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.

Questions, comments or any other feedback always welcome: allsongs@npr.org

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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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Over the past month thousands of Venezuelans have taken to the streets to protest the disputed election of president Nicolás Maduro, while Venezuelan artists like Danny Ocean use music to reflect on this political moment. But Ocean's work is just one data point in a long history of music from Venezuela that embodies the political opinions and emotions of those within the country and the diaspora.

On this week's episode, Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre are joined by producer Isabella Gomez Sarmiento to walk through crucial moments in Venezuela's political history over the last 30 years, and the music that soundtracked it.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Yordano, "Por estas calles"
•Carlos Baute, "Yo me quedo en Venezuela"
•Canserbero, "Es Épico"
•Danny Ocean, "Me Rehúso"
•Apache, "Rompiendo el Hielo"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Taylor Haney, with editorial support from Hazel Cills, Zach Thompson, Tony Cavin and Didi Schanche. 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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On August 30, the Australian-born rock titan Nick Cave will release Wild God, a new album with his band The Bad Seeds. It's a high point in Cave's career, and NPR Music's Ann Powers spoke with him about the struggles — personal, musical and religious — he faced on the road to making the album.

Wild God is filled with songs about encounters with the divine, which does not always take a benevolent form. And it follows a decade in which Cave, having publicly faced tragedy in his own life, has evolved from post-punk's louchest fallen angel into a revered figure among his audience in a new way: a dignified seeker whose courage and wisdom resounds beyond musical boundaries thanks to advice he has shared in interviews, writing projects and public appearances. Perhaps it's not surprising that so many of the songs reckon with the moment of revelation or transformation, or the demand for conversion from what Cave describes as "a suffering god ... a god that is embedded in the world."

As for the state of his own religious conviction, Cave says that the struggle is the point: "I would say I'm in the process of conversion," he tells Powers. Wherever he is on that road, he's found something ecstatic to share.

Click here to read a transcript of this interview and hear songs from the album Wild God.

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NPR Music's Daoud Tyler-Ameen and Hazel Cills give you a quick rundown of the most notable albums out Friday, Aug. 16, including Post Malone's country project, F-1 Trillion, Tinashe's seventh LP Quantum Baby, and Charly Bliss's first new record in five years.

Featured Albums:
- Tinashe, Quantum Baby
- Post Malone, F-1 Trillion
- Charly Bliss, Forever
- Morgan Wade, Obsessed
- Starflyer 59, Lust For Gold
- Palehound, Live at First Congregational Church

Visit https://npr.org/music to see the longer list of Aug. 16 releases and stream our New Music Friday playlist.

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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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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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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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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

Feedback, questions, comments or suggestions always welcome: allsongs@npr.org

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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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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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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.

Questions, comments or any feedback at all always welcome: allsongs@npr.org

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This week on Alt.Latino, Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras talk about an exciting new album from Manu Chao on the way — his first in 17 years — and their favorite recent songs from artists like the Dominican indie rock band Solo Fernández, ethereal pop from Tiny Desk Contest Winner Linda Diaz and more.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Janiero feat. André Viamonte, "LEGO"
•Manu Chao, "São Paulo Motoboy"
•Solo Fernández, "TELESCOPIO"
•Solo Fernández, "BROOKLYN"
•Solo Fernández, "TÚ NUNCA DEJARÁS DE SER POESÍA"
•Linda Diaz feat. Solomon Fox, "Watching Ourselves Die"
•Julieta Rada, "Baile del Candombe"
•Amaia Miranda, "Mientras vivas brilla"
•Nick Drake, "Pink Moon"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Suraya Mohamed. 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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This week Alt.Latino hosts Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre balance their passion for new discoveries with reissued music from an iconic Latin American songwriter.

Featured artists and songs:

• Ezra Collective, "Body Language" (feat. Sasha Keable)

• Patti LaBelle, "Teach me Tonight (Me Gusta Tu Baile)"

• Teri Gender Bender, "SANAR"

• Kevin Kaarl, "recuérdame x siempre"

• Violeta Parra, "Cantores Que Reflexionan"

• Ben Aler, "Honest"

• Jose Luiz Martins, "Cravo e Canela"

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As we celebrate a quarter century of music nerdom and buffoonery, we remember the songs that shaped the show and our lives, with 25 No. 1 tracks from our first 25 years (and whatever else we can manage to recall).

We aren't going to ruin the fun with a tracklist — listen along as All Songs Considered host Robin Hilton and New Music Friday's Stephen Thompson try to guess each other's favorite cuts.

Enjoy the show? Share it with a friend and leave us a review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org

Hear new songs from past episodes in the All Songs Considered playlists in Apple Music and Spotify.


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This week, we hear from a Colombian-Venezuelan super group, a new Afro-Brazilian band, and Ana gets another jazz lesson from a Latin jazz orchestra.

Songs featured in this episode:

• XIXA, "Xolo de Galáxia"
• Meme del Real, "Princesa"
• Jessie Reyez, "GOLIATH"
• Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, "Dia de los Muertos III Mambo Cadaverous"
• Trinka, "Grego"
• Astropical, "Me Pasa (Piscis)"

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Making a playlist or mixtape for that special someone? We've got you covered this Valentine's Day with these off-the-radar love songs.

Featured artists and songs:
1. Linda Diaz: "Watching Ourselves Die (feat. Solomon Fox)" (single)
2. Gal Costa: "Baby," from 'Gal Gosta'
3. Mirah: "Engine Heart," from 'You Think It's Like This, But Really It's Like This'
4. Paloma Murphy: "me faltas tú" (single)
5. Stretch Arm Strong: "For Now," from 'Rituals of Life'
6. Tender Forever: "Then If I'm Weird, I Want To Share," from 'The Soft And The Hardcore'
7. Xavi: "Tu Casi Algo," from 'NEXT'
8. Elf Power: "Temporary Arm," from 'Vainly Clutching at Phantom Limbs'
9. Daniel Lanois: "I Love You," from 'Shine'

Enjoy the show? Share it with a friend and leave us a review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org

Hear our expanded playlist of lesser-known love songs in Apple Music and Spotify.

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We break down the winners, surprise shutouts and more from what's billed as "music's biggest night," courtesy of our friends at Pop Culture Happy Hour.

Ten take-aways from this year's Grammys
A complete list of 2025 Grammy winners


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The Weeknd may be the biggest release of the week, but is it the best? We run down five other albums you should hear, with NPR Music's Stephen Thompson and John Morrison, host of Culture Cypher Radio on partner station WXPN.

Featured albums:

• Cymande, 'Renascence'

• Ambrose Akinmusire, 'honey from a winter stone'

• Lilly Hiatt, 'Forever'

• Pink Siifu, 'BLACK'!ANTIQUE'

• Damon Locks, 'List of Demands'

See our long list of albums out Jan. 31 and stream our New Music Friday playlist at npr.org.

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Do not come on Alt.Latino if you don't have good chisme! Ana and Felix talk about their favorite songs of the week, including some psychedelic cumbia, Cuban folk music and more.

Songs featured on the episode:

•Combo Chimbita, "Dímelo"
•Cortadito, "Yemaya"
•Joaquina, "desahogo"
•Joaquina, "aeropuerto"
•The Altons, "Waiting"
•Thee Midniters, "It'll Never Be Over For Me"
•Majo Aguilar, "el beso"
•Carrie Rodriguez, "Miles Away"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Simon Rentner. Editorial support from Hazel Cills. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

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We update our list of the year's best songs with a Tamino-Mitski collaboration, Son Lux's first new music since scoring Everything Everywhere All At Once, new Circuit des Yeux and more.

