All Songs Considered

We kick off this week's show with a moody rock romp from Ex Hex, a group based out of Washington, D.C., featuring Mary Timony (Helium, Wild Flag), Laura Harris and Betsy Wright. We follow with the mysterious voice of Gemma Ray, a deluxe reissue of a Smashing Pumpkins classic, the enchanting Icelandic singer Ólöf Arnalds and more. The Smashing Pumpkins reissue is the band's polarizing Adore. Originally released in 1998, some fans rejected the album for having more subdued moments and electronic textures than the group's earlier records. But now, more than 15 years later, many consider it a classic. The deluxe version has more than 100 tracks, including outtakes, demos and previously unheard songs. We play the opening cut, "To Sheila." Also on the program: the ethereal sounds of Montreal-based singer Sea Oleena; Azure Ray's Orenda Fink is back with a new solo album, a sometimes haunting examination of death and dying and Denver-based pop duo Tennis pushes itself in new sonic directions with an album produced by Patrick Carney of The Black Keys, Jim Eno of Spoon and songwriter Richard Swift.

On this week's All Songs Considered, Robin Hilton returns from vacation with "Back To The Shack," the fantastically hard-rocking first single from Weezer's upcoming Everything Will Be Alright In The End. Bob Boilen follows with Sufjan Stevens' take on Arthur Russell's "A Little Lost," from the upcoming tribute album to the late New York cellist and composer, Master Mix: Red Hot + Arthur Russell. Later in the show Bob and Robin premiere three tracks: Brooklyn-based duo Buke and Gase's "Seam Esteem," Lia Ices' mesmerizing "How We Are" and a brand-new love song from Lucinda Williams, "Stowaway In Your Heart," from her upcoming double album Down Where the Spirit Meets The Bone. Also in the mix: hip-hop innovators Shabazz Palaces' shape-shifting "#CAKE."

On this week's episode of All Songs Considered, prolific fuzz-rock mastermind Ty Segall joins host Robin Hilton to share some of the music that shaped his new album Manipulator and a behind-the-scenes look into his recording process.

On this episode of All Songs Considered, legendary R&B singer Smokey Robinson joins host Bob Boilen to share some of the songs and events that shaped his career as well as songs from his new duets album, Smokey & Friends.   Smokey remembers a series of musical milestones in his life: Jackie Wilson's "Lonely Teardrops", whom he remembers seeing for the first time when he was ten years old; Sarah Vaughan, the first singer he ever remembers hearing; the first record he ever bought, the Spaniels' 1953 hit "Baby, It's You." Alongside these influential artists he plays some of the most famous songs he performed with the Miracles, including "I Second That Emotion" and "Got a Job."   Smokey & Friends, which is out next week, includes collaborations with artists like Miguel, John Legend and Cee Lo Green on songs written by Robinson (some that were originally performed by other artists, like Marvin Gaye). In the show, you can hear his duets with Elton John, Mary J. Blige and James Taylor. Does revisiting his own classics so many years later make him feel nostalgia? No, he says. "I've been doing concerts now for over fifty years," Smokey says. "Every night [the songs] are new to me."

On this week's All Songs Considered, Bob is joined by NPR Music's Stephen Thompson, who kicks off the show with a premiere from the folk pop sibling duo Lily & Madeleine. "The Wolf Is Free" highlights the sisters' subtle harmonies. Bob follows that up with the new single from California's wild card ensemble Foxygen; "How Can You Really" floats on a lilting beat and sneaks in an understated chorus that will be lodged in your head for days to come. Next the hosts get a call from NPR Music's Ann Powers, who has recently become enamored with a young Nashville singer named Adia Victoria. Her new single (and only available recording) "Stuck In The South" was released a few weeks ago and has sent ripples through the Nashville country scene. Later in the show the hosts play "Runaway," the infectious pop-rock track from Self's new EP Super Fake Nice and a raucous number from London's Fat White Family called "Is It Raining In Your Mouth?" Stephen takes us out with up-and-coming EDM star Porter Robinson's "Divinity," featuring sweet vocals from Stars' Amy Milan and enough joyous bounce to make Stephen grin.

Just off the train from the Newport Folk Festival, Bob Boilen jumps at the chance to share a song by The Oh Hellos, his favorite discovery of the weekend. On "The Valley," the Texas band thunders and strums its way to a glorious sing-along chorus. Robin Hilton follows that with a premiere from Frazey Ford, whose soulful voice reinforces the celebratory mood of "September Fields." Bob takes us in a different direction with Sun Kil Moon's devastating "Carissa," Mark Kozelek's autobiographical account of the freak accident that killed his cousin. Feeling the need to brighten the room a bit, Robin plays Fences' bouncy pop tune "Arrows," featuring a guest verse from Macklemore and production by Ryan Lewis. Later in the show, Bob shares GOAT's "Hide From The Sun" before Robin plays new music from the full-throttle, jangly, punk rock trio Spider Bags. Bob closes out the show with Zola Jesus' "Dangerous Days," a high-powered dance-rock tune that gives him the energy needed to pick up his suitcase and get home for some much-needed sleep. If you want to hear more from the Newport Folk Festival, we've got sets from Jenny Lewis, Jeff Tweedy and lots more at our Newport Folk hub.

