NPR Music

Who’s the Mariah Carey of Halloween? Labels and artists are trying to capitalize on spooky season, but these are the songs that belong in the creepy canon, from the truly terrifying to simply seasonal and nostalgic.

Note: An earlier version of this episode appeared on All Songs Considered in 2025.

Tell us what you think with a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts.

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]

Featured artists and songs:

Phoebe Bridgers: “Killer” from ‘Stranger in the Alps’
Fever Ray: “If I Had A Heart,” from ‘Fever Ray’
Sufjan Stevens: “John Wayne Gacy, Jr” from ‘Illinois’
Jack Lenz: “Goosebumps” (theme from the TV show)
Disneyland Records: “Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House”
Alice Cooper: “Welcome to My Nightmare,” from ‘Welcome to My Nightmare’
Oksana Linde: “Horizontes lejanos,” from ‘Travesias’
Florence + the Machine: “Everybody Scream,” from ‘Everybody Scream’
Ethel Cain: “Housofpsychoticwomn,” from ‘Perverts’
girl in red: “We Fell In Love In October” (single)
Mimicking Birds: “Bloodlines,” from ‘EONS’
Van Morrison: “Moondance,” from ‘Moondance’
The Cramps: “I Was A Teenage Werewolf,” from ‘Songs the Lord Taught Us’
Dead Man’s Bones: “My Bodies a Zombie for You,” from ‘Dead Man’s Bones’
Vince Guaraldi: “The Great Pumpkin Waltz,” from ‘The Great Pumpkin’

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

At almost exactly the midpoint of our conversation about the fifth album made by his band, Fontaines D.C., Grian Chatten told me, “It's an interesting time to be a self.” We'd been talking about the themes on 'Dopamine Chamber,' which comes out on Oct. 16, and could serve as a soundtrack to the era we live in now, what Chatten calls our “glorious age of distraction.”

It's also an interesting time to be a rock band in the mainstream, and that’s where Fontaines D.C., which formed in 2014, definitely lives these days. The Irish quintet’s next tour has them in stadiums and arenas, and the one guest on 'Dopamine Chamber' is pop's universal “it” girl, the Spanish singer Rosalía. The 2024 album Romance took Fontaines to another level, earning them two Grammy nominations and their best sales ever, with hits like the sweet and earnest “Favourite.” Following it up, Fontaines didn't take the easy way. Instead, they explored new sounds to create a captivating sonic travelogue that somehow connects the decadent beauty of old Europe with the narcotic ethereality of cyberspace.

Things really gel for Fontaines on 'Dopamine Chamber.' Using vintage synthesizers and studio effects, the band builds on the hypnotic energy that's always been its calling card to make something huge and seductive and haunting. I was lucky to speak with Chatten about his evolution as a storyteller and his place within a band that's always growing, but which remains utterly true to itself.

When they were making 'Dopamine Chamber,' Chatten’s bandmates recorded the instrumental parts of the songs first, and then Chatten went off on his own to write and record lyrics. This interview worked the same way — I talked with Chatten on his own, and with bassist Conor Deegan (who goes by “Deego”) about how guys who have been playing together since college have taken their bashing punk sound all the way to the stratosphere.   - Ann Powers

Credits:
Host: Ann Powers
Audio Producer: Noah Caldwell
Editor: Jacob Ganz
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Troye Sivan’s 2023 album, 'Something to Give Each Other,' marked a turning point in the Australian singer-songwriter’s career. Its choreo-driven singles “Rush” and “Got Me Started” became viral hits, earned Sivan his first Grammy nominations and even spawned a Timothée Chalamet and boygenius spoof on Saturday Night Live. Soon after came the Sweat tour with friend and peer Charli xcx amid the hype of “Brat” summer. 

But while Sivan says it was a thrilling moment in his career, it also didn’t paint a full picture of what he was going through at the end of his 20s. His new album, 'She’s the Best,' gives the artist breathing room to dig into some darker feelings. Sivan sat down with NPR Music reporter Isabella Gomez Sarmiento to talk about honoring the women in his life, moving away from perfect pop music and making an “unsexy” album that reflects his true feelings. 

This podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell and edited by Hazel Cills. NPR Music’s chief editor is Jacob Ganz. Our executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our executive director is Sonali Mehta. 

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Cameron Winter. Troye Sivan. Remi Wolf. Host Stephen Thompson breaks down the best albums out Friday, Oct. 9 with DJs from around the NPR Music network: Tshego Letsoalo from KALW in San Francisco, Aurora McGuckin from MVYRADIO in Massachusetts and Jewly Hight from WPLN in Nashville. Plus, a handful of NPR Music writers and critics offer their personal picks in the lightning round.

The Starting 5

(00:39) Album No. 1
- Cameron Winter, 'Live at Carnegie Hall'

(07:30) Album No. 2
- Troye Sivan, 'She's the Best'

(14:45) Album No. 3
- Remi Wolf, 'Mud'

(21:11) Album No. 4
- Jess Williamson, 'A Mile South of Heaven'

(27:20) Album No. 5
- Danielle Ponder, 'Everything Has Changed'

(34:40) The Lightning Round

- Dawn Richard, 'creole culture'
- Margo Cilker, 'Little White Cross'
- Imperial Teen, 'All Over You'
- heavensouls, 'cantu of the sower'
- Joyce Wrice, 'Machiko'

Sample the albums via our New Music Friday playlist.

Credits:
Host: Stephen Thompson
Guests: Tshego Letsoalo, Aurora McGuckin, Jewly Hight
Audio Producer: Noah Caldwell
Digital Producer: Dora Levite
Editors: Elle Mannion, Otis Hart
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Special thanks to Ann Powers and Sheldon Pearce

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

The music of Tim Bernardes fits as easily in the poetry of the cosmos as it does in the songwriting canon of his country. Brazil has a legacy of some of the greatest most intricate, emotional songwriting there is, and if you ask me, I’d argue Tim fits right into it. So, I invited him in to play a Tiny Desk for our annual El Tiny takeover. And, of course, I took the opportunity to pull him into the studio after – I absolutely needed to know what he’s been listening to. So, here we are again playing my latest and greatest new game: a special version of our typical guest DJ episode, where I ask them to recall different parts of their lives and themselves through music. No prepared songs or ideas. Let’s call this episode a musical tapestry painted by one of the greatest Brazilian singer-songwriters of this era.  - Anamaria Sayre

Artists and songs mentioned in this episode:

- The Beatles, 'I Want To Hold Your Hand'
- Os Mutantes, 'Caminhante Noturno'
- Milton Nascimento, 'Nuvem Cigana'
- Nelson Cavaquinho, 'Eu E As Flores'
- Gilberto Gil, 'Luzia Luluza'
- Antônio Carlos Jobim, 'Saudade Do Brasil,' 'O Boto'
- Caetano Veloso, 'Minha Mulher'
- Tim Bernardes, 'Realmente Lindo'

This podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. Suraya Mohamed is the executive producer of NPR Music.

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

A super deluxe box set of The Beatles' legendary 1965 album Rubber Soul has just been released with brand new mixes, demos and outtakes that show The Beatles breaking up with the past, their fans and everything people knew and loved about the band. 

In this conversation with All Songs Considered host Robin Hilton, Giles Martin, the producer behind the new mixes and son of late Beatles producer George Martin, talks about why Rubber Soul was such a pivotal album for the band, how the music was changing, and why it sounds “reasonably bleak.”  Martin also explains how the AI tools he used to update the mixes work, how he preserved the original spirit of Rubber Soul and more.

Tell us what you think with a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts.

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Victoria Monét. Meshell Ndegeocello. Sons of Sevilla. Host Stephen Thompson breaks down the best albums out Friday, Oct. 2, with DJs from around the NPR Music network: Ayana Contreras from KUVO in Denver, Evan Miller from WYSO in Ohio and DJ Llu from Vermont Public. Plus, a handful of NPR Music writers and critics offer their personal picks in the lightning round.

