Podcast Summary:
All Songs Considered – The Contenders, Vol. 22: Geese, Dijon, Juana Molina, more
Host: Robin Hilton (NPR)
Guest: Dora Levitt
Date: October 14, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode is part of All Songs Considered’s “Contenders” series, in which the NPR Music team updates their running list of the year’s best songs—tracks they can’t stop playing and are strong candidates for the final Best of 2025 list. Robin Hilton is joined by Dora Levitt for a deep dive into standout releases from Geese, Juana Molina, Dijon, Devon Shafer, Agriculture, and Alien Boy. Expect insightful analysis, personal stories, and playful banter as they navigate this diverse musical landscape.
Main Discussion Points & Highlights
1. Opening Banter & Show Context
- [00:19–01:03]
The episode starts with a humorous exchange about the awkwardness of seeing parents cry or encountering teachers outside of school, establishing a relaxed and intimate tone.- Quote:
- Dora: "Seeing your parents cry, it's awful. It's like seeing your teacher outside of school." (00:19)
- Robin: "Is it awful seeing your teacher?" (00:24)
- Quote:
2. Geese – “Islands of Men”
- [02:06–10:31]
Dora’s Pick- Geese is the first highlight, with their track “Islands of Men” from the album Getting Killed.
- Robin praises the song’s “16 minute crescendo” and describes their sound as a “slippery” hybrid of styles.
- Quote:
- Robin: “This song is like one long crescendo…it just keeps getting bigger and bolder and wilder.” (08:14)
- Dora: “Cameron Winters’ completely moaning, whining voice…feels like pulling taffy and just rushing forward. It's so beautiful and feels like what it is like to see the sun.” (08:23)
- Robin calls the sound “chaotic,” yet rooted in longing and wonder.
- Dora and Robin play “spot the influence,” referencing Talking Heads, Rolling Stones, Tom Waits, Led Zeppelin’s “Fool in the Rain,” funk, and others, while emphasizing the album’s unclassifiable nature.
3. Juana Molina – “Siesta Aji”
- [11:00–17:50]
Robin’s Pick- Celebrating the return of Argentinian singer-electronic-folk artist Juana Molina with her first release since 2017.
- Debuts “Siesta Aji” from the forthcoming album Doga (out Nov 5).
- Dora likens the song’s atmosphere to “living in a video game…jumping around in a large pixelated field. Kind of like Minecraft.” (16:12)
- Robin praises Molina’s superpower of “making digital glitchy sounds feel alive, like they're coming from a magical creature, not a machine.” (16:21)
- Dora reads the song as about craving closeness and catching obsessive nostalgia in its layered, glitchy repetitions.
- Robin plugs Molina’s classic 2000 album Segundo.
4. Dijon – “Yamaha”
- [19:37–28:27]
Dora’s Pick- Dora reveals that Dijon’s “Yamaha” is in heavy rotation for her, especially for its sampling of Laurie Anderson’s “O Superman.”
- Discussion of earworm songs, “brain radio," and the delight of discovering musical references:
- Dora: “‘O Superman’ by Laurie Anderson at any moment... And it drives the people that I love insane.” (20:30)
- Robin: “You really have a good ear. I wouldn’t have made that connection.” (25:48)
- Both note the influence of Prince’s 1980s sound on Dijon, particularly in production and thematic focus on devotion and family.
- “It's so Prince in the production, but also just in the themes of desire. It's written for his wife, about his wife…just his devotion to his family.” (27:07, Dora)
- Robin notes how both Dijon and Geese refuse to be easily categorized, stitching together doo wop, gospel, funk, and soul into something warped yet cohesive.
5. Devon Shafer – “All My Dreams Are Coming True”
- [28:27–34:58]
Robin’s Pick (inspired by Dora)- Dora introduces Robin to Devon Shafer; Robin is instantly smitten by her song, “All My Dreams Are Coming True,” from upcoming album Patience (Nov 3).
- They both comment on the song’s emotional vulnerability and bittersweet themes of longing for home and the “in-between” feeling of early adulthood.
- Robin: “She really captures this feeling when you're grown up and on your own, but you still have the safety net of your parents if you need to escape.” (32:50)
- Dora: “The numbness in this song…almost total apathy saying all my dreams are coming true, but also…I’m sitting around doing nothing as if to ignore all the emptiness.” (33:51)
6. Agriculture – “Hallelujah”
- [35:37–42:09]
Dora’s Pick- Dora spotlights Agriculture’s “Hallelujah” from their new album The Spiritual Sound, lauding the band’s emotional reinventions and use of space and silence.
- Robin discusses the intentional “flattening” of modern music consumption and how Agriculture “forces you to lean in and stop everything and really start engaging” through their strategic use of pauses. (40:41)
- Dora: “Every pause…feels like it restarts. And I wanna grab the lyrics and the words out of the air. They feel so tang and so there.” (40:10)
- The band's style—"ecstatic black metal"—merges heavy, chaotic sections with folky undercurrents, creating a unique dynamic.
7. Alien Boy – “Cold Air”
- [42:09–end]
Robin’s Final Pick- Robin wraps up with Alien Boy’s “Cold Air” off You’d Want to Fade, connecting the band’s guitar-driven sound to the shoegazy legacy of Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine.
- Dora pushes back against the claim that “guitar rock is dead,” highlighting the raw energy and shimmery quality of Alien Boy’s sound.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Dora (08:23): “Cameron Winters’ completely moaning, whining voice…feels like pulling taffy and just rushing forward. It’s so beautiful and feels like what it is like to see the sun.”
- Robin (10:31): “Any reference I come up with is so fleeting…bits of Tom Waits’ ramshackle vibe…Talking Heads…glam rock…hints of funk. It’s so wild.”
- Dora (16:12): “It felt like jumping around in a large pixelated field. Kind of like Minecraft. I love Minecraft.”
- Dora (20:28): “Oh, Superman by Laurie Anderson at any moment…drives the people I love insane…”
- Dora (27:07): “This whole album is about his wife and his new baby and just his devotion to his family. Sometimes I listen…and I just start crying…he loves his family so much.”
- Robin (32:50): “She really captures this time…between the adult that you've become and the life you had to say goodbye to…”
- Dora (40:10): “Every pause…feels like it restarts. And I want to grab the lyrics…out of the air. They feel so tang and so there.”
Key Timestamps for Song Highlights
- Geese – “Islands of Men”: [02:53–09:12]
- Juana Molina – “Siesta Aji”: [12:31–17:50]
- Dijon – “Yamaha” & Laurie Anderson reference: [21:14–28:27]
- Devon Shafer – “All My Dreams Are Coming True”: [29:25–32:21]
- Agriculture – “Hallelujah”: [35:56–41:24]
- Alien Boy – “Cold Air”: [43:53–end]
Conclusion
This episode delivers a rich tapestry of both genre-pushing and emotionally resonant new music picks, peppered with personal stories, sharp observations, and infectious enthusiasm from both Robin and Dora. Their conversation offers insight into each artist's unique appeal, musical ancestry, and why these tracks stand out in 2025’s crowded field of contenders.
For new music fans or podcast listeners seeking compelling, boundary-defying music and thoughtful commentary, this episode encapsulates exactly why All Songs Considered remains NPR’s flagship for music discovery.