New Music Friday: The best new albums out June 13

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Songs Considered – New Music Friday: The Best New Albums Out June 13, 2025

Release Date: June 13, 2025

In the June 13, 2025 episode of NPR’s flagship music podcast, All Songs Considered, hosts Stephen Thompson and Nate Chenen curate a vibrant selection of the week's best new album releases. From groundbreaking jazz compositions to innovative remix projects, this episode serves as a comprehensive guide for music enthusiasts eager to explore the latest sounds across various genres.

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Anastasia Inuke – Tether

The episode opens with an in-depth discussion about Anastasia Inuke’s debut album, Tether. Stephen Thompson introduces Anastasia as a rising star who has recently garnered attention through her role in Kendrick Lamar’s visually stunning music video for "Luther."

"If you don't hear Tracy Chapman listening to this record, you have spent a lot less time listening to Tracy Chapman than I have." (04:14) – Stephen Thompson

Nate Chenen emphasizes Anastasia’s magnetic vocal presence and the profound influences that shape her music. He draws parallels between her haunting melodies and the timeless influence of artists like Tracy Chapman, highlighting the album’s rich tapestry of folk, rock, jazz, and pop elements.

"She's just a really magnetic vocal presence... her phrasing and her sense of pace..." (06:12) – Nate Chenen

Anastasia’s Tether is praised for its ability to blend diverse genres seamlessly, offering listeners a balanced and transfixing experience. Her unique sound and compositional versatility suggest a promising future, with both hosts expressing confidence in her continued rise within the music industry.

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Mary Halvorson – About Ghosts

Next, the conversation shifts to the acclaimed jazz guitarist Mary Halvorson and her latest album, About Ghosts. Recognized as one of the most decorated jazz guitarists, Mary Halvorson’s work is celebrated for its intricate improvisation and innovative compositions.

"This is just an unbelievable statement from one of my favorite artists." (08:17) – Nate Chenen

Stephen Thompson describes the album’s “busy quality,” noting the complex interplay between various instrumental voices that Halvorson masterfully orchestrates. The collaboration with exceptional improvisers like Patricia Brennan on vibraphone and Toma Fujiwara on drums enriches the album’s dynamic soundscape.

"Even with all those participants, there's still some space to breathe here." (11:14) – Stephen Thompson

Mary Halvorson’s About Ghosts stands out as a testament to her ability to create sophisticated and suspenseful music, where every track unfolds with unexpected twists and layers, maintaining a perfect balance between chaos and harmony.

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Brandy Younger – Gat About Season

The hosts then delve into Brandy Younger’s new release, Gat About Season. Brandy, a prominent jazz harpist, elevates the harp’s role within the jazz and improvised music scenes, drawing inspiration from legendary figures like Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby.

"She is one of the most prominent harpists on the scene... a direct lineage and legacy being expressed here." (17:09) – Nate Chenen

Stephen Thompson highlights the album’s cinematic quality, with tracks that evoke sweeping emotional landscapes and intricate musical dialogues. The collaboration with alto saxophonist Josh Johnson adds a layer of warmth and spiritual depth to the compositions.

"It's just so beautifully balanced." (21:33) – Stephen Thompson

Gat About Season is lauded for its perfect balance between rhythmic propulsion and the harp’s shimmering textures, showcasing Brandy Younger’s mastery and her ability to blend traditional and contemporary sounds seamlessly.

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Joe Armon Jones – All the Quiet Part Two

In an exploration of contemporary jazz, the hosts discuss Joe Armon Jones’s ambitious double-length album, All the Quiet Part Two. This release, part of a two-part series, incorporates elements of dub, soul, and funk, creating a rich, genre-blending soundscape.

"He's just a master of vibe... has been very influential..." (30:07) – Nate Chenen

Jones’s innovative use of old-school recording technology, such as reel-to-reel machines and spring plate reverbs, adds a nostalgic yet fresh dimension to his music. The album features collaborations with artists like spoken word artist Hack Baker and saxophonist Nubia Garcia, enhancing its eclectic and collaborative spirit.

"It's like a warped calliope... a strange little kind of hypnotic interlude." (29:21) – Stephen Thompson

All the Quiet Part Two is praised for its expert execution and the seamless integration of various musical styles, making it a standout release that showcases Jones’s visionary approach to jazz production.

