow

 

Death Cab For Cutie

Album: Codes And Keys

Song: You Are A Tourist

Tom Waits

Album: Bad As Me

Song: Bad As Me

My Morning Jacket

Album: Circuital

Song: Circuital

 

Bright Eyes

Album: The People's Key

Song: Shell Games

Jay-Z/Kanye West

Album: Watch the Throne

Song: Otis

Coldplay

Album: Mylo Xyloto

Song: Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall

PJ Harvey

Album: Let England Shake

Song: Let England Shake

Cults

Album: Cults

Song: Go Outside

James Blake

Album: James Blake

Song: The Wilhelm Scream

 

Was 2011 the year of the sneak attack? So many of big musical moments in the past 12 months seemed to appear out of nowhere. There was the unlikely return of the ukulele, which took a starring role in one of the year's most fascinating and talked-about releases, the tUnE-yArDs album w h o k i l l. Wilco and Bright Eyes, each coming off a run of albums that divided fans, dropped career-defining records — no less odd or experimental than their predecessors, but packed top to bottom with hummable songs. The Roots seemed to spin a dense, story-driven concept album out of thin air, with barely a peep of advance press. And Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum, missing in action for more than a decade, reemerged with a sold-out solo tour and heaps of previously unreleased music.

Bob Boilen, Robin Hilton, Stephen Thompson and Ann Powers take on these head-spinning moments and more — including their favorite songs, albums and discoveries of 2011 — in this year-end edition of All Songs Considered. You can listen to the complete show above, and complete selections from the discoveries and songs of the year in the list below. And don't forget: once you've listened, head to the blog to vote for your own favorite music of 2011.

Alabama Shakes

Album: Alabama Shakes

Song: Hold On

 

Little Scream

Album: The Golden Record

Song: Cannons

Caveman

Album: Coco Beware

Song: Old Friend

Delay Trees

Album: Delay Trees

Song: Gold

 

The Roots

Album: Undun

Song: The OtherSide

Neutral Milk Hotel

Album: You've Passed / Where You'll Find Me Now 7"

Song: You've Passed

Wilco

Album: Whole Love

Song: Art of Almost

tUnE-yArDs

Album: w h o k i l l

Song: You Yes You

 

Apparat

Album: The Devil's Walk

Song: Black Water

St. Vincent

Album: Strange Mercy

Song: Cheerleader

 

Bright Eyes

Album: The People's Key

Song: One For You, One For Me

Drake

Album: Take Care

Song: Take Care

Add to PlaylistPurchase Music

King Creosote & Jon Hopkins

Album: Diamond Mine

Song: Bubble

 

Bon Iver

Album: Bon Iver

Song: Perth

Herzog

Album: Search

Song: Silence

The Mountain Goats

Album: All Eternals Deck

Song: Estate Sale Sign

Cults

Album: Cults

Song: Abducted

 

Beyoncé

Album: 4

Song: Countdown

Viking's Choice: 2011 In Metal And Outer Sound

As NPR Music begins year-end music list season, we normally save producer and Viking's Choice blogger Lars Gotrich's favorite furious blast beats, meditative drones, spiraling riffs and other such unclassifiable sounds for after Christmas. Not this time around. We wanted the noise and we wanted it now.

While no one sound or trend truly dominated metal or outer sound in 2011, Lars talks to All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen about a set of field recordings from a Swiss gondola, why strong songwriting always matters in metal, and how sometimes hues are more dramatic than blocks of sound in drone.

This episode of All Songs Considered includes highlights from a pair of Top 25 lists. Over on the All Songs blog, you'll find the complete lists of 2011's best metal and best outer sound albums.

The Psychic Paramount

Album: II

Song: N5

Ernst Karel

Album: Swiss Mountain Transport Systems

Song: Oberdorf—Weissenstein

Hammers Of Misfortune

Album: 17th Street

Song: Grain

 

Glenn Jones

Album: The Wanting

Song: Of Its Own Kind

Tombs

Album: Path of Totality

Song: Silent World

Witch Mountain

Album: South of Salem

Song: Wing of the Lord

 

Julia Holter

Album: Tragedy

Song: Celebration

YOB

Album: Atma

Song: Prepare the Ground

Nicholas Szczepanik

Album: Please Stop Loving Me

Song: Please Stop Loving Me

Cormorant

Album: Dwellings

Song: The First Man

If you were in New York City in the 1970s, you might have stumbled upon the birth of punk, new-wave, hip-hop, salsa, disco, minimalist classical and avant-garde jazz. The city during these five years — 1973 through '77 — was the birthplace of many of the most innovative and influential musical genres born in the second half of the 20th Century, despite the fact that it was economically devastated, and was thought — at the time — to be musically bankrupt.

Will Hermes was there. He was a teenager during the mid-'70s, and he's written a new book about that era called Love Goes to Buildings on Fire: Five Years in New York that Changed Music Forever.

This week on All Songs Considered, Hermes tells Bob Boilen how a city plagued by crime and economic ruin fostered a booming arts scene, thanks in large part to cheap rent. And he spins some of the groundbreaking music that emerged during those years: a milestone composition by Steve Reich, an instrumental jam that became a classic hip-hop breakbeat, an extended dance cut that would be one of the first disco hits and the Talking Heads single that gives the book its name.

Talking Heads

Album: Love Goes To Building On Fire (1977 Single)

Song: Love Goes to Building on Fire

Incredible Bongo Band

Album: Bongo RocSong: Apache

Dinosaur (Arthur Russell)

Album: Kiss Me Again (12" Single)

Song: Kiss Me Again

Steve Reich

Album: Music for 18 Musicians

The Art Ensemble of Chicago

Album: Nice Guys

Song: 597-59

Television

Song: Little Johnny Jewel

Sinners repent, for the end of the year is nigh. Starting soon, NPR Music will begin looking back on the best music of 2011 — but this week's All Songs sneaks a few new releases under the wire before all the counting down begins. Perhaps the biggest surprise is a new record from Jónsi, the Sigur Rós frontman who released his dazzling solo debut last year, and has been mostly quiet since then. Jonsi is behind the original soundtrack for the upcoming Cameron Crowe film We Bought a Zoo; this week's show has a premiere of the song "Gathering Stories."

Also on this episode: a straight-ahead rocker from The Black Keys, a slow jam with an engaging backstory from Drake, some nostalgic emoting from Real Estate and Future Islands, and cover tunes from The Antlers and Ólöf Arnalds.

The Black Keys

Album: El Camino

Song: Run Right Back 

Real Estate

Album: Days

Song: It's Real

 

Ólöf Arnalds

Album: Ólöf Sings

Song: With Tomorrow / I'm On Fire

 

Drake

Album: Take Care [Clean]

Song: Take Care

 

The Antlers

Album: (together)

Song: VCR (The xx cover)

 

Future Islands

Album: On The Water

Song: Where I Found You

Jónsi

Album: We Bought a Zoo [Original Soundtrack]

Song: Gathering Stories

There's no denying certain songs are best experienced when played as loud as possible. Since this Friday, 11/11/11, is Nigel Tufnel Day — the unofficial holiday honoring the fictional Spinal Tap guitarist, who cranked his amplifiers past 10 — this week's episode is all about the songs that instantly make you want to turn the volume up.

Such songs can be simple and anthemic, like The Modern Lovers' garage-punk or Kelly Clarkson's roller-coaster pop. Or they can be densely layered, like LCD Soundsystem's studio wizardry or OutKast's all-out aural assaults. But in each case, the message is the same: Let the music, whatever it might be, overwhelm you.

The Modern Lovers

Album: The Modern Lovers

Song: Roadrunner

LCD Soundsystem

Album: This Is Happening

Song: All I Want

OutKast

Album: Stankonia [Clean]

Song: B.O.B.

Brian Eno

Album: Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)

Song: Third Uncle

Kelly Clarkson

Album: All I Ever Wanted

Song: I Do Not Hook Up

The Smiths

Album: Meat Is Murder

Song: How Soon Is Now?

