New Music Friday: The best albums out July 31

Harry Styles just finished a 5-night run in Mexico City. You know who else had a 5-night run in Mexico City? Michael Jackson in 1993.Mainstream artists have a long history of being enticed by the energy of performing for a Latin American crowd … which means there’s also a long and less-known history of big pop stars making music for that audience.Did you know Michael Jackson has a Latin track? So does Madonna. A few actually.As early as the '50s, Nat King Cole experimented with Spanish and released an entire record, Cole Español, writing songs in partnership with legendary "Bésame Mucho" composer Consuelo Velásquez.This week’s Alt.Latino is a pop takeover. We’re mythbusting the idea that there’s only been one kind of crossover — from Latin to mainstream — and walking through a long history of mainstream wanting to go… Latin.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Sometimes a cover song is so good, so singular that it completely eclipses the original version.  Think Sinéad O'Connor doing Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Jimmy Hendrix lighting up Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” or, of course, Whitney Houston’s defining take on Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”  On this week’s show, we share some of our picks for cover songs that are better than the originals, talk about why, and what, exactly, a cover song needs to become a classic.NPR Music’s Dora Levite and Lars Gotrich join host Robin Hilton.Leave us a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected](00:00) Intro and the top five G.O.A.T.s (06:06) Al Green: “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”(09:58) Björk: “It’s Oh So Quiet”(12:28) Aretha Franklin: “Respect”(16:22) Low: “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me”(19:45) Andrew Paul Woodworth: “Fight For Your Right to Party”(25:10) Yaeji: “Passionfruit”(28:13) Shonen Knife: “Top of the World”(32:06) Wednesday: “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Double)”(34:54) Low: “Fearless”(36:37) Harry Nilsson: “Without You”(39:57) Beyonce: “Before I Let Go (Homecoming Live Bonus Track)”(42:35) Gary Jules: “Mad World”(49:19) Chaka Khan: “I Feel For You”Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

At the outset of The Ripple Effect, NPR Music’s series on the Grateful Dead, we asked fans to share stories about how they fell in love with the band. The response was overwhelming: wry, emotional and personal. It was overflowing with shared experiences that underline exactly how crucial the community that surrounds the Dead is to the band’s legacy.Now that we’ve reached the end of Days Between, we’re closing The Ripple Effect by listening to voice memos from you: Deadheads and people who love Deadheads, lifelong fans and late converts. We’ll hear about first shows, encounters with the musicians and multiple cross-country road trips.Check out all of our coverage from The Ripple Effect: The Grateful Dead's long, strange trip might keep going foreverHosts: Felix Contreras, Isabella Gomez SarmientoAudio Producer: Noah CaldwellEditors: Jacob Ganz, Hazel CillsVisuals: Jackie LayExecutive Producer: Suraya MohamedExecutive Director: Sonali MehtaSupport public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Ravyn Lenae. Margaret Glaspy. Overmono. Host Stephen Thompson chats with Liz Warner from WDET in Detroit about their favorite albums out Friday, August 7. Plus, a handful of NPR Music writers and critics offer their personal picks in the lightning round.The Starting 5(00:54) Album No. 1- Ravyn Lenae, 'Blue Island'(08:03) Album No. 2- Overmono, 'Pure Devotion'(15:26) Album No. 3- Margaret Glaspy, 'I Am Both'(21:42) Album No. 4- Man/Woman/Chainsaw, 'Cannonball'(27:36) Album No. 5- Arun Sood & Angeline Morrison, 'Donn/Dubh'(32:43) The Lightning Round- The Mountain Goats, 'Days'- Ceremony, 'Tell Me You're Dream'- Cletus Strap, 'rappers suck.'- Various Artists, 'Sittin' With Blaze: A Tribute To Blaze Foley'- Roy Montgomery & Martha Skye Murphy, 'Nebular'Sample the albums via our New Music Friday playlist and see our Long List of notable releases on NPR.orgCreditsHost: Stephen ThompsonGuest: Liz Warner, WDETAudio Producer: Noah CaldwellDigital Producer: Dora LeviteEditors: Otis Hart, Elle MannionSpecial thanks to Lars Gotrich, Sheldon Pearce and Ann PowersSupport public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

