We look back at Arcade Fire's monumental debut album, why it was so special, the ways it changed the musical landscape, and how it sounds two decades later.

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NPR Music's Ann Powers and Hazel Cills are your guides to the best music out this Friday, Sept. 13, including the 10th studio album by Miranda Lambert. Postcards From Texas is a new chapter for the onetime Nashville Star contestant who has become one of that industry town's most reliable songwriters and stars — and also a return to her home state.

There's more, including a album by Robyn Hitchcock made up mostly of covers of songs from 1967, a year he describes as "a portal between childhood and the adult world." Plus: three ambitious albums by indie faves stretching their sounds, and a consideration of the way the classic "outlaw" label applies to the careers of women who break the rules.

Featured albums:
• Miranda Lambert, Postcards from Texas
• Nilüfer Yanya, My Method Actor
• Foxing, Foxing
• Robyn Hitchcock, 1967: Vacations in the Past
• My Brightest Diamond, Fight the Real Terror

For the complete list of albums out Sept. 13 and to stream our New Music Friday playlist, visit https://npr.org/music.

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'El Tiny' season at the Tiny Desk launches next week and this year it's all about love — familial and romantic, with drama fit for a telenovela. Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras preview this year's line-up, sharing a sneak peek at what 2024's 'El Tiny' has to offer.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Juanes, "Mala Gente"
•Juanes, "A Dios Le Pido"
•Ivan Cornejo, "Ya Te Perdí"
•Okan, "La Reina Del Norte"
•Eladio Carrión, "Mama's Boy"
•Daniel, Me Estás Matando, "Lo Hice, Te Dejé"
•Danny Ocean, "Me Rehúso"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Taylor Haney, with editorial support from Hazel Cills. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

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We update our running list of the year's best songs with the shapeshifting rock of Caleb Landry Jones, Angélica Garcia's dystopian grooves, a searing look at infidelity from Damien Jurado and more.

Featured songs and artists:
1. Caleb Landry Jones: "Hey Dawn," from Hey Gary, Hey Dawn
2. Angélica Garcia: "El Que," from Gemelo
3. Damien Jurado & The Fremont Abbeye: "Sheets ('24)," from Sheets ('24)
4. Laura Marling: "Patterns," from Patterns In Repeat
5. Carlos Ares: "Cigarra," from Peregrino
6. Melt-Banana: "Stopgap," from 3+5

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NPR Music's Daoud Tyler-Ameen and Ann Powers take you on a tour of the most exciting albums out Friday, Sept. 6

Featured albums:
• LL Cool J, 'The FORCE'
• MJ Lenderman, 'Manning Fireworks'
• Nala Sinephro, 'Endlessness'
• The Dare, 'What's Wrong with New York?'
• Toro Y Moi, 'Hole Erth'

For the complete list of new albums out this week and to stream our New Music Friday playlist, visit https://npr.org/music.

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Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras play some of their favorite new songs from the last few months, featuring globe-spanning electronica from Colombian producer Sinego, border-crossing new music from La Doña, nuanced salsa from Spanish Harlem Orchestra and more.

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We look ahead to the final big push of releases for 2024, with fall albums from Mount Eerie, SOPHIE, Soccer Mommy, a newly discovered Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan recording and more.

Featured albums:
1. SOPHIE: SOPHIE
2. Mount Eerie: Night Palace
3. Dua Saleh: I Should Call Them
4. Kim Deal: Nobody Loves You More
5. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: Chain Of Light
6. Soccer Mommy: Evergreen
7. Katie Gavin: What A Relief
8. Oliver Coates: Throb, shiver, arrow of time
9. Nubya Garcia: Odyssey

Other most-anticipated releases for fall 2024:
Bright Eyes: Five Dice, All Threes
Porridge Radio: Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me
Jamie xx: In Waves
Thurston Moore: Flow Critical Lucidity
Alan Sparhawk: White Roses, My God
Billy Strings: Highway Prayers
Christian Lee Hutson: Paradise Pop. 10
Mickey Guyton: House On Fire
Broadcast: Distant Call - Collected Demos 2000-2006
Dawn Richard, Spencer Zahn: Quiet in a World Full of Noise
Orla Gartland: Everybody Needs a Hero
Yasmin Williams: Acadia
The Linda Lindas: No Obligation
Japandroids: Fate & Alcohol
Laura Marling: Patterns in Repeat
Pixies: The Night the Zombies Came
Charley Crockett: Visions of Dallas


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The best albums out this week include Wild God from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Doechii's Alligator Bites Never Heal, Jon Hopkins' Ritual and more.

Featured Albums:
• Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Wild God
• Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
• Enumclaw, Home In Another Life
• Ellen Reid, Big Majestic
• Laurie Anderson, Amelia
• Jon Hopkins, Ritual

Other notable releases for Aug. 30:
• Muni Long, Revenge
• Emily D'Angelo, Freezing
• AWOLNATION, The Phantom Five
• Big Sean, Better Me Than You
• Shemekia Copeland, Blame It on Eve
• Tycho, Infinite Health
• Zedd, Telos
• Chelsea Wolfe, Undone EP
• Tank & the Bangas, The Heart, The Mind, The Soul
• The Cactus Blossoms, Every Time I Think About You
• Caleb Caudle, Sweet Critters
• Amy Rigby, Hang in There With Me
• Noah Kahan, Stick Season (Live From Fenway Park)

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The latest update to our running list of the year's best songs includes tips for staying engaged, being happy and letting go from Arooj Aftab, Great Grandpa, Japandroids and more.

Featured artists and songs:
1. Arooj Aftab: "Raat Ki Rani," from Night Reign
2. The Smile: "Don't Get Me Started" (Single)
3. Japandroids: "D&T," from Fate & Alcohol
4. Peter Cat Recording Co.: "I Deny Me," from Beta
5. Great Grandpa: "Kid" (Single)
6. Yasmin Williams: "Virga (feat. Darlingside)," from Acadia

Like the show? Tell a friend and leave us a review in Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.

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NPR Music's Stephen Thompson and Sheldon Pearce are your guides to seven anticipated albums out Aug. 23. During the second half of the episode, the two dig into the mercurial nature of the album format in 2024.

Featured albums:
- Sabrina Carpenter, 'Short n' Sweet'
- Lainey Wilson, 'Whirlwind'
- Illuminati hotties, 'POWER'
- Fontaines D.C., 'Romance'
- Heems, 'Veena'
- Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, 'Woodland'
- Magdalena Bay, 'Imaginal Disk'

See the longer list of albums out August 23 and stream our New Music Friday playlist at https://npr.org/music.

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