NPR Music

Is classical music dying? No. But its institutions, artists and promoters took some hits in the past decade, from bankruptcies to sexual harassment. Still, along the way, we heard a lot of terrific music.

On this episode of All Songs Considered, we look at the roller coaster ride of high points and derailments in classical music. Symphony Orchestras and opera companies floundered financially, some going belly up and others rebounding as newly created organizations flourished. Women seemed to take a few steps forward and a few backward: While five of the last ten music Pulitzers were awarded to women, their music was conspicuously absent from our symphony halls. And tragically, both women and men, in many facets of classical music, were victims of sexual abuse and harassment.

Anne Midgette, the author and classical music critic for The Washington Post, joins NPR Music's Tom Huizenga for this discussion.

It's a packed release week, with new albums from Chairlift's Caroline Polachek, the rapper Gucci Mane, warped hip-hop from clipping., the electronic artist Floating Points and more.

1. Foals - 'Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 2'
2. Patrick Watson - 'Wave'
3. Caroline Polachek - 'Pang'
4. clipping. - 'There Existed an Addiction to Blood'
5. Vagabon - 'Vagabon'
6. Gucci Mane - 'Woptober II'
7. Floating Points - 'Crush'
8. Common Holly - 'When I Say to You Black Lightning'
9. Hovvdy - 'Heavy Lifter'
10. Walrus - 'Cool to Who'

Other Notable Releases For Oct. 18: Anna Wise — As if it Were Forever; Battles — Juice B Crypts; Corridor — Junior; Jim James — The Order of Nature; Jimmy Eat World — Surviving; Mark Lanegan — Somebody's Knocking; Milk Carton Kids — The Only Ones (ep); The Muffs — No Holiday; Sufjan Stevens — The Decalogue; Tamino — Amir; Third Eye Blind — Screamer; White Reaper — You Deserve Love.

Our series looking back at the past decade in music continues with a conversation about social media and how it's allowed (for better or worse) the rise of super fans, otherwise known as stans.

NPR Music's Sidney Madden talks with reporter Joshua Bote from USA Today, along with NPR Music's Stephen Thompson and Ann Powers about the ways standom has empowered artists in positive ways while also fueling cancel culture.

In the first of a series of conversations about the past decade in music, we examine some of the ways the singer, songwriter, producer and businesswoman helped steer the 2010s in new directions.

The 17-year-old pop star talks NPR Music's Stephen Thompson about getting through her teenaged years, directing her own videos, experiencing art with synesthesia and more in this interview, recorded live on stage at Austin's ACL Music Festival.

Our shortlist of the best new albums out this week incudes Big Thief's Two Hands, rapper Lil' Kim's first new studio project in 14 years, a solo album from Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon and more.

FEATURED ALBUMS:
1. Elbow - 'Giants of All Sizes'
2. Big Thief - 'Two Hands'
3. Kim Gordon - 'No Home Record'
4. Lil' Kim - '9'
5. Lightning Bolt - 'Sonic Citadel'
6. Babymetal - 'Metal Galaxy'

OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES FOR OCT. 11:
Allah-Las — LAHS; Art Alexakis — Sun Songs; Cursive — Get Fixed; Emily King — Change of Scenery (EP); Ensemble Resonanz & Moses Sumnney — Dessner: Tenebre; Freddie Mercury — Never Boring (Box Set); Joseph Arthur — Come Back World; Mark Kozelek & Petra Hayden — Joey Always Smiled; Matt Pond & Chris Hansen — An Orchestrated Impulse; Son Little — Invisible (EP); Starcrawler — Devour You; Wale — Wow ...That's Crazy.

In this guest DJ session from All Songs Considered, Tweedy talks about Wilco's new album, Ode to Joy, and the importance of appreciating life's smallest moments.

It's a packed release week, with new albums from R&B singer Summer Walker, The Avett Brothers, Angel Olsen, Wilco, Danny Brown and more. Host Robin Hilton is joined by NPR Music's Lyndsey McKenna, Rodney Carmichael, Sidney Madden and Stephen Thompson as they share their picks for the week's best new albums.

FEATURED ALBUMS:
1. The Avett Brothers - 'Closer Than Together'
Featured songs: "Locked Up" and "Bleeding White"
2. Angel Olsen - 'All Mirrors'
Featured songs: "What It Is" and "New Love Cassette"
3. Wilco - 'Ode to Joy'
Featured song: "Citizens"
4. Summer Walker - 'Over It'
Featured songs: "Come Thru" and "Fun Girl"
5. Dermot Kennedy - 'Without Fear'
Featured song: "Lost"
6. Danny Brown - 'unknowhatimsayin'
Featured song: "Savage Nomad"
7. San Fermin - 'The Cormorant I'
Featured songs: "Saints" and "Hickman Creek"

OTHER NOTABLE OCT. 04 RELEASES:
City and Colour — A Pill for Loneliness; The Darkness — Easter is Canceled; DIIV — Deceiver; Gatecreeper — Deserted; Lightning Dust — Spectre; Lisa Prank — Perfect Love Song; Nick Cave — Ghosteen; The North Mississippi Allstars — Up and Rolling; The Penguin Café — Handfuls of Night; Robert Glasper — F*** Yo Feelings; Supa Bwe — Jaguar; That Dog. — Old LP.

The Talking Head, author, cyclist and creative soul talks about "Reasons to be Cheerful," a story-based project to lift your spirits. He also talks about his "American Utopia" tour, now on Broadway.

The son of the late Beatles producer George Martin reveals how he remixed the final album all four members of the band made together.