Clockwise from upper left: Sufjan Stevens, Jess Locke, Squirrrel Flower, Page McConnell, Mabe Fratti Courtesy of the artists hide caption
All Songs Considered Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton spin new music from emerging bands and musical icons.
All Songs Considered
Upgrade Your Playlist
U.K. rapper AJ Tracey. His sophomore full-length, Flu Game, is on our shortlist of the best albums out on April 16. Michael O'Donnel/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Rhiannon Giddens recorded her new album, They're Calling Me Home, with her collaborator Francesco Turrisi, in quarantine in Ireland during 2020. Ebru Yildiz/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Sharon Van Etten. Jen Rosenstein/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
The Hong Kong-based singer-songwriter Cehryl. Her latest release, Time Machine, is one of our picks for the best albums out on April 9. Jonny Ho/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Clockwise from upper left: Skullcrusher, Rhiannon Giddens, Wallice, Bachelor (feat. Jay Som and Palehound) and Major Murphy Courtesy of the artists hide caption
New Mix: Rhiannon Giddens, A Jay Som-Palehound Collaboration, First Aid Kit, More
Nasty Cherry. Courtesy of Netflix hide caption
Clockwise from upper left: IKOQWE, Joyce Wrice, Solomon Fox, Joe'l Young, Hirsch, Floating Points and Pharaoh Sanders. Courtesy of the artists hide caption
Jambinai performs at the SXSW Music Festival showcase presented by KoTPA (Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation) during SXSW Online on March 16, 2021. SXSW hide caption
Sara Watkins Jacob Boll/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Singer and rapper Noga Erez. Her new album, KIDS, is one of our top picks for the best albums out on Mar. 26. Dudi Hasson/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
"I'm a person who spends a lot of time in my songwriting and in my daily life having an internal freakout about specifically which terminology I'm using for any conversation," Julien Baker tells NPR. Alysse Gafkjen/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Clockwise from upper left: Kishi Bashi, Gem Club, Madi Diaz, Montparnasse Musique, Toumani Diabaté. Courtesy of the artists hide caption
Pharoah Sanders and Floating Points in the studio. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Jon Batiste. His monumental new album, We Are, is on our shortlist of the best new albums out on March 19. Louis Browne/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Top row, left to right: Cautious Clay, Kelli Scarr, Lucy Dacus; Bottom row, left to right: Lightning Bug, Ben Howard Courtesy of the artists hide caption
Singer Valerie June. Her new album, The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers, is on our shortlist for the best releases out on March 12. Renata Raksha/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Top row, left to right: Matilda Mann, Shannen James, SXSW logo; Bottom row, left to right: Bongeziwe Mabandla, Kapil Seshasayee, Sophie Hutchings. Courtesy of the artists hide caption
Peter Stampfel Elizabeth Wollheim/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Elizabeth Ziman of Elizabeth and the Catapult. The band's latest full-length, Sincerely, e is one of our picks for the best new albums out on March 5. Seth Caplan/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Clockwise from upper left: Black Country, New Road; VanJess; Will Liverman; Maxine Funke; Aaron Lee Tasjan; Wild Pink. Courtesy of the artists hide caption
Singer Sam Dew. His debut solo album, Moonlit Fools, is on our list of the best new releases out on Feb. 26. Christian Lanza/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Left: José González; Top middle: Charlie Hickey; Right: Ethel Cain; Bottom middle: Francis Of Delirium Courtesy of the artists hide caption