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Shabazz Palaces

Friday

New Music Friday: The Top 7 Albums Out On April 17

Fiona Apple. Her long-awaited — and monumental — new album, Fetch the Bolt Cutters, tops our shortlist of the best releases out on April 17. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The Top 7 Albums Out On April 17

Fiona Apple's long-awaited Fetch the Bolt Cutters leads our rundown of the best new albums out this week. Hear that, plus the latest from Shabazz Palaces, Lido Pimienta, Rina Sawayama and more.

New Music Friday: The Top 7 Albums Out On April 17

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Thursday

Tuesday

Saturday

Heavy Rotation: 10 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing

Marty Stuart's "Time Don't Wait" is a favorite at The Current in St. Paul, Minn. Alysse Gafkjen/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Alysse Gafkjen/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Heavy Rotation: 10 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing

Hear new music by country veteran Marty Stuart, former Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto, psychedelic hip-hop duo Shabazz Palaces and more in April's playlist, curated by public-radio hosts.

Heavy Rotation: 10 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing

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Tuesday

Tuesday

Tuesday

New Mix: Weezer, Lucinda Williams, Sufjan Stevens, More

Clockwise from upper left: Weezer, Sufjan Stevens, Lia Ices, Lucinda Williams, Shabazz Palaces Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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All Songs Considered

New Mix: Weezer, Lucinda Williams, Sufjan Stevens, More

On this week's All Songs Considered, premieres from Lucinda Williams, Buke and Gase and Lia Ices, along with much more.

New Mix: Weezer, Lucinda Williams, Sufjan Stevens, More

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Sunday

First Listen: Shabazz Palaces, 'Lese Majesty'

Shabazz Palaces' new album, Lese Majesty, comes out July 29. Patrick O'Brien-Smith/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Patrick O'Brien-Smith/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Shabazz Palaces, 'Lese Majesty'

Lese Majesty is MC and producer Ishmael Butler's most relentlessly noncommercial chapter yet. No hits, no singles; just raw, graceful tunes from the inventive former leader of Digable Planets.

Lese Majesty

Audio for First Listens is no longer available after the album has been released.
Unlocking The Eclectic

Shabazz Palaces' new record, Lese Majesty, comes out July 29. Patrick O'Brien-Smith/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Patrick O'Brien-Smith/Courtesy of the artist

Music Interviews

Unlocking The Eclectic

The enigmatic leader of Shabazz Palaces says his process is instinctive, non-linear and, sometimes, beyond his own understanding. Read Ishmael Butler's extended interview with All Things Considered.

Unlocking The Eclectic

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Saturday

Tuesday

Monday

Opinion

NPR Music's 50 Favorite Albums Of 2011

50 Favorites Of 2011: S-W

Musicians new and familiar gave us exciting sounds in 2011. We witnessed the ascent of the mighty Merrill Garbus, a.k.a. tUnE-yArDs. We reveled at the return of Ishmael Butler, formerly known as Butterfly from jazz-rap greats Digable Planets, whose debut with Shabazz Palaces gave off a dark buzz. Wilco moved even farther away from its alt-country roots and managed to sound even more like Wilco. The list of our 50 favorite records of 2011 wraps up here, with album Shabazz Palaces, Sonny Rollins and more artists from S to W.

Friday

For Pesky Relatives, A Musical Gift Guide

Shabazz Palaces David Belisle and Leif Podhajsky hide caption

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David Belisle and Leif Podhajsky

Music Lists

For Pesky Relatives, A Musical Gift Guide

NPR Music's Stephen Thompson picks new music for the hard-to-please on a host's shopping list.

For Pesky Relatives, A Musical Gift Guide

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Wednesday

Grind And Shine: Shabazz Palaces And THEESatisfaction

Shabazz Palaces and THEESatisfaction (from left to right, Ishmael Butler, Catherine Harris-White and Stasia Irons) outside Caffe Vita in Capitol Hill. Kyle Johnson for NPR hide caption

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Kyle Johnson for NPR

The Record

Grind And Shine: Shabazz Palaces And THEESatisfaction

We sat down with the city's most enigmatic groups in Capitol Hill, the hub of Seattle nightlife.

Hear "Swerve... the reeping of all that is worthwhile (Noir not withstanding) (feat. THEESatisfaction)" from Shabazz Palaces' 'Black Up'

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