Featured artists and songs:
1. Shura: "Recognise," from I Got Too Sad For My Friends
2. Tamino, Mitski: "Sanctuary," from Every Dawn's a Mountain
3. Julien Baker & Torres: "Sugar in the Tank" (single)
4. Flora From Kansas: "The Ghost is Me," from Homesick
5. Circuit des Yeux: "Megaloner," from Halo On The Inside
6. Son Lux: "Cocoon," from Risk of Make Believe

Enjoy the show? Share it with a friend and leave us a review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org

Hear the songs in the All Songs Considered playlists in Apple Music and Spotify.

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FKA twigs. Central Cee. It's a big week for new releases, and we've got you covered. Host Stephen Thompson welcomes Desiré Moses of Virginia public radio station WNRN to break it all down.

Featured albums:

• FKA twigs, 'EUSEXUA'

• Central Cee, 'Can't Rush Greatness'

• Sam Amidon, 'Salt River'

• Mogwai, 'The Bad Fire'

• Anna B. Savage, 'You & i are Earth'

Check out our long list of albums out Jan. 24 and stream our New Music Friday playlist at npr.org.

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Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras share their goals for 2025 and the new songs that reflect them.

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We highlight some of the most anticipated albums of the year, including upcoming ones from Perfume Genius, Lucy Dacus, serpentwithfeet and more.

Featured artists and songs:
1. Perfume Genius: "It's A Mirror," from Glory (March 28)
2. Florist: "Have Heaven," from Jellywish (April 4)
3. Lucy Dacus: "Ankles," from Forever Is A Feeling (March 28)
4. serpentwithfeet: "Writhing In The Wind," from GRIP Sequel (Feb. 28)
5. Squid: "Building 650," from Cowards (Feb. 7)
6. Jason Isbell: "Bury Me," from Foxes in the Snow (March 7)
7. Saya Gray: "Shell (Of A Man)," from SAYA (Feb. 21)
8. Marshall Allen: "African Sunset," from New Dawn (Feb. 14)
9. Samia: "Bovine Excision," from Bloodless (April 25)

See the complete list of 2025 releases we're tracking.

Enjoy the show? Share it with a friend and leave us a review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org

Hear the songs in the All Songs Considered playlists in Apple Music and Spotify.

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NPR Music's Stephen Thompson welcomes aboard Kara Manning of New York City public radio station WFUV to discuss the best new albums hitting streaming services on Friday, Jan. 17.

Featured Albums

• Mac Miller, 'Balloonerism'

• The Weather Station, 'Humanhood'

• jasmine.4.t, 'You are the Morning'

• Victoria Canal, 'Slowly, It Dawns'

• Blue Lake, 'Weft'

Check out our long list of albums out today and stream our New Music Friday playlist at npr.org/music.

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Los Angeles is home for me and always in my heart. Watching the fires from afar in my current city, New York, has me thinking a lot about what makes my hometown great: breathtaking mountains, stunning beaches and above all a hodgepodge, tapestry community that comes together in powerful ways during a painful moment.

The good and bad of LA's history — redlining and rebuilding, previous fires and displacement, immigration and annexation — have all been building blocks for an exchange of culture that shows up in layers in its music and art. This week on Alt.Latino, we've decided to shine a light on some of the sounds that feel most quintessentially LA, while also specifically honoring the creativity that has come from communities most affected by the fires.

We're thinking of family and friends, and the beating heart of the city as a whole. There's nothing quite like LA and we hope this episode is an intro to some and an invitation for others to celebrate what makes it so special. —Anamaria Sayre

Songs featured on this episode:

•José Feliciano, "California Dreamin"
•Ry Cooder feat. Lalo Guerrero, "Barrio Viejo"
•Banda MS feat. Becky G and Snoop Dogg, "Que Maldicion"
•Jasper Bones, "Amor de mis sueños"
•Gerardo Ortiz, "Dámaso"
•Empress Of, "For Your Consideration"

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Japanese Breakfast (Michelle Zauner) is back with her first new album since her memoir, Crying in H Mart, blew up. We've got the first single from it, plus a Sufjan Stevens-produced Denison Witmer track and more.

