NPR Music

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"

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

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"

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

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.

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

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"

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

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.

New Music Friday returns from a two-week break with some of 2018's most anticipated releases, including Death Cab For Cutie's Thank You For Today, Mitski's Be The Cowboy, Ariana Grande's Sweetener and more.