Justice

Album: Ed Rec Vol. 2

Song: Phantom

Elastica

Album: Elastica

Song: Annie

 

Ramones

Album: Road to Ruin

Song: I Wanna Be Sedated

The Exploding Hearts

Album: Guitar Romantic

Song: Modern Kicks

Led Zeppelin

Album: Physical Graffiti

Song: Kashmir

If it weren't for Robert Moog, a lot of the music you enjoy today might not have been possible. As inventor of the Moog synthesizer, he gave rise not only to the technology needed for modern electronic music, but also to the creative spirit that inspired countless musicians to take his vision and play with it, mold it and reshape it into mind blowing works of art.

This past weekend, a remarkably gifted group of electronic and experimental rock artists gathered to celebrate Moog's genius in Asheville, N.C. for the annual Moogfest. All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen and NPR Music producer Jacob Ganz were there and, on this week's show, report back with some of their favorite discoveries, including music from Amon Tobin, The Field, Tangerine Dream, and soundscape artist Tim Hecker.

Brian Eno also presented his breathtaking sound and visual installation 77 Million Paintings, and the influential minimalist composer Terry Riley performed for nearly two hours. There were DJ sets from Flying Lotus and James Murphy, and prog-rock from Battles.

As it does every fall, the CMJ Music Marathon came to New York City last week. They don't call it a marathon for nothing: For a band, performing in the festival can mean playing 10 shows in five days. For a fan, the choices of what to see are daunting and distant. Alabama Shakes might be playing on Delancey Street, while Teen is in Brooklyn and The Lonely Forest is playing KEXP's Showcase at the Ace Hotel, 20 minutes away. For music journalists, it's hard not to wish you could clone yourself to take it all in. In the end, the best way to have a rewarding CMJ experience might be to talk with a friend whose taste you trust.

On this edition of All Songs Considered, Bob Boilen sits down with two New York journalists: Maura Johnston, music editor for The Village Voice, and Sydney Brownstone, a writer and videographer for The L Magazine. Together, the three pick a dozen favorite acts from this year's CMJ, while sharing stories of their disparate journeys through the festival.

Clips

Artist: Ava Luna

Album: Services / 3rd Avenue Island

Song: Clips

 

Perfect

Artist: Fort Lean

Album: Fort Lean

Song: Perfect

Old Friend

Artist: Caveman

Album: Coco Beware

Song: Old Friend

Keep Time

Artist: Gauntlet Hair

Album: Gauntlet Hair

Song: Keep Time

Dresinen

Artist: Casiokids

Album: Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen

Song: Dresinen

See You Hurry

Artist: WIM

Album: WIM

Song: See You Hurry

How Can U Luv Me

Artist: Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Album: Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Song: How Can U Luv Me

She's A River

Artist: Firehorse

Album: So They Ran Faster...

Song: She's A River

Add to Playlist

Where The Asphalt Dies

Artist: Clouder

Album: Serious Business EP

Song: Where The Asphalt Dies

Add to Playlist

 

Mayday

Artist: Pujol

Album: Nasty, Brutish, and Short

Song: Mayday

Gun Shy

Artist: Widowspeak

Album: Widowspeak

Song: Gun Shy

Add to Playlist

 

Shivers

Artist: Zola Jesus

Album: Conatus

Song: Shivers

NPR Music producers Sami Yenigun and Otis Hart return once again to hold court with Bob Boilen on the best new electronic music. This episode of All Songs Considered  includes tracks from superstars M83 and Four Tet , a collaboration between Burial  and Massive Attack , off-the-radar releases from The Field, Luca Bacchetti, Roll the Dice and RxRy, and a mysterious single from an unknown artist.

Along the way, Sami and Otis explain some of the peculiarities and buzzwords of the electronic scene, such as "dubplate culture," and why dance tracks so often sound like one long middle.

1. M83 ft. Zola Jesus: Intro
2. Unknown: Swims
3. Burial and Massive Attack: Four Walls
4. Roll The Dice: Iron Bridge
5. Luca Bacchetti: Tango
6. The Field: Is This Power
7. RxRy: P Block
8. Four Tet: Pyramid 

This past week has been filled with plenty of heartfelt remembrances for the late Apple guru Steve Jobs. And while some may say it's time for the media to move on, we think we'd be remiss if we didn't acknowledge on this edition of All Songs Considered all the amazing things he did for music. So in our final goodbye, hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton turn the first part of the show over to the iPod for a couple of random discoveries, one of the many gifts Jobs gave to music lovers.

Also on the show, new music from some great unknowns, including the ethereal, London-based rock group Still Corners, the Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit, Indo-Canadian singer Kiran Ahluwalia, and Kacey Underwood and Alice Costelloe, otherwise known as Big Deal, a group we first introduced on our Fall Preview show.

Messes of Men

Artist: mewithoutyou

Album: Brother, Sister

Free as a Bird

Artist: The BeatlesAlbum: Anthology 1

The Lion's Roar

Artist: First Aid Kit

Album: The Lion's Roar

Visions

Artist: Big Deal

Album: Lights Out

Mustt Mustt

Artist: Kiran Ahluwalia

Album: Aam Zameen: Common Ground

Submarine

Artist: Still Corners

Album: Creatures of an Hour

Bjork is a visionary. Sit down with her, and she'll tell you how today's technology gives her hope and allows her to be intuitive and emotive. Talk about music, and the Icelandic singer will tell you how the chorus in a song is like a wide-open space and how the verse is a constricted, narrow tunnel. Launch her collaborative iPad/iPhone application, and you'll see how this vision of music takes shape, literally.

Here is the conversation we had in an office in New York City.

And here are a few quotes of interest.

"I found in the touch screen a way to visualize how I see a song when I close my eyes."

"For me, this project's very much about solving things, solving riddles. I guess you could say that it is sort of about finding a new angle; how the electronic and acoustic could work together. How nature and technology could work together ... trying to find a fresh point where the listener and the music maker exchange music."

"A lot of the times on this project, him (Damian Taylor), me and my assistant James, we were in a house for a year in Puerto Rico. So we were basically waking up together, programming together, making music together, getting drunk together, swimming in the ocean. So it was a very good way to be totally immersed in the project. Then we were making pendulums out of buckets and string and rope and we ordered pipe-organ pipes, really cheap ones from eBay, and were plugging the touch screens to that. Basically, what we were making was coming out of those pipes."

"I found in the touch screen a way to visualize how I see a song when I close my eyes."

So basically each app has a theme, a musicology theme, and this app (accompanying the song "Crystalline") is about structure.

In the beginning, I thought I would make a music house in Iceland, a music museum for children so each song was a room. So you go to one room [and] you get to play with the lightning, you write a song; you go to another room, there are crystals there, and so on. That didn't happen. ... And then we thought maybe this is a 3D movie, and that may seem like a big jump, but actually for me, going from each song being a room to being a scene in a movie, isn't that much of a jump. 

You can use the tool of Western civilization and be impulsive and intuitive and emotional — and that, for me, creates a lot of hope.

All Tomorrow's Parties isn't like most music festivals: It looks for artists on the fringes sonically and aesthetically, with guest curators adding a personal touch. The festival, which began in 1999, is held in both the U.K. and the U.S. The American version took place this past weekend on the boardwalk of Asbury Park, N.J. Portishead picked the bands to play Saturday's shows, which included everything from the U.K. post-punk group The Horrors and messed-up dub-rock outfit The Pop Group to a massive, bludgeoning two-hour set by Swans.

On this episode of All Songs Considered, host Bob Boilen and NPR Music producer (and Viking's Choice blogger) Lars Gotrich look back at the festival not in a studio, not in a hotel room, but in Bob's car on the drive home to Washington, D.C.

Donald Glover is almost as prolific a rapper as he is an actor and comedian — which makes his upcoming album more than your average celebrity crossover record. The star of NBC's Community has been releasing hip-hop albums online since 2008 under the alias Childish Gambino (which he picked from a website that generates Wu-Tang Clan member names). This week's All Songs has a cut from his first physical release, CAMP, due out in November.

Also on this episode: Sporting another comically referential name, Ringo Deathstarr offers slow, woozy guitar rock in the tradition of My Bloody Valentine. Plus, new discoveries from Dum Dum Girls, Megafaun, Zola Jesus and Youth Lagoon, as well as a live orchestral outing from Peter Gabriel.

