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New Music Friday: The best releases out on May 19

KAYTRANADA and Aminé's new project together, KAYTRAMINÉ tops our shortlist of the best albums out this week. Lucas Creighton hide caption

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Lucas Creighton

New Music Friday: The best releases out on May 19

May 19, 2023 • A joint project from the rapper Aminé and producer KAYTRANADA tops our list of the best albums out this week, along with new ones from Paul Simon, Kesha, Sufjan Stevens and more.

New Music Friday: The best releases out on May 19

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David Bowie joins a list of stars whose back catalogs are sold for galactic sums

Musician David Bowie speaks onstage while accepting the Webby Lifetime Achievement award at the 11th Annual Webby Awards in 2007. Bryan Bedder/Getty Images hide caption

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Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

David Bowie joins a list of stars whose back catalogs are sold for galactic sums

January 4, 2022 • David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks and Shakira all recently sold off all or part of their back catalogs. Why forgo future royalties and creative control?

David Bowie joins a list of stars whose back catalogs are sold for galactic sums

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Bob And Robin's Holiday In Space

December 22, 2020 • Every year, All Songs Considered hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton go on a musical holiday adventure. This year, they take a rocket ride to outer space and are joined by a few special guests.

Listen To Bob And Robin's Holiday In Space

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'SNL' Musical Guests, Ranked From No. 1 To Greta Van Fleet

Kanye West and Lil Pump as Perrier and Fiji, respectively, as Adele Givens looms overhead. Will Heath/NBC hide caption

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Will Heath/NBC

'SNL' Musical Guests, Ranked From No. 1 To Greta Van Fleet

May 20, 2019 • BTS! DJ Khaled! Paul Simon! Kanye West dressed as a bottle of sparkling water! This season of Saturday Night Live had it all, and now all 21 performances have been cruelly ranked for your enjoyment.

Between Love And Hate: A Valentine's Day Playlist

A photo of the Ribaudo family tomb in the Staglieno Cimitero Monumentale in Genoa, Italy was used as the cover art for Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart." Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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All Songs Considered

Between Love And Hate: A Valentine's Day Playlist

February 14, 2019 • This Valentine's Day, we wanted to know: Can the same song be both a great love song and a breakup song?

'SNL' Spoofs Kanye West, Welcomes Back Paul Simon

Chris Redd and Alec Baldwin perform in a spoof of Kanye West's visit to the White House on Saturday Night Live. Saturday Night Live/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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Saturday Night Live/Screenshot by NPR

Television

'SNL' Spoofs Kanye West, Welcomes Back Paul Simon

October 14, 2018 • The cold open revisited West's bizarre White House soliloquy, while Simon performed an emotional rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Water."

Paul Simon Tinkers With His Classics On 'In The Blue Light'

"The album is a good example of fixing things that I thought could be fixed," Paul Simon says. Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images hide caption

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Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images

Music Interviews

Paul Simon Tinkers With His Classics On 'In The Blue Light'

September 7, 2018 • The famed singer-songwriter says his fourteenth album, out now, will be his last. Simon also tells NPR's David Greene that he's ready to stop touring.

Paul Simon Tinkers With His Classics On 'In The Blue Light'

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Paul Simon Says 'I'm Finished' Writing Music

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All Songs Considered

Paul Simon Says 'I'm Finished' Writing Music

September 5, 2018 • In this candid conversation, the singer reveals he hasn't felt compelled to write a new song in years, talks about the desire to better know himself and reflects on the very meaning of life itself.

Paul Simon Says 'I'm Finished' Writing Music

37:59

Paul Simon's 'In The Blue Light' Seeks Redemption In Revision

Paul Simon's In the Blue Light comes out Sept. 7. Frank Ockenfels III/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Frank Ockenfels III/Courtesy of the artist

Review

First Listen

Paul Simon's 'In The Blue Light' Seeks Redemption In Revision

August 30, 2018 • In the Blue Light features ten recordings of old works, newly considered.

Paul Simon Refreshes 10 Of His Songs On New Album, Alongside All-Star Collaborators

Paul Simon, 76, will release In The Blue Light on Sept. 7. Frank Ockenfels/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Frank Ockenfels/Courtesy of the artist

New Music

Paul Simon Refreshes 10 Of His Songs On New Album, Alongside All-Star Collaborators

July 12, 2018 • The album's release coincides with the end of Simon's farewell tour.

Author Robert Hilburn Shares Stories And Revelations Inside 'Paul Simon: The Life'

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Christopher Morris/Courtesy of the author

World Cafe

Author Robert Hilburn Shares Stories And Revelations Inside 'Paul Simon: The Life'

XPN

June 29, 2018 • The former Los Angeles Times music critic was given complete editorial control over the singer-songwriter's biography.

Author Robert Hilburn On World Cafe

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Left to right: Graham Nash, Stephen Stills, David Crosby and Neil Young. 1974. Joel Bernstein hide caption

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Joel Bernstein

World Cafe

World Cafe: That '70s Week

XPN

March 13, 2017 • All week, we dig into the archives to present our favorite sessions with artists whose work in the 1970s remains some of their best.

'Swimming In A Trance-Like State': Paul Simon On Philip Glass

Paul Simon collaborated with Philip Glass on the album Songs from Liquid Days. New York Daily News via Getty Images hide caption

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New York Daily News via Getty Images

Deceptive Cadence

'Swimming In A Trance-Like State': Paul Simon On Philip Glass

January 26, 2017 • The great songwriter explains his fascination with the repetition, symmetry and changing time signatures in Glass' music.

Car Seat Headrest's Teens Of Denial is Bob Boilen's album of the year. Courtesy of the artist. hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist.

All Songs Considered

Bob Boilen's Top 10 Albums Of 2016

December 8, 2016 • The All Songs Considered and Tiny Desk host shares his favorite recordings of the year.

Watch Paul Simon's Ageless And Animated Performance Of 'Wristband'

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All Songs TV

Watch Paul Simon's Ageless And Animated Performance Of 'Wristband'

September 29, 2016 • The legendary singer and songwriter makes his first-ever appearance at Austin City Limits for a rare live performance.

Encore Week: Car Seat Headrest, Bonnie Raitt, Mudcrutch And More

During this encore week, hear sessions with — clockwise from left — Mudcrutch, Bonnie Raitt (photo: Joe Del Tufo/WXPN) and Car Seat Headrest (photo: Jeremy Zimmerman/WXPN). Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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World Cafe

Encore Week: Car Seat Headrest, Bonnie Raitt, Mudcrutch And More

XPN

September 19, 2016 • Hear from newcomers and veteran artists alike in five recent World Cafe sessions worth another listen.

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Mary Ellen Matthews/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Paul Simon On World Cafe

XPN

June 3, 2016 • At 74, the legendary songwriter is still searching for sounds he hasn't heard before.

Paul Simon on World Cafe

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Paul Simon On 'Stranger To Stranger' And Why You Can Call Him Al (Again)

Paul Simon's new album, Stranger to Stranger, is out now. Myrna Suarez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Myrna Suarez/Courtesy of the artist

Music Interviews

Paul Simon On 'Stranger To Stranger' And Why You Can Call Him Al (Again)

June 3, 2016 • On his new album, Simon remains clever and biting, even when touching on difficult topics — some of them close to home.

Paul Simon On 'Stranger To Stranger' And Why You Can Call Him Al (Again)

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Review: Paul Simon, 'Stranger To Stranger'

Paul Simon's latest album, Stranger To Stranger, is due out June 3. Myrna Suarez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Myrna Suarez/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

Review: Paul Simon, 'Stranger To Stranger'

May 26, 2016 • After 13 solo albums, Simon still views pop as a language of exuberant dances and polyrhythmic upheavals. Even now, his music pulses with the feeling of invention.

Paul Simon Talks Upcoming Album, Shares New Song

Paul Simon's latest album, Stranger To Stranger, is due out June 3. Myrna Suarez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Myrna Suarez/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

Paul Simon Talks Upcoming Album, Shares New Song

May 19, 2016 • Paul Simon talks about his upcoming album, Stranger To Stranger, and why it may be his last, at least for a while. He also shares the new song, "The Werewolf."

Paul Simon Talks Upcoming Album, Shares New Song

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All Things Considered Host Ari Shapiro Plays DJ

Ari Shapiro, new host of NPR's All Things Considered. Doby Photography/NPR hide caption

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Doby Photography/NPR

All Songs Considered

All Things Considered Host Ari Shapiro Plays DJ

September 21, 2015 • The new host for NPR's evening news magazine joins All Songs Considered to discuss musicals, powerful voices and why Paul Simon's Graceland never gets old.

All Things Considered Host Ari Shapiro Plays DJ

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Match your wits against the granddaddy of composers in this big Bach puzzler. Wikimedia Commons hide caption

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Wikimedia Commons

Deceptive Cadence

Wig Out With The Big Bach Puzzler

March 21, 2014 • Are you brainy when it comes to Bach, or bamboozled? Know your cantatas from your concertos? Match your wits against the granddaddy of composers in this 'Big Bach' puzzler.