Note: This version of the podcast corrects a mistake we made with The Rentals song. The correct song is "1000 Seasons." We kick off this week's episode of All Songs Considered with the sludgy, shoegaze-y sounds of Whirr, a band started by Nick Bassett, bassist for one of co-host Robin Hilton's favorite acts of 2014, Nothing. We follow up with a new track from The Bots, two young brothers from L.A. whose "All I Really Want" is a two-minute sugar rush of high-powered pop-punk. Later on the show we welcome NPR Music's Daoud Tyler–Ameen and Jacob Ganz to the studio to play some of their favorite new tunes. Daoud opts for "Explanation," a punchy rock number from Ohio trio Delay, while Jacob plays Perfume Genius' surging new track "Queen." Daoud and Jacob stick around as Robin puts on "Hegemony," a super-melodic, percussion-heavy track from Zammuto, the project of The Books' Nick Zammuto, recorded in a Vermont shed. Finally, Bob rounds out the show with a premiere from long-dormant rock group The Rentals, called "It's Time To Go Home" that features Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius on vocals. Taking the words to heart, the studio empties out with the last ringing chord.

On this week's All Songs Considered, Bob kicks off the show with The Juan MacLean's "A Place Called Space," an ecstatic dance-rock number from the group's upcoming album In A Dream. Seeking to find a subdued yin to Bob's euphoric yang, Robin premieres London producer The Bug's "Void," the opening track to his upcoming album Angels and Devils.   Following The Bug's stark soundscapes, resident classical music guru Tom Huizenga appears at the studio door, life-size cut out of opera singer Maria Callas under his arm, to play a composition by the Arcade Fire's Richard Reed Parry called "French Guitars." The piece, which features The National's Bryce and Aaron Desner, has no prescribed tempo or time signature — instead, the musicians count time using stethoscopes strapped to their chests.   The show continues in a more fist-pumping mood with premieres from folk singer-turned-experimental artist Sarah Jaffe and electro-funk maestro Sinkane, along with Robert Plant's "Rainbow" from his upcoming release lullaby and...the Ceaseless Roar. Last, blessedly safe from the blazing noon sun outside, Bob takes us out with "Summer Noon," a sweet and airy song from Tweedy, the new group led by by Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and featuring his teenage son Spencer on drums (Scott McCaughey of The Minus 5 plays piano and Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius sing on the track). The song will appear on Tweedy's album Sukierae as well as the soundtrack to Richard Linklater's film Boyhood.

This version of the July 8, 2014 episode includes a correction. Robin says, "I'm an idiot. Broncho's name is pronounced 'BRAWN-cho,' not 'BRAWN-koh.'"  Bob says, "An intern could have done better."

On this week's All Songs Considered: After some speculation on Pink Floyd's just-announced album The Endless River, Robin kicks off the show with Broncho's "Class Historian," which he describes as the most immediately catchy song he's heard all year. Not to be out-catchied, Bob retaliates with Rubblebucket's "Carousel Ride," from the band's upcoming release Survival Sounds. Full of explosive synthesizers and melodies made to climb the charts, it gives Robin a run for his money. Bob also plays Brian Eno and Karl Hyde's trance-inducing "DBF," from the pair's recent LP, High Life, and follows that with the gentler yet equally hypnotic "Lonestar," by the Baltimore duo Peals (which is led by members of Future Islands and Double Dagger). Keeping the peaceful mood going, Robin plays "The First Time," the tranquil opening track to singer-songwriter Matt Kivel's Days of Being Wild, released today. Bob and Robin close out the show with Coldplay and Cat Power's unexpected collaboration "Wish I Was Here," from the soundtrack of Zach Braff's upcoming film of the same name. After such a frenetic first half to the show, "Wish I Was Here" is the slow, soothing finale. When it's over, everyone is ready for a cuddly nap.

