One of 2023’s best rock records so far is a thrilling blend of shoegaze and country

Plus, Trina performs at the Tiny Desk and talks to 'Louder Than A Riot'

View this email online April 8, 2023 by Marissa Lorusso This week, we’re sharing a review of the new album by Wednesday; plus, rap icon Trina stops by the Tiny Desk. Zachary Chick/Courtesy of the artist The very first time I heard the band Wednesday — during a taping of an episode of All Songs Considered a few years ago — it knocked me out. From the moment we cranked up the volume on “Fate Is…” that day in the studio, I was hooked. I was almost mad that I had never heard the band before, though it had a few releases under its belt; Wednesday’s enormous, fuzzed-out guitars and singer Karly Hartzman’s sweet, mournful voice lit something up in my brain.   The Asheville, N.C., band has been gaining traction over the past few years and released a solid record in 2021, called Twin Plagues. But in the lead-up to its new album, the magnificent Rat Saw God, the band has rightly become one of the most exciting and talked-about groups in indie rock. The reference points abound; in Stereogum, writer Chris Deville said the band sounds like “[Modest Mouse’s] Isaac Brock if he were chill or Katie Crutchfield if she were trashy”; in The Ringer, Ian Cohen wrote that “anyone who has identified as an indie rock fan in the past 30 or so years will find something to love here.” On New Music Friday from All Songs Considered, my colleague Lars Gotrich said the record is like “if ‘American Gothic’ was painted through the lens of Gummo.” But touchstones aside, I maybe prefer the way my colleague Hazel Cills describes the album best of all: as “a beautifully bleak record that spins up country, shoegaze, suburban nightmares and youthful debauchery into a thrilling work of distorted Americana.” Hazel’s review digs into the expert way Wednesday blends its formative noisy and twangy influences, and how Hartzman’s lyrics capture the chaotic, claustrophobic, strip mall-ridden wasteland of her youth with insight and empathy. It’s a fittingly beautiful read on a thrilling album — a unique but inviting record and one of the year’s best rock releases so far. Newsletter continues after sponsor message More to read, watch and hear Last weekend, trailblazing composer and producer Ryuichi Sakamoto died at age 71. One of the first musicians to incorporate electronic production into popular songcraft, the Japanese composer had an exceptionally wide-ranging career: He was by turns a synth-pop idol, the composer of both sweeping film scores and quiet, gentle sound environments, and a collaborator of such artists as David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Bernardo Bertolucci. It was a big week on All Songs Considered for my pal (and NPR Music’s resident Viking) Lars Gotrich. On this week’s New Mix episode, Lars and Bob Boilen talked about Filipino punk, Ethiopian jazz, Malian psych-rock and more. Plus, Lars joined the New Music Friday crew to talk about releases from Daniel Caesar, Yaeji, Brandee Younger and more great new albums out April 7. This week, our friends at KUTX shared a video of Nigerian-born artist Obongjayar performing live at this year’s SXSW festival.  Though the practice of sampling is foundational to hip-hop, it hasn’t always been part of the New York drill genre. But the Queens rapper Shawny Binladen has used sampling to reimagine and reinvigorate the sound of drill, opening up a new world of possibilities in the genre. For Shawny, “sampling is a sacred act — the highest form of respect,” says writer Nora Lee.  Louder Than A Riot This week, Louder Than A Riot talked to Miami hip-hop icon and trailblazing rapper Trina. The story starts one night in 1998, when rising Miami rapper Trick Daddy called Trina and asked her to lay down a verse on a song for his new album. The rest, they say, is history: Trina’s verse got her record deal on the spot, and her resulting rap career led a generation of women toward being liberated on mic. The Louder team talked to Trina about how her career flipped the script on dusty old stereotypes of Black women in rap; to Trick Daddy about how he feels to see her shining; and to rapper Latto about carrying the torch that Trina set aflame 25 years ago. Tiny Desk NPR In addition to her in-depth interview with Louder Than A Riot, Trina also recently stopped by NPR headquarters to perform a Tiny Desk concert. At the Desk, she treated us to an epic set that features the best of her sprawling discography. Also this week: Drummer, singer and producer Kassa Overall is no stranger to NPR. A couple years ago, he was a featured singer and percussionist on Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science’s Tiny Desk concert; plus, he wrote original music for the first season of Louder Than A Riot. He recently came back to NPR for a Tiny Desk concert of his own, featuring a virtuosic display of musicianship, lyricism and artistic innovation. One More Thing Can ChatGPT write a good song? NPR Music's Stephen Thompson and Weekend Edition investigate. Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music 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! 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