Music & Culture

Colin Meloy writes novels in the forms of songs. His band The Decemberists returns with their ninth studio album, As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again.

Born without sight, Davis uses their mastery of sound to bring their inner turmoil, and joy, to life on their new album.

This week, NPR Music's Daoud Tyler-Ameen and Ann Powers steer the New Music Friday podcast straight into the oncoming Father's Day weekend, following the lead of country superstar Luke Combs, whose new album Fathers & Sons is a heartfelt meditation on what it means to fill both of those roles. It's Combs' first album since his cover of Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" landed him on the pop charts last year.

Also this week: Raveena, whose won over many fans at NPR Music with her 2022 album Asha's Awakening, excavates the sounds of millennial pop and R&B on Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain and a long-celebrated 1974 bootleg of Paul McCartney and Wings playing live in the studio gets an official release.

Featured Albums:
• Luke Combs, 'Fathers & Sons'
• Raveena, 'Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain'
• Paul McCartney & Wings, 'One Hand Clapping'

Other notable albums out June 14:
• The Decemberists, 'As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again'
• Normani, 'Dopamine'
• PJ Morton, 'Cape Town to Cairo'
• This is Lorelei, 'Box for Buddy, Box for Star'
• Jess Cornelius, 'Care/Taking'
• Sadler Vaden, 'Dad Rock'
• Don Tolliver, 'Hardstone Psycho'
• Hermanos Gutiérrez, 'Sonido Cósmico'
• Sam Morton, 'Daffodils & Dirt'
• John Cale, 'POPtical Illusion'
• Isobel Campbell, 'Bow to Love'
• John Grant, 'The Art of the Lie'
• Lalah Hathaway, 'VANTABLACK'
• Moby, 'always centered at night'
• Zsela, 'Big For You'

The Philadelphia multi-instrumentalist explores loss and surviving grief on her latest solo album.

David Lynch doesn't do a lot of interviews. The Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive creator usually just lets his work speak for itself. But he was excited to talk to Rachel about his new album coming out this summer, Cellophane Memories. And he also was game to dive into his love for transcendental meditation, a fateful childhood psychosomatic illness and a memorable encounter with a Buddha statue.

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For a seventh straight week, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department rules the Billboard 200. On the singles chart, Eminem references both the Steve Miller Band and his own past glory.

To mark the halfway point of 2024, Felix Contreras, Anamaria Sayre and NPR Culture Desk producer Isabella Gomez Sarmiento run down their favorite releases of the year so far, from a career-defining release from Nathy Peluso, a leveling up from Argentina rapper Trueno, introspective jazz from Melissa Aldana and so much more.
Songs featured in this episode:

•Trueno, "Tranky Funky"
•Kali Uchis, "Dame Beso //Muévete"
•Lau Noah ft. Gaby Moreno, "Aunque Suene Bonito"
•Carlos Ares, "Amigo"
•Angelica Garcia, "Gemini"
•Melissa Aldana, "I Know You Know"
•Nathy Peluso, "Legendario"
•Reyna Tropical, "Cartagena"
•Daymé Arocena (feat. Vicente García), "A Fuego Lento"
•Akapellah (feat. Al2 El Aldeano, Faker), "Ni Con Money"
•The Marias, "Run Your Mouth"
•Grupo Frontera, "Me Hizo Un Favor"
•Alvaro Diaz, Feid, "Gatitas Sandungueras Vol. 1"