All Songs Considered

By NPR

Music

SHOW DESCRIPTION

Hosts/nerds Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton are your friendly music buddies with the week's best new music discoveries, including conversations with emerging artists, icons and more. Hear songs that can completely change your day, with humor, heart and (sometimes) a whole lot of noise. Directions for use: Morning commute, the gym, or alone time. (If rash persists, discontinue use.)

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	EPISODES LIST
		New Music Friday: Feb. 15 Our list of the best albums out this week includes the first new music from funk and R&B; legend Chaka Khan in 12 years, the cinematic, transporting sounds of Yann Tiersen, bubblegum punk from Sir Babygirl and more. Host Robin Hilton is joined by NPR Music's Lauren Onkey and Stephen Thompson as they share their top picks for Feb. 15. FEATURED ALBUMS: Chaka Khan: Hello Happiness; RY X: Unfurl; Yann Tiersen: All; Sir Babygirl: Crush on Me; J.S. Ondara: Tales of America; Robert Ellis: Texas Piano Man OTHER NOTABLE ALBUMS FOR FEB. 15: Avril Lavigne: Head Above Water; Betty Who: Betty; Dale Watson: Call Me Lucky; Florida Georgia Line: Can't Say I Ain't Country; Jonny Nash: Make a Wilderness; Ladytron: Ladytron; Natti Natasha: Illuminati; Tedeshi Trucks Band: Signs	02.15.2019
		New Mix: Amanda Palmer, Pkew Pkew Pkew, The Budos Band, More This week's show is made possible by a generous amount of existential anxiety. This includes the ego-destroying rock anthem "I Don't Matter At All," from the Toronto band Pkew Pkew Pkew, and an epic life manifesto from Amanda Palmer called "The Ride" – a ten-minute oration about the crippling effects of unbridled and rampant fear.But we've also got some horn-powered instrumental rock from New York's Afro-soul group The Budos Band, and a beautiful, blood-slowing song from the Swedish singer Daniel Norgren, an artist who takes inspiration from the sounds of a creaking floor in an old flour mill.	02.12.2019
		New Music Friday: Feb. 8 Our list of the best albums out this week includes delicate piano pieces from Hauschka, the brilliantly burning rock of Bob Mould, songs inspired by the film Roma, Mercury Rev's remake of Bobbie Gentry's country opera The Delta Sweete and much more. Host Robin Hilton is joined by NPR Music's Felix Contreras, Tom Huizenga and Stephen Thompson as they sprint through their top picks for Feb. 8. FEATURED ALBUMS: 1. Bob Mould: Sunshine Rock; 2. Jessica Pratt: Quiet Signs; 3. Hauschka: A Different Forest; 4. Various: Music Inspired by the Film Roma; 5. Said the Whale: Cascadia; 6. Mercury Rev: Bobbie Gentry's The Delta Sweete Revisited; 7. Joszef Van Wissem and Jim Jarmusch: An Attempt to Draw Aside the Veil. OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES FOR FEB. 8: Ariana Grande: thank u, next; Cass McCombs: Tip of the Sphere; The Lemonheads: Varshons 2; Panda Bear: Buoys; Talos: Far Out Dust	02.08.2019
		New Mix: Billie Eilish, Lucy Dacus, John Vanderslice, T Bone Burnett, More On this week's show, artists battle their inner demons – the kind that come out a night when you're alone in bed, trying to find sleep – speak truth to power, celebrate love, dig into complicated characters with troubled pasts and much more.This includes a kind of demented nursery rhyme from singer Billie Eilish; the London-based duo Tender and their deep reflection on ruinous self-indulgence; and producer T Bone Burnett's new album with a prayer to overcome fear.Also on the show: The artist known as Many Rooms confronts organized religion; New York singer-songwriter Laura Stevenson has a new album inspired by the inevitable end of the universe; Lucy Dacus reimagines the French love song "La Vie En Rose" as a driving anthem to love; and producer and musician John Vanderslice returns from a five-year break from making music with a new solo album called The Cedars and a complicated tale of bent love	02.05.2019
		New Music Friday: Feb. 01 On this sprint through the week's best new albums, host Robin Hilton is joined by NPR Music's Lyndsey McKenna and Stephen Thompson for a whole lot of guitar rock, with a little bit of melancholy, acoustic beauty on the side. This includes Spielbergs, a group from Oslo, Norway, that makes its US debut with a fantastic squeal of feedback on This is Not the End; the L.A. quartet Cherry Gazerr, which just dropped its most emotionally potent and fully formed album ever; Girlpool, Le Butcherettes, the beautifully transporting songs of Tiny Ruins and more. FEATURED ALBUMS: Spielbergs: This is Not the End; Cherry Glazerr: Stuffed and Ready; Girlpool: What Chaos is Imaginary; Beirut: Gallipoli; Le Butcherettes: bi/MENTAL; Tiny Ruins: Olympic Girls; OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES FOR FEB. 01: Boy Harsher: Careful; Deer Tick: Mayonnaise; Guided by Voices: Zeppelin Over China; Emily King: Scenery; Mandolin Orange: Tides of a Teardrop; David Meade: Cobra Pumps; Nina Nesbitt: The Sun Will Come Up, the Seasons Will Change; Unloved: Heartbreak	02.01.2019