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The Cure – Mixes of A Lost World

Stephen Thompson turns the spotlight on The Cure’s latest project, Mixes of A Lost World, a remix album that reimagines tracks from their recent release, Songs of a Lost World. This ambitious project features three distinct remixes for each original track, offering a multifaceted exploration of The Cure’s music.

"Each one gets three very, very different remixes... Enhances my appreciation for the songwriting at the core of this project." (35:09) – Stephen Thompson

With contributions from renowned remix artists like Paul Oakenfold, Fortet, and Mogwai, the album provides a diverse range of interpretations, from orchestral expansions to dancefloor-ready beats. The Cure’s ability to maintain the emotional depth and bleak beauty of the originals while allowing remix artists to infuse their unique styles is highly commended.

"It's a legendary type of thing where you can just wander around." (35:22) – Nate Chenen

Mixes of A Lost World is celebrated for its expansive and exploratory nature, inviting listeners to experience The Cure’s music through multiple vibrant lenses.

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Lightning Round: Other Favorites

In a rapid succession, Stephen and Nate highlight additional noteworthy releases releasing on June 13, 2025:

• AJ Tracy – Don't Die Before You're Dead: This UK rapper delivers an ambitious collection of songs that navigate the balance between personal legacy and family, featuring collaborations with Georgia Smith and Masterpiece.

• Theo Croker – Dream Manifest: A contemporary electro jazz album that blends hip hop and electronic music, inspired by Croker’s psychedelic experiences and showcasing a variety of rotating collaborators.

• Cosyfani Tutti – 2T: An avant-garde project from the experimental artist, filled with unconventional rhythms and unsettling ambient sounds.

• Terry Lynn Carrington & Christy Dashiell – We Insist 2025!: A tribute to Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln’s seminal work, reimagined with an R&B-adjacent sound that emphasizes activism and social justice.

• Ella Hanshaw – Black Book: A posthumous compilation of Ella Hanshaw’s country and Pentecostal gospel recordings, offering a heartfelt glimpse into her spiritual and personal reflections.

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Best vs. Most Memorably Bad Songs

Adding a playful twist, the hosts engage in a segment comparing their favorite and most "memorably bad" songs of the week. Nate surprises listeners by choosing Neil Young’s “Let’s Roll Again” as his pick for a standout yet flawed track, highlighting its catchy yet offbeat take on the auto industry.

"It is bad in a very Neil Young way... if you love Neil Young, like, you gotta love all of him." (46:14) – Nate Chenen

Conversely, Stephen selects Anastasia’s “Take Care of Me” as his favorite, praising its catchy melody and Anastasia’s captivating vocal performance.

"It's such a showcase for that gorgeous voice..." (47:10) – Stephen Thompson

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Conclusion

Wrapping up the episode, Stephen and Nate express their excitement for the featured artists and the diverse musical landscapes explored in this week’s releases. They encourage listeners to engage with the new albums and anticipate future collaborations, especially looking forward to more from Anastasia Inuke.

"I expect to see a lot of track listings containing the words featuring Anastasia in the months and years to come." (47:10) – Stephen Thompson

The hosts sign off by thanking Nate Chenen for his insights and teasing the next episode's focus on the new album by Heim, in conversation with Raina Duras of WXPN in Philadelphia.

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Final Takeaway

This episode of All Songs Considered offers a rich and engaging exploration of the latest music releases, providing listeners with detailed insights and thoughtful commentary. Whether you’re a jazz aficionado, a fan of innovative remixes, or curious about emerging artists, this New Music Friday edition ensures you stay informed and inspired by the best new albums out on June 13, 2025.

Transcript

[Sponsor]

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[Stephen Thompson]

Proceed and continue to rock the mic. Happy Friday, everyone. From NPR Music, it's New Music Friday. I'm Stephen Thompson here with Nate Chenen from WRT RTI in Philadelphia. Hey, Nate.

[Nate Chenen]

Hey, Stephen.

[Stephen Thompson]

It is a pleasure to have you here. We've got a terrific roundup of new records, including a remix album from the Cure, new albums from Brandy Younger and Murray Halvorson. But first, Nate, I wanted to talk to you. You were just at the Roots picnic that I was. Tell me about that.

