Episode Overview

All Songs Considered – New Music Friday: The best albums out Sept. 12
Hosts: Stephen Thompson & Raina Dorris
Date: September 12, 2025

This New Music Friday episode is a celebration of the week’s most exciting album releases, featuring an engaging rundown and frank, enthusiastic conversation between Stephen Thompson and guest Raina Dorris (World Cafe/WXPN). The episode highlights the much-anticipated Led Zeppelin live EP, revisits the world of Spinal Tap with a new film and soundtrack, and delves into standout albums by Gorilla Toss, Dee Spitz, Frost Children, and Mark William Lewis, among others. The hosts break down not just musical styles and sonic references, but also the stories and themes behind the week’s best new music.

Key Albums & Discussion Highlights

1. Led Zeppelin – Live EP: Creative

• Anniversary Release: Celebrating 50 years since Physical Graffiti, this new EP delivers four classic songs performed live: “In My Time of Dying”, “Trampled Underfoot”, “Sick Again”, and “Kashmir.” (00:44)
• Listeners’ Nostalgia: Both hosts reminisce about their first encounters with Led Zeppelin via local radio stations—WAPL in Wisconsin (Stephen) and Q107 in Toronto (Raina).
• Raina’s note: "Every single proper noun in the press release for this sounds like a British parody. They're in Nebworth at Earl’s Court... But yeah, it's so much fun. I feel like I'll listen to whatever Led Zeppelin puts out." (01:12)
• Mood: The EP is described as “35 minutes of Led Zeppelin at its Led Zeppliniest.” (00:44)

2. Spinal Tap – Soundtrack for Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues

• Premise: The faux-band returns 41 years after the cult classic 1984 film. The band must reunite for a contractually obligated show after their manager passes on the contract to his daughter, Hope Faith. (03:20)
• Life After Fame: Updates on the characters (running cheese & guitar shops, writing music for podcasts and phone hold lines, working in a glue museum) are shared with much humor.
• Cameos Galore: “It brings in Paul McCartney, it brings in Elton John, it brings in Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood for their cover of ‘Big Bottom’.” – Stephen (04:08)
• Memorable Musical Moments:
  • Paul McCartney appears, performing "Cups and Cakes":

    “Cups and cakes, cups and cakes, oh, what good things mother makes ... What a gay time it will be...” (05:52)

  • Original Songs:
    • "Rockin’ in the Urn" – “About how he'll still be performing after he's dead.” – Raina (06:47)
    • "The Devil’s Just Not" – On aging as a rock star (07:26).
• Reflective Tone:
  “How do you use the fact that all of these actors are now getting up there in years... That’s the whole concept of the film, is that these guys are old.” – Stephen (08:13)
• Favorite Quote:
  “This is fan service from start to finish. It's constant kind of cameos and callbacks...” – Stephen (04:08)

3. Gorilla Toss – You’re Weird Now

• Sound: Wild, chaotic, and genre-bending; "freewheeling, gleefully weird," per Stephen (10:26).
• Production Quirk: The band held “punk lunches” in the studio—improvised meals with guest musicians (Stephen Malkmus, Trey Anastasio)—mirroring the album’s collage-like, experimental sound (11:25).
• Guest Collaborators: Both Malkmus and Anastasio feature on "Red Flag to Angry Bull" (12:22).
• Standout Tracks:
  • "Crocodile Cloud" – Described as a "collision of frantic bubblegum pop and screamy hardcore." (12:55)
  • "Life's a Zoo" – “Sounds like a Nintendo game at the beginning, and then it collapses in on itself...” – Raina (14:17), a sentiment echoed by Stephen.
• Band Comparison: Raina likens their sound to the B-52s with punk screaming, while also noting their tour history with Primus. (14:17)

4. Dee Spitz – Something to Consume

• Band Profile: A group of four 22-year-old women from Austin, signed to Third Man Records. Inspired to form after watching the Mötley Crüe biopic The Dirt. (19:23)
• Musical Roots: Influences range from Black Sabbath to Pixies, PJ Harvey, and Nirvana.
• Maturity and Craft: “They sound like they've been doing this forever. It's like fully formed.” – Raina (19:45)
• Notable Tracks:
  • "Throw Yourself to the Sword": "Full on metal. The riffs feel like right out of a classic Judas Priest record ..." – Stephen (20:14)
  • "Boirdir": An angry, politically charged song (“frustrated with American globalism”)—Raina calls it her favorite. (21:31)
  • "Punishers": Balances heavy riffage with a pop sensibility. (22:23)
• Band Ethos: “The four of us are free spirits with multiple interests and there's no limit or power dynamic that can derail us.” – Chloe de Saint Aubin, band member (23:38)
• Stephen’s Take: “There's still this sense of urgency behind it. There's still a sense of like we're playing music because we have stuff we want to say. And I really appreciate that.” (22:23)

