Alt.Latino's Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras visited Cuba and give us an audio-rich tour of Havana.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Sounds from Havana: A brief history of Cuban music

Brittany Luse, host of NPR's It's Been A Minute, joins NPR's Stephen Thompson and host Robin Hilton to update our running tally of songs that could end up on NPR Music's best-of-the-year lists.Featured Tracks:1. Empress Of: "Feminine," from For Your Consideration2. Rosie Tucker: "All My Exes Live In Vortexes," from UTOPIA NOW!3. Patrick Watson: "Perfect Day" (Single)4. Summer Banton: "Boyfriend" (Single)5. Madi Diaz: "God Person," from Weird Faith6. Friko: "Get Numb To It," from Where we've been, Where we go from hereLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Contenders, Vol. 4: Our running list of the year's best songs

Ann Powers and Sheldon Pearce discuss Faye Webster's Underdressed at the Symphony and a handful of the week's other brand new albums on which a musician's personality seems to be embodied by their voice — even when the music is completely instrumental. Featured albums:1. Faye Webster, Underdressed at the Symphony2. ScHoolboy Q, Blue Lips3. Julian Lage, Speak To Me4. Sheer Mag, Playing FavoritesOther notable releases for March 1:Paula Cole, LoJacob Collier, Djesse Vol. 4Everything Everything, MountainheadNils Frahm, DayHannah Frances, Keeper of the ShepherdBen Frost, Scope NeglectLiam Gallagher & John Squire, Liam Gallagher & John SquireAlbert Hammond, Body of WorkJahari Massamba Unit, Karriem Riggins & Madlib, YHWH is LOVEKaiser Chiefs, Kaiser Chiefs' Easy Eighth AlbumLang Lang, Saint-SaënsMannequin Pussy, I Got HeavenMinistry, HOPIUMFORTHEMASSESPissed Jeans, Half DivorcedThat Mexican OT, Texas TechnicianUranium Club, Infants Under the BulbYard Act, Where's My Utopia?De La Soul, 3 Feet High and Rising (35th Anniversary Edition)Linda Smith, Nothing Else Matters and So I Liked Spring (reissues)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

New Music Friday: The best albums out March 1

Nothing on mainstream radio sounded like Beck's "Loser" when it dropped in 1994. Thirty years later, we explain why, look at its impact on the rise of slacker rock and how we still hear it today.With KEXP's Cheryl Waters, NPR's Stephen Thompson and host Robin Hilton.Beck tracks featured in this episode:From 'Mellow Gold':"Loser""Truck Driving Neighbor Downstairs (Yellow Sweat)" "Beercan""Black Hole" From 'Stereopathetic Soulmanure':"Satan Gave Me A Taco" "Rowboat" From 'One Foot in the Grave':"One Foot in the Grave"Also featured:Basehead: "Brand New Day" from 'Play with Toys'Ween: "Push Th' Little Daisies" from 'Pure Guava' King Missile: "Detachable Penis" from 'Happy Hour'Pussy Galore: "Brick" from 'Sugars*** Sharp'The Lemonheads: "Half The Time" from 'Lovey'Guided By Voices: "#2 in the Model Home Series" from 'Vampire on Titus'Sebadoh: "Soul and Fire" from 'Bubble & Scrape'Pavement: "Cut Your Hair" from 'Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain'Alex G: "Runner" from 'God Save the Animals'Courtney Barnett: "History Eraser" from 'The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas'Frankie Cosmos: "Apathy" from 'Vessel'Beck: "F**** With My Head (Mountain Dew Rock)" from 'Mellow Gold'Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Beck's 'Loser' at 30 and the golden age of slacker rock

Ann Powers and Daoud Tyler-Ameen discuss Hurray for the Riff Raff's career-defining new album The Past Is Still Alive, along with a trio of other thrilling new releases that reveal the distinct strengths of the musicians behind them. Featured albums:1. Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Past Is Still Alive2. Erika de Casier, Still (released Wednesday, Feb. 21)3. Real Estate, Daniel4. Mary Timony, Untame The TigerOther notable releases out Feb. 23:• Daymé Arocena, Alkemi• glaive, a bit of a mad one• Glitterer, Rationale• Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru, Souvenirs• Corb Lund, El Viejo• Mama Zu, Quilt Floor• MGMT, Loss of Life• Laetitia Sadier, Rooting for Love• Nadine Shah, Filthy Underneath• Rafael Toral, Spectral Evolution• TWICE, With YOU-thLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

New Music Friday: The best albums out Feb. 23

Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre round up their favorite new music, including Southern Cone rock and cumbia, atmospheric vocals from the U.S. and even some delicate yet emotionally powerful music from the Catalan region of Spain.Featured songs:El Cuarteto de Nos: "Chivo Expiatorio (En Vivo)"Helado Negro: "Best For You and Me"La Yegros: "Bodas de Plumas"Lau Noah: "If a tree falls in love with a river"Daymé Arocena: "A Fuego Lento" (feat. Vicente García)Residente: "Ron En El Piso"Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino and our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Alt.Latino's best new music round-up: Residente, La Yegros and El Cuarteto de Nos

Host Robin Hilton hangs with composer and artist Julia Holter and NPR's Lars Gotrich to gab about their favorite new music, including the calming sounds of Helado Negro, Daisy Rickman and more.Featured artists and songs:1. Jessica Pratt: "Life Is" from 'Here In The Pitch'2. Deerlady: "Masterpieces" from 'Greatest Hits'3. Helado Negro: "Colores Del Mar" from 'Phasor'4. Julia Holter: "Spinning" from 'Something in the Room She Moves'5. Daisy Rickman: "Signpost to the Stars" from 'Howl'6. Frances Chang: "Spiral in Houston" from 'Psychedelic Anxiety'7. Jessika Kenney & Eyvind Kang: "Ocean" from 'Azure'Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Contenders, Vol. 3: Our running list of the year's best songs

NPR Music's Felix Contreras and WRTI's Nate Chinen run down new albums by Gaby Mareno, Les Amazones d'Afrique and more. Then, Nate Chinen is joined by NPR Music's Tom Huizenga to discuss the legacy and controversy around George Gershwin's masterpiece, "Rhapsody in Blue," which celebrated its centennial this week.Featured albums out Feb. 16:• Gaby Moreno, 'Dusk'• Mike McGinnis +9, 'Outing: Road Trip II'• Mike LeDonne and the Groover Quartet, 'Wonderful!'• Nathalie Joachim, 'Ki moun ou ye'• Les Amazones d'Afrique, 'Musow Danse'Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

New Music Friday: 5 albums out Feb. 16, plus 'Rhapsody in Blue' still thrills at 100

We asked listeners to tell us about a time they put a song on a mixtape or playlist to woo a crush. On this week's show, we share some of those songs ... and find out if they worked.Featured Songs:1. Peter Gabriel: "In Your Eyes"2. Depeche Mode: "Somebody"3. Erykah Badu: "Kiss Me On My Neck"4. Madness: "It Must Be Love"5. Mirah: "Dreamboat"6. Q-Tip: "Vivrant Thing"7.  The Kinks: "Tired of Waiting for You"8. The Magnetic Fields: "I Don't Want To Get Over You"9. The Modern Lovers: "I Wanna Sleep In Your Arms"10. Mazzy Star: "Fade Into You"Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Mix messages: Listeners share the songs that say 'I've got a crush on you'

Ann Powers and Sheldon Pearce listen to the new albums out on Feb. 9 — including Brittany Howard's What Now — and find themselves wondering about the cultural value of virtuosity in 2024.Featured albums:1. Brittany Howard, What Now2. Joel Ross, nublues3. Boldy James & Nicholas Craven, Penalty of Leadership (released Jan. 12)4. Kali Malone, All Life Long5. Sonic Youth, Walls Have Ears6. Usher, Coming HomeOther notable albums out Feb. 9:• Helado Negro, PHASOR• Chelsea Wolfe, She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She• Madi Diaz, Weird Faith• Declan McKenna, What Happened To The Beach?• Little Simz, Drop 7 EP• Shygirl, Club Shy EP• Kelela, RAVE:N, The Remixes • Mk.gee, Two Star & The Dream Police• Ducks Ltd., Harm's Way• David Nance & Mowed Sound, David Nance & Mowed Sound• Split System, Vol. 2• The Telescopes, Growing Eyes Become StringLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

New Music Friday: Brittany Howard and a new era of musical masters

Nothing captures the agony of love, loss, hope and redemption like the song form known across all of Latin America: the bolero.Last December, UNESCO declared the bolero "an intangible cultural heritage of humanity" and "an indispensable part of the Latin American sentimental song." And given that Valentine's Day is coming up, Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre did something special this week, in honor of this news: they asked some of their favorite artists and show listeners to share their most-loved boleros, and break down exactly what makes them so special. Join Felix and Ana as they laugh, cry and sing a little to the love songs of the ages.And be sure to check out the playlists we made for this episode, feature Ana and Felix's picks, as well as the selections from featured artists and listeners, on Spotify and Apple Music.Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino and our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The greatest Boleros of all-time

Host Robin Hilton hangs with NPR's Hazel Cills and Sheldon Pearce to geek out about the new Billy Joel, Kim Gordon, Shygirl, Nia Archives and more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Contenders, Vol. 2: Our running list of the year's best songs

Our friends at NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour break down the major winners and highlights from the 2024 Grammy Awards.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A recap of the 2024 Grammys

Ann Powers, Sidney Madden and Stephen Thompson make predictions ahead of Sunday night's 66th annual Grammy Awards. Notable albums out Feb. 2:• The Last Dinner Party, Prelude to Ecstasy• J Mascis, What Do We Do Now• Kirin J Callinan, If I Could Sing• Lee Scratch Perry, King Perry• Paul McCartney & Wings, Band on the Run (Underdubbed Mixes)• The Paranoid Style, The Interrogator• Liquid Mike, Paul Bunyan's Slingshot• Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh, Tyshawn Sorey, Compassion• Jenny Sturgeon & Boo Hewerdine, OutliersLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

New Music Friday: What Were The Grammys Made For?

With Green Day's stellar new album, Saviors, the 20th anniversary of American Idiot and 30th anniversary of Dookie, NPR's Daoud Tyler-Ameen, Stephen Thompson and Robin Hilton look at the band's legacy.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Why we still love Green Day

There's plenty about Wall of Eyes, the new album by the British rock trio The Smile, to remind you of Radiohead, the band with which The Smile shares Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood. But there's something about The Smile that resists feeling like Radiohead redux, and on this week's episode Ann Powers, Tom Huizenga and Sheldon Pearce get to the bottom of what makes Wall of Eyes so satisfying on its own terms.Plus: Discussion of a week's worth of great albums leads to a conversation about the state of music criticism, which took a blow last week when the long-standing, much-beloved, occasionally-hated website Pitchfork was folded into the men's magazine GQ and much of its staff laid off. Featured Albums for January 26, 2024:1. Patricia Kopatchinksaja, Reto Bieri, Polina Leschenko — Take 32. Benny the Butcher — Everybody Can't Go3. Katy Kirby — Blue Raspberry4. The Smile — Wall of EyesLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

New Music Friday: The best albums out Jan. 26 (and why they deserve reviews)

In this week's Alt.Latino episode, Chilean rapper and singer Ana Tijoux talks to hosts Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre about her new album, Vida, and why it took so long to return to the studio.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In Conversation: Ana Tijoux returns after a 10-year break

With the announcement of the 96th annual Oscar nominees, we're revisiting our conversation with Volker Bertelmann, who won the Academy Award for Best Original Score last year for All Quiet On The Western Front.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Why the Oscar-winning score for 'All Quiet On The Western Front' still gives chills

NPR Music's Sheldon Pearce, Rodney Carmichael and Sidney Madden dig into hip-hop superstar 21 Savage's new album, his notorious ICE arrest and what it means to capture the American dream.Noteworthy albums out January 19:- Sleater-Kinney, Little Rope- Green Day, Saviors- Eladio Carrión, Sol María- Ana Tijoux, Vida- Brittney Spencer, My Stupid Life- Mary Halvorson, Cloudward- Ethan Iverson, Technically Acceptable- glass beach, plastic death- ericdoa, DOA- Neck Deep, Neck Deep- Fredo Bang, Yes, I'm Sad- Keyon Harrold, Foreverland- Jozef Van Wissem, The Night Dwells In The Day- Oren Ambarchi, Jim O'Rourke & Keiji Haino, With pats on the head, just one too few evil one too many is good that's all it is- Mali Obomsawin and Magdalena Abrego, Greatest HitsLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

New Music Friday: 21 Savage's 'American Dream'

Host Robin Hilton hangs with NPR Music's Anamaria Sayre and Tom Huizenga to share their current musical obsessions, from the solo piano of Philip Glass to the garage punk of Sprints, Spain's super chill Club del Rio and more.Featured Artists And Songs:1. Lavinia Meijer: "The Departure" from Winter2. Xavi: "La Diabla (Single)3. Faye Webster and Lil Yachty: "Lego Ring" from Underdressed at the Symphony4. Philip Glass: "Opening," from Philip Glass Solo5. Club del Rio: "Una Vida" (Single)6. Sprints: "Literary Mind" from Letter to SelfEnjoying the show? Tell your friends and leave a review for us wherever you listen to podcasts. Feedback welcome at allsongs@npr.orgLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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