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How do we reinvent ourselves?

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I'm a new Zomorodi each week on NPRs Ted radio hour.

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We go on a journey with Ted speakers to seek a deeper understanding of the world and to figure out new ways to think and create, listen now From

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NPR music and all songs considered I'm Robin Hilton.

0:42

I'm here with contributor Mina tavakoli.

0:43

Hey Amina. Hi Robin.

0:45

How are you doing It's new music Friday, our last episode of the year.

0:49

And we're taking a quick look at the best albums out now on November 26th, starting with the soundtrack of Paul Thomas Anderson was highly, highly anticipated, new film licorice pizza.

0:59

This is the doors performing their song.

2:03

Peace frog. Just one of the cuts on this new soundtrack for licorice pizza.

2:06

The new film from Paul Thomas Anderson and Mina.

2:10

We don't do a lot of soundtracks like this on the show, but you know, music has always played such a big role in PT Anderson's films.

2:18

You think of something like his epic movie Magnolia, which was largely based on the songs of Amy man, what's he doing with this latest project?

2:25

Licorice pizza? Yeah, you're totally right.

2:27

This Anderson guy, you know, it's really clear that he likes music, you know, for as long as he's been directing feature films, he's also done music videos.

2:34

He's done stuff for Radiohead, Fiona, apple, Amy Mann, Joanna Newsome.

2:39

Higham this movie as mad California and something like a period piece taking place in 73 in the San Fernando valley.

2:48

And it unfolds into this charming frothy coming of age means love story between two charming frothy people who are just trying to do some growing up parallel to, and with one another, the soundtrack didn't need to go this hard for something already.

3:03

So rich, but it's a key player in this film.

3:05

You know, Music in his films often becomes a character in and of itself.

3:09

What's the song selection like on this record?

3:12

Yeah, Not to sound windy, but I think Anderson something like a, like a cultural archeologist, if not just a really good curator.

3:20

So he's acutely sensitive to the tensions that are at play when it comes to matching motion with noise.

3:27

This movie is definitely in the music as character camp.

3:30

It scenes are like stained with music they're mixed super high so that you can really relish the fact that you're listening to, you know, Suzi, Quatro, and then you'll go to Nina Simone, you'll get a glorious wings.

3:42

And Paul McCartney cut and each one sort of like a, a jab in the thigh when they're played against the story that unfolds.

3:48

I'm like a door's hater, but when Anderson puts piece frog against scenes as beautiful, I feel like they're, these tracks are reframed for me.

3:57

He's asking me to reconsider. And it's a soundtrack that's so effective and really reconstructing the delicious feeling of, of light brain damage you feel when you're newly in love.

4:09

Yeah. I feel that to you. I mean, and I hear you on the doors.

4:11

I love the doors, but he has this gift for getting me to listen to and love music that I might not listen to in any other context.

4:18

And in addition to all the tunes by other artists, there is this one important track written specifically for the film.

4:25

It's the title track for the film and it's by Johnny Greenwood.

4:58

Yeah, I think Anderson loves Greenwood's like aesthetic compass is sensibility.

5:03

That seems to happen with people with, with our tours or just built for each other, like cosmically and artistically Greenwood did a gorgeous, full score for the 2014 movie Phantom thread, but where that one was much darker and more melodramatic to match the mood of that beautiful freaky movie.

5:23

This piece is plucky brighter, warmer.

5:27

Well, I used to buy a lot of soundtracks like this back in the day, because it was just such a great way to discover music that I didn't know or that I'd forgotten about.

5:36

And it's like, just this instant mix tape, like you don't want that a friend would make for you.

5:41

And I feel that even still now with a record like this, like the soundtrack to licorice pizza, that it's a reminder that this is still an important art form.

5:51

It is. Yeah. It's probably not a novel thought here, but I think it's so cool to listen to soundtracks as like total and distinct works of art.

5:58

I think it's because when you divorce or separate a score from the screen, they take on new life when they're soundtracking yours.

6:06

Yeah, For sure. And that's the soundtrack for licorice pizza, a film that is out in some cities today.

6:13

It's out everywhere on Christmas day.

6:14

Thanks so much, Nina. Thanks so much, Robin.

6:17

I'll write another release out now on November 26th, that we're loving comes from El Michael's affair.

6:23

It's called abominable This is Al Michaels affair from their new EAP abominable.

7:25

The song we're hearing from it as John, Sean, and radio.

