A Timeline Of The Music That Defined This Summer

Plus, a Tiny Desk (home) concert from Yo-Yo Ma and Goat Rodeo.

by Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images Just a few months ago in this newsletter, we spoke to scholar Shana Redmond about the interconnectedness of protest and music, and how, as she put it, “so much of our political speech in the present is taken from hip-hop.” It’s a theme that we’ve discussed time and again this summer, as protesters have continued to take to the streets to mourn the death of Black people at the hands of police, to demand changes in policing and to advance racial equality.  This week, we launched a timeline of protest music, called We Insist – a nod to Max Roach's 1960 protest album of the same name. It’s an ongoing project to document the songs and videos that have come to define the summer of 2020 and serve as a testament to the power of protest music in this moment. It includes everything from Robert Cray’s blues testament to protected space to Rhiannon Giddens’s powerful collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma to Terrace Martin’s castigation of police brutality to DJ Suede and iMarkkeyz’s viral hit to Georgia Anne Muldrow’s searing and resonant jazz. Working with writers from across the country, we will continue to update the record in real time as artists release new music that speaks to the fight against police brutality and white supremacy.  The revolution will not be televised, Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna Newsletter continues after sponsor message New Music This week on New Music Friday from All Songs Considered: thoughtful, big-hearted hip-hop from Big Sean; sweet, introspective ballads from Lomelda; plainspoken profundity from Bill Callahan and more. As part of the Morning Edition Song Project, Colin Meloy of The Decemberists wrote a song about getting lost watching a documentary about the making of Slint's 1991 epochal album Spiderland.  Our favorite songs and albums of August include Bright Eyes’s comeback album, Victoria Monét’s brash and colorful R&B and Kelly Lee Owens's beat-blooming dance music. Welcome to SZA season: The R&B star is back with a new track after a couple soundtrack collaborations. “Hit Different,” aided by nostalgic production by The Neptunes, is a tender reminder of why we all fell so hard for SZA's 2017 debut, Ctrl. Featuring Our own Stephen Thompson is an expert when it comes to awards shows – trust us, he’s who you want on your team for obscure Grammys trivia. On Sunday, Stephen and the Pop Culture Happy Hour crew convened virtually to assess the annual MTV Video Music Awards. The verdict: MTV somehow managed to stage a performance-driven spectacle without live crowds in the midst of the global pandemic.  Drakeo the Ruler’s recent album Thank You For Using GTL opens with a recording of what you hear when the rapper calls from the LA County Men’s Central Jail. A rising star who’s spent the past 33 months in jail, Drakeo’s just one individual reliant on an incredibly controversial industry – prison telecommunications – that’s now the subject of a class-action lawsuit for price fixing. It’s been nearly 30 years since we last checked in on Bill S. Preston, Esq., and Ted “Theodore” Logan, aka Bill & Ted. In her review of the new installment, Bill & Ted Face the Music, NPR’s Linda Holmes admits she didn’t know that she needed a third Bill & Ted movie, but she was pretty happy to see it. (You can hear an excellent, not-at-all bogus roundtable discussion of the film on Pop Culture Happy Hour, too.)   Tiny Desk NPR Ten years ago, Yo-Yo Ma, arguably the best known cellist in the world, assembled the world-class musical ensemble known as Goat Rodeo and in 2011, we even got the four musicians to play behind Bob Boilen’s desk. The group’s Tiny Desk (home) concert took months of careful planning and collaboration for a performance that channels that same spectacular frenzy, separately captured in the gorgeous homes of the artists and mixed to perfection. Plus: This week, we asked actress, producer and screenwriter Lena Waithe – who has worked on shows like Master of None, The Chi, Boomerang and Twenties – to pick her five favorite Tiny Desk concerts. One More Thing Felix Contreras, host of Alt.Latino and everyone’s favorite tío, on how the show got started, his favorite episodes and what the future holds for Alt.Latino.  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