Swirly

Artist: Ringo Deathstarr

Album: Sparkler

Always Looking

Artist: Dum Dum Girls

Album: Only in Dream

 

Vessel

Artist: Zola Jesus

Album: Conatus

Get Right

Artist: Megafaun

Album: Megafaun

Montana

Artist: Youth Lagoon

Album: The Year of Hibernation

Solsbury Hill

Artist: Peter Gabriel

Album: New Blood: Live in London

Bonfire

Artist: Childish Gambino

Album: CAMP

This week on All Songs Considered , youth and age meet in the middle. A still-kicking Tony Bennett  teams up with the still freakishly youngLady Gaga  on his new Duets II ; Laura Veirs , who was very pregnant the last time she visited NPR, marks her new motherhood with a children's album; and Harold Budd , the wizened experimental composer who announced his retirement from music years ago, reemerges with one of the most beautiful albums of his career. Also on this episode: Exitmusic and Milagres, two New York bands with a fondness for echoing drums and spooky falsetto.

1. Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett:  "The Lady Is A Tramp" from 'Duets II'
2. Exitmusic:  "The Sea" from 'From Silence'
3. Milagres: "Halfway" from 'Glowing Mouth'
4. Laura Veirs: "Little Lap Dog" from 'Tumble Bee'
5. Harold Budd:  "Haru Spring" from 'In The Mist'
6. Pujol: "Stuff" from 'Nasty, Brutish and Short'
7. AA Bondy: "The Heart Is Willing" from 'Believers'
8. The Olivia Tremor Control: "New Day" from 'Black Foliage...' 

On Monday, Sept. 19, we played the entire new Wilco album, The Whole Love, for a special online listening party. This is that conversation with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt and Pat Sansone 

Summer's almost over, but if this year's warm-weather months weren't everything you hoped they'd be, there's one heck of a consolation prize around the corner: loads and loads of great new music.

This week on All Songs Considered, NPR Music's Song of the Day editor Stephen Thompson and The Record critic Ann Powers join hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton to talk about some of the releases they're most looking forward to coming out this fall. That includes a new multimedia "app" album from Bjork, Feist's long-awaited follow-up to 2007's The Reminder and a sophomore effort from Real Estate. Also on the program: The prolific drone-rock artist Atlas Sound is back with more new music, veteran English folksinger June Tabor reunites with The Oyster Band, and Swedish story-song artist Jens Lekman spins a fantastic new tale. Plus, hear new discoveries from Gem Club, Gringo Star, Gauntlet Hair and more.

Shadow

Artist: Gringo Star

Album: Count Yer Lucky Stars

By Your Hand

Artist: Los Campesinos!

Album: Hello Sadness

Learn more about this release at Los Campesinos!' website.

Chair

Artist: Big Deal

Album: Lights Out

Learn more about this release at Big Deal's website.

 

Bonny Bunch of Roses

Artist: June Tabor & Oysterband

Album: Ragged Kingdom

 

Twins

Artist: Gem Club

Album: Breakers

Video Games

Artist: Lana Del Rey

Album: Video Games

Learn more about this release at Stranger Records.

 

Moon

Artist: Bjork

Album: Biophilia

 

Terra Incognita

Artist: Atlas Sound

Album: Parallax

Easy

Artist: Real Estate

Album: Days

My Day

Artist: Cosmo Jarvis

Album: Is The World Strange Or Am I Strange?

An Argment with Myself

Artist: Jens Lekman

Album: An Argument with Myself

Add to PlaylistPurchase Music

 

Keep Time

Artist: Gauntlet Hair

Album: Gauntlet Hair

Add to PlaylistPurchase Music

 

Night or Day

Artist: Cubic Zirconia

Album: Follow Your Heart

Learn more about this release at Fool's Gold Records.

 

Replicate

Artist: Fanfarlo

Album: Replicate

Add to Playlist

Learn more about this release at Fanfarlo's website.

How Come You Never Go There

Artist: Feist

Album: Metals

St. Vincent (Annie Clark) joins us for a chat about her new record. If you missed our listening party, we played the entre record and then had St. Vincent join us for a conversation about her album Strange Mercy.

Nick Lowe is one of those musicians who actually seems to get better with age. He got his start in the mid-'60s English roots- and country-rock group Kippington Lodge, which later changed its name to Brinsley Schwarz, and earned a cult following in the local pub scene for the band's laid-back, feel-good swagger. Later, as a solo artist, he wrote inspired songs full of wit and heartache, such as "Cruel to Be Kind" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," a hit for Elvis Costello. Lowe also produced Costello's first five solo albums, including My Aim Is True and This Year's Model. Now, nearly 45 years after he released his first record, Lowe is back with his 13th solo album, The Old Magic.

On this edition of All Songs Considered, Lowe joins host Bob Boilen to talk about The Old Magic and his long career making razor-sharp pop music. Lowe also shares some of the artists and songs he's loved over the years, from the country-boogie singer Tennessee Ernie Ford to a Conway Twitty-Loretta Lynn duet, as well as a rarely heard R&B tune from Jewel and the Rubies.

I Can See Her Face

Artist: Kippington Lodge

Album: We Can Fly: Rare Psych Obscurities

Shot-Gun Boogie

Artist: Tennessee Ernie Ford

Album: Capitol Collectors Series

Sensitive Man

Artist: Nick Lowe

Album: The Old Magic

Kidnapper

Artist: Jewel and the Rubies

Album: Good Vibrations: 30 Carolina Beach Music Classics

 

Pickin' Wild Mountain Berries

Artist: Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty

Album: The Very Best of Loretta and Conway

House for Sale

Artist: Nick Lowe

Album: The Old Magic

Harlan County

Artist: Jim Ford

Album: Harlan County

Without Love

Artist: Nick Lowe

Album: Labour of Lust

On this edition of All Songs Considered hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton share the music they love most this week:

1. Neutral Milk Hotel: Oh Sister
2. Olivia Tremor Control: The Game You Play Is In Your Head
3. Lisa Hannigan: Home
4. Pedro Soler & Gasper Claus: Insomnio Mineral
5. Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter: Come To Mary
6. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Same Mistake
7. Tom Waits: Bad As Me
8. James Blake and Bon Iver: Fall Creek Boys Choir 

When the soundtrack to the Coen Brothers film O Brother, Where Art Thou? hit American ears 10 years ago, the impact was as massive as it was unexpected. Led by producer T-Bone Burnett, the album paired contemporary artists with the folk, blues, country and gospel of the movie's Depression-era setting. It became a runaway hit, selling roughly nine million copies and scoring a Grammy for Album of the Year. More importantly, it kick-started an Americana music revival that is still going strong.

On this episode of All Songs Considered, Burnett speaks with Bob Boilen about the significance of the album a decade later, and plays selections from the new deluxe edition.

'In The Jailhouse Now' 

performed by Harley Allen

Album: O Brother, Where Art Thou? [10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

'Little Sadie' 

performed by Norman Blake

Album: O Brother, Where Art Thou? [10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]

'Hogfoot' 

performed by John Hartford

Album: O Brother, Where Art Thou? [10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]

'Big Rock Candy Mountain' 

performed by Van Dyke Parks

Album: O Brother, Where Art Thou? [10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]

'I'll Fly Away' 

performed by The Kossoy Sisters

Album: O Brother, Where Art Thou? [10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]

Mood Indigo

Artist: Duke Ellington

After winter must come spring. Last month, All Songs Considered asked for stories about the songs that make you cry — and received about 8,000 responses, some of them deeply personal. It seemed only fitting, then, to explore the other side of the issue. On this week's show, Bob Boilen, Robin Hilton, and ASC listeners share the songs that elevate their mood, inspiring them to whistle, dance in public, and move on from hardship and heartbreak.

Rocks Off

Artist: Rolling Stones

Album: Exile On Main Street

Young Folks

Artist: Peter Bjorn and John

Album: Writer's Block

Dog Days Are Over

Artist: Florence and the Machine

Album: Lungs

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Artist: Neutral Milk Hotel

Album: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

The Swimming Song

Artist: Loudon Wainwright III

Album: Attempted Mustache

Feeling Good

Artist: Nina Simone

Album: I Put a Spell on You

I Wanna Be Sedated

Artist: Ramones

Album: Road to Ruin

After close to 150 performances captured on video, we figured it was time for a look back at one of NPR Music's most unpredictable creations: Tiny Desk Concerts. 

On this episode of All Songs Considered, Bob and NPR Music editor Stephen Thompson share their stories of the most moving and surprising moments from three and a half years of live music in the NPR offices. 

Gogol Bordello

Song: "Start Wearing Purple"

Bob: "I remember saying to the leader of the band, Eugene Hutz, 'Do you guys need something to drink?' And out of a big paper bag he pulls a very chilled, huge bottle of vodka and says, 'Do you have glasses?'"

Chuck Brown

Song: "Bustin' Loose

Stephen: "Not the first noisy artist to play the Tiny Desk, but still the biggest band ... The godfather of go-go music did not strip his sound down for the occasion whatsoever. And, because he's Chuck Brown, we indulged his every whim."

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Song:  "Home"

Stephen: "It's a very unusual-looking crop of very committed musicians, with this beautiful, communal vibe to them that really comes through."

 

The Avett Brothers

Song: "Laundry Room" 

Stephen: "Unbelievable volume, unbelievable power ... 'Laundry Room' is probably the individual song performance at a Tiny Desk Concert that I have listened to the most."

Adele

Song: "Someone Like You" 

Bob: "I always love performers whose speaking voice is so different — such a disconnect from their singing voice."

Stephen: "She also has this absolutely magnificent cackle. Right at the end of the set, she's like, 'Forgot to take my gloves off, hahahaha!' You just can't believe this incredibly delicate instrument is also tuned to that cackle. Marvelous, marvelous performance."

 

Tom Jones

Song: "Green, Green Grass Of Home"

Bob: "I imagined he would come with a backing track or something — I didn't know how he was going to do this. But this single guitar player, and Tom Jones' voice, was absolutely astonishing."

Buke And Gass

Song: "Medulla Oblongata"

Bob: "A baritone ukulele and a guitar-bass hybrid. These are two old friends who have been making music for a long time — super-powerful, angular music."

Phoenix

Songs: "Lisztomania" 

Stephen: "We have to turn off the air-conditioning units when the bands start to perform, because you get a low hum if you leave them on. And we have gigantic picture windows — sort of like ants under a magnifying glass, with no air conditioning and probably 150 people streaming in to see Phoenix, one of the biggest bands we've had play ... Just imagine the engines of NPR wheezing to a halt for about 10 minutes."

 

Wu Man

Song:"White Snow in Spring"

Bob: "Anyone who's into any kind of virtuosity in music should watch ... There's something going on that doesn't really look humanly possible."

Rodrigo y Gabriela

Song: "Hanuman"

Stephen: "They played in metal bands, and somehow found a way to fuse it with flamenco music on nylon strings. That's one of those things where I feel like the target audience is anyone. You just have to love that."

The Swell Season

Song:"When Your Mind's Made Up"

Bob: "There's that one moment in 'When Your Mind's Made Up,' where it builds to an explosive guitar moment ... and then it stops."

Stephen: "And there's this buildup of nervous tension that then dissolves into laughter."

Hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton share their latest mix:

Herzog:  Silence

Grouplove: Tongue-Tied

REM: Begin the Begin

Andrew Bird: Bein' Green

The Teddybears: Crystal Meth Christian

Bjork: Crystalline

The Features: Kids

We Were Promised Jet Packs: Act On Impulse

It's been more than a half century since the Newport folk and jazz festivals got their start in Rhode Island. In the years since, both events have continued to unite a diverse mix of artists from the far-reaching branches of both genres, while breaking new talent and showcasing revered veterans. That tradition continues July 30 and 31 2011, with the Newport Folk Festival, followed by the Newport Jazz Festival on Aug. 6 and 7. NPR Music will be at both events to webcast and broadcast a full slate of live concerts starting at noon ET each day.

On this edition of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen chats with Newport folk festival producer Jay Sweet about some of the surprises in this year's lineup. Later Bob's joined by NPR Music jazz producer and A Blog Supreme editor Patrick Jarenwattananon, and Josh Jackson, host of WBGO's The Checkout, to talk about the Newport jazz festival.

Artist: Earl Scruggs and Friends

Album: Earl Scruggs and Friends

Song: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues

Artist: Gillian Welch

Album: Harrow and the Harvest

Song: Scarlet Town

 

Artist: Ramblin' Jack Elliott

Album: Stranger Here

Song: Rising High Water Blues

 

Artist: Tegan and Sara

Album: If It Was You

Song: Time Running

Artist: Wanda Jackson

Album: The Party Ain't Over

 

Song: Shakin' All Over

 

Artist: River City Extension

Album: Unmistakable Man

Song: South for the Winter

 

Artist: James Farm

Album: James Farm

Song: Polliwog

 

Artist: Trombone Shorty

Album: For True

Song: For True

 

Artist: John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble

Album: Eternal Interlude

Song: Foreign One

Artist: Miguel Zenón

Album: Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook

Song: Alma Adentro

Artist: Rudresh Mahanthappa & Bunky Green

Album: Apex

Song: Summit

No one wants to see two grown men cry — especially not at work. For this week's all-tearjerker episode of All Songs Considered, Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton took the conversation offline and set up shop in Bob's apartment, armed with some home recording gear, a box of Kleenex and a bottle of wine.

Thousands of listeners contributed stories about the music that makes them cry, and while there were some usual suspects — Adele, Sufjan Stevens, and Paul Simon, to name a few — Bob and Robin discovered that a song needn't necessarily be sad to get the waterworks going. Listen to the discussion here, then head to the All Songs blog for more.

Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?

Artist: Louis Armstrong

Album: Best of Louis Armstrong: The Complete RCA Victor Recordings

If It's the Beaches

Artist: The Avett Brothers

Album: The Gleam

End of the Rainbow

Artist: Richard & Linda Thompson

Album: I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight

Plea from a Cat Named Virtue

Artist: The Weakerthans

Album: Reconstruction Site

Something So Right

Artist: Paul Simon

Album: There Goes Rhymin' Simon

Keep Ya Head Up

Artist: 2Pac

Album: Greatest Hits [Edited Version]

 

To Be Alone With You

Artist: Sufjan Stevens

Album: Seven Swans

Someone Like You

Artist: Adele

Album: 21

Host Robin Hilton chats with NPR Music's Sami Yenigun and Otis Hart about new and upcoming electronic releases.

1.Hudson Mohawke- Thank You (Satin Panthers EP)
2. Apparat- Black Water
3. Danny Daze- Your Everything
4. Balam  Acab- Apart
5. Ital- Only For Tonight
6. Digital Line- Africa
7. Shlomo- Just Us
8. Tiger and Woods- Gin Nation

On this week's episode of All Songs Considered, Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton share the songs that made their summers in Queens and Kansas, respectively — and listeners chime in with their own memories. Included are American classics from Bob Dylan and Neil Young, some virtuosic noodling from Funkadelic and Rush, and the inevitable, all-time jam that is Violent Femmes' "Blister in the Sun."

Like a Rolling Stone

Artist: Bob Dylan

Album: Highway 61 Revisited

Maggot Brain

Artist: Funkadelic

Album: Maggot Brain

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Artist: Neil Young with Crazy Horse

Album: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Tom Sawyer

Artist: Rush
Album: Exit...Stage Left

Blister in the Sun

Artist: Violent Femmes

Album: Violent Femmes

The Wind

Artist: Cat Stevens

Album: Teaser and the Firecat

Island in the Sun

Artist: Weezer

Album: Weezer (Green Album)

We've got an exclusive preview of the upcoming Fountains of Wayne album, Sky Full of Holes. Also the Paul McCartney classic "Every Night," from a beautifully remastered version of his debut solo album. Plus, Wilco offers an early taste of its upcoming album The Whole Love — the single is the band's first release on its newly founded label, dBpm Records. Also on the show: M. Ward joins neo-folk singer Carlos Forster for an enchanting homage to campfire songs, Gillian Welch returns with her first collection of new music in eight years.

Scarlet Town
Artist: Gillian Welch
Album: Harrow and the Harvest

I Might
Artist: Wilco
Album: I Might

Campfire Songs
Artist: Carlos Forster
Album: Family Trees
 
Every Night
Artist: Paul McCartney
Album: McCartney (2011 Remaster)

The Summer Place
Artist: Fountains of Wayne
Album: Sky Full of Holes

Crime Of The Season
Artist: Mini Mansions
Album: Mini Mansions

New music from Fiery Furnaces singer Eleanor Friedberger and her first solo project and a slow-and-steady Buddy Holly cover by Patti Smith. We've also got two premieres from albums that are still months away: a hypnotic groove from the Malian blues veterans in Tinariwen and some typically triumphant indie-pop from Mates of State.

Get Some
Artist: Lykke Li
Album: Wounded Rhymes

Imidiwan Matanam
Artist: Tinariwen
Album: Tassili
Add to Playlist

Words of Love (performed by Patti Smith)
Artist: Various Artists
Album: Rave on Buddy Holly

Palomino
Artist: Mates of State
Album: Mountaintops
Add to Playlist

My Mistakes
Artist: Eleanor Friedberger
Album: Last Summer

Believer
Artist: John Maus
Album: We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves

Around this time each year, the All Songs Considered gang pauses to marvel at how quickly the months are passing, and to reflect on some of the memorable music that's come out so far. What have been some of 2011's biggest surprises? Who are some of the best new artists? NPR Music editor Stephen Thompson and reviewer Ann Powers join co-hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton to share some of the songs and albums they think have helped define the first half of 2011.

Songs in this episode:

Rubber
Artist: Yuck
Album: Yuck

House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls
Artist: The Weeknd
Album: House of Balloons
   
The Wilhelm Scream
Artist: James Blake
Album: James Blake

We Sing In Time
Artist: The Lonely Forest
Album: Arrows

Firewall
Artist: Bright Eyes
Album: The People's Key

Red Horse (Judges II)
Artist: Colin Stetson
Album: New History Warfare, Vol. 2: Judges

Flown
Artist: Julianna Barwick
Album: The Magic Place

Coney Island Winter
Artist: Garland Jeffreys
Album: King of In Between

Bloom
Artist: Radiohead
Album: The King Of Limbs

Bizness
Artist: tUnE-yArDs
Album: w h o k i l l

Civilian
Artist: Wye Oak
Album: Civilian

Bubble
Artist: King Creosote & Jon Hopkins
Album: Diamond Mine

Country Clutter
Artist: Dolorean
Album: The Unfazed

Someone Like You
Artist: Adele
Album: 21

Helplessness Blues
Artist: Fleet Foxes
Album: Helplessness Blues

Abducted
Artist: Cults Album: Cults

Album: Cults

This week on All Songs Considered : Hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton talk about some of their favorite shows from the recent Sasquatch music festival, including a particularly memorable set from Wilco. Also on the this week's show, we hear some great new discoveries: neo-psychedelia from Other Lives, electro-folk from Motopony, a swirly dreamscape from BOBBY, heartbreaking melodies from Sam Phillips, and fuzzy noise-pop from JEFF the Brotherhood.

Songs in the show:

Via Chicago
Artist: Wilco
Album: Live at Sasquatch 2011
   
As I Lay My Head Down
Artist: Other Lives
Album: Tamer Animals

Seer
Artist: Motopony
Album: Motopony

We Saw
Artist: BOBBY
Album: BOBBY

So Glad You're Here
Artist: Sam Phillips
Album: Solid State

Bummer
Artist: JEFF The Brotherhood

Album: We Are The Champions

Album: We Are The Champions

We all have our musical heroes: those artists whose work is game-changing, or even life-changing. On this episode of All Songs Considered, Bob Boilen speaks with his hero, Brian Eno. Get a Job Artist: The Silhouettes Album: Get a Job Daniel Saw De Stone Artist: Silver Leaf Quartette of Norfolk Album: Complete Recorded Works Captain of Your Ship Artist: Reparata & The Delrons Album: Captain of Your Ship Most Wanted Artist: Cults Album: Cults Dead Finks Don't Talk Artist: Brian Eno Album: Here Come the Warm Jets Pour It Out Artist: Brian Eno Album: Drums Between the Bells This song will be available at Brian Eno's website beginning June 8. The Rip Artist: Portishead Album: Third Suzanne and I Artist: Anna Calvi Album: Anna Calvi

1. Song: Wires Artist: Owiny Sigoma Band Album: Wires 2. Song: The Sound Table Artist: Cameo Album: Knights of the Sound Table 3. Song: Love Is The Drug Feat. Cha Cha Artist: Kode9 & The Spaceape Album: Black Sun 4. Song: French Kiss Artist: Lil Louis Album: House Flash Vol. 11 5. Song: The L Word ft. Jada (Original Mix) Artist: Deniz Kurzel Album: The L Word (Single) 6. Song: Go Bang Artist: Dinosaur L Album: 24-24 Music 7. Song: When I'm in Awe Artist: Gaslamp Killer Album: Death Gate EP 8. Song: Utopia Artist: Footprintz Album: Utopia 9. Song: Coming Home (Dirty South Remix) Artist: Diddy ft. Skylar Grey Album: Coming Home (Dirty South Remix) (single)

Calgary Artist: Bon Iver Album: Bon Iver Blacks Artist: Dawn Golden and Rosy Cross Album: Blow EP The Rest Of My Life Artist: Yellowbirds Album: The Color Hospital Ships Artist: Hospital Ships Album: Lonely Twin Dystopia (The Earth Is On Fire) Artist: YACHT Album: Shangri-La Hope Artist: Boris Album: Attention Please Ain't Fit To Live Here Artist: Graveyard Album: Hisingen Blues

Convoy Artist: C.W. McCall Album: C.W. McCall's Greatest Hits Live and Let Die Artist: Wings Album: Wings Greatest Ghost Rider Artist: Suicide Album: Suicide Warm Leatherette Artist: The Normal Album: Warm Leatherette/T.V.O.D. Rockets Artist: Moby Album: Destroyed Add to Playlist Regiment Artist: Brian Eno/David Byrne Album: My Life in the Bush of Ghost Right Thing Artist: Moby Album: Destroyed I Only Have Eyes for You Artist: The Flamingos Album: Best of the Flamingos Purchase Music

On this week's All Songs Considered we head to Splitsville with a look at some of the bands we've broken up with or grown apart from over the years, along with some of the artists we'll stand by no matter what.

Jasmine Garsd and Felix Contreras, hosts of NPR's Latin alternative music show and blog, are back this week to school the ASC crew about what's going on in Latin America and beyond. 1. Los Rakas 2. Geko Jones 3. Lagartijeando 4. Gina Chavez 5. CLDSCP 6. Diego Garcia 7. Pegasvs

1. The Ronettes: "Walking In The Rain" 2. Little Scream: "Red Hunting Jacket" 3. The High Llamas: "Berry Adams" 4. Danger Mouse and Daniel Luppi: "The Rose With The Broken Neck" 5. Ben Sollee: "Bible Belt" 6. Le Butcherettes: "I'm Getting Sick Of You"

Circuital Artist: My Morning Jacket Album: Circuital Happy With You Artist: The Bewitched Hands Album: Birds & Drums In The City Artist: Chris Bathgate Album: Salt Year Eleven Artist: Thao & Mirah Album: Thao & Mirah Abducted Artist: Cults Album: Cults Home Is A Fire Artist: Death Cab For Cutie Album: Codes And Keys

The Ballad Of Frankie Jr. Artist: Five Eight Album: Your God Is Dead To Me Now Flunkt Sass Vs. The Root Plume Artist: Of Montreal Album: thecontrollersphere Woman Artist: Timber Timbre Album: Creep On Creepin' On Bubble Artist: King Creosote & Jon Hopkins Album: Diamond Mine Try To Sleep Artist: Low Album: C'mon The Afterlife Artist: Paul Simon Album: So Beautiful or So What Belong Artist: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart Album: Belong Losing My Edge Artist: LCD Soundsystem Album: LCD Soundsystem

