Music and Culture

Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images When we reach for songs to slow the blood, we find a lot of recurring themes. It’s not just calming washes of amorphous, ambient tones. These are songs with something your brain can hold on to, with reflections on gratitude and kindness that remind us to hit pause and take notice of […]

The Cure and Robert Smith are back with a new album this week, ominously titled Songs for a Lost World. Courtesy of the artist hide caption toggle caption Courtesy of the artist The Cure and Robert Smith are back with a new album this week, ominously titled Songs for a Lost World. Courtesy of the […]

Laura Marling’s new album, Patterns in Repeat, is out today. Courtesy of Partisan Records hide caption toggle caption Courtesy of Partisan Records Laura Marling’s new album, Patterns in Repeat, is out today. Courtesy of Partisan Records NPR Music’s Ann Powers and Hazel Cills are your guides to the week’s most compelling new releases. This week, […]

Sam Phillips’ 20th anniversary edition of A Boot And A Shoe includes “I Wanted To Be Alone,” one of the tracks we can’t stop playing this week. Rocky Schenck/Courtesy of the artist hide caption toggle caption Rocky Schenck/Courtesy of the artist If you live in a city, chances are you’ve daydreamed at some point about […]

Joy Oladokun’s Observations From a Crowded Room is among the best albums out Oct. 11. Rachel Deeb/Courtesy of the artist hide caption toggle caption Rachel Deeb/Courtesy of the artist Joy Oladokun’s Observations From a Crowded Room is among the best albums out Oct. 11. Rachel Deeb/Courtesy of the artist NPR Music’s Ann Powers and Sheldon […]

Jack Nicholson in a memorable moment from The Shining. The 1980 film’s original music, by Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind, is among our picks for the most terrifying scores of all time. All Star Picture Library / Alamy/Warner Bros. hide caption toggle caption All Star Picture Library / Alamy/Warner Bros. With spooky season finally here, […]

Jelly Roll’s new album, Beautifully Broken, is out today. Courtesy of the artist hide caption toggle caption Courtesy of the artist Jelly Roll’s new album, Beautifully Broken, is out today. Courtesy of the artist The rapper-turned-country star Jelly Roll, who has had a major breakthrough in Nashville in the last couple of years, leads the […]

Beabadoobee’s “California,” from her album This is How Tomorrow Moves, is one of the tracks we can’t stop playing this week. Jules Moskovtchenko/Courtesy of the artist hide caption toggle caption Jules Moskovtchenko/Courtesy of the artist Every other week we update our running list of the songs we can’t stop playing — tracks we love so […]

Get ready for a high-octane sonic experience as Bermuda’s boundary-pushing DJ/producer Noise Cans teams up with Dutch powerhouse duo Firebeatz to deliver their electrifying new single, “Selecta,” out NOW. Blending their distinct styles, this track is set to ignite dance floors and festival stages worldwide. “Selecta” brings together Noise Cans’ signature Caribbean-infused sound and Firebeatz’s […]

In what is easily his biggest release of the year, rising producer and vocalist Sean Comma delivers an emotional surge with his love-infused single, “MDMA.” As you’ll hear below, the track offers a captivating blend of dance music elements and modern rap influences, with Sean delivering crisp vocals over an intoxicating, polished instrumental. Reflecting on […]