Enjoy the show? Share with a friend and leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org

Hear the songs in our Apple and Spotify playlists.

Featured artists and songs:
1. Deep Sea Diver: "Shovel," from Billboard Heart
2. SPELLLING: "Portrait of My Heart," from Portrait of My Heart
3. Japanese Breakfast: "Orlando in Love," from For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)
4. Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek, "Hop Bico" from Yarın Yoksa
5. Denison Witmer: "A House With," from Anything At All
6. DARKSIDE: "S.N.C," from Nothing


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NPR Music's Stephen Thompson is joined by KCRW's Travis Holcombe to run down their four favorite albums out today, as well as the revamped version of SZA's 'LANA' project.

Featured Albums:

• SZA, 'SOS Deluxe: LANA'
• Franz Ferdinand, 'The Human Fear'
• Ethel Cain, 'Perverts'
• zzzahara, 'Spiral Your Way Out'
• Moonchild Sanelly, 'Full Moon'

See the long list of albums out January 10 and stream our New Music Friday playlist on npr.org/music.

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Alt.Latino hosts Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras, and NPR reporter Isabella Gomez Sarmiento break down what exactly makes the record so Puerto Rican and why its Bad Bunny's most reflective, ambitious and ingenious album yet.

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A new year means a new running list of our favorite songs, from the transfixing voice of Anna B Savage and FKA Twigs' moody club beats to the '80s-influenced rock and pop of Sharon Van Etten and more.

Featured artists and songs:
1. Ela Minus: "Broken," from DIA
2. Anna B Savage: "Lighthouse," from You & i are Earth
3. Horsegirl: "2468," from Phonetics On and On
4. Miya Folick: "This Time Around," from Erotica Veronica
5. FKA Twigs: "Perfect Stranger," from EUSEXUA
6. Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory: "Afterlife," from S/T

Enjoy the show? Tell a friend and leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org

Hear the songs in our Apple and Spotify playlists.


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There's been some great music released since the last New Music Friday episode in late November. So, on this slow January release day, NPR Music's Stephen Thompson and WRTI's Nate Chinen catch you up on the best albums we heard in December in between "All I Want For Christmas Is You" and "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer."

Featured Albums:
• ROSÉ, 'rosie'
• Lauren Mayberry, 'Vicious Creature'
• Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner & Peter Bernstein, 'Solid Jackson'
• The Innocence Mission, 'Midwinter Swimmers'
• SAULT, 'Acts of Faith'

Visit npr.org/music to see the long list of albums you might have missed in December, and stream our New Music Friday playlist.

CREDITS:

Host: Stephen Thompson, NPR Music
Guest: Nate Chinen, WRTI
Producer: Simon Rentner
Editor: Otis Hart
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Vice President, Music and Visuals: Keith Jenkins

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NPR Music producer Lars Gotrich turns us on to lesser known corners of music from 2024: blooming drone-folk, richly textured jazz, Somali garage-rock, medieval metal and a bittersweet farewell from a beloved Athens psych-pop band. You can find more adventurous music and mixtapes via Lars' newsletter, vikingschoice.org.

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We asked listeners to tell us about the one song they couldn't stop listening to in 2024 because of how it made them feel. On this episode we share some of their picks and the stories behind them.

Enjoy the show? Tell a friend and leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org


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When it comes to music, December is overflowing with gifts, but we aren't quite done with the presents. This time, the NPR Music team is giving ... to each other! On this episode of All Songs Considered, our hosts, writers and editors get into a sort of chain-letter, Secret Santa-type gift exchange. The rules were simple: Pick a song from 2024 specifically for one of your colleagues, who then has to pick a song for someone else, and so on, until the gift train comes full circle.

What songs did we pick? How well do we really know each other's taste? You'll have to listen to hear the surprise, just like we did.