		Remembering The Beatles' Rooftop Gig, 50 Years Later, With Someone Who Was There Ken Mansfield was the U.S. Manager for Apple records when the Beatles played their final gig on a rooftop in London — and one of the few people who was actually with the band to witness it.	01.30.2019
		New Mix: Better Oblivion Community Center, Bellows, Duster & More On this edition of All Songs Considered I'm joined by Marissa Lorusso our Tiny Desk Contest leader and also a critical contributor to NPR Music's Turning the Tables project.Marissa plays music from the '90s San Jose trio, Duster. They're getting back together but not before a boxed set of their storied past comes out. Marissa is also a fan of Bellows, the music of Oliver Kalb, who we also know from the band Gabby's World (formerly Eskimeaux and O). And we hear music from Heather Woods Broderick, a songwriter and singer we've featured not only for her own music but for being a stage and studio partner with Sharon Van Etten. I play music from Tiny Desk Contest entrant Jackie Mendoza who performs a stripped-down, more focused remake of the song she submitted to our contest called "De Lejos" about loving from afar. We also hear great trance guitar from a Tuareg musician from the Saharan region. It's a recording he made in Detroit after a chance meeting with a producer who shared his love of ZZ Top's Tres Hombres record. But first, I open the show with my current 2019 favorite album, one that came out as huge surprise just last week, by Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers. They call their project the Better Oblivion Community Center.	01.29.2019
		New Music Friday: Jan. 25 On this week's program, host Robin Hilton is joined by NPR Music's Rodney Carmichael, Sidney Maden and Stephen Thompson to talk about the must-hear albums out on Jan. 25. This includes hard-driving riff rock with a healthy sense of humor from FIDLAR and Mike Krol, the Compton rapper Boogie, woozy synth-pop from The Dandy Warhols, the shape-shifting sounds of New Orleans singer DAWN and more. Featured Albums: FIDLAR: Almost Free; Mike Krol: Power Chords; Boogie: Everything's For Sale; The Dandy Warhols: Why You So Crazy? Rat Boy: Internationally Unknown; DAWN: New Breed; Other Notable Releases For Jan. 25: Backstreet Boys: DNA; Better Oblivion Community Center: S/T; Bring Me The Horizon: AMO; Rosie Carny: Bare; Toy: Happy In The Hollow; Vangelis: Nocturne; William Tyler: Goes West	01.25.2019
		Hear 2 New Vampire Weekend Songs And A Conversation With Ezra Koenig Today on All Songs Considered, hear a conversation about the record's production, the logistics of performing live as a seven-piece band and, at long last, the meaning behind FOTB, the mysterious album-title acronym that turned fans into code-crackers early last week.	01.24.2019
		Sharon Van Etten Breaks Down Every Track On Her Stunning New Album A lot has changed in Sharon Van Etten's life since she put out her last album, Are We There, in 2014. Over the past five years she's gotten into acting, she went back to school to get a degree in Mental Health Counseling, she's worked on some film scores and, the biggest change: She's a mom, now. But through it all she eventually found herself coming back to her first love: music. Sharon Van Etten has a new album out called Remind Me Tomorrow and it's unlike anything she's ever done before. Largely seen as an acoustic singer-songwriter up to now, her new album is full of pulsing synths, big beats and lots of strange, dark textures made with the help of producer John Congleton. The result is a stunning achievement for Van Etten. Remind Me Tomorrow is her most ambitious and adventurous album to date. For this edition of All Songs Considered, Sharon Van Etten and host Robin Hilton listened to her whole new album together, front to back. She reflects on motherhood, shares stories about the new songs and explains why she decided to blow up nearly everything fans have long loved about her music.	01.22.2019
		New Music Friday: Jan. 18 Welcome to a brand-new season of New Music Friday! After a few quiet weeks, the flood gates are opening and we've got a whole bunch of essential albums dropping on Jan. 18 to tell you about. This includes the smart, sparkling pop of singer Maggie Rogers, swooning love songs from James Blake, deep introspection from Pedro The Lion's first new album in 15 years, pure joy from Toro y Moi and much more. Host Robin Hilton is joined by NPR Music's Stephen Thompson for this quick sprint through the essential releases for Jan. 18, the first busy drop date for the new year. Featured Albums: 1. Maggie Rogers: Heard It In A Past Life; 2. Toro y Moi: Outer Peace; 3. Deerhunter: Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared; 4. Pedro The Lion: Phoenix; 5. James Blake: Assume Form; 6. Buke And Gase: Scholars; 7. Frances Cone: Late Riser; Other Notable Releases: Crane Like The Bird: Crane Like The Bird; Future: The Wizrd; Juliana Hatfield: Weird; Malibu Ken: Malibu Ken; Mike Posner: A Real Good Kid; Sharon Van Etten: Remind Me Tomorrow; Tender: Fear Of Falling Asleep; The Twilight Sad: It Won't Always Be Like This	01.18.2019
		New Mix: Lana Del Rey, Telekinesis, Stella Donnelly, Priests, More It's been a minute since we got together to share some all-new music – not since our Nov. 6 show of last year, in fact. Hopefully you used the past several weeks to dig into our look back at the year in music for 2018, our remembrance of the artists we lost, Viking's Choice, Glaring Omissions and, of course, our annual Holiday Radio Play. But we're back now with a batch of essential songs to start the new year right. This includes a spare and profoundly moving new track from singer Lana Del Rey called "Hope is a Terrible Thing for a Woman Like Me To Have – But I Have It;" a brutally candid critique of toxic masculinity from Stella Donnelly; and the thumping, propulsive sounds of Priests and their new song "The Seduction Of Kansas." Also on the show: Perfect guitar pop from Telekinesis, and the punk-saxophone of Joy On Fire and the sweet harmonies of The Wild Reeds, both of whom pay tribute to a lost mother.	01.15.2019
		Steve Earle Honors Guy Clark Steve Earle honors his musical hero Guy Clark with an album of his song called GUY.	01.09.2019
		globalFEST 2019 On this edition of All Songs Considered, we share our favorite discoveries from globalFEST 2019.	01.08.2019
		Vikings Choice 2018 Our resident Viking surveys 2018 through Italian doom metal, Chinese post-punk, underwater field recordings and a 24-hour drone.	12.28.2018
		In Memoriam: The Artists We Lost In 2018 In this special year-end edition of All Songs Considered we look back at the extraordinary singers, composers, multi-instrumentalists and other creative souls we lost in 2018, from indie rock and pop's Richard Swift and Dolores O'Riordan, to opera singer Montserrat Caballe, rapper Mac Miller, avant-garde jazz pianist Cecil Taylor and, of course, Aretha Franklin.	12.26.2018
		The All Songs Considered Holiday Cruise 2018 Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, John Legend, Lucius, William Shatner, Micky Dolenz of The Monkees and Rodney Crowell all join us for our annual holiday spoof, which unfolds like a bad high school play. This year the gang goes to Bermuda to get away from it all, only to find themselves lost in the Bermuda Triangle.	12.19.2018
		Glaring Omissions: The Music We Missed In 2018 A lot of the year-end lists you've looked at probably didn't have that one favorite album or song you hold near and dear. This episode of All Songs is about our hidden gems, the ones that, in the give-and-take of making a representative staff list, got left off. In the case of the NPR Music team, we each had at least one record we want you to know about that you won't find on our Top 50 Albums list or our Top 100 Songs list. So, we gathered with ALT. Latino host Felix Contreras, our hip-hop and R&B; lovers, Sidney Madden and Rodney Carmichael, classical music geek, Tom Huizenga and pop-and-rock fans Lyndsey McKenna and Marissa Lorusso to set the record straight. And with outrage in our hearts (and bit of tongue in our cheeks) we play the eight other songs we really want you to hear.	12.12.2018
		The Year In Music 2018 The All Songs gang looks back at this year's anthems and unmissable milestones, from Kendrick Lamar's Pulitzer to Childish Gambino's mind-blowing video for "This Is America," Rosalía, Mitski and more. Hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton are joined by NPR Music's Ann Powers and Stephen Thompson as they look back at the albums, artists and moments that mattered most in 2018.	12.03.2018
		New Music Friday: Nov. 30 It's our final New Music Friday for 2018 – barring any big surprises, December is a pretty slow release month – but we end with some phenomenal new albums, including The 1975's Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, singer Alessia Cara's affecting coming-of-age manifesto The Pains Of Growing, an exercise in minimalism from rapper Earl Sweatshirt and more. Host Robin Hilton is joined this week by NPR Music's Rodney Carmichael, Sidney Madden and Lyndsey McKenna as they do a quick look at the most essential new albums dropping on Nov. 30. Featured Albums: The 1975: A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships; Meek Mill: Championship; J.I.D: DiCaprio 2; Alessia Cara: The Pains Of Growing; Earl Sweatshirt: Some Rap Songs. Other Notable Releases For Nov. 30: Jeff Tweedy: Warm; Foxwarren: Foxwarren; Lil' Baby: Street Gossip; Neil Young: Songs For Judy; Bryan Ferry And His Orchestra: Bitter-Sweet	11.30.2018