7:28

Milwaukee's Tariq moody here for this one. Hey tree, Hey Robin, how You

7:31

doing? All right. L Michael's affairs had a really busy year.

7:35

They released the album Yeti season back in March.

7:37

They had a remix project with Liam Bailey that just dropped in August.

7:41

What are they doing on this release?

7:44

You should call it a companion piece to the album.

7:47

Yeti seasoned collection of unreleased tracks, alternate takes and instrumentals from that recording session.

7:53

But for those who are not familiar with, oh, Michael's affair, the group is founded by Leon Marcus Michaels, who is just been everywhere.

8:01

He's a founder of two labels, truth and soul records and big crown records, founding members of Sharon Jones and dab Kings and Menahan street band and Lee fields and expressions.

8:12

He's played with Charles badly, as well as Wu Tang clan collaborate Dan our back and to remember the black keys and produced for artists like Chicano, Batman and Ani Elka team.

8:22

That's insane. He's a force to be reckoned with.

8:24

And unlike this new EAP is like my type of holiday music.

8:28

I'm not a fan of like traditional holiday music.

8:30

This puts me in the holiday spirit.

8:32

I love the vibe.

8:33

It gives off of like spaghetti westerns with a little bit of this Turkish funk and a little bit of a Bollywood vibes that I truly love and how he blends it all together.

8:43

And Like mariachi horns.

8:46

Yes. Yes. I just love how he uses instrumentation to create a, just puts you in a different mindset.

8:54

There are moments that kind of reminded me of Krung Ben, you know, the grooves are kind of, they're kind of Sly

8:59

and soul tree and they, they kind of slither around.

9:03

Yes. You could tell he was just having a lot of fun. Yeah.

9:05

I would just love to being a fly on the wall during that recording session.

9:08

Yeah. Well, it is a nice little tree from L Michael's affair.

9:11

Their new EAP is called abominable.

9:13

Thanks so much to wreak.

9:16

Thank you, Robyn. Hope you have a great holiday.

9:18

You too. We've got a shorter show for you this week.

9:21

Not a ton of albums dropping the day after Thanksgiving, but we do have a few more releases that we want to play for you right after this short Break,

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Visit better help.com/songs to get 10% off your first month, get the help you deserve with better help Support

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for this podcast. And the following message come from.

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10:28

It's new music Friday from NPR and all songs considered I'm Robin Hilton, and we're doing a quick rundown of the best albums out.

10:34

Now on November 26th, we start the second half of the show off with Julie Doiron.

10:40

Her new album is called. I thought of you It's

10:44

done to sleep. don't call me beautiful.

11:13

to sleep, to sleep.

11:49

This is Julie. the singer, Julie Doiron.

11:52

I thought of you as the name of her album.

11:54

The song from it is canceled the party and in music's Lars got trich returns for one last spin in the new music, Friday chair, a large, Hey,

12:03

I'm glad to be here at the end of the world here with, Yeah,

12:07

I wouldn't spend it any other way.

12:09

So Bob Boyle and played another great cut from this Julie Doiron album on the Tuesday episode of all songs considered just a couple of weeks ago, but we love the album so much.

12:19

We wanted to share a bit more from it.

12:21

Tell me what it is that you're loving about.

12:23

I thought of you, It

12:25

sounds like it. And she, she set this on the episode with Bob Boyle and that she wrote these songs at the spur of the moment and went into the studio at the spur of the moment.

12:33

It wasn't a ragtag pickup band and the whole record has that kind of feel it's really loose and ramshackle, but her voice is the guide in light of these songs about turning a corner.

12:47

But a lot of times songs about turning a corner are when you see that stuff in their rear view.

12:52

But this, this album, all the songs are very specifically about you and me.

12:58

It's like she's saying it to directly to one person.

13:01

And she is saying, we are turning this corner right now.

13:06

We are doing it together, right. Some of this sucks, but we are getting to a place.

13:11

And that's the kind of thing that I've kept upon this record that's really hit me.

13:16

Yeah. Yeah. It feels like you're just spending time with her, right?

13:18

Like hanging in her living room or maybe taking a walk around the city while she unwinds all of these stories and reflections.

13:26

I like this sort of beautiful urgency in the music.

13:31

It's like, they, they have so much momentum.

13:33

They just keep pushing and pushing, not super aggressively, but just persevering, which feels like it mirrors some of the themes on this record.

13:42

Like you say, finding your way back home and how you got to keep moving.

13:47

And it's easy to dip out and not pay attention to the worst and just rock along to the group.

