Music Reviews : NPR

Nigerian Drummer Tony Allen Revisits His Jazz Roots In A Salute To Art Blakey

Fresh Air

June 30, 2017 • Allen mixes African, European and American beats on his new album, A Tribute to Art Blakey. Critic Kevin Whitehead says the record showcases the way that musicians "bat ideas back and forth."

Nigerian Drummer Tony Allen Revisits His Jazz Roots In A Salute To Art Blakey

Listen · 6:11 6:11

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/534878830/535064640" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Hear Hiss Golden Messenger's Tender 'Standing In The Doorway'

Hiss Golden Messenger. Andy Tennille/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Andy Tennille/Courtesy of the artist

Songs We Love

Hear Hiss Golden Messenger's Tender 'Standing In The Doorway'

June 30, 2017 • M.C. Taylor has a rueful, weary reediness that makes the tensions in his songs pull that much harder. In a beautiful outtake from Heart Like A Levee, dreaming and reality are at odds.

Find Phat Lip Where Pop Meets Polyrhythms

Kelly Jo Ramirez says her project Phat Lip is about "opening up all the listeners and exposing them to the Latin influence." Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of the artist

Alt.Latino

Find Phat Lip Where Pop Meets Polyrhythms

June 30, 2017 • The new single from South Carolina musician Kelly Jo Ramirez's project is an infectious break-up song with Latin rhythms and pop harmonies. "I wanted to show the spectrum of Latino sound," she says.

JAY-Z, shown performing at Barclays Center of Brooklyn Oct. 20, 2015, has released 4:44, his first album in four years. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for TIDAL hide caption

toggle caption

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for TIDAL

JAY-Z Bares His Soul On '4:44'

June 30, 2017 • On his new album, the rapper and entrepreneur continues to push himself to the forefront of the genre, paving the way for the next generation of MCs to age gracefully on the mic.

JAY-Z Bares His Soul On '4:44'

Listen · 3:50 3:50

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/534869737/534969959" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

On Steve Coleman's 'Morphogenesis,' Art Becomes Sport

Steve Coleman's new album, Morphogenesis, is out now. John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation hide caption

toggle caption

John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

On Steve Coleman's 'Morphogenesis,' Art Becomes Sport

June 29, 2017 • The jazz saxophonist and composer's new album is a dense work that musically maps the sport of boxing.

On Steve Coleman's 'Morphogenesis,' Art Becomes Sport

Listen · 3:20 3:20

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/534891095/534916127" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Matthew Dear's 'Modafinil Blues' Will Soundtrack Your Comedown

Matthew Dear. Chris Arace/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Chris Arace/Courtesy of the artist

Songs We Love

Matthew Dear's 'Modafinil Blues' Will Soundtrack Your Comedown

June 29, 2017 • Matthew Dear's first release since 2012's Beams is a pulsing goth-pop jewel that pulls the best elements of new wave — all the sex, melancholy and sly humor — and saunters off into the darkness.

Tristen's new album, Sneaker Waves, is out July 7. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

Review: Tristen, 'Sneaker Waves'

June 29, 2017 • Nashville indie-rock star Tristen Gaspadarek bears quietly lacerating witness to vulnerability on her infectious third album.

Review: Public Service Broadcasting, 'Every Valley'

Public Service Broadcasting's new album, Every Valley, is out July 7. Courtesy of artist hide caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of artist

First Listen

Review: Public Service Broadcasting, 'Every Valley'

June 29, 2017 • The U.K. band uses interviews, newsreels, propaganda films and its own stormy instrumental music to craft a fun-but-powerful statement about industry and automation.

Sarah Jaffe's new album, Bad Baby, is out July 7. Lindsey Byrnes/Courtesy of artist hide caption

toggle caption

Lindsey Byrnes/Courtesy of artist

First Listen

Review: Sarah Jaffe, 'Bad Baby'

June 29, 2017 • The versatile Texas singer-songwriter mixes spiky synth-pop with softer, slower-burning reflections on the way human beings interact.

Dreamy Post-Punks Flesh World Blast Off To 'Destination Moon'

Flesh World's Into The Shroud comes out Sept. 8. Roxanne Clifford/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Roxanne Clifford/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

Dreamy Post-Punks Flesh World Blast Off To 'Destination Moon'

June 28, 2017 • Featuring members of Brilliant Colors and Limp Wrist, Flesh World's new album, Into The Shroud, both sharpens and expands the band's twilight-skating post-punk.

Soul Man Devon Gilfillian Premieres 'Here And Now' Clip

Devon Gilfillian says his new single is about "slowing life down and living in the moment." Lindsey Patkos/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Lindsey Patkos/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Soul Man Devon Gilfillian Premieres 'Here And Now' Clip

XPN

June 28, 2017 • Watch the video for the emerging Nashville R&B musician's Al Green-inspired groove tune about "slowing life down and living in the moment."

Alex Cameron's 'Candy May' Shines Like Black Glitter

Alex Cameron's new album, Forced Witness, comes out Sept. 8. YouTube hide caption

toggle caption

YouTube

Songs We Love

Alex Cameron's 'Candy May' Shines Like Black Glitter

June 28, 2017 • With a video set on the Las Vegas strip, Cameron sings about a wound deeper than the layers of synth carved into the first single from Forced Witness. Angel Olsen sings backing vocals.

Hear Couch Slut's Mutant Noise-Rocker 'Company Picnic With Dust Off'

Couch Slut's Contempt comes out July 28. Roger Hayn/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Roger Hayn/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

Hear Couch Slut's Mutant Noise-Rocker 'Company Picnic With Dust Off'

June 27, 2017 • Noise-rock thrives on ugly. It is the parasitic, shape-shifting monster of music, and Couch Slut is here to explosively mutate into a creature from The Thing.

Big Hush's 'Soft Eyes' Jangles Shoegaze In A Hall Of Mirrors

Big Hush's Spirit/Wholes comes out Aug. 11. Travis Bozeman/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Travis Bozeman/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

Big Hush's 'Soft Eyes' Jangles Shoegaze In A Hall Of Mirrors

June 27, 2017 • Featuring members of Pygmy Lush and Flasher, Big Hush's first two cassettes are getting pressed to vinyl as Spirit/Wholes, with a new song included that feels like a major step-up.

Hear Lunice's Jolting 'Distrust,' Featuring Denzel Curry

Lunice's debut album, CCCLX, is out September 8. Mathieu Fortin/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Mathieu Fortin/Courtesy of the artist

Songs We Love

Hear Lunice's Jolting 'Distrust,' Featuring Denzel Curry

June 27, 2017 • The boundary-pushing hip-hop producer's debut album is inspired by, and designed for, the stage. Denzel Curry guests on the polyrhythmic cut.

Lunice, 'Distrust (Feat. Denzel Curry & C9)'

2:53

Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/534136589/534138838" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">