		Jeff Tweedy On Anxiety, Addiction And A Lifetime Making Art Jeff Tweedy's written a book that's incredibly open-hearted and honest. Let's Go (So We Can Get Back) A Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco, Etc. is a journey in music, friendship and family — from getting his first guitar (which didn't work out so well), to the formation of Uncle Tupelo with his friend, Jay Farrar, their surprising breakup and all the various incarnations of Wilco. It's filled with stories of insecurities, drug dependencies and thoughtful reflections. On this edition of All Songs Considered, host Bob Boilen talks with Jeff Tweedy about his remarkable life story, plays clips from the Penguin Random House audio version of Jeff's book and digs a bit into his new solo album called Warm, which addresses a lot of personal thoughts and feels like a companion to Jeff's book.	11.27.2018
		New Music Friday: Nov. 23 Gobble gobble! Our Thanksgiving weekend edition of New Music Friday includes the warped and wild pop sounds of My Brightest Diamond, stunning instrumental records from Ed Harcourt and Jacco Gardner, punk with heart and humor from Art Brut and more. Host Robin Hilton is joined this week by NPR Music's Stephen Thompson as they do a quick sprint through the essential albums dropping on Nov. 23. FEATURED ALBUMS: 1. My Brightest Diamond: A Million And One; 2. Ed Harcourt: Beyond The End; 3. Calexico: The Black Light 20th Anniversary Edition; 4. Art Brut: Wham! Bang! Pow! Let's Rock Out! 5. Songs Ohia: Love & Work: The Lioness Sessions; 6. Jacco Gardner: Somnium	11.23.2018
		Guest DJ: boygenius If you don't know boygenius, there's a good chance you know at least one member of this trio, Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers. They've just released a self-titled EP. We gathered in the studio here at NPR just moments after they finished their Tiny Desk Concert to talk about the music they love and listen to. In this conversation with these three talented songwriters, they talk about how they inspire one another and give each other confidence. Lucy Dacus says, "I associate Phoebe and Julien with having real strength in darkness. They're also very wise and funny people that I trust as people, not just artists. So I kind of did assume that it would be very easy to work with them. And it turned out that was right."	11.19.2018
		New Music Friday: Nov. 16 This week's list of essential new albums includes one of the year's most anticipated releases – Anderson .Paak's Oxnard, plus Mariah Carey's Caution, a lost Glen Campbell record he made for Elvis, a career-spanning retrospective on the late singer Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave), The Good, The Bad And The Queen's first new album in more than a decade and more. All Songs Considered's Robin Hilton is joined by NPR Music's Rodney Carmichael, Lars Gotrich and Stephen Thompson as they run through the best releases out on Nov. 16.Featured Albums:Anderson .Paak: Oxnard; Chris Cornell: Chris Cornell; Mariah Carey: Caution; Glen Campbell: Glen Campbell Sings For The King; Leikeli47: Acrylic; Various: Brainfeeder X; The Good, The Bad & The Queen: Merrie Land;Other Notable Releases For Nov. 16:The Smashing Pumpkins: Shiny and Oh So Bright Vol. 1: No Past, No Future, No Sun; Kate Bush: Remastered Pt. 1; The Rolling Stones: Beggars Banquet 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition; Mumford & Sons: Delta; Ryley Walker: The Lilywhite Sessions; Eiko Ishibashi: The Dream My Bones Dream; Various: The Greatest Showman: Reimagined	11.16.2018
		How The Beatles Made 'The White Album' Fifty years ago, just before the holidays in 1968, The Beatles put out not just a new album, but a double album, something relatively unheard of at the time. The album art was a stark, white, glossy cover with raised, slanted lettering that simply said, "The Beatles." That self-titled album, with its 30 songs that span genres from American country music to avant-garde tape collage, has come to be known as "The White Album." And in celebration of it's birth 50 years ago, The Beatles label Apple Records has scoured the archives for a new deluxe edition of the album that, for the first time, includes previously unreleased, early demo recordings, studio outtakes and stunning remixes in both stereo and 5.1 surround. On this episode of All Songs Considered we've got a conversation with the man who produced this 100-plus song celebration, Giles Martin, whose father, George Martin, produced "The White Album" back in '68 (along with most everything else The Beatles ever made). In this interview with Giles Martin, you'll hear some of the early demos, outtakes and remixes. But he begins by describing the process of making of the "The White Album," how it turned out to be a much-less planned and much more organic process than ever, and how that frustrated George Martin.	11.13.2018