[Nate Chenen]

It's really this big tent kind of hip hop and R and B festival this year. I was especially interested to go because they were celebrating the 30th anniversary of do youo Want More with the Chicks.

[Unknown]

I was a child I was a toy Raised in the cellar with the.

[Nate Chenen]

Rhythm like hella the roots major label.

[Stephen Thompson]

Debut and anniversaries designed to make us feel old.

[Nate Chenen]

Oh, yeah, yeah. I mean, no surprise. They crushed it. And have to say, Steven, that in 2025, I was legitimately bowled over by the ferocity and sheer charisma of Lenny Kravitz.

[Stephen Thompson]

Lenny Kravitz is a charisma factory.

[Nate Chenen]

I was like, all right, this will be fun. You know, 90s hits, and, man, he and his band just crushed it.

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, speaking of Lenny Kravitz, we're gonna kick off with an artist who has opened for Lenny Kravitz.

[Nate Chenen]

This is true.

[Stephen Thompson]

A new name for me. Anastasia has a new record called Tether.

[Unknown]

Take care of me for anyone else.

[Nate Chenen]

For anyone else.

[Unknown]

Take to consider.

Time.

Try to remember the oldest children inside I'm trying to run and I'm trying to play and I want to get away I want to get away.

[Nate Chenen]

Take him, Stephen. Anastasia was also a new name to me, and I've done a little bit of research because this album is so transfixing. I was like, what is happening here? And who is this person?

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah.

[Nate Chenen]

So Anastasia Inuke is her name, and a lot of people are coming to her right now because she plays the love interest in Kendrick Lamar's video for Luther, his single with Sza. This video is really beautiful and simmering and sensual, and she is this, you know, arresting presence in it. She has just a lot of composure as an actor in this film. But the reason I wanted to bring that up not just to name drop Kendrick Lamar, but I was thinking about the way that Luther Vandross functions as this kind of ghost reference in that song. He's not just a sample. He kind of haunts the song. And that quality I hear all over Anastasia's music too.

[Unknown]

Pile of CDs in the corner over there Sharing the ground with a tree.

[Nate Chenen]

That'S a saving grace I read that when she was 14 years old, her uncle gave her an ipod that had a playlist with Bill Withers, Nina Simone, and Janis Joplin on it. I thought those are three very interesting artists to kind of cite in this statement of principle for yourself as a singer songwriter.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, I definitely hear those influences and I definitely hear the timelessness of that kind of cross section of where she's coming from. If you don't hear Tracy Chapman listening to this record, you have spent a lot less time listening to Tracy Chapman than I have. Because that kind of knowing, kind of weary tremulousness cut with kind of moral authority that Tracy Chapman brings to every song she sings. I hear that influence here as well. Tracy Chapman is one of my favorite singers, and so I was immediately transfixed by Anastasia's voice. But I also just appreciate how many different styles she's trying on here, how many genres. There's definitely a lot of these songs are rooted in folk music, but there are songs that incorporate rock, jazz, pop, spoken word. I'm just seeing this, you know, this kind of new, fresh talent. This is her official debut album, but she has kind of self released some stuff before this. But at this point I'm hearing this and I'm like, why didn't Kendrick Lamar hire her to sing?

[Nate Chenen]

Yeah, right. Yeah. That may be the next step.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah.

[Nate Chenen]

I love that you mentioned Tracy Chapman because there is this fundamental, like, deep center of gravity. It's like a black holes kind of center of gravity where everything is being pulled towards it. You know, she's just a really magnetic vocal presence. And, you know, it's not just the timbre, but it's also like her phrasing and her sense of pace and. And the way that the voice is presented in these different sonic environments.

[Stephen Thompson]

We are going to hear a lot more from Anastasia in the years to come. I feel confident in proclaiming that her fantastic new record is called Tether.

[Unknown]

You'll be back home and I'll sit right here.

[Stephen Thompson]

Next up, the guitarist Mary Halvorson has a new album. It's called About Ghosts. Mary Halvorson is one of the most decorated jazz guitarists around. She's a MacArthur genius grant recipient. She's worked with everyone from Anthony Braxton and John Zorn to Mark Rebo Frizzell. She's received an enormous number of accolades across the jazz world. And she's put out a string of really fantastic records.

