Is April, as T.S. Eliot put it, the cruelest month? We reflect on the question with a mix that's both cringe-inducing and hilarious, from the cruelest takedowns to the most insidious earworms.

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NPR Music's Ann Powers and Hazel Cills dig into Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department,' which hit streaming services last night, and share a handful of other new albums out Friday, April 19.

Featured Albums:
? Taylor Swift, 'The Tortured Poets Department'
? Bbymutha, 'Sleep Paralysis'
? claire rousay, 'sentiment'
? Pearl Jam, 'Dark Matter'

Other notable albums out April 19:
? Stephanie Lambring, 'Hypocrite'
? Cadence Weapon, 'ROLLERCOASTER'
? Tei Shi, 'Valerie'
? Ekko Astral, 'pink balloons'
? Bill Frisell, 'Orchestras'
? BIG|BRAVE, 'A Chaos of Flowers'
? Blue Lab Beats, 'Blue Eclipse'
? Chanel Beads, 'Your Day Will Come'
? Local Natives, 'But I'll Wait For You'
? Gangrene (The Alchemist & Oh No), 'Heads I Win, Tails You Lose'
? Brian Eno, 'Eno'
? Cloud Nothings, 'Final Summer'
? Melvins, 'Tarantula Heart'
? Mozzy, 'CHILDREN OF THE SLUMS'
? Lucy Rose, 'This Ain't The Way You Go Out'
? Pillow Queens, 'Name Your Sorrow'
? A Certain Ratio, 'It All Comes Down To This'
? Cavalier, 'Different Type Time'
? Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds, 'That Delicious Vice'
? T Bone Burnett, 'The Other Side'

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Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras round up their favorite new music, from Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko's boundary-pushing new music, to Alejandro Escovedo's genre-bending rock and Angelica Garcia's electro-cumbia.

Songs featured in this episode:
? Young Miko, "Tamagotchi"
? The Mavericks, "Moon & Stars (with Sierra Ferrell)"
? Angelica Garcia, "Juanita"
? Alejandro Escovedo, "Castañuelas"
? Nella, Yendry, "Veinte Años"
? Sheila E., "Bemba Colorá (ft. Gloria Estefan and Mimy Succar)"

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This week's update to our list of the year's best songs includes thunderous shoegaze from Wisp, a classic Cuban piano piece from Dánae Olano, a deeply moving story from Pedro The Lion and more.

Featured artists and songs:
1. Pedro The Lion: "Modesto," from 'Santa Cruz'
2. Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti & Frank Rosaly: "Destejer," from 'Mestizx'
3. Sheila E.: "Bemba Colorá (feat. Gloria Estefan)," from 'Bailar'
4. Lizzy McAlpine: "I Guess," from 'Older'
5. Dánae Olano: "Danzón para la abuela" from 'Children's Corner'
6. Wisp: "Pandora" from 'Pandora' EP

Questions, comments, feedback, suggestions? Emaill us: [email protected]

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NPR Music's Sheldon Pearce and WRTI's Nate Chinen take you through the biggest new releases of the week, including Maggie Rogers, Shabaka Hutchings and more.

Featured albums:
- Shabaka, 'Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace'
- Maggie Rogers, 'Don't Forget Me'
- Lizz Wright, 'Shadow'
- Leyla McCalla, 'Sun Without the Heat'

Other notable albums out April 5:
- METZ, 'Up On Gravity Hill'
- Caroline Davis & Wendy Eisenberg, 'Accept When'
- girl in red, 'I'M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!'
- Future & Metro Boomin, 'We Still Don't Trust You'
- Nia Archives, 'Silence is Loud'
- V/A, 'My Black Country - The Songs of Alice Randall'
- Still House Plants, 'If I don?'?t make it, I love u'
- Clarissa Connelly, 'World of Work'
- Meshell Ndegeocello, 'Red Hot and Ra: The Magic City'
- Bad Bad Hats, 'Bad Bad Hats'
- Dave Douglas, 'GIFTS'
- BODEGA, 'Our Brand Could Be Yr Life'
- English Teacher, 'This Could Be Texas'
- James Elkington & Nathan Salsburg, 'All Gist'
- Mark Knopfler, 'One Deep River'
- The Ophelias, 'Ribbon' EP
- Tusks, 'Gold'
- Raphael Schön, 'Heart Times'
- Sunburned Hand of the Man, 'Nimbus'
- Rejoicer, 'This Is Reasonable'
- Aaron Lee Tasjan, 'Stellar Evolution'
- Dolo Percussion, 'DOLO 6'
- Baby Blue, 'Of My Window'
- The Reds, Pinks & Purples, 'Unwishing Well'
- Water Damage, 'In E'
- Will Hoge, 'Tenderhearted Boys'
- Jess Ribeiro, 'Summer of Love'
- Sunbeam Sound Machine, 'Soft Signal' EP

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"Weird Al" Yankovic helps curate a mix of some of the funniest songs of all time, from classics like Tom Lehrer's "The Elements," to more fringe discoveries from The Hazzards, Tonio K. and more.