On this week's All Songs Considered we've got new music from Bon Iver, Luluc and White Fence, plus a look at a few of our favorite artists from the first half of the year. After ruminating on the challenges of potty-training with co-host Robin Hilton, Bob Boilen kicks off the show with a brand-new track from Bon Iver that appears on the soundtrack to Zach Braff's upcoming film, Wish I Was Here. Featuring a mantra-like vocal loop and pulsating drums, 'Heavenly Father' possesses the intimacy of For Emma, Forever Ago while also exploring new textures as well. Next, Robin premieres "Small Window," a gorgeously understated track from the folk duo Luluc. Later in the show Bob and Robin put in a call to NPR Music's Anastasia Tsioulcas and Frannie Kelley in New York City to play some of their favorite songs of the first half of the year; Anastasia chooses the Belgian chameleon Stromae (whose name is an inversion of the word "Maestro"), playing 'Ave Cesaria' from his recent release Racine Carrée. Frannie opts for 'Broken,' a cut from Piñata, the collaboration between the raw-voiced rapper Freddie Gibbs and the meticulous DJ and producer Madlib. Later, Bob and Robin also lure NPR Music's Lars Gotrich away from his desk and into the studio to shine some light on the state of metal in 2014: Lars plays 'I Will Run,' a melodic hard-rocker from Chicago's High Spirits. Robin wraps things up with White Fence's 'Like That,' the first tune we've heard from the California garage-rockers upcoming record For the Recently Found Innocent. With its catchy chorus and falsetto vocals, it takes Robin to a place of peace, and if only for a brief moment, he forgets whatever dirty diapers await him at home.

On this week's show, hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton are joined by NPR Music's Stephen Thompson to recount their favorite music from the first six months of 2014. They spin the ferocious punk energy of Perfect Pussy, the magnetic vocals of Broken Twin, absurdly catchy electro-pop from Sylvan Esso and much more. Bob opens the show with a cut from his favorite new band of 2014, the San Francisco-based seven-piece group known as The Family Crest. The band makes music on an epic scale, with stunning vocals and a multitude of instruments. Stephen then beats Robin to the punch to claim Perfect Pussy as his favorite new band of the year, with the song "Driver," two minutes of howling vocals and surging guitars from the Syracuse band's debut album Say Yes to Love. Later in the show Robin returns the favor by snagging Sturgill Simpson as his biggest surprise of the year. "Turtles All the Way Down" finds the country singer examining cosmic questions with his heart-wrenching voice and classic country arrangements. Also on the show: A fuzzy rock number from the often-hushed singer Angel Olsen; The German band The Notwist has Stephen's favorite song of the year in "Kong;" The band Nothing rumbles and shakes with glorious noise-rock; Damien Jurado's flamingo-tinged "Silver Timothy" explodes into a synth-fueled jam and much, much more.

On this week's All Songs Considered: Red-blooded rock-and-roll from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, a dramatic and cinematic turn for singer Lana Del Rey, the off-kilter, genre-bending sounds of Adult Jazz and more. Co-host Robin Hilton, riding high on a wave of caffeine and nostalgia, kicks off the show with "American Dream Plan B," a straight-ahead guitar-rock cut from the upcoming Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album Hypnotic Eye. Bob Boilen opts for something a bit more subdued with Sean Rowe's "Madman," the title track from the singer's new album, out Sept. 9 on ANTI-. The accompanying video, which premiered on All Songs TV, follows the folk singer on a recent tour as he brings his beautiful baritone to strangers' homes across the country. Also on the show: We premiere a startling new cut from the Leeds-based band Adult Jazz. The song "Hum," from the band's upcoming album Gist Is, is a strange, epic journey through off-kilter soundscapes. Bob shares Lana Del Rey's "Shades Of Cool," a song full of unexpected twist and turns, from the singer's new album Ultraviolence. We get all mushy inside with the beautiful and sentimental "Dark Side Of The Moon" from Chris Staples. "Sing 2 Me" by Walter Martin is a G-rated song the former bassist for The Walkmen recorded with Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Finally we close the show out with "Birthday Song," a quirky cut from Frankie Cosmos. Clocking in at just 68 seconds, it's the perfect summation of the show: sweet, profound and a bit perplexing, too.

On this week’s All Songs Considered: Premieres from pop giants The New Pornographers, hip-hop and R&B singer Mapei, the up-and-coming jangle-pop group Alvvays and more. After abandoning plans to open a donut shop, co-host Robin Hilton rejoins the program and is welcomed by host Bob Boilen, who shares an early preview of the upcoming New Pornographers album Brill Bruisers. It isn’t out until Aug. 26, but we’ve got the gloriously infectious title track. Robin follows with “Change,” an uplifting ode to the power of love and appreciating what you have in life, from the just-announced Mapei album Hey Hey.  Last fall we featured the Stockholm-based singer’s song “Don’t Wait”  on the show, shortly before it became a massive hit for her, propelled by her soaring voice and inspired mix of soul and electronics.   Also on the program: New music from Moon Hooch, the Brooklyn-based trio we’ve been raving about for the past year for its sax-powered riff rock; The beautifully textured, moody music of Dawn Golden; A gritty turn for the idiosyncratic pop group Clap Your Hands Say Yeah; And the wistfully breezy, sunny-day pop of Alvvays.   

Spoon’s first album in four years is called They Want My Soul. It won't be released until Aug. 5, but frontman Britt Daniel and drummer Jim Eno recently joined All Songs Considered hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton to play some of the record and share the stories behind it.