To celebrate Ana's world premiere as a DJ -- a gig playing for 5,000 people in Central Park, which she definitely, absolutely prepared for -- this week we present her summer playlist. We've got song of the summer contenders (Aitana's "SUPERESTRELLA"), sleeper hits we missed when they dropped (Quevedo's "EL BAIFO"), and bubbly classics-in-the-making we keep coming back to (Rawayana's "Se Vienen Cositas"). Plus, Felix balances the bangers with chill-out room Uruguayan jazz, a psychedelic guitar jam and a trio of sisters from Austin.Artists and songs featured in this episode:(02:23) Quevedo, "EL BAIFO"(05:07) Camilo y los Cruzers, "Descarga Rockeada"(09:23) Aitana, "SUPERESTRELLA"(16:44) Alejandra Gala, "I Dare You"(22:14) Rawayana, "Se Vienen Cositas"(25:51) The Tiarras, "Vida Libre", "Black Sheep (unplugged)"This podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. Suraya Mohamed is the executive producer of NPR Music.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We open this week’s show by reflecting on the loss of Glen Hansard, an artist who was critical to shaping the sound and spirit of All Songs Considered in its earliest days. We then share some of our favorite new tracks of the week, including a King Princess cover of Neil Young’s “Helpless,” cheeky pop from Coco & Clair Clair, a stunning ambient track from Adam Wiltzie and the late composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, and more.NPR Music’s Dora Levite joins host Robin Hilton.Support the show with a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected] artists and songs:(00:00) Intro and remembering Glen Hansard(03:24) Coco & Clair Clair: “Coldplay”(08:34) Claudia Isaki: “Origami”(15:30) Slayyyter: “brand new chanel$”(23:17) King Princess: “Helpless”(31:01) Dawuna: “I am a Woman too...”(36:50) Adam Wiltzie & Jóhann Jóhannsson: “White Gloves & Turtlenecks”Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Death never stopped the Grateful Dead before.Since Jerry Garcia's death in 1995, a sprawling collection of musicians and fans across generations have kept the band’s legacy alive in different ways. But without members Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, Deadheads are experiencing their first summer where there’s no clear inheritor of the Grateful Dead’s mantle.Where does the music, and the dedicated community that has grown up around it, go from here? NPR Music's resident Deadheads Felix Contreras and Isabella Gomez Sarmiento took a cue from the Dead itself: They hit the road, interviewing musicians, fans and archivists to learn how the band and its fans built a legacy that has spanned generations, and to find out what's next.For more podcast episodes and stories about the future of the Grateful Dead, check out our series Dead After Death.This episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. It was edited by Jacob Ganz and Hazel Cills. The executive producer of NPR Music is Suraya Mohamed. Our executive director is Sonali Mehta.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The Durutti Column. Arca. MOLIY. Host Stephen Thompson chats with Olive Kimoto of member station KCRW in Los Angeles about their favorite albums out Friday, July 31. Plus, a handful of NPR Music writers and critics offer their personal picks in the lightning round.The Starting 5(01:34) Album No. 1- The Durutti Column, 'Renascent' (08:49) Album No. 2- Arca, 'XXXXX'(17:20) Album No. 3- DOMi & JD Beck, 'WHO ASKED?'(22:17) Album No. 4- Shearwater, 'The New World'(29:13) Album No. 5- MOLIY, 'BADDIES (34:52) The Lightning Round- Shaboozey, 'The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales'- Perfect Person, 'Some Kind of Life' EP- Wyatt Flores, 'Scared of Heights'- Family Stereo, 'The Thread'- Ed Askew, 'The Final Painting'Sample the albums via our New Music Friday playlist and see our Long List of notable releases on NPR.org.CreditsHost: Stephen ThompsonGuest: Olive Kimoto, KCRWAudio Producer: Noah CaldwellDigital Producer: Dora LeviteEditors: Otis Hart, Elle MannionSpecial thanks to Lars Gotrich, Felix Contreras and Ann PowersSupport public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Bill Evans might not be techno. But in this week's episode, the slow-building angst and tension of electronic producer Debit's new music reminded Ana of the beloved jazz piano master. And that kind of genre cross-pollination is everywhere in this week's showcase of new music: Brazilian field recordings remixed for the club, multiple reinterpretations of the Cuban guaguancó, and Spanish producers channeling -- as Ana puts it -- "experimental Boricua stuff."Featured artists and albums:(00:45) Various Artists, 'Candomblé: Sacred Rhythms in Brazil'(04:24) Ítallo, 'CATATAU'(11:25) Debit, 'Potpourri'(16:41) Calequi y Las Panteras, 'TRES'(21:07) Carolina Oliveros, 'Oye Camina'(24:35) BLAYA, 'Your lesbian neighbour is playing music next door'This podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR Music is Suraya Mohamed.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest places, if you look at it right. And if you get confused, just listen to the music play. This week, resident Deadheads Isabella Gomez Sarmiento and Felix Contreras help host Robin Hilton hear what he’s been missing in the music of the Grateful Dead.Are you a Deadhead? Share your memories about the Grateful Dead and we may include them in a big series about the band we're launching Aug. 1.Support the show with a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected] songs:(00:00) Intro and “King Solomon’s Marbles”(08:54) “China Cat Sunflower / I Know You Rider” Alpine Valley, WI 7.17.89(11:03) “Help On the Way / Slipknot / Franklin’s Tower”(16:39) “Ripple”(23:34) “Morning Dew (Europe ‘72)”(26:17) “I Shall Be Released (Live)” (30:05) “Black Muddy River”(31:34) “One More Saturday Night”(32:09) “Sunrise”(33:21) “Shady Grove”(39:14) “Birdsong”(41:45) “Uncle John’s Band”See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy