Remembering Daniel Johnston; The Story Behind The Lumineers’ New Album

Plus, Turning the Tables honors May Lou Williams.

Jana Birchum/Getty Images This week, the music world lost beloved outsider singer, songwriter and visual artist Daniel Johnston, who died at the age of 58. Johnston’s guileless lyrics about love and isolation found significant fans who brought his singular songs to a wider audience.  Johnston was a musicians’ musician; he had fans in artists like Tom Waits, Lana Del Rey, Kurt Cobain, Yo La Tengo and Bright Eyes, and many artists shared how much Johnston’s music meant to them after hearing about his passing. “His unique songwriting voice, so pure and so direct, spoke to us deeply,” Death Cab For Cutie said on Twitter. “It is quite safe to say there will never be another like him and thankfully, his music will play on.” Zola Jesus called him “a huge inspiration to me, to follow my creative impulses no matter how messy or simple.” Jack Antonoff said there is “so much to learn from daniel in the way he shared fearlessly.” Many members of our team were lucky to witness Johnston’s Tiny Desk concert in 2012, a powerful and moving reminder of the candor and honesty in Johnston’s music. True love will find you in the end, Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna New Music From 1970 until its closure in 2016, San Francisco's Aquarius Records was a home for wayward record collectors with the biggest, weirdest ears in the world. For this week's Viking’s Choice, Lars Gotrich highlights his favorite aQ discoveries. From future-pop bangers courtesy of Charli XCX to soul-stirring songs from Emeli Sandé to the grim rock of Microwave (album name: Death is a Warm Blanket), our All Songs Considered New Music Friday (the 13th!) rundown has the lowdown on the week’s biggest releases.  The anticipation for Angel Olsen’s fourth studio album, All Mirrors, out next month, continues to build. “Lark,” her latest single, shifts her focus from introspective characters to the metaphysical realm. Featuring This week, Turning the Tables honors Mary Lou Williams, a true visionary and undersung hero in jazz history. She shaped the sound of the big-band era, created a space for community and musical experimentation, advocated for the sacred place of jazz in American music and could swing the band like no one else. Read about all that and more, plus hear a playlist of her best songs and music by the artists she influenced.  The Lumineers’ new album, III, touches on the rippling effects of addiction across generations. Lyricist Wes Schultz and drummer Jeremiah Fraites tell NPR’s Morning Edition they wrote about that trauma from a personal place. Sampa The Great’s debut studio album The Return is one of the year's most arresting statements of purpose. But to develop and refine her singular voice, she had to follow a long road — literally criss-crossing the world from her native Africa to America to Australia. Something old, something new and something blue? Jazz fans have seen a slew of new discoveries from big names in recent years. “For jazz historians and record producers, the work never finishes,” WBGO’s Nate Chinen explains.  Tiny Desk Laura Beltrán Villamizar/NPR Earlier this week, the nation paused to remember the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001. The Broadway musical Come From Away tells the story of the airline passengers grounded in remote Gander, Newfoundland, in the days that followed. As one performer explained, “The story we tell is not a 9/11 story, it's a 9/12 story. It's a story about the power of kindness in response to a terrible event, and how we can each live, leading with kindness, everyday.” One More Thing 🗣️ We want to hear from you: Which albums, songs, artists and music moments defined the decade? (That's January 2010 through 2019, to be clear.) What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: nprmusic@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Books, Pop Culture, Health and more! Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music! You received this message because you're subscribed to NPR Music emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy