New Music Friday: The best albums out May 22

11 more songs to reset your mood | All Songs Considered

NPR listeners share the songs they reach for when they need to reset the mood, their day or even their life. This is a followup to our April episode on songs for starting over [https://www.npr.org/2026/04/14/nx-s1-5784015/all-songs-considered-need-a-reset].  NPR’s Dora Levite joins host Robin Hilton. A good review helps! So, leave us one on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-songs-considered/id79687345], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/10LYbliXlNZe1VStsTkcC0?si=bb536b16024d42d8], or wherever you listen to podcasts. And tell a friend to listen! Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org [allsongs@npr.org]   Featured artists and songs: (00:00) Intro (01:13) Quincy Jones: “Dead End” (02:12) Bill Withers: “Lovely Day” (04:51) Florence + the Machine: “Shake It Out” (08:06) Jacob Collier: “Something Heavy” (11:24) Des’ree: “You Gotta Be” (16:32) Peter Gabriel: “Washing Of The Water” (19:57) Cat Power: “Nothin But Time” (23:02) John Denver: “Sweet Surrender” (27:46) Isley Brothers: “Summer Breeze” (31:22) Green Day: “Still Breathing” (34:10) Vienna Teng: “Level Up” See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

New Music Friday: The best albums out June 5

Vince Staples. Zoh Amba. Death Cab for Cutie. Host Stephen Thompson chats with Laura Grant from WEXT [https://www.wextradio.org/people/laura-grant] in New York about their favorite albums out Friday, June 5. Plus, a handful of NPR Music writers and critics offer their personal picks in the lightning round. The Starting 5 (00:00) Album No.1 Death Cab for Cutie, 'I Built You a Tower' (ANTI-Records) (08:18) Album No. 2 Vince Staples, 'Cry Baby' (Loma Vista Recordings) (15:43) Album No. 3 Jalen Ngonda, 'Doctrine of Love' (Daptone Records) (20:41) Album No. 4 Zoh Amba, 'Eyes Full' (Matador Records) (27:19) Album No. 5 Laura Misch, 'Lithic' (One Little Independent Records) (32:39) Lightning Round Recommendations • Fightmaster, 'Tolerance' (Many Hats) • Red Clay Strays, 'Grateful' (RCA) • Slippers, 'Slippers 08' (Perennial) • Suzanne Ciani, Metropole Orkest, Simon Dobson, 'CIANI/ORKEST' (AKP Recordings) • Tara Clerkin Trio, 'Somewhere Good' (World of Echo) Sample the albums via our New Music Friday playlist and see our Long List of notable releases on NPR.org [https://www.npr.org/nx-s1-5830347]. Credits: Host: Stephen Thompson Guest: Laura Grant, WEXT [https://www.wextradio.org/people/laura-grant] Audio Producer: Noah Caldwell Digital Producer: Dora Levite Editors: Otis Hart, Elle Mannion Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed Special thanks to Robin Hilton, Hazel Cills and Lars Gotrich See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

All Songs Considered: Wet Leg, Vince Staples, Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien

The best new tracks of the week include a raging, dance floor remix of Wet Leg’s “Catch These Fists,” a touch of vintage soul from rapper Vince Staples, Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien and more. NPR Music’s Tom Huizenga joins host Robin Hilton. A good review helps! So, leave us one on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-songs-considered/id79687345], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/10LYbliXlNZe1VStsTkcC0?si=bb536b16024d42d8], or wherever you listen to podcasts. And tell a friend to listen! Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org [allsongs@npr.org]   Featured artists and songs: (00:00) Intro (01:03) Wet Leg (07:05) Katia & Marielle Labèque (15:23) Balming Tiger (22:42) Wild Up (31:00) Vince Staples (36:06) Ed O’Brien See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

New Music Friday: The best albums out May 29

Boards of Canada. Kurt Vile. Iceage. Host Stephen Thompson chats with Andrew Brown of KUTX in Austin [https://kutx.org/episodes/my-kutx-andrew-brown/] about their favorite albums out Friday, May 29. Plus, a handful of NPR Music writers and critics offer their personal picks in the lightning round. The Starting 5 (00:00) Paul McCartney (02:00) Boards of Canada (09:22) Kurt Vile (17:01) Iceage (22:18) feeble little horse (27:45) Greg Mendez (33:46) Lightning Round Recommendations - The Greenberry Woods - obli - RaiNao - ear - Brian Jackson Sample the albums via our New Music Friday playlist and see our Long List of notable releases on NPR.org [https://www.npr.org/nx-s1-5830351]. Credits: Host: Stephen Thompson Guest: Andrew Brown, KUTX [https://kutx.org/episodes/my-kutx-andrew-brown/] Audio Producer: Noah Caldwell Digital Producer: Dora Levite Editors: Otis Hart, Elle Mannion Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed Special thanks to Ann Powers, Robin Hilton and Anamaria Sayre See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

Alt.Latino: The Vaqueros of Hawaii

We don’t often get to discuss the ways that Latin American music made its way west across the Pacific Ocean. But this week we have two incredible projects that celebrate that journey. First, a Japanese band that fuses traditional minyo folk sounds with cumbia and other Latin rhythms. Then, a project that unearths a forgotten history of the 19th century Mexican cowboys who went to Hawaii to help manage livestock. Plus, a tribute to Afro-Colombian folk legend Totó La Momposina, who passed away this month at 85; an underrated Puerto Rican reggaetonero shines again; and, of course, Ana continues her Brazilian obsession with new tracks from up-and-comer Bebé. Artists and albums featured in this episode: (00:55) Bebé - 'Dissolução' (05:45) Minya Crusaders - 'From Japan With Love' (10:06) Álvaro Díaz - 'OMAKASE' (17:35) Los Cenzontles - 'Adios Ke Aloha: Waves of the Same Sea' (23:05) Orestes Gomez - 'No me fui porque quise' (28:04) Totó La Momposina - Various This podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. Suraya Mohamed is the executive producer of NPR Music. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]