Introducing #NowPlaying: Today’s Essential Songs

Plus, a Tiny Desk (home) concert by Lucy Dacus. [View this email online]( [NPR Music]( by Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna [NPR Music's #NowPlaying]( NPR “What are you listening to these days?” It’s a question that we get asked constantly here at NPR Music. And even though Bob Boilen shares new tracks on the Tuesday episode of All Songs Considered and Robin Hilton shares the week’s biggest releases every week on New Music Friday, there’s a lot that happens in between. How’s a music fan to keep up with the deluge of music that drops daily? Consider #NowPlaying your guide to today’s essential songs. The blog, updated daily, features picks from our team, plus friends at member stations and NPR Music contributors. Looking for the best in metal, experimental and niche Bandcamp subgenres? Check out all the [Viking’s Choice selections](. Or if you’re curious what the Alt.Latino team has been listening to lately, you can sort to see [their #NowPlaying picks](. And if you want to hear what our member stations have been spinning, we’ve got you covered: You can start with some selections [from WBGO]( and [WXPN’s World Cafe](. Or just [scroll through it all]( and find your new favorite song. On repeat, Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- New Music - [This week’s episode of All Songs Considered]( opens with the improbable story of Sparks — aka musicians Ron and Russell Mael, who have been making music for more than 50 years and are finally getting the attention they deserve. Plus, new music by Courtney Barnett, Ben Gibbard and more. - The [Grammy-winning Attacca Quartet]( made its reputation with an eclectic musical palette. The group’s latest project, Real Life, features adaptations of electronic dance music by Flying Lotus, Daedelus and Louis Cole, among others. - From Willow Smith’s impressive pop-punk turn to a stirring posthumous release from Alice Coltrane to John Mayer’s surprisingly good and oh-so-'80s album Sob Rock, it’s a great week for new releases. [Hear about all these and more]( on New Music Friday from All Songs Considered. --------------------------------------------------------------- Featuring - A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has [cleared Britney Spears to hire her own lawyer]( in the long drawn-out battle over her conservatorship. - Whether you’re ready to get out or need a slower reentry to everyday life, [our newest roséwave playlist, Stay or Go?]( featuring selections from our very own DJ Cuzzin B, aka Tiny Desk producer Bobby Carter, is here to help you through the summer no matter your decision. - Cubans are taking to the streets in unprecedented protests and voicing their outrage through a viral hip-hop song “[Patria y Vida]( or homeland and life, a spin on the communist regime’s decades-old slogan of “patria o muerte,” or homeland or death. - From West Virginia Public Broadcasting: Funded by $5 admission and $1 hot dogs, carpenter Dusty Anderson brings music to his hometown with the ultimate DIY venue, [Jerry Run Summer Theater in Cleveland, W.Va](. - This week, [our friends at member station KUTX]( shared a video of Cautious Clay performing three songs from his album Deadpan Love. - Ted Gioia’s The History of Jazz is an ambitious survey of the genre that was almost immediately recognized as [among the most authoritative and thorough books of its kind]( when it was first published in 1997. It was updated for the first time in 2011, and again this year, after a very important decade for the genre. Gioia spoke to NPR Music contributor Natalie Weiner about why he updated the book now, and what he's learned about jazz in the 24 years since he first published his exhaustive history. --------------------------------------------------------------- Tiny Desk [Lucy Dacus plays a Tiny Desk (home) concert]( NPR Lucy Dacus has already performed two Tiny Desk concerts – one with boygenius, one in support of 2016’s No Burden – but for her (home) concert, she [returns to her alma mater in Richmond, Va]( Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School, to plays songs from her latest album, Home Video. Also this week: Jack Antonoff [gave us a sneak preview]( of his forthcoming Bleachers’ record, Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night, from a sun-drenched spot outside Electric Lady Studios, where the album was made. --------------------------------------------------------------- One More Thing Gyms in Seoul are no longer allowed to play music faster than [120 beats per minute]( the speed of “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [nprmusic@npr.org](mailto:nprmusic@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Books, Pop Culture, Health and more! Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on [Spotify]( and [Apple Music]( You received this message because you're subscribed to NPR Music emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]