Featured artists and songs:
1. Tonio K: "H-A-T-R-E-D"
2. Robbie Fulks: "Fountains of Wayne Hotline"
3. Tenacious D: "Tribute"
4. Spike Jones: "Der Fuehrer's Face"
5. Bill Oddie: "BLIMPHT"
6. The Hazzards: "Just A Temp"
7. Garfunkel and Oates: "Google"
8. Tom Lehrer: "The Elements"
9. Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Erika Henningsen, Ashley Park & Busy Philipps: "Famous 5eva"
10. Flight of the Conchords: "Hiphopopotamus Vs. Rhymenocerous (featuring Rhymenocerous And The Hiphopapoatumus)"
11. Shel Silverstein: "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take The Garbage Out"
12. Weird Al: "One More Minute"
13. Weird Al: "The Saga Continues"
14. Bad Lip Reading: "Seagulls! (Stop It Now)"
15. Fun With Animals: "Goin' To Pasadena"
16. Spinal Tap: "Big Bottom"
17. The Lonely Island: "Lazy Sunday"

Feedback, questions, comments, suggestions? Email us: [email protected]

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It's a big week for fans of early aughts rock bands, with new releases from The Black Keys and Vampire Weekend hitting streaming services. Kick back with NPR Music's Stephen Thompson and World Cafe host Raina Douris as they run through the new albums you need to know about.

Featured albums:
1. The Black Keys, 'Ohio Players'
2. Vampire Weekend, 'Only God Was Above Us'
3. Katie Pruitt, 'Mantras'
4. Khruangbin, 'A La Sala'

Other notable releases for April 5, 2024:
? Phosphorescent, 'Revelator'
? Grace Cummings, 'Ramona'
? Young Miko, 'att.'
? Adam Wiltzie, 'Eleven Fugues For Sodium Pentothal'
? Fabiana Palladino, s/t
? Vegyn, 'The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions'
? Benson Boone, 'Fireworks and Rollerblades'
? Jane Weaver, 'Love in Constant Spectacle'
? José James, '1978'
? Lizzy McAlpine, 'Older'
? Melissa Aldana, 'Echoes of the Inner Prophet'
? Mount Kimbie, 'The Sunset Violent'
? Pernice Brothers, 'Who Will You Believe'
? Sheila E., 'Bailar'
? Sinkane, 'We Belong'
? TisaKorean, 'MUMU 8818'


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The release of Beyoncés Cowboy Carter has sparked a national conversation about who gets to sing country music and the complex roots of the genre. Which got Alt.Latino thinking ? what about the Latinos in country?

This week, Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras travel to Austin, Texas to speak with AmeriChicana musician Carrie Rodriguez about the difference between violin and fiddle, strings and "strangs," and who gets to play country music.

Songs featured:
?Carin Leon, Leon Bridges: "It Was Always You (Siempre Fuiste Tu)"
?Cuco Sanchez: "La Cama de Piedra"
?Merle Haggard: "Big City"
?Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys: "San Antonio Rose"
?Robert Earl Keen: "Feelin' Good Again"
?Chip Taylor, Carrie Rodriguez: "Dirty Little Texas Story"
?Eva Garza: "Quiero Verte Una Vez Mas"
?Rick Trevino: "Doctor Time"
?Ruben Ramos: "Crying Time"
?Sammy Arriaga: "Tennessee Whiskey - Spanglish"
?The Mavericks: "There Goes My Heart"
?Louie TheSinger: "Come and Take It"
?Carrie Rodriguez: "I Dreamed I Was Lola Beltran"
?
Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino, and 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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Our friends at Pop Culture Happy Hour dig into the highly anticipated Cowboy Carter and consider whether Beyoncé is knocking down the doors of the country establishment, or looking for validation.

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We update our running list of the year's best songs with Charlotte Day Wilson's beguiling "Canopy," wry punk from Gustaf, a breathtaking new solo work from Adrianne Lenker and more.

Featured artists and songs:

1. Gustaf: "Starting and Staring," from 'Package, Pt. 2'
2. Mustafa: "Imaan" (Single)
3. Adrianne Lenker: "No Machine," from 'Bright Future'
4. Charlotte Day Wilson: "Canopy," from 'Cyan Blue'
5. Gary Clark Jr.: "Maktub," from 'JPEG RAW'
6. Nourished by Time: "Hell of a Ride," from 'Catching Chickens'

Questions, comments, suggestions, general feedback? Email us: [email protected]

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Shakira just released her first album in seven years, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, and most listeners and critics have high praise. But this episode of Alt.Latino puts the record to the test.

