New Music Friday: The best albums out Oct. 10

Summary

All Songs Considered – "New Music Friday: The Best Albums Out Oct. 10"

NPR | October 10, 2025
Host: Rodney Carmichael (filling in for Stephen Thompson)
Guest: Celia Gregory (WNXP, Nashville)
Featured Artists: Matty Diaz, Princess Nokia, Madison Cunningham, Makaya McRaven, Mobb Deep (Prodigy & Havoc), Nosso, JSOM, Amber Mark, Black Eyes, Gabriel Kahane

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Episode Overview

This week's "New Music Friday" is packed with reflections on classic albums, deep dives into standout releases, and spirited conversation on the ever-changing music scene. Rodney Carmichael and Celia Gregory walk listeners through some of the most exciting albums out this week, explore the legacy of iconic artists, and highlight genre-crossing sounds from heartbreak folk to jazz improvisation and hip-hop veteran returns.

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Main Segments & Key Discussion Points

1. Celebrating Patti Smith’s "Horses" at 50

• [00:27–01:54]
• The hosts mark the 50th anniversary of Patti Smith’s seminal 1975 album "Horses."
• Celia Gregory’s favorite: “Gloria” for its raw lyrics, added verses, and Smith’s “snarl.”
  • "I grew up listening to the Van the Man version of that...had such an appreciation for [Patti’s] because of the extra verses and just like her snarl, you know." – Celia Gregory [01:25]
• Rodney’s pick: “Redondo Beach” for its funky bass line reminiscent of Funkadelic, also nodding to "Mothership Connection" turning 50.

2. Matty Diaz – "Fatal Optimist"

• [02:23–07:44]
• Marked as the final chapter in Diaz’s “Heartbreak trilogy.”
• Album Style: Stripped-down, largely solo acoustic with minimal instrumentation, written in isolation.
  • "Her voice is crystal clear...it's almost a solo acoustic record...heartbreak on display." – Celia Gregory [03:42]
• Notable Tracks & Lyrics:
  • “If Time Does What It’s Supposed To” – healing and moving on after heartbreak.
  • “Heavy Metal” – uses a lyrical double entendre: "My heart isn't gold, platinum, or even silver. It's heavy metal." [05:23]
  • “Why Did You Have To Bring Me Flowers?” – explores toxic traits and breakup aftermath. "My toxic trait is holding on. Your toxic trait is showing up." [05:56]
• Journey of Grief: The songs progress from acceptance to revisiting pain, culminating in the more optimistic, uptempo title track, “Fatal Optimist.”
  • "It ends on a high note, so we can thank her for that. Even if the bulk of these songs are tear in your beer, just like we expected and hoped for." – Celia Gregory [06:53]

3. Princess Nokia – "Girls"

• [07:44–13:53]
• A genre-hopping, confrontational record about identity, trauma, empowerment, and joy in womanhood.
• Highlight Track: “Blue Velvet”
  • "Girlhood is a spectrum / Pretty is destruction..." – Princess Nokia [07:55]
• Themes:
  • Defiance against the patriarchy and social boundaries.
  • Balances serious, challenging content with irresistibly fun and pop-inspired tracks.
  • Songs like “Medusa” and “Period Blood” confront taboos and personal trauma with candor and wit. "I am very girly and also very violent. I'm the she devil, the Jezebel and the tyrant." – Princess Nokia [12:29]
• Cultural Reflection:
  • Rodney notes the ongoing “year of the woman in rap” discourse and how Nokia has always defied genre and gender expectations.
  • The production ranges from hip-hop to pop and EDM, working together seamlessly.

4. Madison Cunningham – "Ace"

• [16:51–21:27]
• A lush, elaborate heartbreak album written in a post-breakup creative burst.
• Distinctive Sound: Orchestral, “almost musical theater,” with rich instrumentation that stretches her folk roots.
  • "It is lush. It is almost musical theater. And I mean this in the best way." – Celia Gregory [17:55]
• Features collaborations (notably Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes) and genre references from Beatles-style pop to bluegrass fingerpicking.
• Lyric Highlight:
  • "She said there's no hill steeper than trying to get to equal. And is this as good as it gets when we get it right on a song called Take two?" – Celia Gregory [20:19]
• Standout tracks: “Golden Gate On and On,” “Mummy,” “Take Two.”

