NPR Music
NPR
Welcome to your all-in-one destination for every NPR Music podcast. We break down the best new albums to hit streaming each week on New Music Friday; we share the latest songs worthy of your playlists on All Songs Considered; there’s off-the-rails conversations (and chisme!) about Latin music on Alt.Latino. The NPR Music channel is your hub for new records, iconic artists and cult heroes, free of algorithms and full of surprises. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening for NPR Music.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 18, 2026 • 42min
New Music Friday: The best albums out Sept. 18
Music journalists Amelia Mason of WBUR, known for her pop and rock coverage, and Robert Moore of 90.9 The Bridge, a Kansas City broadcaster, spotlight standout new releases. They explore Beck’s orchestral heartbreak, beabadoobee’s ’90s-tinged pop-rock, Carly Rae Jepsen’s day-to-night range, Tove Lo’s edgy dark pop, and Rhiannon Giddens’ genre-spanning Americana. A lightning round adds ambient, metal, global pop, folk, and experimental picks.
Sep 16, 2026 • 25min
Alt.Latino: Los Texmaniacs keep tradition alive
Max Baca, Grammy-winning bajo sexto pioneer; Noel Hernandez, a bassist rooted in conjunto and Tejano; and Chris Rivera, Los Texmaniacs’ groove-focused drummer, explore the accordion-driven tradition of conjunto. They trace its European and Mexican roots, honor Flaco Jimenez, and unpack the bajo sexto, tololoche, bass, and drums. Along the way, they distinguish conjunto from Tejano and orquesta music.
8 snips
Sep 15, 2026 • 42min
M83, Shygirl, FKJ and the best songs we heard this week
Sheldon Pearce, an NPR Music writer and editor covering contemporary music and culture, joins a lively tour of standout new tracks. They explore M83’s expansive shoegaze, Shygirl’s reimagined club sound, and FKJ and Labrinth’s emotional rapture. The conversation also spotlights Renny Conti’s haunting escape, Asher White’s warped funk, and Rachel Chinouriri’s dreamy romantic tension.
4 snips
Sep 11, 2026 • 41min
New Music Friday: The best albums out Sept. 11
Music journalists Brian Burns, Celia Gregory, and John Morrison spotlight the week’s most compelling releases. They explore Sylvan Esso’s adventurous electropop, Ezra Collective’s joyful jazz fusion, This Is Lorelei’s genre-hopping hooks, The Tubs’ bright jangle rock, and Haruomi Hosono’s warm pop. A lightning round covers Funkadelic, Locust, Standing On The Corner, Scottish folk-infused drones, and Appalachian punk-country.
7 snips
Sep 9, 2026 • 31min
Alt.Latino: Brazil and Colombia on our minds
A vibrant journey through Brazil, Colombia, Chile and beyond. Hear Maglore’s Tropicália-inspired pop, Indus’s electronic take on Colombian folklore, and Candelabro’s politically charged indie rock. Araña builds an imaginary South American folklore from diverse traditions, while Lucas Becerra sends love into space and Luca de Dios turns heartbreak into luminous Spanish-language songwriting.
10 snips
Sep 8, 2026 • 48min
More cover songs that are better than the originals
NPR Music editors and journalists Lars Gotrich and Dora Levite return with a lively tour of covers that rival the originals. They spotlight Janis Joplin, Dolly Parton’s trio with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, Tricky, Phoebe Bridgers, Cassandra Wilson, Marcia Griffiths, and more. Expect reggae Beatles, trip-hop protest songs, unexpected pop transformations, and plenty of spirited opinions.
18 snips
Sep 4, 2026 • 44min
New Music Friday: The best albums out Sept. 4
Nastia Voynovskaya, a KQED arts reporter and DJ; Julie Bee, a Marfa Public Radio champion of underground rock; and DeShun Nance, WJSU’s electronic and jazz specialist, spotlight September 4’s standout albums. They explore Rebecca Black’s club-pop reinvention, Paris Paloma’s mythic chamber pop, Sharp Pins’ lo-fi mod revival, 1-800’s power-pop exuberance, and Button Masher’s video-game jazz. A lightning round spans vulnerable, furious, and fantastical new music.
6 snips
Sep 2, 2026 • 30min
Alt.Latino: Guadalajara loves metal?
Rosalía’s visually explosive live show sparks comparisons with blues legends. New music spans Cultura Profética’s reggae collaborations, Claudia Acuña’s Chilean jazz and soul, Mari Froes’ genre-crossing samba, and tender Brazilian indie pop from Raquel Dimantas. The biggest surprise comes from Guadalajara’s Ladrones, who fuse corridos tumbados with heavy metal.
17 snips
Sep 1, 2026 • 45min
Dahi, Kendrick and Amber Mark, Dominic Fike, more
Sheldon Pearce, an NPR Music writer and cultural critic, joins a tour of standout new tracks. They explore Dahi’s debut, “African Radiohead” sound and his collaboration with Kendrick Lamar and Amber Mark, plus Dominic Fike’s dark, propulsive rock and Jorja Smith’s dancefloor reinvention. OHMA’s cosmic jazz, Emily A. Sprague’s 8-bit atmospheres and a gentle neo-soul closer round out the picks.
12 snips
Aug 28, 2026 • 41min
New Music Friday: The best albums out Aug. 28
Sean Carolan, radio host and music programmer at WBJB, shares sharp picks from a crowded release week. Conversations jump from Mastodon’s heavy return to Mike D’s electronic explorations. They highlight Alabama Shakes’ soulful restraint, Interpol’s atmospheric edge, and The Linda Lindas’ anthemic pop-punk energy.
