Saturday, June 1, 2019

Stream Songs From Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue; Carole King at the 1973 Montreux Jazz Festival

Plus, how "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" changed hip-hop's relationship to mental health.
NPR Music
Harry Haysom/Getty Images
Rabbit, rabbit! Welcome to June. While it’s not technically summer just yet, the race for Song of the Summer is already well underway. Over the past few weeks, a crowded field has taken shape, from Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber’s "I Don’t Care" to BTS and Halsey’s crossover smash "Boy with Luv." And just this week, even more new contenders emerged, from Charli XCX’s Spice Girls tribute featuring Diplo to Katy Perry's tribute to her own early hits to collaborations from Gucci Mane and Justin Bieber, Mark Ronson and Camila Cabello and the Chainsmokers and Bebe Rexha. Not to be outdone, Cardi B’s thrown her hat into the ring with "Press." Meanwhile, sonic shapeshifter GoldLink makes a play of his own with "Joke Ting."

But is anyone capable of defeating Lil Nas X’s "Old Town Road?" That song’s eight-week-long hold on the crown feels insurmountable at this stage, but there’s still plenty of summer to come. We’ll be tracking the charts and revealing some of our own Song of the Summer picks later this month, but in the meantime, stay hydrated and don’t forget to wear sunscreen!

Still singing "Despacito,"
Lyndsey McKenna

P.S. Coming soon... 🍷🌊

Tiny Desk

Amr Alfiky/NPR
  • LADAMA, a collective of musicians from Latin America, gave an incredibly dynamic performance at the Tiny Desk. Alt.Latino host Felix Contreras says the members of the group "display their individual cultural and musical roots as part of an engaging and mesmerizing whole."
  • Our colleagues Sidney Madden and Bobby Carter have been trying to bring Lucky Daye to the Tiny Desk ever since they dubbed him one of 2018’s "Kings of R&B." At his performance, he took the Tiny Desk crowd from relaxed to rowdy within the span of 15 minutes.

New Music

  • Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue occupies a mythic place in the history of rock tours. As part of our First Listen series, you can now stream a 10-track sampler from the forthcoming 14-disc box set that documents half a dozen complete sets from the tour – and more.
  • This week, our playlist of the best new Latin songs features new music from the around the world. Stream new music from Buenos Aires, Havana, Mexico City and Santo Domingo.
  • "Tucson Train," the latest single from Bruce Springsteen’s upcoming album Western Stars, is a nostalgic portrait of hard work and hard love.
  • Sleater-Kinney is back! On "Hurry on Home," the band seems poised to carry the weight of the world, or at least get inside the person holding one of the backbreaking pieces.

Featuring

  • No one outside of those in attendance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 1973 had ever been able to see Carole King's earth-moving set – until now.
  • Gangsta rap had been known as aggressive, rebellious and political, but the Geto Boys' 1991 hit "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" made it something new: vulnerable. Our latest American Anthem looks at how it forever changed hip-hop’s relationship to mental health.
  • Songland, a new competition show from the producers of The Voice, is an attempt to cast a spotlight on hitmaking songwriters – but what's it actually like to work as a professional songwriter in 2019?

Incoming

Earlier this week, we hosted Tiny Desk Contest winner Quinn Christopherson at NPR’s D.C. HQ to perform his very own Tiny Desk concert. Next week, you’ll be able to see his powerful performance for yourself.

One More Thing

At this Ohio elementary school, there’s a new sheriff in town.

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