
5 Soundtracks For Awkward Family Gatherings

Thanksgiving small talk can be stressful. We've got the soundtrack for those awkward pauses. Courtesy of FOX hide caption
Thanksgiving small talk can be stressful. We've got the soundtrack for those awkward pauses.
Courtesy of FOXIt's Thanksgiving weekend, which means many of us will be sitting in a living room or around a dining table for hours on end with relatives we hardly know. Good times! In situations like this, the conversation is just as likely to flow like molasses as wine, so it's important to have great music playing at all times to ward off the awkward pauses.
Why not let NPR Music Radio take care of your Turkey Day soundtrack? We've got five endless playlists that will let you focus on the important stuff, — like cooking up the perfect feast, searching for Black Friday deals or pretending to show an interest in your extended family. All you need to do? Press play.
5 Soundtracks For Awkward Family Gatherings
All Songs Considered 24/7
Danny Clinch/Courtesy of the artistRecommended If You Like: Avett Brothers, Sigur Ros, Laura Mvula
The All Songs 24/7 channel includes more than 4,000 songs, all handpicked by All Songs Considered hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton. The only time you'll want to get up from the table is to find out the name of your new favorite song.
Alt.Latino Radio
Recommended If You Like: Os Mutantes, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Calle 13
Alt.Latino Radio is the 24/7 version of our popular Alt.Latino podcast, hosted by Felix Contreras and Jasmine Garsd. Whether you speak Spanish or not, you'll find that cumbia goes with pretty much anything.
Alt.Latino Radio
Microphone Check
Chris Hondros/Getty ImagesRecommended If You Like: Jay Z, 2Pac, Kendrick Lamar
Thanksgiving is essentially an extended party, and there's no better background for a party than Microphone Check, NPR Music Radio's hip-hop program. Give hosts Frannie Kelley and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (of A Tribe Called Quest) a seat at the table, and you'll never want them to leave.
Microphone Check From NPR Music
ThistleRadio
Sean Gallup/Getty ImagesRecommended If You Like: Rolling meadows as far as the eye can see
For those times when you need peace, but not quiet. Fiona Ritchie hosts the 24/7 extension of her popular Celtic show, The Thistle & Shamrock. ThistleRadio includes her 100 essential Celtic songs, and numerous other favorites from across her 30-year radio career.
Northern Soul Radio
Ian Tyas/Getty ImagesRecommended If You Like: Gladys Knight & The Pips, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett
Who doesn't love classic soul and R&B? Northern Soul Radio is full of undeniably fun up-tempo jams from the late '60s and early '70s, curated by public radio's KALW and some of the best soul DJs in San Francisco.