New Music Friday

Kacey Musgraves. American Football. Tori Amos. NPR Music’s Stephen Thompson chats with Jewly Hight from WPLN in Nashville about their favorite albums out Friday, May 1. Plus, a handful of NPR Music writers and critics offer personal picks in our lightning round.

The Starting 5

(00:00) Kacey Musgraves, ‘Middle of Nowhere’
(08:41) American Football, ‘American Football (LP4)’
(16:25) Isaiah Rashad, ‘IT’S BEEN AWFUL’
(21:42) Tori Amos, ‘In Times of Dragons’
(28:09) Ana Roxanne, ‘Poem 1’

(33:38) The Lightning Round

– Jesca Hoop, ‘Long Wave Home’
– Casper Sage, ‘PATINA’
– duendita, ‘existential thottie’
– Maisy Owen, ‘Dark on a Sunny Day’
– Octo Octa, ‘Sigils For Survival’

Sample the albums via our New Music Friday playlist and see our Long List of notable releases on NPR.org.

Credits:
Host: Stephen Thompson
Guest: Jewly Hight, WPLN
Audio Producer: Noah Caldwell
Digital Producer: Dora Levite
Editors: Otis Hart, Elle Mannion
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Special thanks to Ann Powers and Hazel Cills

Noah Kahan. Kehlani. The return of Metric. NPR Music’s Stephen Thompson chats with DJ Llu from Vermont Public about their favorite albums out Friday, April 24. Plus, a handful of NPR Music writers and critics offer personal picks in our lightning round.

The Starting 5

(00:00) Noah Kahan, ‘The Great Divide’
(09:28) Kehlani, ‘Kehlani’
(16:14) Metric, ‘Romanticize The Dive’
(21:33) Gia Margaret, ‘Singing’
(28:27) Season 2, ‘Power of Now’

(34:12) The Lightning Round

– Quiet Light, ‘Blue Angel Sparkling Silver 2’
– Kiki Cavazos, ‘Goodbye Blues’
– Carla dal Forno, ‘Confession’
– The Milk Carton Kids, ‘Lost Cause Lover Fool’
– Trueno, ‘TURR4ZO’

Sample the albums via our New Music Friday playlist and see our Long List of notable releases on NPR.org.

Credits:
Host: Stephen Thompson
Guest: DJ Llu, Vermont Public
Audio Producer: Noah Caldwell
Digital Producer: Dora Levite
Editors: Otis Hart, Elle Mannion
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Special thanks to Hazel Cills, Ann Powers and Anamaria Sayre

Honey Dijon. Yaya Bey. Shadowy pop from Sofia Isella. Guest host Hazel Cills chats with Nastia Voynovskaya from KQED in San Francisco about their favorite albums out Friday, April 17. Plus, a handful of NPR Music writers and critics offer personal picks in our lightning round.

The Starting 5

(00:00) Introduction & Nine Inch Nails & Boys Noize, ‘Nine Inch Noize’
(02:47) Honey Dijon, ‘The Nightlife’
(09:05) Jessie Ware, ‘Superbloom’
(16:22) Sofia Isella, ‘Something is a shell’ EP
(22:43) Eaves Wilder, ‘Little Miss Sunshine’
(28:56) Yaya Bey, ‘Fidelity’

(34:33) The Lightning Round

– Kathryn Mohr, ‘Carve’
– Protoje, ‘The Art of Acceptance’
– PPJ, ‘Joker’ EP
– Iceland Symphony Orchestra, ‘Arvo Pärt: Complete Symphonies’
– Adrian Younge, ‘Younge’

Sample the albums via our New Music Friday playlist and see our Long List of notable releases on NPR.org

Credits:
Host: Hazel Cills
Guest: Nastia Voynovskaya, KQED
Audio Producers: Noah Caldwell, Alina Edwards
Digital Producer: Dora Levite
Editors: Otis Hart, Elle Mannion
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Special thanks to Tom Huizenga and Rodney Carmichael

BTS. Alex Isley. Dubstep-infused hyperpop from underscores. NPR Music’s Hazel Cills chats with Francesca Harding of member station KCRW in Los Angeles about their favorite albums out Friday, March 20. Plus, a handful of NPR Music writers and critics offer personal picks in our lightning round.

The Starting 5

(00:00) Introduction & BTS, ‘ARIRANG’
(02:28) Alex Isley, ‘When The City Sleeps’
(07:52) underscores, ‘U’
(15:38) ZENA, ‘TEMESGEN’
(20:39) Grace Ives, ‘Girlfriend’
(26:16) Suitor, ‘Saw You Out With The Weeds’

(32:23) The Lightning Round

– Ali & Charif Megarbane, ‘Tirakat’
– Naomi Scott, ‘F.I.G.’
– Samara Cyn, ‘Detour’ EP
– Immanuel Wilkins Quartet, ‘Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol.1’
– Luke Combs, ‘The Way I Am’

Sample the albums via our New Music Friday playlist and see our Long List of notable releases on NPR.org

Credits:
Host: Hazel Cills
Guest: Francesca Harding, KCRW
Audio Producer: Noah Caldwell
Digital Producer: Dora Levite
Editors: Otis Hart, Elle Mannion
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Special thanks to Rodney Carmichael, Ann Powers and Stephen Thompson

James Blake. Kim Gordon. Sturgill Simpson’s country-funk alter ego. NPR Music’s Stephen Thompson chats with Amelia Mason from WBUR in Boston about their favorite albums out Friday, March 13. Plus, a handful of NPR Music writers and critics offer personal picks in our lightning round.

The Starting 5

(00:00) Introduction & Oscars predictions
(02:15) Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds, ‘Mutiny After Midnight’
(08:50) James Blake, ‘Trying Times’
(17:04) Anjimile, ‘You’re Free To Go’
(22:53) Kim Gordon, ‘Play Me’
(27:52) Blessing Jolie, ’20nothing’

(35:15) The Lightning Round

– Morgan Nagler, ‘I’ve Got Nothing To Lose, and I’m Losing It’
– Tinariwen, ‘Hoggar’
– Jorge Drexler, ‘Taracá’
– The Tallis Scholars, ‘Nico Muhly: No Resting Place’
– Fugazi, ‘Albini Sessions’

Sample the albums via our New Music Friday playlist and see our Long List of notable releases on NPR.org.

Credits: 
Host: Stephen Thompson
Guest: Amelia Mason, WBUR
Audio Producer: Noah Caldwell
Digital Producer: Dora Levite
Editors: Otis Hart, Elle Mannion
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Special thanks to Felix Contreras, Tom Huizenga and Lars Gotrich

Emily Hines introduces herself. The Armed rage against the machine. Mal Devisa makes a triumphant return. Read our list of the best albums out this week.

Tyler Childers bares his fangs. Patty Griffin honors her mother. Indigo De Souza reaches the precipice. Read our list of the best records out July 25.

NPR Music’s Stephen Thompson is back with Celia Gregory of Nashville public radio station WNXP to talk through this week’s best new music.

Adrian Quesada throws a psychedelic fiesta. Madison McFerrin sings through the heartache. Durand Jones is thankful for what he’s got. KALW’s Wonway Posibul joins Stephen Thompson to discuss their favorite releases of the week.

Haim leaves it all behind. Hotline TNT turns it up to 11. Yaya Bey threatens fear with a good time. World Cafe host Raina Douris joins Stephen Thompson to discuss their favorite albums out today.