Felix Contreras, Anamaria Sayre and NPR's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento talk about what makes a Shakira record a Shakira record, how pop artists reinvent themselves and loving your favorite artists even if you don't always love their music.

Songs featured in this episode:
?Shakira: "Puntería"
?Shakira: "La Fuerte"
?Shakira: "Obtener un Si"
?Shakira: "El Jefe"
?Paul Simon: "You Can Call me Al"
?Shakira: "Cómo Dónde y Cuándo"
?Santana: "Smooth"
?Shakira: "Cohete"
?Karol G, Shakira: "TQG"
?Miles Davis: "Bitches Brew"
?Shakira: "Monotonía"
?Shakira: "Escondite Ingles"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino, and 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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Beyoncé's breathlessly-anticipated Act II: Cowboy Carter is finally here, and NPR Music's Sheldon Pearce shares his initial reactions after staying up late to listen to the album as soon as it hit streaming services.

But Queen Bey isn't the only artist with a new album worthy of discovery and dissection this week, and Sheldon is joined by Ann Powers to talk about a handful of other albums that deserve celebration. Those include a pair of albums ? by Reyna Tropical and Kelly Moran ? shaped by tragedy and its aftermath.

Featured albums:
1. Beyoncé, Act II: Cowboy Carter
2. Reyna Tropical: Malegría
3. Kelly Moran: Moves in the Field
4. Chastity Belt: Live, Laugh, Love

Other notable releases for March 29, 2024:
? Alejandro Escovedo, Echo Dancing
? Chicano Batman, Notebook Fantasy
? Dawn Landes, The Liberated Woman's Songbook
? Jim White, All Hits: Memories
? Kenny Chesney, BORN
? Rico Nasty & Boys Noize, HVRDC0RE DR3MZ EP
? Ride, Interplay
? Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, Revelations
? Shabazz Palaces, Exotic Birds of Prey
? Sheryl Crow, Evolution

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It's music to the rescue on this week's All Songs Considered, with a mix of songs to slow the blood, including the one track scientists believe can reduce anxiety by up to 65%.

Featured songs and artists:
? Marconi Union: "Weightless"
? Mary Lattimore: "Wawa by the Ocean" from 'Collected Pieces'
? Van-Anh Nguyen and Noshika Masuda: "Spiegel im Spiegel" by Arvo Pärt
? Brian McBride: "Girl Nap" from 'The Effective Disconnect'
? Laraaji: "Meditation No. 1" from 'Day of Radiance'
? Arooj Aftab: "Saans Lo" from 'Vulture Prince'
? Eluvium: "One" from 'Talk Amongst The Trees'
? Enya: "Watermark" from 'Watermark'
? Adele: "Somoene Like You" from '21'
? Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, John Pritchard & London ? Philharmonic Orchestra: "O Mio babbino caro" from 'Kiri Te Kanawa Sings Puccini and Verdi'
? Yo La Tengo: "Our Way To Fall" from 'And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out'
? Cassandra Jenkins: "Hard Drive" from 'An Overview of Phenomenal Nature'
? Ruth Laredo: "Clair de Lune" from 'My First Recital'
? Rachika Nayar: "Our Wretched Fantasy" from 'Heaven Come Crashing'
? Radiohead: "Everything in its Right Place" from 'Kid A'
? Clem Snide: "Nick Drake Tape" from 'A Beautiful EP'

Visit our site to see the Top 10 songs scientists say are the most relaxing.

Feedback? Write us: [email protected]
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NPR Music's Rodney Carmichael interviews the rap visionary about her new album, faking it until you make it and why success can breed suicidal thoughts.

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 9-8-8, or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

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Though it isn't quite as packed with huge names as last week, we're digging through another robust assortment of terrific albums. Daoud Tyler-Ameen and Stephen Thompson open by hailing Tigers Blood, the latest album from a singer-songwriter ? Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee ? who sounds more assured and potent than ever.

Plus: inescapably catchy global pop from South African singer Tyla, genre-straddling roots music from Sierra Ferrell, indescribable electronic compositions from Jlin and more.