[Nate Chenen]

I should come right out and say it. This is a front runner for one of my albums of the year. This is just an unbelievable statement from one of my favorite artists. And it advances the narrative, you know, that she's been building over the last decade or so. Mary has created music for small groups and slightly larger groups and slightly larger.

[Stephen Thompson]

Groups and larger groups still.

[Nate Chenen]

Yeah. With this particular band, she's just surrounded by incredible improvisers who really understand her language. I'm talking people like the vibraphonist Patricia Brennan and the drummer Toma Fujiwara and the trumpeter Adam o' Farrell, trombonist Jacob Garczyk, bassist Nick Dunston. I think that' all of the core people, that's.

[Stephen Thompson]

That's the sex tat she has called Amaryll.

[Nate Chenen]

You've got a couple of saxophonists joining at times. Emmanuel Wilkins and Brian Settles. There's this really fantastic push pull throughout this album. She knows how to write structures for this ensemble that really enables things to sort of expand and blow up and get a little crazy, but also get minutely layered and beautifully reactive. All these different elements that can bloom in the context of a composition from moment to moment. I find it a very almost suspenseful listen because you never really know what's around the corner.

[Stephen Thompson]

One word that I kept kind of writing down in my notes, and I mean it as a compliment, even though it can sound like a pejorative, is busy. There's a busy quality to this music. There is so much going on. You just named all the kind of central players, you know, and they're all just constantly weaving their instrumental voices together in ways that still somehow even with all those participants, there's still some space to breathe here. There's a track called Even Tidal, you know, which has this, like, kind of calmer, more reflective, more low key sound, even as it's still weaving in these many, many voices.

[Nate Chenen]

Nobody sounds like her. She plays this, you know, this gilled guitar with these heavy gauge strings and she plucks really hard. She loves to add a wobble to the end of a phrase. She loves to, like, give you this kind of shiver or this warp sensibility. She just has a very unusual sonic output. And so much of what she does I think of as destabilizing.

[Stephen Thompson]

That is about Ghosts, the new album from Mary Halvorson, one of many terrific records out today, June 13th. We've got some more records we want to get to, but first let's take a quick break.

[Unknown]

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[Stephen Thompson]

From NPR Music, It's New Music Friday. I'm Stephen Thompson with Nate Chenen from WRTI in Philadelphia. Nate, what's going on at the station?

[Nate Chenen]

We are really happy because we have a new addition to our programming staff. His name is Julian Booker. He is our new associate program director for Jazz. He's also on the air now hosting our Saturday evening show which is called the get down. And then, you know, I'm still co hosting our podcast, the Late Set. We recently had a blast going down to the Exit Zero Jazz Festival in Cape May and doing a whole bunch of live interviews. And we didn't interview her there, but we saw Brandy Younger at the festival and one of our latest episodes is a conversation with Brandy about her new album.

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, in the spirit of jazz, you just handed me the perfect segue.

[Nate Chenen]

You can see what I did there.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, because our next album is by Brandi Younger. It's called Gat About Season.

[Unknown]

Sam.

[Nate Chenen]

I'm going to guess that most people listening to New Music Friday have at least heard the name Brandy Younger. She's had a really impactful last decade or so in the Spotlight. And with each album, she seems to deepen her artistry as well as her prominence. And this album, I think, is her strongest total statement as a creator. So far. It is all original music and features her trio. I buried the lead. She is a harpist.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, yeah.

[Nate Chenen]

And she is one of the most prominent harpists on the scene. She certainly has elevated the profile of the harp in jazz and improvised music. Also has drawn attention to the legacy of black women playing the harp. She is constantly paying tribute to her two most important forebears, Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby. She told me that she recorded this album with Alice Coltrane's harp.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yes.

[Nate Chenen]

So there is a real direct lineage and legacy being expressed here. Her working band has Rashawn Carter on bass and Alan Mednard on drums. Rashawn also produced the album. Instead of kind of going into a studio and knocking it out, they really sat with it. They had multiple sessions. They recorded it at home. Rashawn really got into production, but in a way that is very subtle. I think they really just wanted to take the time to create something that feels really refined.

