NPR Music

The best new albums out this week include the latest from psych-pop mainstays The Flaming Lips, singer Freya Ridings' stunning debut full-length, Houston rapper Maxo Kream and more. FEATURED ALBUMS: 1. Freya Ridings - 'Freya Ridings,' 2. Tony Molina - 'Songs From San Mateo County,' 3. IDER - 'Emotional Education,' 4. Maxo Kream - 'Brandon Banks,' 5. The Flaming Lips - 'The King's Mouth,' 6. Ada Lea - 'What We Say In Private,' 7. avery r. young - 'tubman.,' 8. Lingua Ignota - 'Caligula.' OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES FOR JULY 19: Beyoncé - Lion King: The Gift; Jacob Collier - Djesse IIs; Generationals - Reader as Detective; Murs & 9th Wonder - Night Shift; Saul Williams - Encrypted & Vulnerable; Sum41 - Order in Decline.

Host Bob Boilen goes solo for this week's essential new mix, with defiant joy from Wilco, the atmospherics of Brian Eno, new discoveries from Erin Durant and Pearla, a side-project for Sylvan Esso's Nick Sanborn and more. 1. Wilco: "Love Is Everywhere (Beware)," 2. Pearla: "Daydream," 3. Khruangbin: "Mary Always," 4. Erin Durant: "Rising Sun," 5. Rosenau & Sanborn: "Saturday," 6. Bon Iver: "Jelmore," Brian Eno: "The End of a Thin Cord"

GoldLink joined NPR Music's Sidney Madden from the BBC in London to discuss his new album, Diaspora, rapid gentrification in D.C. and what he's learned about the universal black experience.

1. Imperial Teen: Now We Are Timeless; 2. Mal Blum: Pity Boy; 3. Africa Express: EGOLI; 4. Big K.R.I.T.: K.R.I.T. IZ HERE; 5. Ed Sheeran: No. 6 Collaborations Project; 6. Blood Orange: Angel's Pulse; 7. Various: Tiny Changes: A Celebration of the Midnight Organ Fight; 8. K.Flay: Solutions. OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES FOR JULY 12: Bleached - Don't You Think You've Had Enough?; The Dolly Rots - Daydream Explosion; Félicia Atkinson - The Flower and the Vessel (released 7/5); Jesca Hoop - Stone Child (released 7/5); Kyle Craft - Showboat Honey; METZ - Automat; Sigur Rós - Ágætis byrjun: A Good Beginning; Tycho - Weather.

To be clear, sad songs make up the majority of this week's All Songs Considered. So, if you have a love for the type of music you might hear from Julien Baker or Japanese Breakfast, we have five new artists to add to your playlist, including a 19-year-old singer from Belgium who goes by the name Asia; The artist known as Dolly Valentine asks, "Do you know where you want to go?" And there are more beautiful but crushing tunes brought to you by "the dream team," of NPR's Lyndsey McKenna and Marissa Lorusso. Featured Tracks: 1. Joseph: "Fighter," 2. Long Beard: "Sweetheart," 3. Strange Ranger: "Message to You," 4. Asia: "Church," 5. Bad Heaven Ltd.: "bed," 6. Dolly Valentine: "Michigan, 1997."

For the past year, NPR has been taking a deep look at American anthems and all the forms they can take. These are the songs that unite us, inspire us or say something about what it means to be an American — songs as traditional as Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land," or as defiant as Public Enemy's "Fight the Power." On this special edition of All Songs Considered, NPR's Elizabeth Blair and Tom Cole share highlights from this ongoing series, along with some of the stories behind their favorite tracks, from "America The Beautiful" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" to Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." and Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man."

Our list for this week's best new albums includes a solo release from Thom Yorke, the return of garage rock stalwarts They Black Keys, a new project from Freddie Gibbs and Madlib and more. FEATURED ALBUMS: Black Keys: Let's Rock; Gena Rose Bruce: Can't Make You Love Me; Thom Yorke: ANIMA; Freddie Gibbs & Madlib: Bandana; Runaway June: Blue Roses; Chris Staples: Holy Moly; Daughter of Swords: Dawnbreaker; Dizzy Fae: NO GMO; OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES FOR JUNE 28: The Appleseed Cast: The Fleeing Light of Impermanence; B52s: Cosmic Thing; Erin Durant: Islands; Foy Vance: From Muscle Shoals; Ingrid Michaelson: Stranger Songs; Outer Spaces: Gazing Globe; The Small Glories: Assiniboine & The Red.

Most cities tend to have a voice, but few quite as loud or fascinating as Seattle's. This is a city that gave us Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana and Pearl Jam but also the softer sounds of Fleet Foxes, The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie.I wondered just what's bubbling up in Seattle. So I went to NPR member station KEXP, a hugely important voice in the Seattle scene, now and in the past as KCMU. Kevin Cole is someone I trust implicitly. He's been at KEXP for 20 years and is the Chief Content Officer and the afternoon DJ. The musical landscape we explore on this episode of All Songs Considered is deeper than the guitar-based music we've come to know from Seattle. You'll hear everything from sonic laptop adventures in hip-hop to post-horncore. Yup, you read that right: menacing punk energy with brass. I love Seattle.

It's another packed release week; Lil Nas X's debut EP is finally here, along with a posthumous release from Prince, a solo album from producer Mark Ronson, the return of The Raconteurs and more. FEATURED ALBUMS: Black Pumas: Black Pumas; Bedouine: Bird Songs of a Killjoy; The Raconteurs: Help Us Stranger; Prince: Originals; Hatchie: Keepsake; Mark Ronson: Late Night Feelings; Lil Nas X: 7. OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES FOR JUNE 21: Blick Bassy: 1958; Cassius: Dreems; Black Midi: Schlagenheim; Buddy and Judy Miller: Breakdown on 20th Avenue South; Fruit Bats: Gold Past Life; Gucci Mane: Delusions of Grandeur; Mannequin Pussy: Patience; Pell: Gravity; Titus Andronicus: An Obelisk; Willie Nelson: Ride Me Back Home.

The first half of 2019 has given us a lot of emerging artists to celebrate, from Lil Nas X and his insanely catchy (and endlessly meme-able) "Old Town Road" remix featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, to the Irish punk group Fontaines D.C. On this episode of All Songs Considered we count down the top ten most-mentioned new artists as selected by listeners in our recent online poll.