Featured albums:
1. Waxahatchee, Tigers Blood
2. Tyla, Tyla
3. Sierra Ferrell, Trail of Flowers
4. Jlin, Akoma

Other notable releases for March 22:
? Rosie Tucker, 'Utopia Now!'
? Empress Of, 'For Your Consideration'
? Adrianne Lenker, 'Bright Future'
? The Jesus and Mary Chain, 'Glasgow Eyes'
? Future & Metro Boomin, 'We Don't Trust You'
? SiR, 'HEAVY'
? Good Morning, 'Seven'
? Tatyana, 'It's Over'
? Aoife O'Donovan, 'All My Friends'
? Brothers Osborne, 'Break Mine'
? Cakes da Killa, 'Black Sheep'
? Matt Champion (of Brockhampton), 'Mika's Laundry'
? Gary Clark Jr., 'JPEG RAW'
? Glass Beams, 'Mahal'
? Gossip, 'Real Power'
? Julia Holter, 'Something in the Room She Moves'
? Nourished by Time, 'Catching Chickens' EP
? Rosali, 'Bite Down'
? Shakira, 'Las Mujeres La No Lloran'

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The weather's heating up and so are the music releases. The hosts of Alt.Latino share their most quintessentially them picks, with Latin jazz across the board from Felix and indie pop-rock bops from Ana.

The two sit down to ping-pong favorite picks back and forth from different parts of the country ? plus, Felix puts Ana's picks to an impromptu test.

Featured tracks:

Lara Project, "Extraños"
Julieta Eugenio, "Breath I"
Esteman, Villano Antillano, "Noches de Verano"
Rodrigo Recabarren, Pablo Menares, Yago Vazquez, "Santiago"
Elsa y Elmar, "Entre Las Piernas"
Hurray For The Riff Raff, "Hawkmoon"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino and 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 tally of the year's best contenders with the effervescent Bombay Bicycle Club, Residente's epic and profound "313," cellist Maya Beiser's take on Terry Riley's In C and more.

Alt.Latino's Anamaria Sayre and NPR Music's Tom Huizenga join host Robin Hilton

Featured Artists And Songs:
1. Bombay Bicycle Club: "Willow (feat. Lucy Rose)," from 'Fantasies'
2. Ela Taubert: "Como Paso" (single)
3. Jlin: "Sodalite (feat. Kronos Quartet)," from 'Akoma'
4. Maya Hawke: "Missing Out," from 'Chaos Angel'
5. Residente: "313" from 'LAS LETRAS YA NO IMPORTAN'
6. Maya Beiser: "In C," from 'Maya Beiser x Terry Riley: In C'

Questions, comments, feedback? Email us: [email protected]

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It feels like the first major springtime release week of 2024. Ann Powers and Daoud Tyler-Ameen discuss the hotly awaited album by Kacey Musgraves and the full-length debut by Tierra Whack, plus more.

Featured albums:
1. Kacey Musgraves, Deeper Well
2. Tierra Whack, World Wide Whack
3. Justin Timberlake, Everything I Thought It Was
4. The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis, The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis

Other notable releases for March 15
? Four Tet, Three
? The Black Crowes, Happiness Bastards
? Charles Lloyd, The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow
? The Dandy Warhols, Rockmaker
? Holly Humberstone, work in progress EP
? Flo Milli, Fine Ho, Stay
? Elcamino, The Game Is The Game

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World Cafe's Raina Douris joins NPR's Sheldon Pearce and host Robin Hilton to talk about the most anticipated albums out this spring, including new ones from Vampire Weekend, Waxahatchee, Portishead's Beth Gibbons and more.

Featured artists, albums and songs:
Reyna Tropical: "Conexión Ancestral" from 'Malegría,' out March 29
Yaya Bey: "Chasing the Bus" from 'Ten Fold,' out May 10
METZ: "Entwined (Street Light Buzz)" from 'Up On Gravity Hill,' out April 12
Vampire Weekend: "Gen X Cops" from 'Only God Was Above Us,' out April 5
Shabaka: "End of Innocence" from 'Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace,' out April 12
Beth Gibbons: "Floating on a Moment" from 'Lives Outgrown,' out May 17
Waxahatchee: "365" from 'Tigers Blood,' out March 22
Amen Dunes: "Boys" from 'Death Jokes,' out May 10
girl in red: "Doing It Again" from 'I'm Doing It Again Baby!' out April 12

See a list of more of NPR Music's most anticipated albums for spring 2024.

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A wave of springtime releases might be just around the corner, but the biggest albums out this week are keeping things cool in an enticing variety of ways. Ann Powers and Hazel Cills discuss what Jack Antonoff, Norah Jones, Moor Mother's Camae Ayewa and Kim Gordon have in common, besides a common release date.