5. Frost Children – Sister

• About: Sibling duo Angel and Lulu Prost, originally from St. Louis, based in NYC. Makers of “hyper pop, thrashy, sleazy, genreless ... a collision of anything and everything.” (24:33)
• Sound & Style: Accessible to EDM fans, danceable, “hard driving, hook filled, frenetic, intense music.” (24:33)
• Host Reactions:
  • Raina: “Made me feel nostalgic for the aughts and also made me feel like old at the same time.” (25:17)
  • Stephen: “This is like edm, you know, kind of a hook dispersal system ... really, really driving hooks into your head ... but it does feel like it's trying to sell me soda.” (26:34)
• Highlights:
  • "Falling": Demonstrates their emo influence (26:05)
  • "Radio" (feat. Kim Petras): Joyful, hyper pop collaboration; Raina likens it to Justice’s “The Party” and the video game Katamari Damacy: “...if someone took one of those katamari balls and just rolled it through the Internet from like 2006 to now.” (28:29)
  • "Dirty Girl": “Twisted, gnarly, freaky sound befitting its title.” – Stephen (29:12)
• Raina’s Hope: “You keep seeing news stories right now about how kids, the kids aren't going out ... This album gave me hope that maybe they are, or they're partying online in the metaverse, which I hope that's not it.” (29:55)

6. Mark William Lewis – Mark William Lewis

• Background: London-based singer-songwriter, sophomore album, now on A24’s music label—famed for its artsy, unsettling cinematic output. (32:24)
• Atmosphere: Dark, eerie, “a sense of artistry ... something kind of eerie and unsettling.” – Raina (32:59)
• Vocal & Musical Style: Deep, sometimes growling vocals. Stephen describes the arrangements as “a field of vines ... soulful and evocative and full blooded." (33:54)
• Track Notes:
  • "Still Above": Echoey harmonica, “almost psychedelic.” (32:59)
  • "17": “Weird production with these strange, like, little high pitched pitch backing vocals ... creepy ... adds to the atmosphere of the song.” – Raina (34:30)
  • "Silver Moon": Beautiful guitar lines, hooks “burrowing under your skin.” (35:23)
  • "Tomorrow": Memorable line—“Life moves so fast these days. You never get a chance to just be alone.” – cited by Raina as a moment of poignant self-reflection (36:46)
• Listening Mood: “The kind of album you listen to on your own at night or like on a gray rainy day when you want to feel melancholy and introspective.” – Raina (36:46)

Lightning Round: Other Notable Releases

• Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Para Menopop:
  "Spirited, spiky, catchy, timeless pop, but with a bit of the perspective that comes with midlife." – Stephen (37:54)
• Asher White – 8 Tips for Full Catastrophe Living:
  “Buzzing with creative energy and emotion... a gorgeous chaos... overwhelming, noisy art rock to laid back catchy melodies.” – Raina (39:28)
• Jade – That’s Showbiz Baby:
  “Bold and strange and genre defiant... hyperactive songs that incorporate electro, clash, techno, theatrical, Eurovision bangers, rap and so much more.” – Stephen (40:36)
• Fruit Bats – Baby Man:
  “Very minimal accompaniment... super intimate. Feels like you're sitting next to him at a campfire.” – Raina (41:40)
• Kassa Overall – So:
  “Combines his love of jazz and his love of hip hop, specifically by covering classic hip hop songs as jazz.” – Stephen (42:44)

Standout Quotes & Moments

• [04:08] Stephen on Spinal Tap 2:
  “It is fan service from start to finish. It's constant kind of cameos and callbacks ... There's an enormous amount of accumulated goodwill.”
• [19:45] Raina on Dee Spitz:
  “They sound like they've been doing this forever. It's like fully formed. The lead singer's voice is incredible.”
• [22:23] Stephen on Dee Spitz:
  “I want people to be writing music for a reason ... there's still this sense of urgency behind it.”
• [28:46] Raina on Frost Children:
  “This feels like if someone took one of those katamari balls and just rolled it through the Internet from like 2006 to now.”
• [36:46] Raina on Mark William Lewis:
  “This album is the kind of album you listen to on your own at night or like on a gray rainy day when you want to feel sort of melancholy and introspective.”
• [44:41] Stephen, on D Spitz:
  “D Spitz is cooler than I have ever been or ever will be.”
• [43:59] Raina's pick for song of the week:
  “I have to go with Cups and Cakes from Spinal Tap featuring Paul McCartney... brought me a lot of happiness and joy”

Most Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• [01:12] Raina on Led Zeppelin’s Britishness and nostalgia for hearing them on the radio
• [05:24] Raina describing the vibe of Spinal Tap’s cameos and McCartney’s “Cups and Cakes”
• [10:51] Gorilla Toss’s “punk lunch” recording process
• [14:17] Discussing “Life's a Zoo” and the band’s B-52s/Primus connections
• [19:43] Dee Spitz’s motivation for starting a band and their shockingly mature sound
• [28:29] Katamari Damacy as a metaphor for Frost Children’s musical style
• [36:46] “Life moves so fast these days. You never get a chance to just be alone.” (Mark William Lewis lyric)
• [43:59] Hosts pick their standout tracks: Raina—Spinal Tap & Paul McCartney ("Cups and Cakes"); Stephen—Dee Spitz (“Throw Yourself to the Sword”)

Final Takeaways

This was a week of celebratory comebacks, bold debuts, and dizzying genre experiments. Whether through reverent nostalgia (Led Zeppelin, Spinal Tap), youthful urgency (Dee Spitz), or boundary-pushing sonic exploration (Gorilla Toss, Frost Children), these releases display the continued vibrancy and diversity of new music. The hosts’ playful rapport, deep musical references, and genuine excitement make the episode both informative and infectious—a perfect primer to dive into this week's must-hear albums.