All Songs Considered – “The Contenders, Vol. 19: Neko Case, Asher White, caroline, more”

NPR – September 9, 2025
Host: Robin Hilton
Guest: Dora Levitt (NPR Music team)

Episode Overview

This episode of “All Songs Considered” explores standout new music releases with NPR Music’s Dora Levitt joining host Robin Hilton. Together, they share recent song obsessions, introduce under-the-radar artists, and discuss what makes certain tracks feel innovative, strange, or emotionally powerful. From shapeshifting art-pop and post-rock to ambient field recordings, the episode highlights the diversity and unpredictability of the current music landscape.

The tone is playful and nerdy, with Robin and Dora exchanging affectionate banter and deep-diving into why the featured music resonates so personally with them.

Key Discussion Points & Song Highlights

1. Asher White – “Beers With My Name On Them”

[02:31–09:05]

• Why Dora's obsessed: Dora calls it a song she’s “addicted to,” likening its restless momentum to what it feels like "to run around outside" ([07:45], Dora Levitt).
• Robin’s insight: Robin jokes that the song is the “sound of my brain at any given moment” as someone with ADHD ([08:06], Robin Hilton). He marvels at the blend of church bells, techno, and pop-punk: “How much awesome can you cram into one track?” ([07:37], Robin Hilton).
• Artist context: Asher White is described as a multidisciplinary artist and sculptor, someone who “carves space within a song.” The track is from the album 8 Tips for Catastrophe Living.
• Notable quote:

  “It’s so everything all at once, and it just works together and moves and builds off itself. It’s amazing.”
  — Dora Levitt ([08:20])

2. Neko Case – “Wreck” (from Neon Grey, Midnight Green)

[09:56–15:31]

• Generational perspective: Robin frames Neko Case as a Gen X icon returning after an eight-year solo hiatus. He notes the challenge of remaining visible to new audiences without frequent releases ([10:07]).
• Musical qualities: The track is praised for its “elegance,” “euphoria,” and lyrical wisdom. Strings, sun/fireworks imagery, and swelling arrangements evoke grandeur and vulnerability.
• Lyric highlight: Dora singles out “Do I look like the sun to you, blazing freckles on your face” as “gorgeous” ([14:20]).
• Themes: The song and album dwell on love’s emotional force, friendship, and the shaping nature of relationships.
• Notable quote:

  “Her songs are elegant to me and they’re soaring and euphoric, but also just full of so much wisdom.”
  — Robin Hilton ([13:57])

3. caroline – “Total Euphoria” (from caroline 2)

[17:39–24:15]

• Comparison to Neko Case: Dora notes a parallel between the emotional builds in both artists’ use of strings.
• Structural oddity: Robin describes feeling like he “accidentally had a couple things, different things playing at the same time” due to the song’s “off balance” and “disjointed” rhythm ([22:22–23:00]).
• Song construction: Multiple rhythmic lines seem to “fight with each other to be first,” yet ultimately cohere ([23:00–24:03]).
• Musical touchstones: The pair compare caroline to The Microphones/Mount Eerie, emphasizing how beauty emerges from chaos.
• Notable quote:

  “The fact that there are all these parts... fighting together, but they do still work together, is kind of where that beauty lies.”
  — Dora Levitt ([24:03])

4. Sturle Dagsland – “Hugging Horses” (from Dreams and Conjurations)

[24:31–31:33]

• New discovery: Both were unfamiliar with Dagsland, but Dora calls his music “amazing” and “yearning” ([28:48]).
• Vocal uniqueness: Robin checked with the label and confirms there’s “no autotune or anything on this... this is 100% his voice”—regularly veering into extremes ([28:56]).
• Comparisons: They hear echoes of FKA twigs, Björk, Kate Bush, Grimes, and The Knife ([29:39–29:50]).
• The ‘horse band’ trend: Robin lists a surprising number of contemporary bands featuring 'horse' in their name, joking about a potential “horses news” segment ([30:55–31:31]).
• Notable quote:

  “His voice almost sounds like yodeling or something, which I never would think—oh, yodeling, let’s put it on... But it is just so transfixing.”
  — Robin Hilton ([29:56–30:11])

5. Model/Actriz – “Doves” (from Pirouette)

[33:00–39:52]

• Dora’s taste: Affectionately declares, “there’s nothing I love more than... a monotonous drone,” and argues nobody does this better than Model/Actriz on their latest album ([33:00]).
• Sound and lyrics: Robin is struck by the “relentless rhythmic drone,” likening its drive to early LCD Soundsystem but with a “whole universe” built around it ([38:05]).
• Live experience: Dora enthuses about the band’s “best concert I’ve ever seen,” recounting how the lead singer’s performance style (inspired by burlesque and dance) blurs the line between performer and crowd ([39:00–39:40]).
• Lyrical tension: The song interweaves delicate poetic imagery with abrasive sound, grappling with themes of queerness and the divine feminine.
• Notable quote:

  “They balance the delicate and precious lyrics and ideas with these huge mechanical sounds, which is awesome.”
  — Dora Levitt ([37:39])

6. Early Fern – “Teasel” (from Wetland Interiors)

[40:09–41:48]

• Ambient turn: Robin introduces this as “completely different from everything else”—an ambient, field-recording-rich composition inspired by wetlands in upstate New York ([40:42]).
• Personal nostalgia: Dora, having lived in the Hudson Valley, associates the track’s soundscape with “wandering around in beautiful nature” ([40:24]).
• Purposeful calm: The song is positioned as a “hauntingly beautiful” mood piece that promises escape or reset.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On ADHD and Asher White’s song:

  "I wanna just play this song [for my wife] and say, this is actually what it’s like. This is the sound of my brain at any given moment."
  — Robin Hilton ([08:06])

• On appreciating Neko Case’s lyricism:

  “That line, 'Do I look like the sun to you? Blazing freckles on your face,' that’s gorgeous.”
  — Dora Levitt ([14:20])

• On caroline’s chaotic beauty:

  “The first time I listened to this, I thought I accidentally had a couple different things playing at the same time.... But this is the song!”
  — Robin Hilton ([22:22])

• On attending Model/Actriz shows:

  “He sings in your face the entire time and it’s awesome.”
  — Dora Levitt ([39:40])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Asher White – "Beers With My Name On Them": [02:31–09:05]
• Neko Case – "Wreck": [09:56–15:31]
• caroline – "Total Euphoria": [17:39–24:15]
• Sturle Dagsland – "Hugging Horses": [24:31–31:33]
• Model/Actriz – "Doves": [33:00–39:52]
• Early Fern – "Teasel": [40:09–41:48]

Tone and Flow

The conversation is warm, occasionally self-deprecating, full of genuine musical passion, and sprinkled with in-jokes and quirks of NPR’s long family of music lovers. Both hosts share deeply personal responses to the music, blending emotional honesty with playful teasing and allusions to their own life experiences.

Closing Thoughts

This episode serves as a musical treasure hunt, surfacing gems from vastly different genres and scenes, with Robin and Dora’s chemistry making their discoveries feel inviting and infectious. Their perspectives on music and life are threaded through each segment, making even the strangest or most experimental tracks feel accessible and emotionally resonant.

If you missed the episode, this summary delivers a curated guide to the artists, themes, and takeaways—ideal for music nerds seeking their next obsession.