Featured albums:
1. Kim Gordon, The Collective
2. Bleachers, Bleachers
3. Norah Jones, Visions
4. Moor Mother, The Great Bailout

Other notable releases for March 8:
? Ariana Grande, Eternal Sunshine
? Bolis Pupul, Letter to Yu
? Judas Priest, Invincible Shield
? YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Compliments of Gravedigger Mountain
? Oisin Leech, Cold Sea
? Cyrille Aimée, à Fleur de Peau
? Dion, Girl Friends
? Chris Potter, Eagle's Point
? Torrey, Torrey
? Daniel Carter and Stefan Christoff, In the wind now
? homeshake, CD Wallet
? Pixies, At the BBC
? Meatbodies, Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom
? Ronnie Lion, Spanish Town
? Vanessa Bedoret, Eyes
? Charles Moothart, Black Holes Don't Choke
? Anja Huwe, Codes
? Erika Angell, The Obsession With Her Voice
? The Rhythm Method, Peachy
? The Hanging Stars, On A Golden Shore
? astrel k, The Foreign Department
? Observers, The Age of the Machine Entities

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Alt.Latino's Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras visited Cuba and give us an audio-rich tour of Havana.

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Brittany Luse, host of NPR's It's Been A Minute, joins NPR's Stephen Thompson and host Robin Hilton to update our running tally of songs that could end up on NPR Music's best-of-the-year lists.

Featured Tracks:

1. Empress Of: "Feminine," from For Your Consideration
2. Rosie Tucker: "All My Exes Live In Vortexes," from UTOPIA NOW!
3. Patrick Watson: "Perfect Day" (Single)
4. Summer Banton: "Boyfriend" (Single)
5. Madi Diaz: "God Person," from Weird Faith
6. Friko: "Get Numb To It," from Where we've been, Where we go from here


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Ann Powers and Sheldon Pearce discuss Faye Webster's Underdressed at the Symphony and a handful of the week's other brand new albums on which a musician's personality seems to be embodied by their voice ? even when the music is completely instrumental.

Featured albums:
1. Faye Webster, Underdressed at the Symphony
2. ScHoolboy Q, Blue Lips
3. Julian Lage, Speak To Me
4. Sheer Mag, Playing Favorites

Other notable releases for March 1:
Paula Cole, Lo
Jacob Collier, Djesse Vol. 4
Everything Everything, Mountainhead
Nils Frahm, Day
Hannah Frances, Keeper of the Shepherd
Ben Frost, Scope Neglect
Liam Gallagher & John Squire, Liam Gallagher & John Squire
Albert Hammond, Body of Work
Jahari Massamba Unit, Karriem Riggins & Madlib, YHWH is LOVE
Kaiser Chiefs, Kaiser Chiefs' Easy Eighth Album
Lang Lang, Saint-Saëns
Mannequin Pussy, I Got Heaven
Ministry, HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES
Pissed Jeans, Half Divorced
That Mexican OT, Texas Technician
Uranium Club, Infants Under the Bulb
Yard Act, Where's My Utopia?
De La Soul, 3 Feet High and Rising (35th Anniversary Edition)
Linda Smith, Nothing Else Matters and So I Liked Spring (reissues)


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Nothing on mainstream radio sounded like Beck's "Loser" when it dropped in 1994. Thirty years later, we explain why, look at its impact on the rise of slacker rock and how we still hear it today.

With KEXP's Cheryl Waters, NPR's Stephen Thompson and host Robin Hilton.

Beck tracks featured in this episode:
From 'Mellow Gold':
"Loser"
"Truck Driving Neighbor Downstairs (Yellow Sweat)"
"Beercan"
"Black Hole"
From 'Stereopathetic Soulmanure':
"Satan Gave Me A Taco"
"Rowboat"
From 'One Foot in the Grave':
"One Foot in the Grave"
Also featured:
Basehead: "Brand New Day" from 'Play with Toys'
Ween: "Push Th' Little Daisies" from 'Pure Guava'
King Missile: "Detachable Penis" from 'Happy Hour'
Pussy Galore: "Brick" from 'Sugars*** Sharp'
The Lemonheads: "Half The Time" from 'Lovey'
Guided By Voices: "#2 in the Model Home Series" from 'Vampire on Titus'
Sebadoh: "Soul and Fire" from 'Bubble & Scrape'
Pavement: "Cut Your Hair" from 'Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain'
Alex G: "Runner" from 'God Save the Animals'
Courtney Barnett: "History Eraser" from 'The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas'
Frankie Cosmos: "Apathy" from 'Vessel'
Beck: "F**** With My Head (Mountain Dew Rock)" from 'Mellow Gold'

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Ann Powers and Daoud Tyler-Ameen discuss Hurray for the Riff Raff's career-defining new album The Past Is Still Alive, along with a trio of other thrilling new releases that reveal the distinct strengths of the musicians behind them.

Featured albums:
1. Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Past Is Still Alive
2. Erika de Casier, Still (released Wednesday, Feb. 21)
3. Real Estate, Daniel
4. Mary Timony, Untame The Tiger

Other notable releases out Feb. 23:
? Daymé Arocena, Alkemi
? glaive, a bit of a mad one
? Glitterer, Rationale
? Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru, Souvenirs
? Corb Lund, El Viejo
? Mama Zu, Quilt Floor
? MGMT, Loss of Life
? Laetitia Sadier, Rooting for Love
? Nadine Shah, Filthy Underneath
? Rafael Toral, Spectral Evolution
? TWICE, With YOU-th

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Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre round up their favorite new music, including Southern Cone rock and cumbia, atmospheric vocals from the U.S. and even some delicate yet emotionally powerful music from the Catalan region of Spain.

Featured songs:
El Cuarteto de Nos: "Chivo Expiatorio (En Vivo)"
Helado Negro: "Best For You and Me"
La Yegros: "Bodas de Plumas"
Lau Noah: "If a tree falls in love with a river"
Daymé Arocena: "A Fuego Lento" (feat. Vicente García)
Residente: "Ron En El Piso"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino and 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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Host Robin Hilton hangs with composer and artist Julia Holter and NPR's Lars Gotrich to gab about their favorite new music, including the calming sounds of Helado Negro, Daisy Rickman and more.

Featured artists and songs:
1. Jessica Pratt: "Life Is" from 'Here In The Pitch'
2. Deerlady: "Masterpieces" from 'Greatest Hits'
3. Helado Negro: "Colores Del Mar" from 'Phasor'
4. Julia Holter: "Spinning" from 'Something in the Room She Moves'
5. Daisy Rickman: "Signpost to the Stars" from 'Howl'
6. Frances Chang: "Spiral in Houston" from 'Psychedelic Anxiety'
7. Jessika Kenney & Eyvind Kang: "Ocean" from 'Azure'

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NPR Music's Felix Contreras and WRTI's Nate Chinen run down new albums by Gaby Mareno, Les Amazones d'Afrique and more. Then, Nate Chinen is joined by NPR Music's Tom Huizenga to discuss the legacy and controversy around George Gershwin's masterpiece, "Rhapsody in Blue," which celebrated its centennial this week.

Featured albums out Feb. 16:
? Gaby Moreno, 'Dusk'
? Mike McGinnis +9, 'Outing: Road Trip II'
? Mike LeDonne and the Groover Quartet, 'Wonderful!'
? Nathalie Joachim, 'Ki moun ou ye'
? Les Amazones d'Afrique, 'Musow Danse'


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We asked listeners to tell us about a time they put a song on a mixtape or playlist to woo a crush. On this week's show, we share some of those songs ... and find out if they worked.

Featured Songs:

1. Peter Gabriel: "In Your Eyes"
2. Depeche Mode: "Somebody"
3. Erykah Badu: "Kiss Me On My Neck"
4. Madness: "It Must Be Love"
5. Mirah: "Dreamboat"
6. Q-Tip: "Vivrant Thing"
7. The Kinks: "Tired of Waiting for You"
8. The Magnetic Fields: "I Don't Want To Get Over You"
9. The Modern Lovers: "I Wanna Sleep In Your Arms"
10. Mazzy Star: "Fade Into You"

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Ann Powers and Sheldon Pearce listen to the new albums out on Feb. 9 ? including Brittany Howard's What Now ? and find themselves wondering about the cultural value of virtuosity in 2024.

Featured albums:
1. Brittany Howard, What Now
2. Joel Ross, nublues
3. Boldy James & Nicholas Craven, Penalty of Leadership (released Jan. 12)
4. Kali Malone, All Life Long
5. Sonic Youth, Walls Have Ears
6. Usher, Coming Home

Other notable albums out Feb. 9:
? Helado Negro, PHASOR
? Chelsea Wolfe, She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She
? Madi Diaz, Weird Faith
? Declan McKenna, What Happened To The Beach?
? Little Simz, Drop 7 EP
? Shygirl, Club Shy EP
? Kelela, RAVE:N, The Remixes
? Mk.gee, Two Star & The Dream Police
? Ducks Ltd., Harm's Way
? David Nance & Mowed Sound, David Nance & Mowed Sound
? Split System, Vol. 2
? The Telescopes, Growing Eyes Become String

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Nothing captures the agony of love, loss, hope and redemption like the song form known across all of Latin America: the bolero.

Last December, UNESCO declared the bolero "an intangible cultural heritage of humanity" and "an indispensable part of the Latin American sentimental song." And given that Valentine's Day is coming up, Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre did something special this week, in honor of this news: they asked some of their favorite artists and show listeners to share their most-loved boleros, and break down exactly what makes them so special. Join Felix and Ana as they laugh, cry and sing a little to the love songs of the ages.

And be sure to check out the playlists we made for this episode, feature Ana and Felix's picks, as well as the selections from featured artists and listeners, on Spotify and Apple Music.

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino and 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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Host Robin Hilton hangs with NPR's Hazel Cills and Sheldon Pearce to geek out about the new Billy Joel, Kim Gordon, Shygirl, Nia Archives and more.

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Our friends at NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour break down the major winners and highlights from the 2024 Grammy Awards.

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Ann Powers, Sidney Madden and Stephen Thompson make predictions ahead of Sunday night's 66th annual Grammy Awards.

Notable albums out Feb. 2:
? The Last Dinner Party, Prelude to Ecstasy
? J Mascis, What Do We Do Now
? Kirin J Callinan, If I Could Sing
? Lee Scratch Perry, King Perry
? Paul McCartney & Wings, Band on the Run (Underdubbed Mixes)
? The Paranoid Style, The Interrogator
? Liquid Mike, Paul Bunyan's Slingshot
? Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh, Tyshawn Sorey, Compassion
? Jenny Sturgeon & Boo Hewerdine, Outliers


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With Green Day's stellar new album, Saviors, the 20th anniversary of American Idiot and 30th anniversary of Dookie, NPR's Daoud Tyler-Ameen, Stephen Thompson and Robin Hilton look at the band's legacy.

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There's plenty about Wall of Eyes, the new album by the British rock trio The Smile, to remind you of Radiohead, the band with which The Smile shares Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood. But there's something about The Smile that resists feeling like Radiohead redux, and on this week's episode Ann Powers, Tom Huizenga and Sheldon Pearce get to the bottom of what makes Wall of Eyes so satisfying on its own terms.

Plus: Discussion of a week's worth of great albums leads to a conversation about the state of music criticism, which took a blow last week when the long-standing, much-beloved, occasionally-hated website Pitchfork was folded into the men's magazine GQ and much of its staff laid off.

Featured Albums for January 26, 2024:
1. Patricia Kopatchinksaja, Reto Bieri, Polina Leschenko ? Take 3
2. Benny the Butcher ? Everybody Can't Go
3. Katy Kirby ? Blue Raspberry
4. The Smile ? Wall of Eyes

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In this week's Alt.Latino episode, Chilean rapper and singer Ana Tijoux talks to hosts Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre about her new album, Vida, and why it took so long to return to the studio.

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With the announcement of the 96th annual Oscar nominees, we're revisiting our conversation with Volker Bertelmann, who won the Academy Award for Best Original Score last year for All Quiet On The Western Front.

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NPR Music's Sheldon Pearce, Rodney Carmichael and Sidney Madden dig into hip-hop superstar 21 Savage's new album, his notorious ICE arrest and what it means to capture the American dream.

Noteworthy albums out January 19:
- Sleater-Kinney, Little Rope
- Green Day, Saviors
- Eladio Carrión, Sol María
- Ana Tijoux, Vida
- Brittney Spencer, My Stupid Life
- Mary Halvorson, Cloudward
- Ethan Iverson, Technically Acceptable
- glass beach, plastic death
- ericdoa, DOA
- Neck Deep, Neck Deep
- Fredo Bang, Yes, I'm Sad
- Keyon Harrold, Foreverland
- Jozef Van Wissem, The Night Dwells In The Day
- Oren Ambarchi, Jim O'Rourke & Keiji Haino, With pats on the head, just one too few evil one too many is good that's all it is
- Mali Obomsawin and Magdalena Abrego, Greatest Hits


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Host Robin Hilton hangs with NPR Music's Anamaria Sayre and Tom Huizenga to share their current musical obsessions, from the solo piano of Philip Glass to the garage punk of Sprints, Spain's super chill Club del Rio and more.

Featured Artists And Songs:
1. Lavinia Meijer: "The Departure" from Winter
2. Xavi: "La Diabla (Single)
3. Faye Webster and Lil Yachty: "Lego Ring" from Underdressed at the Symphony
4. Philip Glass: "Opening," from Philip Glass Solo
5. Club del Rio: "Una Vida" (Single)
6. Sprints: "Literary Mind" from Letter to Self

Enjoying the show? Tell your friends and leave a review for us wherever you listen to podcasts. Feedback welcome at [email protected]


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To ring in the new year, NPR Music's critics take over the latest episode of New Music Friday to offer predictions about the artists, genres and stories that might dominate conversations about music in 2024.

Ann Powers, Rodney Carmichael and Nate Chinen join editor Jacob Ganz to discuss whether Usher's Super Bowl performance or Dua Lipa's new sound could launch these hardworking artists to new levels of ubiquity. Is it possible for either to one steal some of the spotlight that Beyoncé and Taylor Swift dominated last year?

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Hosts Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre share the latest new songs that live rent-free in their heads.

Featured songs:
Candeleros, "Le Quedan Dos"
Cuco, "When The Day Comes To An End (DJ Sliink Remix)"
Gaby Moreno, "Dance the Night Away"
Ed Maverick, "Lagunas"
Helado Negro, "I Just Want To Wake Up With You"
Ana Tijoux, "Tania"

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We take a spin through the albums we're most excited about for this year, including Sleater-Kinney, Brittany Howard, Hurray for the Riff Raff and more, plus a few rumored releases.

Featured Albums:
1. Sleater-Kinney ? Little Rope
2. The Smile ? Wall of Eyes
3. Brittany Howard ? What Now
4. Mary Timony ? Untame the Tiger
5. Lee Scratch Perry ? King Perry
6. Grandaddy ? Blu Wav
7. Hurray for the Riff Raff ? The Past Is Still Alive
8. serpentwithfeet ? GRIP
9. Chelsea Wolfe ? She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She
10. Erika de Casier ? Still

Other notable releases for 2024:
Jan. 12: Kid Cudi ? Insano
Jan. 12: Kali Uchis ? Orquideas
Jan. 19: Green Day ? Saviors
Jan. 26: Future Islands ? People Who Aren't There Anymore
Jan. 26: Torres ? What an enormous room
Jan. 26: Ty Segall ? Three Bells
Feb. 9: Helado Negro ? PHASOR
Feb. 16: Laura Jane Grace ? Hole In My Head
Feb. 16: IDLES ? TANGK
Feb. 29: Jacob Collier ? Djesse Vol. 4
March 1: Sheer Mag ? Playing Favorites
March 8: Bleachers ? Bleachers
March 29: Chastity Belt ? Live Love Laugh

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Our resident Viking, Lars Gotrich, connects epic Japanese storytelling, soul-sampling powerviolence, ambient rap and beautiful noise through thematic webs of history and memory.

Featured Artists and Albums:

? Matmos: "Music or Noise?" from Return to Archive
? PoiL Ueda: "Kokô part 2" from Yoshitsune
? Mayssa Jallad: "Baynana" from Marjaa: The Battle of the Hotels
? Ruth Anderson & Annea Lockwood: "For Ruth" from T?ê?te?-?à?-?t?ê?te
? Zulu: "Lyfe Az a Shorty Shun B So Ruff" from A New Tomorrow
? Yungwebster: "Stay FOCUSSSS [fast+reg]" from Yungwebster
? Liis Ring: "after-image I: nothing stands still" from Homing
? Chuquimamani-Condori: "Breathing" from DJ E
? Sunwatchers: "World People" from Music Is Victory over Time

Follow the Viking's Choice mixtape and newsletter.

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We asked listeners to tell us about a song they ugly cried to or just couldn't stop playing in 2023. On this episode, we share some of their picks and the stories behind them.

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While 2022 may have been a year completely dominated by a certain sad summer reggaeton album, 2023 drew its power from a set of familiar sounds that took on new prominence: tubas, accordions and a whole lot of lively, sneakily danceable beats.

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Our annual celebration of the season returns with a trip back to the snowy cabin in the woods where it all began, as we attempt once again to throw a holiday party for the ages.

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You know all those tubas and brass instruments you hear behind your favorite regional Mexican hits? That's banda sinaloense and this week Alt.Latino wraps up the Regional Goes Global series with a visit to Sinaloa, Mexico, the birthplace of the genre.

Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras visit the picturesque town Mocorito, a pueblo magico where tradition and pride in the musical heritage runs deep. That's the case even among members of the drug cartels, which are responsible for some of the country's societal ills. It's a complex story as passionate and heartfelt as the music that stretches from the hills of Sinaloa to this side of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler, with production support from Lilly Quiroz, Suraya Mohamed, Josephine Nyounai and Natalia Fidelholtz. The editor for this episode is Jacob Ganz, and our project manager is Grace Chung. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

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NPR Music's Hazel Cills and Sheldon Pearce join Alt.Latino's Anamaria Sayre and host Robin Hilton to spin and discuss the best songs of the year, from Olivia Rodrigo, 100 gecs, Noname, J Noa and more.

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It's that time of year again. Over the next few weeks at NPR.org and here on the All Songs Considered podcast, we'll be sharing lists of and conversations about the best music of 2023.

We're kicking things off with the standout albums of the year. Gathered on the show are NPR Music's three main critics: Rodney Carmichael, who writes about hip-hop and R&B; Nate Chinen of WRTI, who covers jazz and classical and Ann Powers, maven of pop, rock, folk, country and a little of everything else. Speaking with editor Daoud Tyler-Ameen, the trio dives into a heavy and heady year to discuss the releases that inspired the most vivid feelings, and together make a case ? in an era when singles and playlists drive the industry numbers ? for the album as a still-indispensable art form.

The fun won't stop there. Stay tuned for more conversations about the songs that made us drop everything and the tours that turned into vessels for community. There will be lists of our favorite releases on NPR.org and conversations about the sounds and stars that defined the year, enough to keep you listening well into 2024.

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