		New Music Friday: Nov. 9 This week's best new albums includes emo-rapper Lil Peep's posthumous follow-up to Come Over When Your Sober, 50th anniversary editions of Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland and The Beatles "White Album," a labor of love from the late soul singer Charles Bradley, rock with a wink from Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers, the music of Hanson set to strings and more.FEATURED ALBUMS: Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers: Bought to Rot; The Glands: Double Coda; Charles Bradley: Black Velvet; Jimi Hendrix: Electric Ladyland 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition; Golden Hornet with Jeffrey Zeigler: The Sound of Science; Hanson: String Theory; Meg Baird & Mary Lattimore: Ghost Forests; Lil Peep: Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 2; OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES FOR NOV. 9: The Beatles: The Beatles ("The White Album"); J. Fernandez: Occasional Din; J. Masics: Elastic Days; Muse: Simulation Theory; Tom Adams: Yes, Sleep Well Death, Boygenius: Boygenius (physical release); Rays: You Can Get There From Here; Imagine Dragons: Origins	11.09.2018
		New Mix: Deerhunter, Andrew Bird, Tomberlin, Bokanté + Metropole Orkest, More As voters head to the polls today, we hear from artists whose music speaks to our current political and cultural moment. Full playlist: 1. Deerhunter: "Death In Midsummer," 2. Andrew Bird: "Bloodless," 3. Alexander: "Strange Time," 4. Tomberlin: "Self-Help," 5. Foxwarren: "Everything Apart," 6. Ian William Craig: "TC-377 Poem," 7. Bokanté + Metropole Orkest: "All The Way Home"	11.06.2018
		New Music Friday For Nov. 2: 8 Albums You Need To Hear Now This week's sprint through the best new albums, out on Nov. 2, includes a collection of outtakes and rarities from Bob Dylan's Blood On The Tracks period, the Flamenco-pop of Rosalía, profoundly moving reflections from Marianne Faithful, the prepared piano of Kelly Moran, fuzz-pop from Stove and more. Host Robin Hilton is joined for this week's New Music Friday by NPR Music's Ann Powers, Lars Gotrich and Stephen Thompson. Featured Albums: Rosalía: El Mal Querer; Bob Dylan: More Blood, More Tracks; Marianne Faithful: Negative Capability; Pistol Annies: Interstate Gospel; Rosanne Cash: She Remembers Everything; Stove: 's Favorite Friend; Kelly Moran: Ultraviolet; Doug Paisley: Starter Home; Other notable releases for Nov. 2: Tenacious D: Post-Apocalypto; Dead Can Dance: Dionysus; Molly Nilsson: Twenty Twenty; Gabby's World: Beast On Beast; Bill Ryder-Jones: Yawn; Rodney Crowell: Christmas Everywhere; JD McPherson: SOCKS; Sun Kil Moon: This Is My Dinner	11.02.2018
		New Mix: Pedro The Lion, boygenius, Rubblebucket, And More This week on the show, we hear from artists who find ways to celebrate life no matter how broken it may be. Full playlist: 1. boygenius: "Bite the Hand," 2. Pedro The Lion: "Yellow Bike," 3. Quivers: "Pigeons," 4. PAVVLA: "Unbreakable," 5. Tōth: "Copilot," 6. Rubblebucket: "What Life Is"	10.30.2018
		New Music Friday: Oct. 26 This week's batch of essential new albums includes Robyn's melancholy return to the dance floor, rock-and-roll madness from Ty Segall, the otherworldly voice of NAO, singer Julia Holter's mind-blowing masterpiece Aviary, and more. Host Robin Hilton is joined by NPR Music's Ann Powers and Stephen Thompson as they run through the best full-length releases out on Oct. 26. FEATURED ALBUMS: Oh Pep! I Wasn't Only Thinking of You; Robyn: Honey; Ty Segall: Fudge Sandwich; Nao: Saturn; Laura Gibson: Goners; Julia Holter: Aviary; Maggie Roche: Where Do I Come From? David Crosby: Here If You Listen; OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES FOR OCT. 26: Thom Yorke: Suspiria; Ian Sweet: Crush Crusher; Georgia Ann Muldrow: Overload; Black Eyed Peas: Masters of the Sun Vol. 1; Miya Folick: Premonitions; Homeboy Sandman: Humble Pi; Devon Church: We Are Inextricable; Tasha: Alone at Last; Joji: Ballads 1	10.26.2018
		New Mix: Tarriona "Tank" Ball, J. Fernandez, Tiny Ruins, Koda, More This week's essential mix includes songs of letting go, of healing, moving on and finding a deeper appreciation for the wonder of life. Tarriona "Tank" Ball (of the 2017 Tiny Desk Contest-winning band Tank And The Bangas) offers a surprising and beautiful take on the sentimental 1938 classic "I'll Be Seeing You." The psych-pop multi-instrumentalist (and former All Songs Considered intern) J. Fernandez tries to calm his irrational anxieties on the song "Common Sense." And Monica Martin of the band Phox examines the cruelty of denial and staying in a broken relationship. Also on the show: The San Francisco-based band Papercuts turns a joke about "Clean Living" into a metaphor the empty promises of quick fixes; the artist known as SASAMI dreams of reuniting with a lost love when the time is right; Jordan Sudak, who writes and records as Koda, digs deep into inconvenient truths; and Hollie Fullbrook of the band Tiny Ruins reveals the incredible story behind her new song "Olympic Girls." But first, Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton take a moment to consider the possibility that every little thing is alive.	10.23.2018
		Beirut's Zach Condon Shares A New Song And The Story Behind It Zach Condon, the mastermind behind Beirut, will release his fifth studio album, Gallipoli, on Feb. 1. In this conversation, he shares the title track and details how the project came together.	10.22.2018
		New Music Friday: Oct. 19 On this week's sprint through the best new releases we've got irresistible earworms from Peter Bjorn & John, the deep soul of PHONY PPL, Esperanza Spalding's mind-bending songcraft and more. All Songs Considered's Robin Hilton is joined by NPR Music's Ann Powers, Lars Gotrich, Nate Chinen of WBGO, Sidney Madden and Stephen Thompson as they breakdown the best albums out on Oct. 19. FEATURED ALBUMS: Elle King: Shake the Spirit; Peter Bjorn & John: Darker Days; PHONY PPL: mō'zā-ik.; John Carpenter: Halloween (2018 Soundtrack); Neneh Cherry: Broken Politics; Will Oldham: Songs of Love and Horror; Yoko Ono: Warzone; Esperanza Spalding: 12 Little Spells. OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES FOR OCT. 19: Papercuts: Parallel Universe Blues; Cloud Nothings: Last Building Burning; Becky Warren: Undesirable	10.19.2018
		New Mix: Sharon Van Etten, SOAK, Miya Folick & More This week's episode of All Songs Considered sees NPR Music's Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton reunited to pop some popcorn and reflect on the years they've spent on and off the show. A driving single with a pulsing beat stretches Sharon Van Etten's voice to new heights, while J.S. Ondara's debut takes a fresh look at the American dream and the classic rock that inspired his move from Nairobi to Minnesota. Also on the show: Miya Folick delivers a heart-wrenching apology, Berlin-based composer Tom Adams spins our darkest fears into atmospheric music, and SOAK builds a pop song around a blissful confession. But first, we take a moment to remember Robin's dad, who passed away last week, with a few words from John Denver. 1. John Denver: "Poems, Prayers And Promises," 2. Tom Adams: "In Darkness," 3. Sharon Van Etten: "Come Back Kid," 4. SOAK: "Everybody Loves You," 5. Miya Folick: "Thingamig," 6. Jason Lytle: "Color of Dirt," 7. J.S. Ondara: "American Dream"	10.16.2018
		New Music Friday: Oct. 12 Our list of the best new albums out this week includes the comical and moving synth pop of John Grant, enchanting harmonies from The Watson Twins, an audacious jazz album from trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, the first new music from Elvis Costello & The Imposers in a decade and more. Host Robin Hilton returns to breakdown this week's essential releases with NPR Music's Ann Powers and Stephen Thompson, and Nate Chinen from WBGO.Featured Albums: Elvis Costello & The Imposters: Look Now; The Watson Twins: Duo; Ambrose Akinmusire: Origami Harvest; John Grant: Love is Magic; Kurt Vile: Bottle it In; Colter Wall: Songs of the Plains.Other Notable Releases: Quavo: Quavo Huncho; BRONCHO: Bad Behavior; John Hiatt: The Eclipse Sessions; The Dodos: Certainty Waves; Tom Morello: The Atlas Underground; Matthew Dear: Bunny; Dave Davies: Decade; Ella Mai: Ella Mai; Adam Hood: Somewhere in Between; Yowler: Black Dog In My Path	10.12.2018
		Adrianne Lenker (Big Thief) On abysskiss And Songs That Heal A conversation with songwriter and singer Adrianne Lenker from Big Thief on her newest solo record called abysskiss.	10.09.2018
		New Music Friday: Oct. 5 With Robin Hilton out for one more week, NPR Music's Ann Powers and Lars Gotrich join Stephen Thompson for a whirlwind tour of a busy release day. We've got the first album in five years by the spiky pop-rock band Swearin' (featuring the great and good Allison Crutchfield); the gorgeous first album in six years by Chan Marshall, a.k.a. Cat Power; the heavy, almost absurdly ambitious rock and roll of F***** Up; the versatile country of Eric Church; the springy and inspirational anthems of multi-hyphenate powerhouse Tunde Olaniran; the sprawling, deeply searching rock of mewithoutYou; the rugged metal of Matt Pike's long-running band High on Fire; and Phosporescent's Matthew Houck, whose beatific folk-rock sprawls with winsome approachability.	10.05.2018
		Guest DJ: Hozier - Why Music From The Civil Rights Movement Still Resonates A conversation with Hozier. How does music travel through time? How does a kid growing up in Ireland latch on to music 50 years old and find resonance an ocean away? His new EP Nina Cried Power - his first major release since his 2014 debut album pays tribute to the 20th century musicians whose music ignited Civil Rights movements around the world. We hear new music from Hozier and the music that inspires him.	10.02.2018
