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NPR Music

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Welcome to your all-in-one destination for every NPR Music podcast. We break down the best new albums to hit streaming each week on New Music Friday; we share the latest songs worthy of your playlists on All Songs Considered; there’s off-the-rails conversations (and chisme!) about Latin music on Alt.Latino. The NPR Music channel is your hub for new records, iconic artists and cult heroes, free of algorithms and full of …

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Episodes

251

NPR Music · Aug 21, 2026

New Music Friday: The best albums out Aug. 21

Brennan Wedl. Jorja Smith. Brandon Flowers. Host Stephen Thompson chats with Celia Gregory from WNXP in Nashville about their favorite albums out Friday, August 21. Plus, a handful of NPR Music writers and critics …

42:15

NPR Music · Aug 19, 2026

Alt.Latino: Electrónica rising in Mexico

Mexico isn't the first place you think of as the cutting edge of experimental electronic music. But two new projects show that might be changing. LATIN MAFIA recently teamed up with British producer Fred …

32:13

NPR Music · Aug 18, 2026

Weezer, Colin Stetson, Jlin, Meredith Monk more

On this week’s show, Weezer gives the people what they want, plus a breathless “dirt dance” from saxophonist Colin Stetson and bagpiper Brìghde Chaimbeul, the scruffy cello-pop of yeemz, works by composer and vocalist …

0:00

NPR Music · Aug 14, 2026

New Music Friday: The best albums out Aug. 14

Phoebe Bridgers. Jungle. Hovvdy. It's a surprisingly stacked Summer Friday this week, and you can hear all about it with New Music Friday host Stephen Thompson and guest Samantha Hval from WMNF in Tampa, …

46:24

NPR Music · Aug 12, 2026

Alt.Latino: Why Harry Styles and The xx love Latin America

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 …

39:35

NPR Music · Aug 11, 2026

Cover songs that are better than the originals

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 …

51:41

NPR Music · Aug 9, 2026

The Ripple Effect: Deadheads share their stories

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, …

39:49

NPR Music · Aug 7, 2026

New Music Friday: The best albums out Aug. 7

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 …

41:43

NPR Music · Aug 5, 2026

Alt.Latino: Ana's summer playlist

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 …

31:20

NPR Music · Aug 4, 2026

Slayyyter's new single, King Princess covers Neil Young

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 …

41:16

NPR Music · Aug 1, 2026

What's next for the Grateful Dead's legacy?

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 …

44:52

NPR Music · Jul 31, 2026

New Music Friday: The best albums out July 31

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 …

43:02

NPR Music · Jul 29, 2026

Alt.Latino: Is Bill Evans techno?

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 …

29:27

NPR Music · Jul 28, 2026

How to love the Grateful Dead

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 …

45:34

NPR Music · Jul 24, 2026

New Music Friday: The best albums out July 24

Charli xcx. Tyla. Shania Twain. Guest host Ann Powers chats with Nastia Voynovskaya of member station KQED in San Francisco about their favorite albums out Friday, July 24. Plus, some NPR Music writers and …

40:01

NPR Music · Jul 22, 2026

Alt.Latino: Spain wins (at music, too)

We'll take any excuse to talk about the insane quality of music coming out of Spain these days. This week, we got one: Spain defeated Argentina on Sunday to win the 2026 World Cup …

27:50

NPR Music · Jul 21, 2026

Sylvan Esso, Phoebe Bridgers, feeble little horse, more

We share our picks for the best new tracks out now, including the laid-back dystopia of Sylvan Esso’s “Concrete Glen,” an acoustic take on Phoebe Bridgers’ “Lost Boys,” the glitched-out chaos of feeble little …

41:53

NPR Music · Jul 17, 2026

New Music Friday: The best albums out July 17

Gracie Abrams. Nia Archives. Steve Lacy. On a release day full of catchy earworms, host Stephen Thompson chats with Tshego Letsoalo of KALW in San Francisco about their favorite albums out Friday, July 17. …

41:31

NPR Music · Jul 15, 2026

Alt.Latino: Country twang, Brazilian flow

With last week's best-of show behind us, we've got a clean slate to dive into our favorite new music kicking off the second half of the year. Felix brings a batch of country tracks, …

31:56

NPR Music · Jul 14, 2026

beabadoobee, The Rolling Stones, Four Tet, more

On her stellar new single, “Switchblade,” beabadoobee shreds ‘90s style. The Rolling Stones have still got it on their latest album, Foreign Tongues. And Four Tet surprises us with a new “wingdings” project. We’ve …

45:55

NPR Music · Jul 10, 2026

New Music Friday: The best albums out July 10

Jack White. Baby Rose. Suki Waterhouse. Host Stephen Thompson chats with Maggie Brennan of WCBE in Ohio about their favorite albums out Friday, July 10. Plus, a handful of NPR Music writers and critics …

41:33

NPR Music · Jul 8, 2026

Alt.Latino: The best Latin music of 2026 (so far)

It’s that time of the year again: a mix between Christmas and Halloween for me and Felix. We gift you our best album picks of the year so far — and there’s nothing spookier …

40:47

NPR Music · Jul 7, 2026

Summer’s simple pleasures: Roséwave

Roséwave is a feeling more than a singular sound or genre. It’s the kind of sweetness and sadness that underscores the long, languid days of summer. Long drives with old friends, watching your kids …

37:17

NPR Music · Jul 3, 2026

The best albums of 2026 (so far)

On a special mid-year episode of New Music Friday, host Stephen Thompson and a lineup of NPR Music writers and critics reflect on their favorite albums of the year so far. Albums featured in …

40:43

NPR Music · Jul 2, 2026

NPR Music+: “Such Great Heights” by The Postal Service

The origin story of The Postal Service is as simple (and twee) as they come: An electronic music producer (Jimmy Tamborello) and an indie rock singer-songwriter (Ben Gibbard) decide to collaborate on a few …

36:01

NPR Music · Jul 1, 2026

Alt.Latino: Mon Laferte's captivating coda

On this week’s Alt.Latino, Anamaria and I both gush about 'Femme Fatale Vol. 2,' the new album from Chilean-Mexican singer Mon Laferte, who is on one of the more amazing creative streaks I've witnessed …

29:00

NPR Music · Jun 30, 2026

The year’s best songs (so far)

It's the midway point of 2026, and it's safe to say that when it comes to the best songs of the year, there's not really any consensus to be found. So we’ve assembled our …

46:33

NPR Music · Jun 26, 2026

New Music Friday: The best albums out June 26

Beth Orton. Chanel Beads. Cécile McLorin Salvant. Host Stephen Thompson chats with Ayana Contreras from KUVO in Denver about their favorite new albums out Friday, June 26. Plus, a handful of NPR Music writers …

41:55

NPR Music · Jun 23, 2026

Beck’s ‘Odelay’ at 30, Mitski covers One Direction, more

We share our picks for the best new tracks of the week, including Mitski’s surprising cover of One Direction’s “Fireproof.” But first, we remember Beck’s still mind-blowing Odelay, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary. …

46:55

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