5. Makaya McCraven – "Off the Record"

• [21:27–26:05]
• A double LP (20 songs, also as 4 EPs) of mostly live, improvised jazz, infused with hip-hop, soul, and global influences.
  • "Every one of these 20 songs is basically live improvisation. McCraven is leading his band while he's pulling in all of these rhythmic diasporic elements from hip hop and his approach to looping..." – Rodney Carmichael [22:32]
• Emphasis on communal, in-the-moment experience as a response to “digital overreliance.”
  • "He wanted here to, quote, create an energy that amplifies the magic and the underground moments..." – Celia Gregory [24:44]
• Standout: The Hidden Out EP, especially “Away.”

6. Mobb Deep – "Infinite"

• [27:43–32:14]
• Legendary New York hip-hop duo’s first posthumous album since Prodigy’s passing in 2017; billed as their last.
• Historical Context: Ties to the 30th anniversary of "The Infamous"; released on Nas’s Mass Appeal label.
  • "Not just because it's the first release from Prodigy and Havoc since prodigy died in 2017, but also because it's gonna be the last Mobb Deep album." – Rodney Carmichael [28:37]
• Production: Features unreleased Prodigy vocals, curated and finished by Havoc and The Alchemist.
  • "These Prodigy verses are totally unreleased, never heard before...Havoc, the other half...got together, co-produced this album." – Rodney Carmichael [30:23]
• The album maintains their signature sound: dark, hard-hitting, and seamless.
• "It doesn't sound force fit...it doesn't sound like a Mobb Deep album that needs an asterisk." – Rodney Carmichael [30:23]

7. Lightning Round – More Album Picks

• [32:32–37:24]
  • Nosso – "When Are You Leaving" (Celia Gregory): Celebrates new identity amid transition; classically trained, arrangements stand out.
  • JSOM – "Belong" (Hazel Sills): JSOM’s collaborative, indie rock comeback with features from Haley Williams and Jim Adkins.
  • Amber Mark – "Pretty Idea" (Sheldon Pierce): Sunny R&B, “lets light and air into every corner of her sound.”
  • Black Eyes – "Hostile Design" (Lars Gotrich): D.C. punk band returns after 21 years with a heavier, weirder, danceable record.
  • Gabriel Kahane – "Heirloom" (Tom Huizenga): Piano concerto written for his father, blends pop and romantic classical influences.

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Notable Quotes

• On Patti Smith’s impact:
  • "She's still telling new stories. She's got a third memoir on the way. So this...anniversary release of Horses almost coincides with this new book." – Celia Gregory [01:54]
• On the evolution of women in hip-hop:
  • "At some point, I feel like we just gotta acknowledge that women have been running the rap game for a while now...and then there's Nokia." – Rodney Carmichael [09:07]
• On genre-blending and boundary-pushing:
  • "It all works because we're not as shocked anymore if women are gonna speak their truth...this is real stuff that she's singing about and rapping about. And it also is a groove." – Celia Gregory [11:24]
• On Makaya McCraven’s process:
  • "He wanted here to...create an energy that amplifies the magic and the underground moments where we come together and we experience something wild, different, off the cuff, human." – Celia Gregory [24:44]
• On the legacy of Mobb Deep:
  • "It's been a year in which a lot of the older cats are driving a lot of the passion and the interest around the genre. And I think this is an album that's going to fit right into that mold, too." – Rodney Carmichael [28:37]

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Key Timestamps

• 00:27–01:54 — Patti Smith’s "Horses" at 50
• 02:23–07:44 — Matty Diaz: "Fatal Optimist"
• 07:44–13:53 — Princess Nokia: "Girls"
• 16:51–21:27 — Madison Cunningham: "Ace"
• 21:27–26:05 — Makaya McCraven: "Off the Record"
• 27:43–32:14 — Mobb Deep: "Infinite"
• 32:32–37:24 — Lightning Round Album Picks & Final Thoughts

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Tone & Flow

The episode balances warm, personal anecdotes (sad girl fall, club shows, station birthdays), deep appreciation for musical craft, and critical context on the cultural relevance of the new work. The conversation is candid, celebratory, and pulls listeners into both the artists’ journeys and the hosts’ own histories with the music. Celia and Rodney’s rapport keeps things energetic, insightful, and accessible, inviting all to discover and celebrate new music.

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Memorable Moments

• Celia cursing out loud at Princess Nokia’s “Blue Velvet” because of its impact.
• Rodney thoughtfully prefaces his commentary on women in rap with, “I don’t want to be guilty of trying to mansplain...”
• The hosts’ shared excitement about Nashville’s music scene and the unusual “double Maddie” folk release day.
• The emotionally rich discussion on how Mobb Deep’s last album feels authentic, not cobbled together from leftovers.

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Conclusion

This week’s New Music Friday offers a dynamic journey through musical innovation, legacy, and vulnerability. New releases from Matty Diaz, Princess Nokia, Madison Cunningham, Makaya McCraven, Mobb Deep and more receive careful, passionate attention, making this episode a robust guide for anyone seeking fresh sounds, rich stories, and critical context on today’s most compelling new music.

Transcript

[Sponsor Announcer]

This message comes from Jackson. Seek clarity in retirement [e-mail] Jackson is short for Jackson Financial, Inc. Jackson National Life Insurance Company, Lansing, Michigan, and Jackson National Life Insurance Company of New York, Purchase, New York.

[Hazel Sills]

A quick note before the show. This podcast contains explicit language.

[Princess Nokia]

Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine.

[Rodney Carmichael]

Happy Friday, y'.

[Hazel Sills]

All.

[Rodney Carmichael]

Rodney Carmichael here, writer and correspondent at NPR Music, filling in for host Stephen Thompson this week. Now, each week on New Music Friday, we speak to a member of the NPR Music Network. And for today, October 10th, we're welcoming Celia Gregory from WNXP in Nashville. What up, Celia?

[Celia Gregory]

Hi, Rodney. It's so good to do this show with you. I hope to meet you IRL sometime soon.

[Rodney Carmichael]

Yeah, you know, I almost, I feel like we're playing like some weird game of musical chairs. Cause you were obviously the pro at this, and somehow I'm the one that's sitting in the guest host seat.

[Celia Gregory]

But our powers combined, right?

[Rodney Carmichael]

All right. So this week we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Patti Smith's 1975 LP, horses. You got a favorite song from this album, Celia?

[Celia Gregory]

It's gotta be Gloria.

[Matty Diaz]

Would you look so good? Would you look so fine?

[Celia Gregory]

Like, I grew up listening to the Van the Man version of that and then had to come around to the Patti Smith version later in life and had such an appreciation for it because of the extra verses and just like her snarl, you know. So that's my clear favorite.

[Rodney Carmichael]

You know, I really mess with that bass line on Redondo Beach. You know, it feels a little Funkadelic to me. Speaking of another classic album that turns 50 this year, shout out to the Mothership Connection. But yeah, what else is going on with Patti Smith this year?

[Celia Gregory]

Well, I think, first of all, 50 is so significant. And I was reading some coverage she did around the 40th 10 years ago, and she's like, thanks for correlating me with punk music, but I was not a punk. My band, we were not punk music. So I think it's interesting, the correlation and causation sort of arguments about her legacy. But, Rodney, she's still telling new stories. She's got a third memoir on the way. So this, this, you know, anniversary release of Horses almost coincides with this new book coming out in November.

[Rodney Carmichael]

Nice. Nice. All right. Let's keep it rolling. All right. First up this week we got a new album from singer songwriter Matty Diaz titled Fatal Optimus. Let's hear a taste from the song. If time does what it's supposed to.

[Matty Diaz]

I can't make it down the block without you getting in my thoughts and I can't tell my right from left My up from down or who I am it's like every day Is One day I'm getting through One day I'll wake up and I'll be over you if time does what it's supposed to Hearts will heal and hurt will pass the way I feel right now won't last Won't reach for you and I'm asleep Won't dream that you're still next to me Leaves die and fall the same place Flowers bloom.

[Celia Gregory]

And I'll move.

[Matty Diaz]

Right on and I'll be over you if time does what it's supposed to.

[Rodney Carmichael]

Now they're calling this album the last entry in her Heartbreak trilogy. Celia. It's really stripped down, and apparently she wrote this album in total isolation.

[Celia Gregory]

Listen, first of all, I hope it's the last. I don't think I can take much more, and I mean that in a good way. Matty Diaz makes such great, cathartic music, but this is the most bare and spare that we've ever heard her. And so her voice is crystal clear. You can hear, you know, every sip of air. And it's just her and her acoustic guitar, so it's almost a solo acoustic record. There's some instrumentation at the end. We'll get to that. But it is heartbreak on display, and she's even sort of admitted, yep, I'm here again. More breakup songs for you all, but they are doing what they're supposed to. Much like that song talks about time healing you from a breakup. She's moving through it, and we can hear her over the course of these tracks moving through it.

[Rodney Carmichael]

So have you been riding with her.

[Celia Gregory]

For all three albums, this trilogy? Yes. I mean, I remember when I first moved to Nashville, she was still performing in small clubs here and then moved away and then moved back and released History of a Feeling, which was absolutely the soundtrack to my sad girl fall in 2021. She's right on time again. But it was really last year with Weird Faith that she burst through to wider audiences, I think. I mean, definitely an NPR Music darling and just more celebrated for this confessional songwriting style. So I think folks that jumped on with Weird Faith are gonna be rewarded handsomely with this beautiful arrangement of songs on this new one, too.

[Rodney Carmichael]

You know, listening to the album, it kind of made me think about how they say, you know, the stages of grief don't necessarily come in order. Like, I hear her reaching for the point of acceptance on some songs. But then sometimes on a song like Heavy Metal, it feels like she's, you know, starting to look back at the rawness again, just trying to remind herself how resilient she is, maybe.

[Celia Gregory]

Mm. Yeah, that was one of my highlights too. She's like, my heart isn't gold, platinum, or even silver. It's heavy metal. And so it's an awesome sort of double entendre for such a soft folk song. Right. But she's saying, I am hardened and here's why. Because again, I've been through it.

[Matty Diaz]

I've been running so hard lately don't know how it doesn't break me It's a good thing my heart is too heavy metal.

[Celia Gregory]

Some of my favorite phrases come up in why did you have to bring me flowers? She says, my toxic trait is holding on. Your toxic trait is showing up. So this is lamenting. Even when it's a good one. I can't make it work, and I just can't. It's very relatable, content. Matty Diaz is always serving up in these nice little songs.

[Matty Diaz]

I moved out, I moved on I picked myself off the ground I was and angry till now why do you have to bring me flowers? Why do you have to say the right thing? You know me well enough to make it easy to feel so good that I hate me why you have to bring me flowers?

[Rodney Carmichael]

So despite the heavy, sad girl that Maddie's given us, you say she's got some surprise for us at the end of the album.

[Celia Gregory]

Yes. First of all, I'm such a sucker for, like, track order and what it sounds like to start and end a record. And she did not disappoint with the title track being the last song. Fatal Optimist is sort of the only one that culminates in more of an uptempo tune, first of all, and more instrumentation. It fleshes out, and it feels like, speaking of your stages of grief, like the rebirth, like the return to oneself. And it ends on a high note, so we can thank her for that. Even if the bulk of these songs are tear in your beer, just like we expected and hoped for.

[Matty Diaz]

Forget I've ever been hurt Forget the.

[Rodney Carmichael]

Reasons why.

[Matty Diaz]

Forget that I'm on earth When I start looking at the sky I'm a feeling of something.

[Rodney Carmichael]

That was Maddie Diaz with Fatal Optimist. All right, next up, we got Princess Nokia back with the LP girls. And this song is Blue velvet.

[Princess Nokia]

Girlhood is a spectrum Pretty is destruction I just fell from grace Then I made it into something Fight you fair the first time Then I called my cousins buzzards get the buzzing timber in my button Tattered frilly dresses Bloody covered knuckles rotting from my inside Glitter bones and honey Heavy daughter of thy Lilith sister Men are violent liars Adams apple thieves I am so disgusting I am so salacious I am pure evil with the sweetest bit of fragrance I am not your sister I am not your friend I am full of anger, full of violence and then look at how you made me look at how I'm behaving Look at what it gave me Alchemist my aching Carrie when she went to prom Stop and give me back my crown Pigs. But when I hit the stage Bitches kiss the floor I walk I'm David Lynchburg.

[Celia Gregory]

Rodney. When I first heard that single, I was. I cursed. I cursed aloud like, oh, she's done it. I really love this introduction to Princess Nokia. But the rest of the album includes bangers, too. And I think the truth here is that she's speaking her truth. And a lot of it is here are my oppressors and I'm calling you out. And the other half is let's party. I love being a woman, so there's the both. And that I think is really fun to balance on this record.

[Rodney Carmichael]

No doubt. No doubt. And I want to start with, like, a disclaimer because I don't want to be guilty of trying to mansplain this song or this album. But before we even get deeper into either one of them, I feel like it's worth laying some. Some context because, you know, it feels like every year for the past decade, critics declare it the year of the woman in rap. You know, it's like some mountain that we have yet to scale. And at some point, I feel like we just got to acknowledge that women have been running the rap game for a while now, and they've been running it oftentimes with the kind of sexual deviance that, you know, tends to earn a lot more criticism than men ever get for playing that same game. And then there's Nokia. You know, they made this grand entrance around 2016 with the mixtape 1992. They had this golden era sound, but they were still doing something, like, totally unheard of by, you know, placing themselves within kind of this Afro indigenous lineage, embracing Santeria on songs like Brujas, tackling the gender binary on their breakout hit, Tomboy. And in a lot of ways, this album reminds me of that early success because Nokia refused to be pigeonholed by that success, and they bounced around genres for a while and probably lost some rap fans along the way, you know. But even on this album, they mix up hip hop with some pop vibes and some EDM vibes. So, you know, there are these songs on the album where Nokia is really confronting the patriarchy head on. From personal trauma to really just like the universal ways that it feels like womanhood and girlhood are made out to be taboo. Especially songs like Medusa and Period Blood.

[Princess Nokia]

Yo, I'm contradicting religion and overthrowing men I'm praying on the downfall of politicians and many men I'm saying prayers at night to cease the fire war I'm putting ice back in the fridge to help the six year old I'm wishing death and disease on all the evil men who contribute to what is wrong. I hope the earth will swallow them. I like Period Blood. I think it's sexy Diva cup in my guts, my bed she's kind of messy.

[Celia Gregory]

First of all, thank you for your disclaimer that. That didn't feel like a man's plan. That felt like you giving women in hip hop their flowers. And not just right now, but historically. And I appreciate that. I'm not the resident expert on hip hop at all, or girlhood, I guess I should say. But, you know, she speaks to women's rights and women's wrongs and that so resonates. I think we are so sick of being nice. And now there's like a little bit more permission structure with some of the poppier stars that are doing it, like the Charli xcx, Sabrina Carpenter Chapelrone. And women in hip hop have already been out on that ledge and getting the flack for it. And here we hear the pop influences, as you said, and hip hop and. And it all works because we're not as shocked anymore if women are gonna speak their truth. You know, she's dropping C bombs. Like, once upon a time, F bombs would be taboo, right? We've just pushed it a little bit. We've pushed the boundary. But this is real stuff that she's singing about and rapping about. And it also is a groove. Like the pop songs that are inspired directly she Said by Charli XCX are about just like hanging with your girls, having a fun summer. It's not all serious, but she somehow balances it over the course of girls.

[Princess Nokia]

I am very girly and also very violent. I'm the she devil, the Jezebel and the tyrant I'm the whistleblower when men try to make us silent I'm the older woman unmarried and undecided.

[Rodney Carmichael]

I'm really digging this album and I'm really hoping that a lot of folks who might have fallen off or, you know, didn't necessarily ride the Nokia wave all the way through will find themselves back to this album because is not only important for her, but for us as well, you know. And I think that a lot of what's being said on here needs to be said with a loud megaphone, so I'm hoping people receive it and bump it all that.

[Celia Gregory]

Rodney, you mentioned a couple of my favorite tracks too, Medusa and Period Blood. And I was thinking how some of these backing tracks are actually really pretty. And then she like says some hard truths, right? She said in Medusa I will undisguise you and bring you to the light. And then there's like this metal riff at the end like she's able to speak her truth, speak some hard truths and not risk offending. But some of this is really production wise, really pretty too. So I think people might be surprised if they first and only hear Blue Velvet what the rest of the album contains.

[Princess Nokia]

Hail Medusa, Blood moon in her eyes Hail Medusa, Make a grown man cry Hail Medusa, Kiss of death on her lips Catch the Holy Spirit Rebuke the bad debt Helmet was of blood moon in her eyes Helen used to make.

[Rodney Carmichael]

A grown man cry all right, that's Princess Nokia with girls. We got some more albums to get to as well as our Lightning Round where we hear from some more NPR colleagues about some of their favorite albums this week. But first we'll take a quick break.

[Princess Nokia]

Catch the Holy Spirit, Rebuke the bad.

[Celia Gregory]

Dick.

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[Rodney Carmichael]

All right, we're back with new music Friday. So, Celia, I'm originally from Atlanta, which is a whole lot closer to you than where I currently am, which is outside of Boston. So I'm really eager to hear what's going down this fall in Nashville at wnxp.

[Celia Gregory]

Well, at the time of this recording, it's only barely sort of flirted with fall. We had a fake fall earlier. Now it's actually transitioning. You know how it is in the Southeast. It's hot, of course. But here at wnxp, we are stoked. We are coming up quickly on our official 5th birthday. We started and turned the station over on November 30, 2020. Awesome time to start a radio station when nobody's driving and everybody's at home. But we're still thriving, man. And we've had all these series of birthday celebrations that, of course, coincide with live music wherever we can gather, folks. We just had a cuco show that was sold out here at Brooklyn bowl, and we're doing this really special thing with Jose Gonzalez at our art museum. So a nice collab celebrating the visual arts and the sonic art and our little scrappy nonprofit station, which, of course, now, as you know, is 100% listener funded, no dollar dollar bills from the government. And we're really thankful for all of our backing, and it's growing.

[Rodney Carmichael]

All right, well, we got another album that you brought to the show this week from singer songwriter Madison Cunningham with the album Ace. And this song we're gonna hear is Golden Gate on and on.

[Matty Diaz]

I took the golden gate over that mouth Seven white te breaking the horizon down I left your mother's house Couldn't hold her eyes Throwing ashes out the driver's side the music Stop listening.

[Rodney Carmichael]

Man. This is really jamming in my headphones right now. I was really enjoying that. All right, Celia, this is another album tracking heartbreak, but Madison's take on the sounds totally different than what we heard earlier from Maddie, right?

[Celia Gregory]

Yeah. And also, how blessed are we to have two Maddie's with this level of songwriting coming through on October 10th. I'm obsessed with this album from Addison Cunningham. You know, back in WNXP History Revealer was sort of her breakthrough. She won a Grammy for it. And she's not been quiet since. She's been collaborating with a ton of people. She's like always, you know, a phone call away. Like with Deep Sea Diver. She did a whole record of Buckingham Nicks covers with Andrew Bird. But I didn't realize she had this in the can. She wrote all these songs last summer in the wake of a heartbreak. And it is actually a jubilant heartbreak record. It is lush. It is almost musical theater. And I mean this in the best way. Like the most complimentary way. There's not a lot of radio songs, quote unquote on Ace because she's bringing in the strings, she's got the woodwinds. Any simple notion like Matty Diaz might have had is expanded upon with all this beautiful instrumentation. And the word of the day is wow. I'm totally wowed by Ace.

[Rodney Carmichael]

That's interesting how you say it's not necessarily music for the radio, but I'm assuming it's on Yalls playlist, right? Or it will be, yeah.

[Celia Gregory]

I mean the song I just played is great, right? Great uptempo number and has like this awesome percussive quality to it. But we know Madison Cunningham as like a dexterous guitarist, you know, So I was surprised how much more is happening here in these songs that she wrote and brought to life. I would love to know a sort of BTS of. Okay. She jammed all these songs out and wrote them in a flurry last summer. So then how did she decide what to add in? I'll have to ask her myself when she comes to Nashville in the spring. But I mean everything here, of course, the collab with Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes. Great first single. People paying attention. Anytime there's a Fleet Foxes flare on it going into the fall.

[Matty Diaz]

You say that you could do me home in the safety of your owns While your eyes are atom bones dropping.

[Celia Gregory]

There is really beautiful work here that varies from, you know, it's almost Beatles esque. I'm thinking of the song Mummy sounds like she's leaving home.

[Matty Diaz]

You know, wrapped like a mummy under the white bed. Hair brown, leaves out the top of your head Little dog stirs make sure you are dead all the time and.

[Celia Gregory]

Suddenly then it goes all the way into more like Nickel Creek territory. It sounds like folk and could almost lean bluegrassy in the finger picking style. I have so many examples of recommended if you like, for this. I mean, there's also Carole King sort of vibes on this with some of the more stripped back piano centric tunes. But I think her songwriting here is really beautiful. As far as like turns of phrase. She said there's no hill steeper than trying to get to equal. And is this as good as it gets when we get it right on a song called Take two? Like Gut Punch, but how beautifully done, right? To be hit in the gut and hit in the heart with a song like that.

[Matty Diaz]

You know, I'm afraid to write a simple song not out of shape as you are at being wrong. And the people that we were are now dying in reverse Are now having to work out the second part.

[Rodney Carmichael]

Okay, so that's Madison Cunningham with Ace. And now we take a hard left with this next joint from jazz drummer, producer and self proclaimed beat scientist Makhiya McRaven. He's dropping off his double LP this week called off the Record. And this cut is called New Blue.

[Celia Gregory]

Rodney. This was such a glut of great content to consume, right? A double LP or four eps, however you want to look at it. It sounds great. And there's a lot of ground covered here by McRaven, who admittedly sort of a new to me artist. I don't always play in the jazz sandbox, but it's so much more than jazz, as I know that, you know, you probably have a lot of opinions about this work of art. Yeah.

[Rodney Carmichael]

You know, the thing that really kind of mesmerizes me about this project, and I have to admit, I'm definitely not the resident jazz expert, although, you know, as a longtime hip hop fan, jazz just becomes that terrain that you play in if you love the roots of hip hop. And the thing that really mesmerizes me about this particular project and really has kept me glued to it is, is how it was made. You know, every song over this entire collection, which is 20 songs, like you said, it's a vinyl double LP, which is out today. And then over the course of the month, four separate EPs are going to hit the streaming sites. But every One of these 20 songs is basically live improvisation. You know, McRaven is leading his band while he's pulling in all of these rhythmic diasporic elements from hip hop and his approach to looping, which you really hear, stand out in a song like Boom Baptist.

[Celia Gregory]

First of all, I can never comprehend how somebody does live improvisation. But, you know, he even said when he was growing up jazz was like corny. It was like white people stuff. Like, you didn't want to lean too hard into jazz, so then he could dabble in hip hop. Fascinating story. We won't hit every bio point here, but I'm not just surprised and like gobsmacked by this output of 20 songs, but his whole history of making music and the different arenas he's played in so that he is bringing not just his study of different types of music in, but his collaborations make this so rich because it'll go from a song that's more soul forward to one that's way jazzier and then one that's, you know, super hip hop influenced. And I think he does it all very, very well and of course is giving credit where it's due to all these collaborators like guitarists and such.

[Rodney Carmichael]

It's interesting also to kind of hear him talk about how he's really drawn to folk music, which again, on his face, you don't immediately think of that when you're listening to the beat Scientist.

[Celia Gregory]

Yeah, and Ronnie, it's worth noting. I mean, the intention around this is for people to imagine being there in the live environment. He said he's sort of alluded to this like digital over reliance, which is why of course, he's rewarding folks that want to buy the physical media first. But he's saying this digital over reliance, you know, actually keeps us isolated. And so he wanted here to, quote, create an energy that amplifies the magic and the underground moments where we come together and we experience something wild, different, off the cuff, human. And that's what you feel here. Even with all these technological advancements. It's a very human sounding collection of songs because you get the live, you know, effects and the reactions in that live space and. And yet some of it, you know, there was this song, I guess the standout for me as a whole is the Hidden Out EP of the four. And this, this single Away is so pretty, it's almost ambient. I'm again just amazed by the range covered here and hope to now follow this artist and just lap up whatever he's offering because clearly he's skilled in all of these different sub genres of the music he's making.

[Rodney Carmichael]

That's Micaiah McRaven with the double vinyl LP off the Record. Let's pause to pay some bills. We'll be back as promised with the Lightning Round and one more album. But first, a short break and more new music. Friday.

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[Rodney Carmichael]

An NCIDQ certified interior designer must complete a minimum of six years of specialized education and work experience. Being NCIDQ certified means that you've proven your knowledge and skills and are recognized as a qualified interior design professional.

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[Rodney Carmichael]

And we're back on New Music Friday. Next up, the legendary duo Mobb Deep returns with Infinite and the name of this joint is against the World.

[Mobb Deep]

New York is just one crumb on the map. One crumb ain't a lot. You happy with that piece? I'm gonna need that pie to satisfy my thirst pacify my greed for blood money and power the fans turn me to a monster addicted to when they scream you had one hitting your life one second of fame One of you niggas act up every everybody pays. All of you niggas back up or.

[Celia Gregory]

I'mma start spraying Rodney sounds so good in my headphones. Once again, it's like we get all new fresh years now that we're able to share this whole record with everybody else. Infinite out today. How are you feeling about this? I'm going to immediately lob back to you to sort of school us on the history and importance of Mobb Deep and why this album right now is significant as well.

[Rodney Carmichael]

Yeah, well, I mean, this album is special for sure, and not just because it's it's the first release from Prodigy and Havoc since prodigy died in 2017, but also because it's gonna be the last Mobb Deep album. That's according to Havoc, of course. Next month marks the 30th anniversary of Mobb Deep's second album, the infamous this is the album that defined grimy east coast realism smack dab in the middle of the crack era. Two cats coming out of Queensbridge, which is still the largest housing project in the United States and home to so many hip hop legends, including Nas, who actually plays an interesting role in in this release. Besides appearing on the album on at least two songs, he's really responsible for for putting it out. This album is being released on his label, Mass Appeal, and is part of their Legend has It series, which has already produced LPs this year from Ghostface, Killa, and Raekwon. It's really been an interesting year in hip hop because it's been a year in which a lot of the older cats are driving a lot of the passion and the interest around the genre. And I think this is an album that's going to fit right into that mold, too.

[Mobb Deep]

And I just woke up 8pm in my bulletproof truck 9pm Spook, the Alchemist and 30 more niggas meet me in.

[Celia Gregory]

Queensbridge 10pm I mean, first of all, this is 2017 that Prodigy passed, right? So how do we have these vocals on this? Which, of course, will be their last as Mobb Deep, if this is the last we can hear from him. How did they. They fold this together.

[Rodney Carmichael]

Okay, so these Prodigy verses are totally unreleased, never heard before, and they were all stockpiled vocals that the producer, the Alchemist, had. The Alchemist is, of course, a producer who's produced a lot of Mobb Deep and solo Prodigy projects. So he and Havoc, the other half of Mobb Deep, who's always been the production half, got together, co produced this album. I actually got to talk to Havoc, and he talked about the feeling of hearing a lot of these verses for the first time almost a decade after Prodigy has passed, and what that was like for him to then turn around and create with his partner, who was not, you know, present in the flesh in this moment in time. And I think the really interesting thing about this project, you know, a lot of posthumous projects in hip hop, they tend to sound kind of stitched together, you know, like literally Frankensteined. But this doesn't really feel like a Mobb Deep album that needs an asterisk. Prodigy is on every song. You don't feel like they were trying to really stretch out just a few remaining verses from him. And the chemistry feels pretty seamless. You know, they just maintain that authentic Mobb Deep sound. It's dark, it's ominous, and, you know, it still works.

[Celia Gregory]

You're right. And let's celebrate the grimy, but also that we have this stitched together so elegantly, as you said, it doesn't sound force fit. And thanks for bringing this one to the fore today, Rodney.

[Rodney Carmichael]

For sure, for sure.

[Mobb Deep]

They don't make them like us no more Snakes in the grass so you know I'm cutting my lawn don't get it fucked up Know what type of time I'm on the fake ones in your circle Compromising y' all the information.

[Rodney Carmichael]

All right, so that was Mob Deep with infinite. All right. Now we got something special with Steven out this week. We're gonna do a lightning round to hear some faves from some of our NPR colleagues on other albums out October 10th. And Celia, we're gonna start with you.

[Celia Gregory]

I gotta throw us no sews. When are you leaving? Really well documented that the artist Baek Wong has gone through a lot of transitions personally, professionally, and we've been along for the ride. It's been really well documented. Now we have this celebration of new identity but still admitting it's not all roses. You know, there's still a lot of hard knocks here. So when are you leaving? Beautiful arrangement of songs. And it might be obvious that this is a classically trained artist, went to USC music school, so even a solo piano tune is not out of place on this one. When are you leaving? From the artist know so hey, this.

[Hazel Sills]

Is music editor Hazel Sills, and My Lightning Round Pick is the album Belong by the artist JSOM. This is JSAM's first album in six years. She spent that time producing for and playing with other artists, and I think you can really hear that collaborative spirit on this record. There are great features from Hayley Williams of Paramore and Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World. It's just a really great indie rock record. This is Belong by jsam.

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Hey, I'm NPR music editor Sheldon Pierce, and My Lightning Round Pick is Amber Mark's new album Pretty Idea. The RB singer who released one of NPR's favorite records of 2022, 3 Dimensions Deep, returns with a more focused album of sunny, soft, spun guitar strum soul that lets light and air into every corner of her sound, producing a full length that is warm and bracing. This is Let Me Love youe, the second single from Embermark's Pretty Idea.

[Lars Gotrich]

Hey y', all, this is Lars Gotrich, and my Lightning Round pick is Hostile Design by Black Eyes. Now, it's extremely rare for any band to release its best album 21 years after the last one, but Black Eyes has always been a rare and wild breed. At the end of its first run, the D.C. punk band leaned into its chaotic side. Two vocalists, two drummers squawking saxophone, funky bass lines and guitar feedback. Hostile Design picks up that thread and makes something heavier and weirder, an apocalyptic love cry and danceable dub. Tom Huizenga here, and I'm loving this new piano concerto by Gabriel Kahane. He's a singer songwriter with one foot in pop music and the other in classical. He comes by it honestly, actually, because his father is the pianist and conductor Jeffrey Kahane. And Gabriel wrote this concerto called Heirloom for his dad, infusing it with family history and weaving in some quotes from one of his own best loved songs. The music is dressed in kind of a colorful post romantic style style. Echoes of Rachmaninoff, maybe. Jeffrey Kahane is the pianist here with the orchestra called the Nights, led by Eric Jacobson.

[Rodney Carmichael]

And that's our show for this week. Celia, I really appreciate you taking your time out at WNXP in Nashville and helping me drive this thing because I think I would have been at a loss otherwise. So I really appreciate you.

[Celia Gregory]

No, it's been such a pleasure to go hard on these records and yes, so much deep listening. It was really fun to do alongside you and I hope everybody's gonna listen to these records we discussed on their own time.

[Rodney Carmichael]

If you enjoyed this week's show, we always appreciate a positive review on Apple or Spotify or whatever app you're listening to right now. This episode was produced by Noah Caldwell and edited by Otis Hart. The executive producer of NPR Music is Saraya Muhammad. And we'll be back next week to discuss new music with Travis Holcomb from KCRW in Los Angeles. Until then, man, just enjoy some good music this weekend. Peace.

[Princess Nokia]

I am the art star. I should be an immune.

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