[Stephen Thompson]

It's a challenge to make a harp forward jazz record that still has a sense of propulsion to it. Elements of this record are really cinematic, to use a phrase that gets applied to music probably more than it should. The opening kind of inner reckoning feels like it would kind of sweep in in a climactic scene from a movie. Even though you can kind of hang back in a song like End Me, which has, you know, Chewbacca comes on and plays the flute. It can have this kind of transporting, relaxing quality. But if you dig deeper into it, there's still some real power here.

[Nate Chenen]

Randy is a groovemeister.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah.

[Nate Chenen]

I think she would tell you seventies soul is kind of her default. That's the sweet spot for her. And so that's her resting pulse. It's like the sound of, like, what a great resting pulse. 70s. What a way to live. She spent a good part of the early phase of her career really kind of pushing back against the perceptions of the harp as this instrument of wellness and diaphanous, you know, like dreamy, angelic wonder. Really trying to say, no, I am a member of the rhythm section. Like, I can groove. One thing about this album is that she does both. There's a tune here called bbl. I've seen her perform it a few times, and she always introduces it in a really funny way. BBL is an acronym that stands for Brazilian butt lift, but she never says that, so she can do all of this. But at the same time, she really is no longer shying away from those things that the harp does that no other instrument can do, right? Those glissandi and those like beautiful, shimmering textures. Those are things that she is fully at peace with and she knows how to marshal that vibe and those resources. I think this album, the word that comes to mind for me is balance. It's all just so beautifully balanced.

[Stephen Thompson]

You think about a track like Surrender, you know, which opens with kind of a meandering harp. You're getting like kind of this harp solo. But the song is drifting into something that's making space for this wonderful, super dynamic piano solo. Very acoustic bass forward. It's like letting a lot of the different instruments breathe. Before we finish talking about this record, we should acknowledge the title. Gadabout Season is referring to kind of a dedicated pursuit of pleasure and joy.

[Nate Chenen]

You mentioned that piano solo that is by Courtney Bryan, who is a MacArthur winning composer as well as a pianist. And you mentioned Chewbacca. There's also a great guest appearance by the alto saxophonist Josh Johnson, who is a Michel Indigo cello and SML associate. You know, he's one of those people who pops up on a lot of great, great records. And his appearance on this album comes on a track titled Discernment. And it is just one of those like deep exhale kind of mom. He brings this like warmth and rounded feeling and just spiritual vibe to his cameo.

[Stephen Thompson]

That's Gadabout Season, the new album by Brandy Younger. Next up, Joe Armond Jones. It has a new record, it's called all the Quiet Part two. So we've given you jazz guitar, we've given you jazz harp, now we're giving you jazz keyboards. All the colors of the jazz rainbow. British keyboardist, producer, songwriter Joe Armand Jones kind of made this big double length record, but released it in two parts just a couple months apart. Part one came out back in March. All the Quiet Part two is out now, but it's really meant to be taken as one. One big, grand, ambitious piece of music that's rooted in jazz, but it's incorporating dub and soul and funk. There's so much to absorb here.

[Nate Chenen]

Yeah, I feel like this is such a leveling up for Joe Armon Jones. He is somebody who I feel makes every musical situation sound and feel better. Seems to have like that catalytic energy. But I feel like as a bandleader and as a sort of sound visionary, like this is the one. It did not surprise me to learn that some of this came out of his study during the Pandemic. You know, how many times have we talked at this point about like, oh, the pandemic gave me an opportunity to do X, right? Whether it's sourdough starters or starting a podcast or sharpening your knife skills. Well, in the case of Joe Armand Jones, he basically built himself an old fashioned dub studio. You know, so reel to reel machines and spring plate reverb and like all this, like, very geeky, old school mechanical recording technology. And he figured out how to use that in a studio that became part of his creative practice. He's part of this London jazz scene that really understands dub music. It's a part of their foundation now. He has the tools to access the producer side of that and the engineer side of that. So it's like, man, it feels so deeply considered and expertly executed. It's just like, whoa, okay.

[Unknown]

Can't wait to set my eyes on.

[Stephen Thompson]

The land that the famine is from.

[Unknown]

Oh, what's so good?

[Stephen Thompson]

Among other things, that creates an environment that's really conducive to collaboration. And so he's able to bring in guest voices in a lot of different styles. You have spoken word. There's a track called acknowledgement is Key, featuring Hack Baker, that builds to kind of a spoken word vocal.

[Unknown]

Do you understand? Moments of joy are destined to be masked by moments of their own reparation.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

I hold my grandson asking our old age stories way before the Torah destroyed our communion glories. She lays before me awaiting her cosmic journey fulfilling life. I've never sat so close to death apart from the food I devour but from the many coffins I've seen and the silent stenches of stroke.

[Stephen Thompson]

You've also got a song called Another Place Where Green Tea Pang, who we talked about on this show a couple months ago, comes in. Wulu comes in and you have this mix of, you know, sung vocals and rapped vocals. You have room for voices to come in and kind of interrupt the flow of these records in really welcome and intriguing ways.

[Unknown]

I had to cut through fanboys to get back in line Hurt feelings, they're lost you switch off when I try to speak my mind I can't breathe with you I can't speak with you it's complicated when I'm here. We felt cold when you left who knows what's best? I'm trying to speak with Chess. Makes no sense.

[Stephen Thompson]

You also have some real playfulness, some real sonic experimentation. There's a track called PSR Orchestra that has the feel of almost like a warped calliope, you know? Like that warped calliope music, you know, where you're into some kind of demented circus. It's like a strange little kind of hypnotic interlude. I think the spirit of dub really feeds into this. This music is constantly being, you know, muddied a little bit. Let's see if we can try it from this angle and this angle.

[Nate Chenen]

Always in the service of like groove and vibe. Joe Armand Jones is just a master of vibe and, and has been very influential, maybe even stealth influential in the, the growth of that presence in the jazz, you know, the global jazz and improvised music world. You can jam out on a single chord or two chords for like a good long time and like really dig in rather than like chase complicated structures. Like you can do that and it can be not only valid but like transportive, you know, along with partners like the saxophonist Nubia Garcia, who is, who appears as at times on this album as a member of the horn section. He's been a member of her band forever. And so there's this scene that is coalescing around some of these values.

[Stephen Thompson]

That's Joe Armand Jones. His new album is all The Quiet Part 2. Put them all together, you get a nearly two hour record that we highly recommend. We've got one more record we want to talk about in depth as well as a lightning round of some of our other favorite albums out today, June 13th. But first, let's take a quick break.

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[Stephen Thompson]

From NPR Music. It's New Music Friday. I'm Stephen Thompson here with Nate Chenen from WRTI in Philadelphia. Got one more record we wanted to talk about. It's mixes of A Lost World by the Cure.

[Unknown]

Every son you leave me is a lie she said you make believe you need me? But you try too hard and I feel so wrong? You promise me forever and you say it won't be long? But it's too late now for me to just forget? I never thought I'd need to feel regret for all I never was. But all this time alone has left me hurt, sad and lost. Yeah, every time you leave me It's a lie you make believe you need me? But you try too hard and I feel so wrong? You promise me forever? You say it won't be long. There's nothing you can do to change your mind she said nothing you can do but see yourself is a fragile.

[Stephen Thompson]

One of my favorite albums of last year was the Cure's Songs of a Lost World, Their first album in ages. A really epic, kind of orchestral, really searching, beautiful, doomstruck record from a band that, like, still sounds in peak form, what, 40 some odd years into its career. Not all remix records are created equal. And when the Cure puts out a remix album, my ears perk up. This is their, I believe, their third remix album, and they've all been amazing. This is kind of taking Songs of a Lost World. It's technically, it is three remix albums. You know, there's a two disc version, there's a three disc version. It's 24 tracks. Songs of a Lost World is eight tracks, and each one gets three very, very different remixes. And you're just getting so many different views and perspectives on these songs, which are certainly bleak. But there is joy to be found here, and many of these remix artists really find that joy.

[Nate Chenen]

Yeah, I mean, I feel like the operative word here is world. This whole project really does feel like a Legend of Zelda type thing where it's like, it's a. You can just wander around.

[Stephen Thompson]

Totally. It's an open world.

[Nate Chenen]

Open world. There are so many different versions or, you know, parallel realities to choose from, really. Like embracing the spirit of the remix as an art form. The artists who have been enlisted to remix are heavyweights, right? So we're talking about Paul Oakenfold and Fortette, Mogwai, Orbital. You know, this is like handing raw materials over to master chefs.

[Unknown]

I lose my reason when I fall through the door. Endless black night Lost in looking for more. At least I don't now how I lose if it falls One last shot at happiness.

[Stephen Thompson]

The way this project opens and the way that it ends, it opens with a remix Of I Can Never say Goodbye, Paul Oakenfold handles the remix. And it. It really kind of opens the album on this portentous. Here I'm gonna use this word again. Cinematic note, taking a. A lot of the orchestral qualities of the original record and amplifying them. It's a lovely reworking of the song, but it. It doesn't necessarily start to hint at how many different directions this project ends up going over the course of its runtime and between the first song and the last song, the last song being an 11 minute remix of End Song by Mogwai, this fantastic veteran post rock band. You know, they're bringing the kind of epic, shimmery, booming qualities out where it really feels like it's meeting at a midpoint between the Cure and Mogwai. But in between, you get. You get four on the floor dance beats, you get house music. Sa There's a track where Shanti Celeste remixes Alone. And Alone was kind of the first single from Songs of the Lost World, and it's this long, billowy, bleak, sad song. And Chanti Celeste turns it into a banger. Spending another two hours with this record that I love, but in the hands of artists who are teasing out different elements of it that either you didn't know were there or weren't there just only enhances my appreciation for the songwriting at the core of this project.

[Nate Chenen]

You mentioned End Song, and this is, you know, a tune that on the original album has this incredibly dramatic build, right? It feels almost operatic. Robert Smith doesn't even enter vocally until something like, what, seven minutes in, where.

[Stephen Thompson]

There'S a long wind up before you even hear his voice.

[Nate Chenen]

The chorus of this song is devastating, right? Singing it's all gone, it's all gone Nothing left of all I left loved it all feels wrong it's all gone it's all gone it's all gone no hopes, no dreams no world no, I don't belong no, I don't belong here I mean, whoa. Right. The Orbital remix, which is track two on this whole package. I thought this was a really compelling rewriting of this tune. The vocals come in a little earlier. You get less of the kind of windswept thunder and sturm undrawn kind of vibe. But there's still a really powerful undercarriage to the sound. The lyrics really pop for me. And so I thought it was really effective. It was like not undermining the grandeur of the original, you know, or the bleakness of the original lyric, but just kind of like bringing you there on a Different route, you know to do.

[Unknown]

I wonder what became of that boy in the world he called his own.

[Stephen Thompson]

That is Mixes of A Lost World by the cure out today, June 13th. Now Nate, we wanted to do a lightning round with some of our other favorites. I'm going to kick us off. The decorated UK rapper AJ Tracy is back with his third album. It's an ambitious set of songs about getting the most out of life and striking a balance between legacy and family. It's got guests like Georgia Smith, Masterpiece and more. AJ Tracy has a distinctive voice. He's also got a genre blurring sound, a bunch of UK hits, and now he's got a new record. It's called don't die before you're dead.

[Unknown]

Wake up in a tea house on your own Turn the line back on concado and snooze I don't know how many times I told mom that far money on floor I I find money on floor Found money on road Gram, steam, Molly and drawers Mum didn't want us out on the roadside so we.

[Nate Chenen]

Used her Theo Croker is a trumpeter and producer and bandleader whose new album Dream Manifest really captures some of his ideas about what contemporary jazz should sound like today. It leans into elements of hip hop and electronic music and it is informed on the the creative end by his experience with psychedelics. He's got a whole bunch of collaborators rotating in and out and he has a really focused idea about what a contemporary electro jazz effort from a trumpet player should sound like. And I think it really works.

[Stephen Thompson]

Cosi Fanny Tutti has been musically active since the late 1960s. She was a founding member of the experimental performance art band Throbbing Gristle and has spent the last 50 plus years pushing against the boundaries of sound, sex, politics and basically everything that has a boundary. Now Cosyfani Tutti is back with an appropriately throbbing new album full of strange rhythms and unsettling ambience. It's called 2T.

