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- Writing well about music is tricky business, and doing justice to a great songwriter is harder still. So, when assigning a piece of writing about Jason Isbell on the occasion of his new album, Weathervanes, we couldn’t just have someone slap down a few superlatives and be done with it. So we got a recent Pulitzer Prize winner, historian Jefferson Cowie, to interview Isbell and analyze what makes his songs so powerful. Among other things — and I highly recommend reading the appraisal in its entirety — Cowie has a tremendous ear for which lyrics best illustrate Isbell’s genius. (Bonus points for his shoutouts to Drive-By Truckers’ “Outfit” and Isbell’s “If We Were Vampires,” which rank among my favorite songs of the 21st century so far.)
- The German free-jazz giant Peter Brötzmann died Thursday at age 82, and our own Nate Chinen does a characteristically beautiful job contextualizing his considerable legacy. Brötzmann’s music was a thing of incredible ferality and muscularity; even if you didn’t think you were into free jazz, you could find something deeply hypnotic in the way he deployed saxophones as blunt instruments.
- Jeff Lunden looks back on the life of decorated Fiddler on the Roof lyricist Sheldon Harnick, who died Friday at 99.
- This week’s crop of NPR Music album reviews brings us Stephen Kearse on rapper Gunna, Ann Powers on the veteran pop singer Lloyd Cole and Marissa Lorusso on singer-songwriter Jess Williamson. All three records receive thoughtful consideration, each from a writer whose byline is essentially unskippable.
- Speaking of Jess Williamson, be sure to watch her bring her new songs to life at Member station KUTX in Austin.
- A couple weeks ago, we published a fantastic drummer-to-drummer conversation with Daoud Tyler-Ameen and Algiers’s Matt Tong. Now, we’ve got another one for you — this time with lovable Alt.Latino host Felix Contreras and the legendary Sheila E.
- Also in your All Songs Considered feed: Bob Boilen sits down with two of the best and smartest humans in the business, Hazel Cills and Marissa Lorusso, to celebrate new music from FIZZ, L’Rain, Glasser, Allegra Krieger, Silvana Estrada and Luluc. And on New Music Friday, Robin Hilton and a distinguished panel — LaTesha Harris! John Morrison! Ann Powers! — showcase new albums by Coi Leray, Big Freedia, Tommy Prine, Kelly Clarkson and Arthur Russell.
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There’s, “Aw, I can’t wait to see that Tiny Desk concert,” and then there’s, “If I have to wait one minute for that Tiny Desk concert, I may literally die.” MUNA, whose self-titled record was my favorite album of 2022, falls squarely into the latter camp. String arrangements! Instrument swaps! A monologue about queer joy! A countrified reworking of “Silk Chiffon”! A rendition of the powerhouse ballad “Stayaway” that doubled as an epic vocal workout! (Seriously, they were so relieved to have it behind them.) I have enough favorite Tiny Desks that they’re essentially impossible to rank at this point, but this one’s up there. Also this week: With the help of an 11-piece band, Ghanaian-American singer Amaarae serves up what Sidney Madden describes as “an overflowing stream of genre-swerving liquid dopamine.” And R&B star Ambré isn’t shy about representing her hometown of New Orleans: She performed surrounded by magnolias, while wearing a T-shirt bearing the image of Crescent City hero Juvenile. (Look for his Tiny Desk concert soon…) |
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If you haven’t heard Drive-By Truckers’ 2003 song “Outfit” in a while — or, heaven forbid, at all — please rectify that right now. |
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