This week, All Songs Considered hands the reins to acclaimed experimental musician Noah Lennox, a.k.a. Panda Bear. Lennox made the trip down to NPR's Washington, D.C. headquarters while on a visit to his hometown of Baltimore. He sat down with host Bob Boilen to talk about his upcoming album Tomboy (out April 12) and to pick some of his favorite tunes. Breed Artist: Nirvana Album: Nevermind You Can Count On Me Artist: Panda Bear Album: Tomboy Oliver Twist Artist: Avey Tare Album: Down There Last Night At The Jetty Artist: Panda Bear Album: Tomboy How You Satisfy Me Artist: Spectrum Album: Soul Kiss (Glide Divine). Godzilla Artist: Zomby Album: One Foot Ahead Of The Other EP Slow Motion Artist: Panda Bear Album: Tomboy Eastover Wives Artist: Dent May Album: That Feeling 7"

Bob Boilen talks with NPR Music's Stephen Thompson about their true SXSW 2011 discoveries. Beaver Artist: Holger Album: Sunga Add to Playlist Find out more about this album at Holger's website. The Choke Artist: Austra Album: Feel It Break Literal Artist: The Calm Blue Sea Album: The Calm Blue Sea Before I Move Off Artist: Mount Kimbie Album: Crooks & Lovers Rest Artist: Cheyenne Marie Mize Album: Before Lately Millions of People Running in Circles Artist: Magic Bullets Album: Magic Bullets

The NPR Music crew gather one last time in Austin, Texas for their 4th SXSW 2011 nightly wrap up. Bob Boilen, Robin Hilton Stephen Thompson and Ann Powers talk about the music they loved on this last day and night of the festival.

The NPR Music crew gather in a churchyard in Austin Texas for their 3rd SXSW 2011 nightly wrap up. Bob Boilen, Robin Hilton Stephen Thompson and Ann Powers talk about the music they loved on this 3rd day of the festival.

The NPR Music crew gather on a street corner again in Austin Texas for their 2nd SXSW 2011 nightly wrap up. Bob Boilen, Robin Hilton Stephen Thompson and Ann Powers talk about the music they loved on this 2nd day of the festival.

The NPR Music crew gather on a street corner in Austin Texas for their first SXSW 2011 nightly wrap up. Bob Boilen, Robin Hilton Stephen Thompson and Ann Powers talk about the music they loved on this first day of the festival.

The NPR Music crew gather on a street corner in Austin Texas for their first SXSW 2011 nightly wrap up. Bob Boilen, Robin Hilton Stephen Thompson and Ann Powers talk about the music they loved on this first day of the festival.

All Songs Considered is Austin-bound! On this week's show, Bob, Robin, Stephen and Ann talk about the bands they're most excited to see this year at South By Southwest. The four-day festival kicks off on Wednesday, March 11 in Austin, Texas and features close to 2,000 artists, who span countless genres and sport some fiercely esoteric names (Ringo Deathstarr, anyone?). Also on the show this week, a look at some of the SXSW performances NPR Music will be streaming live — including soul and R&B standard-bearer Raphael Saadiq, Welsh indie trio The Joy Formidable, and all-female supergroup WILD FLAG (featuring our long-lost friend Carrie Brownstein). No Nostalgia Artist: AgesandAges Album: Alright You Restless Daisy Artist: Fang Island Album: Fang Island Pobre Mary (a.k.a. El Boogie de la Muerte) Artist: Guadalupe Plata Album: Guadalupe Plata Expanding Anyway Artist: Morning Teleportation Album: Expanding Anyway Zut Alore! Artist: Zorch Album: Demo Born to Be Wild (Steppenwolf Cover) Artist: Owen Weaver Album: (Unreleased) Tempting Time Artist: Animals As Leaders Album: Animals As Leaders So High Artist: Ringo Deathstarr Album: Colour Trip Heart Attack Artist: Raphael Saadiq Album: Stone Rollin' Glass Tambourine Artist: WILD FLAG "Future Crimes" b/w "Glass Tambourine" 7-Inch Cradle Artist: The Joy Formidable Album: The Big Roar WHALE Artist: Yellow Ostrich Album: The Mistress Love Crime Artist: Secret Cities Album: Strange Hearts Shadows On Behalf Artist: The Stepkids Album: Shadows On Behalf (12" Single) Ego Death Artist: A Place to Bury Strangers Album: Exploding Head Swimmer, Dreams Don't Keep Artist: Amanda Shires Album: Carrying Lightning Squealing Pigs Artist: Admiral Fallow Album: Boots Met My Face Rainforts Artist: No Gold Album: No Gold California Killer Artist: The Vandelles Album: Del Black Aloha

Mr. Magpie Artist: Radiohead Album: The King Of Limbs National Anthem To The Moon Artist: Bruce Haack Album: Farad: The Electric Voice Last Night At The Jetty Artist: Panda Bear Album: Tomboy Towards The Sun Artist: Alexi Murdoch Album: Towards The Sun If I Had A Boat Artist: James Vincent McMorrow Album: Early In The Morning We Are Rising Artist: Son Lux Album: Untitled (RPM Challenge) Hear more from Son Lux's album-in-a-month project. Don't Stop Artist: The Dodos Album: No Color

Nirvana Smells Like Teen Spirit Nevermind Jeff Buckley Grace Grace Radiohead No Surprises OK Computer Lauryn Hill Doo Wop (That Thing) The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Neutral Milk Hotel Holland, 1945 In the Aeroplane Over the Sea Collective Soul Shine Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid Soundgarden Black Hole Sun Superunknown PJ Harvey Long Snake Moan To Bring You My Love Missy Elliott Hit 'Em Wit da Hee Supa Dupa Fly Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Mustt Mustt (Lost in His Work) Mustt Mustt LEM Steal My Sunshine You Can't Stop the Bum Rush Smashing Pumpkins 1979 Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness Lucinda Williams Car Wheels On A Gravel Road Car Wheels on a Gravel Road Sebadoh Soul and Fire Bubble and Scrape Blur Song 2 Blur Metallica Enter Sandman Metallica Cornershop Brimful of Asha When I Was Born for the 7th Time Pearl Jam The Fixer Backspacer My Bloody Valentine When You Sleep Loveless Johnny Cash Delia's Gone American Recordings Beck Loser Mellow Gold

Second Chance Artist: Peter Bjorn and John Album: Gimme Some Rumour Has It Artist: Adele Album: 21 Sketch #6 Artist: Son Lux Album: Untitled (RPM Challenge) Hear more from Son Lux's album-in-a-month project. The Honest Truth Artist: Typhoon Album: A New Kind Of House Roni Artist: Chikita Violenta Album: TRE3 Helplessness Blues Artist: Fleet Foxes Album: Helplessness Blues

Make a list of the great crooners who sing love songs and Tom Jones is likely to be somewhere near the top. He was for us when we sought out a guest DJ to share songs of romance and heartache for Valentine's Day. In this edition of All Songs Considered, Tom Jones joins host Bob Boilen to talk about some of the songs Jones has loved most over the years, starting with the first he can remember singing to his grandmother as a child in Wales. Reconsider Me Artist: Johnny Adams Album: Johnny Adams' You Can Depend On Me He Stopped Loving Her Today Artist: George Jones Album: 16 Biggest Hits Love Letters Artist: Tom Jones Album: Red, White and Blues Soundtrack Great Balls of Fire Artist: Jerry Lee Lewis Album: Definitive Collection You're the First, the Last, My Everything Artist: Barry White Album: All-Time Greatest Hits If I Give My Soul Artist: Tom Jones Album: Praise & Blame

Maxmillian Dunbar: Polo Blondes: Synthesist Nicolas Jaar: Keep Me There Steffi: Yours Maya Jane Coles: Nobody Else Rocketnumbernine: Matthew and Toby Francesco Tristano: Idiosynkrasia Factory Floor: Real Love (Optimo Remix)

It Hurts Me, Too Artist: First Aid Kit Album: Universal Soldier/It Hurts Me, Too I'll See You Around Artist: Cowboy Junkies Album: Demons Operation Artist: Yuck Album: Yuck Art Vandelay Artist: Ducktails Album: Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics The Wilhelm Scream Artist: James Blake Album: James Blake Southern Decline Artist: Apex Manor Album: The Year of Magical Drinking