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Alt.Latino host Felix Contreras speaks with Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican saxophonist Miguel Zenón about the Afro-Latino legacy on the island.

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'Alt.Latino' hosts Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre do their best to keep up with new releases, but sometimes great music evades their radar. On this episode, the duo highlight some of the best songs they never got a chance to share during the year.

Music We Missed in 2024

• Sanje, "Buen Fantasma" (from 'De Repente Otra Vez')

• David Lindes, "Te Vengo A Perdonar" (from 'Peace With A Lion')

• Yung Dupe X Kimmø X PUGSPUGSPUGS, "Nube Negra" (from 'Políticamente Correcto')

• Benjamin Walker, "Libre" (from 'LIBRE')

• Lhasa de Sela et Yves Desrosiers, "El Cosechero" (from 'First Recordings')

• Dom La Nena, "Pierre et les fleurs" (from 'LA VIE DE MA MÈRE')

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Our annual attempt to throw a holiday party for the ages continues with a tolerable mix of songs for the season and, as always, some very special guests.

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Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org


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Record-breaking mainstream hits. A new generation of artists rising to seize their moment. Rappers in and out of courts. A pair of the biggest names in the game transforming their careers by taking their rivalry to sometimes bitter new heights. In 2024, hip-hop brought us wave upon wave of massive, surprising, culture-shifting moments.

NPR Music's Sheldon Pearce, Sidney Madden and Rodney Carmichael were watching and listening all year long, and they've gathered together to explain the most important stories of hip-hop's 51st year. There was the ascendance of new dominant voices in Southern rap, many of them female, along with the noticeable resonance, for many artists in the genre, with country music. The disconcerting trial of Young Thug left a void in Atlanta — the longtime hip-hop capital — for much of the year, before it ended suddenly and dramatically. And yes, there was the remarkable show put on by Kendrick Lamar in his sustained attack on Drake.

Plus: Rodney, Sidney and Sheldon share their favorite hip-hop albums of the year. Hip-hop may have celebrated its landmark 50th anniversary in 2023 by looking back at its own history, but in 2024, it shot forward like a cannon blast.

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Felix Contreras, Anamaria Sayre and Isabella Gomez Sarmiento run through their favorites in a crowded year for excellent songs, from innovative Spanish hip-hop to distinctive jazz.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Çantamarta, "MOTORIZADO"
•Mala Rodriguez, "Casi Nada"
•Zaccai Curtis, "Maple Leaf Rag"
•Ca7riel y Paco Amoroso, "DUMBAI"
•Melissa Aldana, "A Purpose"
•Residente, "313"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Simon Rentner. 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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Our special coverage of the year in music continues with a look at the best songs of 2024, featuring Clairo, Tinashe, Chief Keef, Laura Marling and more.

See NPR Music's complete list of the 124 best songs of the year.

See NPR Music's list of the 50 best albums.

Enjoy the show? Tell a friend and leave us a review wherever you get podcasts.

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org

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Our look back at the best albums of 2024 continues, with Tyler, The Creator, Cassandra Jenkins, The Cure and more.

See NPR Music's complete list of the 50 best albums of the year.

And be sure to check out our list of the 124 best songs of 2024.

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Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org


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It's that time of the year — figuring out the best Latin music of 2024. And every year, it gets harder and harder (seriously, it's difficult!) for Ana and Felix to narrow down their extensive lists. Joined by NPR culture reporter Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, the three round up the best albums of this year.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Angélica Garcia, "El Que" from Gemelo
•Hinds, "Coffee" from Viva Hinds
•Spanish Harlem Orchestra, "Lluego El Caballero (feat. Gilberto Santa Ross)" from Swing Forever
•Latin Mafia, "tengo mucho ruido." from TODOS LOS DÍAS TODO EL DÍA
•RaiNao, "readysita" from CAPICÚ
•Orquesta Akokán, "Caracoles" from Caracoles

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Simon Rentner. 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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Our annual look back at the year in music begins with the first of a two-part episode highlighting the year's best albums, with Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, Waxahatchee and more.

Look for Part 2 on Friday, Dec. 6.

See NPR Music's complete list of the 50 best albums from 2024.

Enjoy the show? Tell a friend and leave us a review wherever you get podcasts.

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org

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Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre continue their discussion on the 25th anniversary of the Latin Grammys and the industry's changes, featuring insight from Nathy Peluso, Rauw Alejandro and more.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Fuerza Regida, "TQM"
•Fuerza Regida, "Que onda"
•Fuerza Regida "HARLEY QUINN"
•Latin Mafia, "y como te digo que"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Simon Rentner. 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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Hosts Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson share stories and songs of gratitude from NPR listeners.

Featured songs and artists:
1. Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss: "Simple Gifts," from Classic Yo-Yo
2. Bill Withers: "Lean On Me," from Still Bill
3. The Mountain Goats: "This Year," from The Sunset Tree
4. Crosby, Stills & Nash: "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," from Crosby, Stills & Nash
5. Louis Armstrong: "What A Wonderful World"
6. John Williams: "End Credits," from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
7. Blackalicious: "Make You Feel That Way," from Blazing Arrow
8. Tyler Childers: "Space and Time," from Rustin' in the Rain
9. Nina Simone: "Isn't It A Pity," from Emergency Ward! (Live)
10. Bob Marley & The Wailers: "Three Little Birds," from Exodus

Enjoy the show? Tell a friend and leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org

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We update our running list of the year's best songs with the cinematic pop of Oklou, Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir, the experimental hip-hop group clipping. and more.

Featured artists and songs:
1. Oklou: "family and friends," from 'choke enough'
2. Anna Thorvaldsdottir: "Part V" and "Part VIII," from 'UBIQUE'
3. clipping.: "Keep Pushing," from 'Dead Channel Sky'
4. Sandbox Percussion: "Don't Look Down," from 'Cerrone: Don't Look Down'
5. Lucrecia Dalt: "cosa rara (feat. David Sylvian)" (single)
6. Anouar Brahem: "The Eternal Olive Tree," from 'After the Last Sky'

Enjoy the show? Share it with a friend and leave us a review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org

Hear the songs in the All Songs Considered playlists in Apple Music and Spotify.


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NPR Music's Daoud Tyler-Ameen and Ann Powers are your guides to the last big Friday of 2024. Plus a deep dive into an epic new Red Hot compilation titled TRAИƧA.

Featured albums:
• Kim Deal, Nobody Loves You More
• Father John Misty, Mahashmashana
• Say Lou Lou, Dust
• Michael Kiwanuka, Small Changes
• Various Artists, TRAИƧA (Red Hot)

See the long list of albums out Nov. 22 and stream our New Music Friday playlist at https://npr.org/music.

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The Latin Grammys recently marked its 25th anniversary. Alt.Latino's Anamaria Sayre was in Miami to talk to some of Latin music's most influential artists to understand some of the trends that are shaping Latin music today, shared over two episodes.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Juanes, "Fíjate Bien"
•Juanes, "Vida Cotidiana"
•Álvaro Díaz, "Quien Te Quiere"
•Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera "Bebé Dame"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Simon Rentner. 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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In the final update to our running list of the year's best songs, we've got the cathartic rock of Kassie Krut, a nerve-settling collaboration between the singers SOAK and Gordi, Ethel Cain and more.

Featured songs and artists:
1. Kassie Krut: "Reckless," from Kassie Krut
2. Gordi: "Reverie," from Lunch At Dune
3. Katy J Pearson: "Save Me," from Someday, Now
4. Freak Slug: "Ya Ready," from I Blow Out Big Candles
5. Hildegard: "Bach In Town," from Jour 1596
6. Ethel Cain: "Punish" (single)

Enjoy the show? Tell your friends and leave us a review wherever you listen go podcasts.

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org


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