		New Music Friday: Sep. 28 Robin Hilton is out this week, so Stephen Thompson kicks off this installment of New Music Friday by blaring some Cher, whose new album of ABBA covers is a must for anyone who flipped out when the singer made her entrance in this summer's Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again. From there, NPR Music's Marissa Lorusso and Lars Gotrich join to discuss other must-hear albums out on Sep. 28. Nile Rodgers & Chic's first album in 26 years; the rousing rock and roll of Restorations and Doe; a victory lap for 86-year-old country legend Loretta Lynn; the ambitious electronic soundscapes of Tim Hecker; and the guest-star-laden return of Marissa Nadler, whose new album features guest vocals from the likes of Angel Olsen and Sharon Van Etten. Featured Albums: 1. Cher: Dancing Queen 2. Nile Rodgers & Chic: It's About Time 3. Restorations: LP5000 4. Doe: Grow Into It 5. Loretta Lynn: Wouldn't It Be Great 6. Tim Hecker: Konoyo 7. Marissa Nadler: For My Crimes	09.28.2018
		Jeff Tweedy, Allen Tate, Charly Bliss, Bad Moves & more On this edition of All Songs Considered, we lean toward contemplative songs with fuzzy guitars. NPR Music's Marissa Lorusso and I premiere new music from Jeff Tweedy. His new album Warm looks at life as it nears that moment when the great piano labeled "death" is about to drop from the sky. The band Charly Bliss writes its first love song, Allen Tate takes a second break from San Fermin to make an inward-looking track of self-reflection, Bad Moves thoughtfully steps between adulthood and youth and Saint Sister lights up an ethereal harp driven tune. Also: We are joined by intern Kristy Guilbault to hear Yowler yowl.	09.25.2018
		New Music Friday: Sep. 21 It's another busy release week, with intimate home recordings from Prince, ragged rock from Metric, the angelic harmonies of Mountain Man and Richard Swift's final recordings among our shortlist for the must-hear albums out on Sep. 21. All Songs Considered's Robin Hilton talks with NPR Music's Ann Powers, Lars Gotrich, Rodney Carmichael and Stephe Thompson, along with Nate Chinen from WBGO about the music you need to hear now.Featured Albums:1. Metric: 'Art of Doubt'2. Mountain Man: 'Magic Ship'3. Christian Sands: 'Facing Dragons'4. Father: 'Awful Swim'5. Prince: 'Piano and a Microphone, 1983'6. Richard Swift: 'The Hex'7. Lonnie Holley: 'MITH'8. Villagers: 'The Art of Pretending to Swim'Other Notable Releases:Lupe Fiasco: 'Drogas Wave'Brockhampton: 'Iridesence'Lil Wayne: 'Christine and the Queens: 'Chris'Mutual Benefit: 'Thunder Follows the Light'Liars: 'Titles With the Word Fountain'	09.21.2018
		The Best Of AMERICANAFEST 2018 Defining Americana isn't easy. At the festival, there were musicians from all around the world. Some were rooted in blues, jazz, boogie rock, bluegrass, soul, gospel, comedy, country, Tejano and much more. The Milk Carton Kids opened the 17th annual Americana Honors & Awards Show at the Ryman Auditorium with an original number we're exclusively premiering today. Their dry wit, reminiscent of 1960s Smothers Brothers parodies, pokes fun at the genre. NPR Music's Ann Powers, Jewly Hight and Bob Boilen spent the past week trying to hear as many of the 500 bands in the 40 or so venues around town as possible. Listen and find out what we discovered and what we'd love to pass along. 1. The Milk Carton Kids: "What Even Is Americana," 2. Amythyst Kiah: "Wildebeest," 3. Birds of Chicago: "American Flowers," 4. William Prince: "The Carny," 5. Lula Wiles: "One More Night," 6. Mipso: "Edges Run," 7. Ruston Kelly: "Faceplant," 8. Talibah Safiya: "Middle of the Night," 9. Katie Pruitt: "Grace Has a Gun," 10. Marc Ribot: "Knock That Statue Down"	09.18.2018
		New Music Friday: Sep. 14 This week's run through the essential albums out Sep. 14 includes the first new music from Jump Little Children in 14 years, rapper Noname's incredible follow-up to her 2016 mixtape Telefone, one of the darkest and most distorted albums ever from the band Low, a bit of melancholy and hope from country singer Carrie Underwood and much more.FEATURED ALBUMS:1. Jump Little Children: SPARROW2. Low: Double Negative3. Alejandro Escovedo: The Crossing4. 6lack: East Atlanta Love Letter5. Pale Waves: My Mind Makes Noises6. Noname: Room 257. Carrie Underwood: Cry PrettyOTHER NOTABLE RELEASES FOR SEP. 14:Richard Thompson: 13 RiversJoyce Manor: Million Dollars to Kill MePaul Weller: True MeaningsFred Thomas: AfteringWe Were Promised Jetpacks: The More I Sleep The Less I DreamOrbital: Monsters ExistThe Goon Sax: We're Not TalkingLyrics Born: Quite A LifeDilly Dally: HeavenBlack Belt Eagle Scout: Mother of My Children	09.14.2018
		New Mix: Sylvan Esso, Thom Yorke, Buke & Gase, More We open this week's show with a new track from Sylvan Esso, with tentacles that reach into multiple musical universes. The song, "Funeral Singers," was originally written and recorded by the band Califone, features members of the group Collections of Colonies of Bees and was recorded at Wilco's Chicago studio, The Loft. The result is a plaintive, pulsing reflection on heartache and loss. Full playlist for this episode: 1. Sylvan Esso: "Funeral Singers," 2. Thom Yorke: "Suspirium," 3. Theodore: "Disorientation," 4. Half Alive: "Still Feel," 5. Squirrel Flower: "Conditions," 6. Buke & Gase: "No Land," 7. Amber Arcades: "Goodnight Europe"	09.11.2018