[Nate Chenen]

Drummer Terry Lynn Carrington and singer Christy Dashiell have a new album called we insist 2025 with an exclamation point. This is a tribute to an album that was made by Max Roach with Abbey Lincoln in the very early 1960s called We Insist Freedom Now. Sweet. That album was a landmark of the civil rights movement and its musical soundtrack, and Terry Lynn conceived of this project as a tribute coming just on the heels of the Max Roach centennial. So it is a track by track reimagining of the Freedom now suite, but recast in a completely different musical and stylistic framework. It Feels very R and B adjacent. It has a lot of smoother texture and complex rhythm at the same time. So it is very much in tune with what Carrington and Daschle do in their respective solo careers. And it's a real meld and obviously it coalesces around an idea of activism and social justice at a time when, you know, we could use those things. Freedom Days.

[Stephen Thompson]

One more hymn. Finally, an unusual and frequently beautiful bit of archival music worth celebrating. Ella Hanshaw was a self taught country musician who switched to Pentecostal gospel music and middle life. Her music reflects on her faith and failings in recordings that span much of her adult life and themes ranging from the personal to the deeply spiritual. During her lifetime, Hanshaw never released an official record, but there's now a compilation of home and church recordings assembled by her granddaughter and released nationally titled Ella Hanshaw's Black Book.

[Nate Chenen]

Bless the Lord.

[Unknown]

A little Farther, A Little closer to that.

[Stephen Thompson]

Nate. This is the part of the show where we put ourselves on the spot and ask ourselves, what is the best song that you heard coming out today, June 13th?

[Nate Chenen]

Can I sort of swerve and give you. Give you the most memorably bad song that I heard in preparation for this episode? This comes from an album that did not ultimately make the cut today, but it's from someone that we care about a lot. This is the new Neil Young album, oh, shit. Talkin to the Trees, which features his new ish band, the Chrome Hearts. This album is really quite bad.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, dear.

[Nate Chenen]

But it's bad in an interesting way.

[Stephen Thompson]

It's bad enough when Neil Young, he tends to be bad in an interesting way.

[Nate Chenen]

Yeah, it's bad in a very Neil Young way. A very like cranky, topical kind of like let me just get this off my chest sort of way. There is a song called let's Roll Again.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, no.

[Nate Chenen]

Off this album.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, Nate.

[Nate Chenen]

Yes, it is not a good song, Stephen, but it is memorably bad. And one of the things that I chuckle at. He's just kind of ranting about the auto industry and the line, you know what it is, right? If you're a fascist, then get a Tesla.

[Stephen Thompson]

The song that will haunt your dreams.

[Nate Chenen]

It is quite catchy, in fact. So, you know, that is my advisory warning, let's Roll Again. It's not a good song, but it is a very Neil Young song. So if you love Neil Young, like, you gotta love all of him.

[Stephen Thompson]

And I mean, I love Neil Young. I don't know if I have to love everything he's ever done. Well, Nate, I'm gonna go with a song that will haunt me in a great way. That Anastasia record, the very first track we played was called Take Care of Me. So slyly catchy, so kind of husky and dusky, but also sweet. It's such a showcase for that gorgeous voice that I suspect we are gonna be hearing not only in her own music but as features on other people's albums. Kind of the way Obang Jayar popped up on the Anastasia record. I expect to see a lot of track listings containing the words featuring Anastasia in the months and years to come. That is our show for this week. Thank you so much, Nate Chenen for taking time out of your week at Duluth RTI in Philadelphia.

[Nate Chenen]

Always a pleasure, Stephen.

[Stephen Thompson]

If you enjoyed this week's show, we always appreciate a positive on Apple or Spotify or wherever after listening to you right now. This episode was produced by Simon Rentner and edited by Otis Hart. The executive producer of NPR Music is Sara Mohammed and her boss is the Wonderful Keith Jenkins, NPR's vice president of music and visuals. We'll be back next week to talk about the new album by Heim with World Cafe host Raina Duras of WXPN in Philadelphia. Until then, take a moment to be free. Hang out with your chosen family and treat yourself to lots of great music.

[Unknown]

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