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#NowPlaying: Best New Songs From NPR Music Today's essential songs, picked by NPR Music and NPR Member stations.

#NowPlaying

Today's essential songs, picked by NPR Music and NPR Member stations

Thom Yorke (Feat. Radiohead), 'Creep (Very 2021 Rmx)'

Greg Williams/Courtesy of the artist

#NowPlaying

Thom Yorke (Feat. Radiohead), 'Creep (Very 2021 Rmx)'

by Robin Hilton

July 13, 2021 • Thom Yorke grinds one of Radiohead's most indelible songs into an extended, weirdly beautiful rant.

Kalie Shorr, 'Love Child'

tmwrk records

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Kalie Shorr, 'Love Child'

by Lyndsey McKenna

July 12, 2021 • With autobiographical lyrics built on a '90s alt-rock-crossover guitar rock sound, Kalie Shorr writes her own origin story on "Love Child."

Koreless, 'Black Rainbow'

Eloise Parry

#NowPlaying

Koreless, 'Black Rainbow'

July 9, 2021 • The drama of Koreless' "Black Rainbow" comes at you from all sides: undulating synths, urgent clatter and hi-res pizzicato loops that pop out of your speakers.

City Girls, 'Twerkulator'

Marcelo Cantu/Quality Control Music LLC

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City Girls, 'Twerkulator'

July 9, 2021 • City Girls' latest single, "Twerkulator," bounces between sensually whispered hooks and bombastic verses guaranteed to induce a twitch of movement in even the grumpiest of grandfathers.

John Linnell, 'TECVM CIRCVMAMBVLARE NOLO'

Idlewild Recordings

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John Linnell, 'TECVM CIRCVMAMBVLARE NOLO'

by Stephen Thompson

July 9, 2021 • They Might Be Giants' John Linnell — a lifelong favorite of nerds the world over — has a new song in Latin that will get lodged in your brain for days.

Peggy Gou, 'I Go'

Courtesy of the artist

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Peggy Gou, 'I Go'

by Lars Gotrich

July 9, 2021 • The '90s house-inspired track vibrates like a glitter-pink Walkman on a summer day.

Strand Of Oaks, 'Galacticana'

Courtesy of the artist

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Strand Of Oaks, 'Galacticana'

XPN

by Bruce Warren

July 9, 2021 • The message at the core of "Galacticana" is universal, not only as a remembrance of all that was lost during the pandemic, but as a reflection of the joy and newfound strength we're feeling right now.

Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine, 'Reach Out'

Asthmatic Kitty Records

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Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine, 'Reach Out'

by Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis

July 8, 2021 • One of the first releases from the new collaboration between Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine, "Reach Out" is loosely based on a 1987 German film about angels.

Attacca Quartet, 'Real Life'

David Goddard/Courtesy of the artist

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Attacca Quartet, 'Real Life'

by Tom Huizenga

July 8, 2021 • The musicians of the versatile, Grammy-winning Attacca Quartet have transformed themselves into an electronica-dance-ambient string quartet for their new album, Real Life.

Allison Ponthier, 'Hell Is A Crowded Room'

Weslee Kate/Courtesy of the artist

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Allison Ponthier, 'Hell Is A Crowded Room'

July 8, 2021 • Allison Ponthier is the latest would-be It Girl of the In-Between.

Baby Rose, 'Go'

Baby Rose Donte Maurice/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Donte Maurice/Courtesy of the artist

#NowPlaying

Baby Rose, 'Go'

by Bobby Carter

July 7, 2021 • The Atlanta-based singer-songwriter's got a once-in-a-generation voice that stops you dead in your tracks.

Baby Rose, 'Go'

3:30

Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1013732297/1013869431" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Courtney Barnett, 'Rae Street'

Courtesy of the artist

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Courtney Barnett, 'Rae Street'

by Stephen Thompson

July 7, 2021 • The song nods to pandemic life ("Let's get back to normal") while speaking to the larger idea that our homes and communities offer us shelter from the punishing din of modern life.

Orla Gartland, 'You're Not Special, Babe'

New Friends Music Ltd

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Orla Gartland, 'You're Not Special, Babe'

July 7, 2021 • Initial curiosity inspired deeper listening and revealed a surprising meaning behind Orla Gartland's new track, Bob Boilen explains.

Overmono, 'So U Kno'

Poly Kicks

#NowPlaying

Overmono, 'So U Kno'

July 7, 2021 • The high-low breakbeats and ambient bassquakes on Overmono's "So U Kno" sound right out of the classic Burial playbook, but our underground overlord rarely has this much fun these days.

Vince Staples, 'ARE YOU WITH THAT?'

Blacksmith Recordings/Motown Records

#NowPlaying

Vince Staples, 'ARE YOU WITH THAT?'

by LaTesha Harris

July 6, 2021 • The track, co-produced by Kenny Beats and Reske, is a glaring departure from Staples' straight-faced quotables, with the California rapper opting instead to sing over a sparse beat and melodic synths.

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