		New Music Friday: Sep. 7 This week's essential new releases includes Paul McCartney's best album in 20 years, the funk and disco of St. Paul & The Broken Bones, dark and twisted sounds from the rap duo $UICIDEBOY$ and more. All Songs Considered's Robin Hilton is joined by NPR Music's Ann Powers, Lars Gotrich, Marissa Lorusso, Stephen Thompson and Rodney Carmichael. FEATURED ALBUMS: 1. St. Paul & The Broken Bones: Young Sick Camellia 2. Spiritualized: And Nothing Hurt 3. Shannen Moser: I'll Sing 4. $SUICIDEBOY$: I Want to Die in New Orleans 5. Paul McCartney: Egypt Station 6. MNEK: Language 7. Mirah: Understanding 8. Amnesia Scanner: Another Life. OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES FOR SEP. 7: Paul Simon: In the Blue Light; Eric Bachmann: No Recover; Seinabo Sey: I'm A Dream; Kandace Spring: Indigo; Estelle: Lovers Rock; Jeff The Brotherhood: Magik Songs; Mothers: Render Another Ugly Method; Steven A. Clark: Where Neon Goes to Die	09.07.2018
		Paul Simon Says 'I'm Finished' Writing Music In this candid conversation with All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen, Paul Simon reveals he hasn't felt compelled to write a new song in years, talks about the desire to better know himself and reflects on the very meaning of life itself.	09.05.2018
		New Music Friday: Aug. 31 All Songs Considered's Robin Hilton talks with NPR Music's Ann Powers and Stephen Thompson about the essential new albums out on Aug. 31, including music from Big Red Machine (a new side project of Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner of The National), the pop paradise of singer Troye Sivan, a tribute to Roger Miller and more. Featured Albums: Big Red Machine: Big Red Machine; Troye Sivan: Bloom; Saintseneca: Pillar of Na; Aaron Lee Tasjan: Karma for Cheap; Tash Sultana: Flow State; Various Artists: King of the Road: A Tribute to Roger Miller; Other Notable Releases for Aug. 31: Amos Lee: My New Moon; Madeleine Peyroux: Anthem; Bun B: Return of the Trill; Anna Calvi: Hunter; Idles: Joy as an Act of Resistance; Passenger: Runaway	08.31.2018
		New Mix: Cat Power, Laura Gibson, Greg Laswell, More After spending much of the past month on the Newport Folk Festival, 50th anniversary of The Band's Songs from Big Pink, Aretha Franklin, the Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+ and more, we're finally back with an all-new mix. This week's episode includes the return of Cat Power, singer Laura Gibson, new music from Tiny Desk Contest winner Gaelynn Lea and more. Full playlist: 1. Gabby's World: "Rear View," 2. Cat Power: "Woman," 3. Anna Calvi: "Don't Beat The Girl Out Of My Boy," 4. Sam Phillips: "How Much Is Enough?" 5. Oh Pep!: "What's The Deal With David?" 6. Greg Laswell: "Royal Empress," 7. Gaelynn Lea: "The Last Three Feet," 8. Laura Gibson: "Tenderness"	08.28.2018
		New Music Friday For Aug. 24 All Songs Considered's Robin Hilton talks with Ann Powers, Jewly Hight, Sidney Madden and Stephen Thompson about the essential albums out on Aug. 24. This includes the drone rock of Nothing and delicate piano work of Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds, French-American rapper Bas, the return of DeVotchka and more. FEATURED ALBUMS: White Denim: Performance; Nothing: Dance on the Blacktop; Ólafur Arnalds: re:member; Bas: Milky Way; Interpol: Marauder; DeVotchka: This Night Falls Forever; Lucie Silvas: E.G.O. OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES FOR AUG 24: BTS: Love Yourself: ANSWER; Joey Dosik: Inside Voice; The Lemon Twigs: Go To School; Rubblebucket: Sun Machine; Blood Orange: Negro Swan; Tuung: Songs You Make At Night; Dee White: Southern Gentleman; Gabriel Kahane: Book of Travels; Glenn Jones: The Giant Who Ate Himself	08.24.2018
		The Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+ On this week's show, All Songs Considered's Robin Hilton talks with Ann Powers, Marissa Lorusso and Sidney Madden about some of the greatest songs released by women and non-binary artists in the past 18 years. Earlier this summer NPR Music, along with dozens of other writers, compiled a list of the 200 Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+ as part of our Turning the Tables series, an ongoing effort to make the canon of popular music more inclusive – and accurate. Together they share some of the songs that made the list, explain how they were chosen and discuss the ways women and non-binary musicians are still routinely undervalued and underrepresented.	08.21.2018

LAST EPISODE

New Music Friday: Feb. 15

02.15.2019

Our list of the best albums out this week includes the first new music from funk and R&B; legend Chaka Khan in 12 years, the cinematic, transporting sounds of Yann Tiersen, bubblegum punk from Sir Babygirl and more. Host Robin ...