The Starting 5

(01:53) Album No. 1
- Victoria Monét, 'Frequency Of Love'

(08:40) Album No. 2
- Meshell Ndegeocello, 'Synonym'

(15:28) Album No.3 
- Helen, 'Linda's Head'

(22:09) Album No. 4
- Wishy, 'Nature's Pill'

(28:36) Album No. 5
- Sons of Sevilla, 'It Could Be Today'

(34:27 The Lightning Round

- Greg Freeman, 'All Set the Bone'
- Miranda Lambert, 'Crisco'
- Allison de Groot & Rich Ruth, 'Allison de Groot & Rich Ruth'
- Lalah Hathaway, 'Made in Chicago'
- Beth Taylor, 'The Deeps Have Music'

Sample the albums via our New Music Friday playlist.

Credits:
Host: Stephen Thompson
Guests: Ayana Contreras, Evan Miller, DJ Llu
Audio Producer: Noah Caldwell
Digital Producer: Dora Levite
Editors: Elle Mannion, Otis Hart
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Special thanks to Lars Gotrich, Ann Powers and Tom Huizenga

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Jazz has often been called America's musical gift to the world. This week's guests remind us not only of the well-documented ways that Cuba revolutionized that gift, but also how it blossomed in South America.

Chilean tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana and Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba stopped by after their recent Tiny Desk performance to chat about their own personal histories with jazz and its lineage in their respective countries. The memories Rubalcaba shares about Havana's jazz scene in the 1980s adds another layer to a story we've talked a lot about on Alt.Latino. And Aldana looks back on her youth learning music from her father and grandfather, both of whom were Chilean jazz pioneers.

The conversation also covers the music they played at the Tiny Desk, which comes from their recent album, 'Filin,' a reexamination of a Cuban musical movement that lasted from the 1940s through the '60s. Ultimately, this week's episode is time spent with two master musicians to hear how their lives and experiences contribute to their mutual appreciation and love of jazz.

Check out Melissa Aldana and Gonzalo Rubalcaba's Tiny Desk Concert here.

This podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. Suraya Mohamed is the executive producer of NPR Music.

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

We get big and loud this week with a surprise drop from Phoebe Bridgers and her song “On Video,” from the Primetime soundtrack; the monstrously disjointed “Placeholder” from Gilla Band; widescreened shoegaze from the Danish artist Trentemøller and more.  

NPR Music’s Dora Levite joins host Robin Hilton as they share their picks for the best new songs out now.

Tell us what you think with a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]

Featured artists and songs:

(00:00) Intro

(03:22) Phoebe Bridgers: “On Video”

(10:26) Gilla Band: “Placeholder”

(17:25) Trentemøller: “Swerve”

(23:31) Wednesday: “Carolina Murder Suicide (Avey Tare Remix)”

(30:29) serpentwithfeet: “sentinel”

(36:37) Lily Konigsberg: “Free Byrd”

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Leon Bridges. Blondshell. Joy Oladokun. Host Stephen Thompson breaks down the best albums out Friday, Sept. 18 with DJs from around the NPR Music network: Erin Wolf from Radio Milwaukee, Jewly Hight from WPLN in Nashville and Liz Warner from WDET in Detroit. Plus, a handful of NPR Music writers and critics offer their personal picks in the lightning round.

The Starting 5

(00:53) Album No. 1
- Blondshell, 'Violins'

(07:43) Album No. 2
- Julia Jacklin, 'The Gem'

(15:13) Album No. 3
- Joy Oladokun, 'Hope Is A Heavy Thing'

(22:33) Album No. 4
- Leon Bridges, 'Happiness Anytime'

(28:52) Album No. 5
- Protomartyr, 'Hotel Usona'

(34:04) The Lightning Round

- Space Afrika, 'Quiet Storm'
- claire rousay & Martyna Basta, 'hotel room'
- Tinashe, 'Popstar'
- Mary Gauthier, 'Reckoning'
- Axel Boman & Superpitcher, 'Tell It To The Mountain'

Sample the albums via our New Music Friday playlist.

Credits:
Host: Stephen Thompson
Guests: Erin Wolf, Jewly Hight, Liz Warner
Audio Producer: Noah Caldwell
Digital Producer: Dora Levite
Editors: Elle Mannion, Otis Hart
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Special thanks to Sheldon Pearce and Ann Powers

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy