Music & Culture

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 Argentine 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"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler, with editorial support from Hazel Cills. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

The Roots bandleader says hearing The Sugarhill Gang's 1980 hit felt like a paradigm shift: "Suddenly they start talking in rhythmic poetry and we didn't know what to make of it."

Hear Sunny War perform at the 30A Songwriters Festival.

Actor, comedian and music superfan Jason Mantzoukas joins us to update our running list of the year's best songs, with lots of crate-digging curiosities. With host Robin Hilton and NPR Music's Lars Gotrich.

Featured artists and songs:
1. Dancer: "Bluetooth Hell," from '10 Songs I Hate About You'
2. The Superwomen: "Lowlands," from 'Someone Like Me'
3. Oluko Imo: "Glory of Om," from 'Glory of Om'
4. Mekit Dolan Muqam Group: "Jula Muqam" from 'Bayawan'
5. The Short Dark Strangers & The Shady M************: "We're Not Animals," from The Short Dark Strangers & The Shady M************
6. Morgul Blade: "Heavy Metal Wraiths," from 'Heavy Metal Wraiths'

Also Noted:
- Mary Lattimore * Walt McClements: "Nest of Earrings," from 'Rain on the Road'
- Somesurprises: "Be Reasonable," from 'Perseids'
- Mohammad Syfkhan: "Do You Have a Lover or Not?" from 'I Am Kurdish'

This is the time of year when so many students graduate. Whether it's graduation episodes of our favorite TV series, high school songs, or movies about the last wild night of high school, we're revisiting our episode about the best moments about graduation in pop culture.

Musician Sturgill Simpson says he's releasing a new album under a new name: "Johnny Blue Skies." We look — and listen — to some of music's other notable alter egos, such as Ziggy Stardust.