Corin Tucker, Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss seem poised to carry the weight of the world, or at least get inside the person holding one of the backbreaking pieces.
Gangsta rap had been known as aggressive, rebellious and political, but the Geto Boys' 1991 hit made it something new: vulnerable. Hip-hop's relationship with mental health has never been the same.
To make his latest album, Omoiyari, the Japanese-American artist decided to turn to the past. He visited Japanese internment camps and made music inspired by the stories he found there.
This week's All Songs Considered features a gorgeous, solo piano instrumental from Rhye, Tiny Desk contest winner Quinn Christopherson's unique look at male privilege, psych-pop via Ari Roar and more.
Hailing from New Orleans with a love of sticky, bass-bumping funk, Lucky brought along a 10-person band, including a quartet of horns, to capture the full flavor of his debut album Painted.
A solo piano version of "It's Too Late" and a full-band take on "You've Been Around Too Long" were just two of the songs she performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival more than 40 years ago.
In their recent releases, Nick Lowe (along with Los Straitjackets) and Wreckless Eric have created new music that connects to old music without maudlin nostalgia or huffy defensiveness.