Artist: Iron and Wine Album: Kiss Each Other Clean Song: Half Moon Artist: R.E.M. Album: Collapse Into Now Song: Oh My Heart Artist: Six Organs Of Admittance Album: Asleep On The Floodplain Song: Hold But Let Go Artist: Malachai Album: Return To The Ugly Side Song: Mid Antarctica (Wearin' Sandals) Artist: Telekinesis Album: 12 Desperate Straight Lines Song: You Turn Clear In The Sun Artist: David Dondero Album: A Pre-Existing Condition Song: Nobody Loves Your Doggie Like You Do

G-Side Nat Geo The ONE...COHESIVE Julianna Barwick Envelop The Magic Place Colin Stetson Judges New History Warfare Vol. 2: Rikki Ililonga Dark Sunrise Dark Sunrise Wire Moreover Red Barked Tree Bright Eyes Shell Games The People's Key

Ludicra A Larger Silence The Tenant [Profound Lore] ? Paon Sainte Patronne De Rien Pantoute Courses [? Paon] Warm Climate "Saltwater Simplified" from 'Camouflage on the River Wretched' The Fun Years Breech on the Bowstring God Was Like, No [Barge] The Body Empty Hearth All The Waters Of The Earth Turn To Blood [At A Loss] Captain Beefheart "Tropical Hot Dog Night" Jack Rose Lick Mountain Ramble Luck in the Valley [Thrill Jockey] Harvey Milk I Did Not Call Out A Small Turn of Human Kindness [Hydrahead] Agalloch Into the Painted Grey Marrow of the Spirit [Profound Lore]

Band Album Song 25 Cee Lo: The Ladykiller, F--k You 24 Joanna Newsom: Have One On Me, Does Not Suffice 23 Broken Social Scene: Forgiveness Rock Record, World Sick 22 New Pornographers: Together, The Crash Years 21 Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah Dogs: God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise, Beg Steal or Borrow 20 Yeasayer: Odd Blood, Ambling Alp 19 Janelle Monae: The ArchAndroid, Tightrope 18 Spoon: Transference, Written in Reverse 17 Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest, Memory Boy 16 The Tallest Man On Earth: The Wild Hunt, The Wild Hunt 15 Band Of Horses: Infinite Arms, Loredo 14 Local Natives: Gorilla Manor, World News 13 Jonsi: Go, Go Do 12 Sleigh Bells: Treats, Rill Rill 11 Gorillaz: Plastic Beach, On Melancholy Hill 10 Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Monster 9 Beach House: Teen Dream, Zebra 8 Sufjan Stevens: The Age Of Adz, Vesuvius 7 Vampire Weekend: Contra, Holiday 6 LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening, All I Want 5 Broken Bells: Broken Bells, The High Road 4 Mumford & Sons: Sigh No More, The Cave 3 The National: High Violet, Bloodbuzz Ohio 2 The Black Keys: Brothers, Everlasting Light 1 Arcade Fire: The Suburbs Ready to Start

The All Songs Considered Holiday Music Show 2010. With Bob Boilen, Robin Hilton, Stephen Thompson and Barrie Hardymon. Music by: F----- Up Album: Do They Know It's Christmas? Song: Do They Know It's Christmas? Wham! Album: Last Christmas Song: Last Christmas Matt Wilson Album: Matt Wilson's Christmas Tree-O Song: You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch Vince Guaraldi Trio Album: A Charlie Brown Christmas Song: Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal Version) Poly Styrene Album: Black Christmas Song: Black Christmas Dean Martin Album: Making Spirits Bright Song: A Marshmallow World The Leevees Album: Hanukkah Rocks Song: At The Timeshare Luciano Pavarotti Album: O Holy Night Song: O Holy Night (Minuit Chr?tien) Sarah Siskind Album: All Come Together Now Song: May Love Fall Like Snow Rosemary Clooney Album: Christmas With Rosemary Clooney Song: Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep) James Brown Album: Funky Christmas Song: Soulful Christmas

Best Coast Sea of Bees Jeremy Messersmith Lost In The Trees Sleigh Bells Buke And Gass Kanye West Jonsi Sufjan Stevens Joanna Newsom Tallest Man On Earth Live at the 9:30 Club Regina Carter Lower Dens Josh Ritter Sharon Van Etten Cee Lo

Tobacco: "Stretch Your Face" from 'Maniac Meat' Jack Rose: "Luck In The Valley" from 'Luck In The Valley' Glasser: "Apply" from 'Ring' Khaira Arby: "Djaba" from 'Timbuktu Tarab' Mount Kimbie: "Before I Move Off" from 'Crooks and Lovers' Dean and Britta: "I'll Keep It With Mine" from '13 Most Beautiful: Songs For Andy Warhol's Screen Test' Aloe Blacc: "Femme Fatale" from 'Good Things' Tame Impala: "The Bold Arrow Of Time" from 'Innerspeaker'

Tobacco: "Stretch Your Face" from 'Maniac Meat' Jack Rose: "Luck In The Valley" from 'Luck In The Valley' Glasser: "Apply" from 'Ring' Khaira Arby: "Djaba" from 'Timbuktu Tarab' Mount Kimbie: "Before I Move Off" from 'Crooks and Lovers' Dean and Britta: "I'll Keep It With Mine" from '13 Most Beautiful: Songs For Andy Warhol's Screen Test' Aloe Blacc: "Femme Fatale" from 'Good Things' Tame Impala: "The Bold Arrow Of Time" from 'Innerspeaker'

Chancha Via Circuito: Pintar el Sol Bomba Estereo: Juana Rita Indiana: El Juidero Los Fabulosos Cadillacs: Matador Carla Morrison: Compatir Girl In A Coma: While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Paul Simon - Getting Ready for Christmas Day John Vanderslice - Sea Salt Yann Tiersen - Palestine Baths - Aminals The Decemberists - Down by the Water Gospel Claws - Walk Me Down

01. Sly And The Family Stone: "In Time" from 'Fresh' 02. The Jimi Hendrix Experience: "Foxey Lady" from 'Are You Experienced' 03. Brian Eno: "Weightless" from 'Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks' 04. Charles Wright And The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band: "Express Yourself" from 'Express Yourself' 05. Black Dub: "Silverado" from 'Black Dub' 06. Neil Young: "Walk With Me" from 'Le Noise' 07. Daniel Lanois: "I Love You" from 'Shine' 08. Grandmaster Flash: "The Message" from 'The Message'

Smith Westerns - Weekend Burnt Ones - Bury Me In Smoke Demon's Claws - Fed From Her Hand Gang of Four - You'll Never Pay For The Farm Candy Claws - In The Deep Time The Superions - Fruitcake

The College Music Journal music festival took place in NYC. The five day festival featured over a thousand bands. On this edition of All Songs Considered, Bob Boilen, NPR Music editor Stephen Thompson and WFUV host Alisa Ali talk about their favorite discoveries at CMJ 2010.

