Heavy Rotation: 10 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing

Public radio stations across the U.S. have a finger on the pulse when it comes to local music. They know their homegrown music scenes intimately and aren't shy about championing the artists that emerge from their communities. That's the reason NPR Music turned to them this spring when we launched our cross-country Tiny Desk Contest tour celebrating local bands and artists — and that's part of why, every month, we ask a panel of public-radio music curators to share one new song they can't stop playing.

These selections don't have to be local music, but that's often the way it works out. After all, who better to turn us on to Austin punk band A Giant Dog than a KUTX DJ, or to play us a new track by Chicago rapper Vic Mensa than a WBEZ host? Hear those songs below, along with new music by Ryley Walker, Michael Kiwanuka, Sarah Jarosz and more.