01. King Crimson: "In the Court of the Crimson King" from 'In the Court of the Crimson King' 02. Soundgarden: "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden 03. The Flaming Lips: "Talkin' 'Bout the Smiling Deathporn Immortality Blues" from 'Hit to Death in the Future Head' 04. The Beatles: "I Need You" from 'Help' 05. Led Zeppelin: "Rock and Roll" from 'Led Zeppelin IV' 06. Cheap Trick: "The Ballad of TV Violence" from 'Cheap Trick' 07. Simon and Garfunkel: "Bridge Over Troubled Water" from 'Bridge over Troubled Water'

Avey Tare: Down There Mark McGuire: Living With Yourself Tom Tom Club: Genius Of Love (live) Marah: Life Is A Problem Bob Dylan: The Death Of Emmet Till The Tallest Man On Earth: Little River Khaira Arby: Goumou

01. Gold Panda: "Same Dream China" 02. Jatoma: "Little Houseboat" 03. Mount Kimbie: "Carbonated" 04. Terror Danjah: "This Year" 05. Teengirl Fantasy: 06. Moodymann: "It's 2 Late 4 U And Me" 07. Morgan Packard: "Insist" 08. Delia Gonzalez and Gavin Russom: "Track Five" 09. Seefeel: "Faults" 10. Tokimonsta: "Sa Mo Jung"

Swans - "My Birth" Bee Vs. Moth - "Tuesday in Tuskegee" Mary Halvorson Quintet - "Sea Seizure" Sea of Bees - "Willis" Syd Barrett - "Terrapin" Land of Talk - " Cloak and Cipher

01. Hank Williams: "Where The Old Red River Flows" from 'The Complete Mother's Best Recordings' 02. Sufjan Stevens: "Vesuvius" from 'The Age of ADZ' 03. Mark Ronson and the Business: "Record Collection" from 'Record Collection' 04. Antony and the Johnsons: "Ghost" from 'Swanlights' 05. Sharon Van Etten: "Don't Do It" from 'Epic' 06. Brian Eno: "Emerald And Stone" from 'Small Craft On A Milk Sea' 07. Dark Star: "Gold" from 'North' 08. Belle and Sebastian: "I Didn't See It Coming" from 'Write About Love' 09. Deerhunter: "Earthquake" from 'Halcyon Digest' 10. The Extra Lens: "Only Existing Footage" from 'Undercard' 11. Small Sins: "Pot Calls Kettle Black" from 'Pot Calls Kettle Black' 12. Black Dub: "I Believe In You" from 'Black Dub' 13. Tricky: "Kingston Logic" from 'Mixed Race' 14. Brian McBride: "Girl Nap" from 'The Effective Disconnect' 15. The Red River: "When We Are Wild" from 'Little Songs About The Big Picture'

We accidentally mispronounced an artist's name on the previous version of this program. Our apologies Abigail Washburn! Neil Young The Black Angels Weinland (Led Zeppelin tribute) Abigail Washburn My Jerusalem OMD

Neil Young: Walk With Me The Black Angels: Bad Vibrations Weinland: Hey Hey What Can I Do Abigail Washburn: Bring Me My Queen My Jerusalem: Farewell OMD: History Of Modern

Robert Plant: "Angel Dance" Superchunk: "Digging For Something" Bostich and Fussible: "Centinela" Black Milk: "Warning (Keep Bouncing)" The Bad Plus: "Never Stop" Iggy And The Stooges: "No Fun" *Includes interview with All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen about the All Tomorrow's Parties music festival.

Jarmusch is curating this year's All Tomorrow's Parties in New York. Hear a sample of some of the bands he picked: Sunn 0))) and Boris: "Etna" Wood Shjips: "Motorbike" T-Model Ford: "Nobody Gets Me Down" Raekwon: "House Of Flying Daggers" Hope Sandoval: "Trouble" The Greenhornes: "There Is An End"

Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant is back with a new collaboration, this time with country singer and songwriter Buddy Miller. Their new album, 'Band of Joy,' is a fresh mix of rock folk and blues, and features other artists such as Patty Griffin and Darrel Scott. We've got a cut from the new record on this edition of All Songs Considered. Also on the program: Angular rock from Buke and Gass, the unusual instrumental music of Max Richter, a nod to Pink Floyd from Bellflur, the new project from David Sitek (TV On The Radio) called Maximum Balloon, The Capitalist Youth, and legendary guitarist and songwriter Richard Thompson.

Ten years ago, Queens of the Stone Age released Rated R, a tuneful and riff-obsessed hard-rock album. It was simultaneously heavy, funky and melancholic, a far cry from the stoner rock of Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri's former band, Kyuss. To celebrate its anniversary, Rated R has been reissued with a bonus disc of B-sides and a live concert. Also on the show: Sean Lennon's new psych-pop project with Charlotte Kemp Muhl called The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger, Australian singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko, a new group featuring a former Great Lake Swimmers member called Siskiyou, an inspired mix of hip-hop and folk from Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., and the distinctive voices of Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan.

If you've ever seen the infamous video of David Bowie's Christmastime duet with Bing Crosby, then you know musicians are capable of the most imaginative (and baffling) collaborations. On this edition of All Songs Considered we look at odd pairings, some brilliant, and some just so very, very wrong.

Hear highlights from some of the more memorable performances from this year's Newport Folk Festival, with host Bob Boilen.

Host Bob Boilen chats with festival producer Jay Sweet about what to expect from this year's Newport gathering.

Rock guitarist and singer Liz Phair is back from a five-year hiatus with one of the most unusual and creative albums of her career, but hardly anyone has noticed. That's because she quietly self-released the record on her website, over the fourth of July weekend. On this edition of All Songs Considered we share a cut from the new album Funstyle. Also on the show: A gorgeous new solo record from Bon Iver drummer Sean Carey; a mesmerizing sound collage from The Books; feel-good garage rock from Agent Ribbons; new-folk singer David Dondero; Icelandic artist Olof Arnalds; jazz pianist Vijay Iyer covers a classic pop song from the '80s; and the New York-based rock group Ra Ra Riot returns with an epic sophomore release.

01. Panda Bear: "Slow Motion" from 'Tomboy' 02. The Walkmen: "Stranded" from 'Lisbon' 03. Dirty Projectors and Bjork: "All We Are" from 'Mount Wittenberg Orca' 04. Miniature Tigers: "Mansion of Misery" from 'Fortress' 05. Mountain Man: "Sewee Sewee" from 'Made the Harbor' 06. Hey Rosetta!: "New Goodbye" from 'Into Your Lungs' 07. Cowboy Junkies: "Sir Francis Bacon At The Net" from 'Renmin Park'

Summer is here and with it comes a crush of great new music. On this edition of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen chats with Monitor Mix blogger Carrie Brownstein, producer Robin Hilton and NPR Music editor Stephen Thompson about some of the upcoming albums they're most looking forward to, along with some great new discoveries. Hear previews from former Be Good Tanyas singer Frazey Ford, solo work from Radiohead drummer Phil Selway, M.I.A. and more.

Hear Bob count down the top 20 albums of 2010 (so far), as selected by NPR listeners.

Hear Bob count down the top 20 albums of 2010 (so far), as selected by NPR listeners.

On this edition of All Songs Considered, host Bob Boilen talks with NPR Music's Frannie Kelley, Amy Schriefer and Sami Yenigun about their favorite songs for getting your "groove" on and shaking your "booty" this summer. Hear new music from Swedish pop singer Robyn, Kylie Minogue, Big Boi, a special premiere of a new track by Scissor Sisters and more.

Host Bob Boilen chats with WFUV's Rita Houston, KUT's Andy Uhler and Jill Riley of Minnesota Public Radio's The Current about their favorite performances from this year's Bonnaroo festival.

Bob Boilen talks with Andy Uhler of NPR member station KUT, Jill Riley of The Current and Rita Houston of WFUV about this week's Bonnaroo music festival.

In response to our shout out for your favorite opening tracks, Bob Boilen gets together with Carrie Brownstein (NPR Monitor mix) and Tom Moon, (author of "1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die") We play some of your favorites and some of our own.

Arcade Fire's Win and Will Butler join All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen for a chat about their new album The Suburbs. We play 2 new songs, the title track and "Month of May."

The Brooklyn-based electro-rock duo Sleigh Bells specializes in sensory overload. The band's thrilling debut album, Treats, is a full-on assault, with explosive beats, startling guitar riffs and some intense screeching from singer Alexis Krauss. On this edition of All Songs Considered we've got the song "Tell 'Em" from Treats. Also on the show: One-man chillwave band Toro Y Moi, the innocent but edgy music of Secret Cities, evocative instrumental band Accordion, Iceland's neo classical artist Olafur Arnalds, remembering the British punk-pop group The Buzzcocks, Chicago's Light Pollution, and soul singer Bettye LaVette covers some well-known rock classics.

This week, Universal Records is releasing a remastered version of Exile on Main Street that includes a bonus disc of alternate versions of select songs, as well as previously unreleased tracks. The Rolling Stones brought on producer Don Was to scour the old Exile master recordings for lost gems. Some of the rediscovered songs needed mixing, while others needed entirely new lyrics and vocal tracks. On this edition of All Songs Considered, Was talks about how he picked the songs, how they were produced and the lasting impact of the now-legendary album.