13:51

Because I don't know there weren't many rock albums like this year, like this, this year, you know, and that's kind of the thing that I miss.

13:58

And I, it feels like a little Neil young and crazy horsey, which is exactly my lane.

14:04

And Julie is a really great guitarist.

14:06

I don't think she gets enough. Do as a guitarist.

14:10

Yeah. Some great guitar noise. And to be fair, she drops a lot of handclaps across the record, which is, you know, musical catnip for me.

14:19

Yeah. Add the handclaps stirred up a little bit.

14:21

Instant hit Julie Doiron is the artist.

14:25

Her new record is I thought of you in large.

14:28

Let's do one more before I let you go.

14:29

For 2021 is from the veteran metal band Sinek.

14:33

Their new one out today is called Ascension codes.

14:36

This is the band Sinek, their new album, Ascension codes.

15:45

This cover hearing from it is mythical serpents.

15:49

Ours. These guys have been together since the late eighties, more than 30 years, but this is just their fourth full length album.

15:55

And their first in seven years, Well,

15:57

this album comes out of, out of some tragedy.

16:00

The band kind of broke up a number of years ago after their last album, after some internal drama where people left the band, people came back and it got really messy, but in 2020 that drummer Sean Reinert and the bassist, Sean Malone both died quite suddenly.

16:19

And it just sends a shockwave through the metal community last year, in addition to everything else that was going on last year and Paul MOSFET doll, who's the sole remaining original member.

16:33

And instead of trying to replace two extremely important voices to this band, he has decided to reshape CENIC.

16:44

So he brought in the keyboardist and synth player, Dave McKay and the tremor Matt Lynch, and they bring different tools to Sinek.

16:55

So Sinek, they are highly regarded as pushing metal forward in thinking more about fusion and jazz influence within battle and breaking out the space, but also still being very technical and brutal at the same time.

17:09

And in fact, Paul MOSFET all once told me that, but he makes his Rothko metal like the painter mark Rothko.

17:16

So it's very deconstructed, very complex, very layered.

17:20

But there's this a morphous blob that you can attach yourself to, you know?

17:25

Yeah. But essentially it codes feels more impressionistic to me.

17:28

This is a whole album experience.

17:30

It's something that you sit in. It's less of a slice of a headbanger.

17:34

Yeah, Yeah. They have all these lovely little, I would call a meditative moments on the album.

17:40

These are mostly instrumental interludes between the bigger tracks and they all have this kind of a coded name or these coded names.

17:48

This one that I want to play a bit of, it's called a dash V a 4 32.

18:09

I like that too. How it's like everything seems to be connected and that's, and that's kind of like a theme of this record.

18:15

Even the album artwork itself, you have to take a look at it.

18:20

It's gorgeous. It's like this huge organic alien ship body that just kind of like, you can just see those tentacles reaching across the universe.

18:30

And that's kind of what this feels like to Cynic

18:34

is the band. Their new album is called Ascension codes.

18:37

Thanks so much, Lars.

18:39

Thanks Robyn. As

18:41

I said, this is a shorter show this week. It's also our last new music Friday of the year, December will be filled with all of our best of the year coverage, but there are a few releases that are coming out next week on December 3rd that I want to flag for you starting with Arcus kick two and kick three.

18:56

These are both out on December 3rd.

18:58

They're sequels to the album. Kick one that ARCA released last year.

19:03

The singer known as LP LP has a new album out next week called churches and the DC band beauty pill has a new EPE out on the third called instant night.

19:13

Look for those releases at the top of December for this week, we've got one more album out now, November 26 that we want to play from the producer spectacular diagnostics.

19:21

It's called ancient methods.

19:25

I stepped from the Tod is onto a blue planet all around the ground was ravaged.

19:30

No vegetation banks, folks working here.

19:48

I'm a mega brain everywhere.

19:55

This

20:10

is spectacular diagnostics.

20:11

The album is ancient methods.

20:14

This covered hearing from it is called the wall and WX peons.

20:17

John Morrison here for this one. Hey John, Hey, what's up Robin spectacular diagnostics is a producer from Chicago and man, he is chopped together.

20:25

Just this really super cool mix of samples and beats on this album.

20:29

And you can tell he did a lot of deep crate digging.

20:32

Yeah, this, this album, ancient methods, very dope, instrumental hip hop record.

20:37

It seems like he's, he's clearly pulling a lot of inspiration from film with all of these like weird and dramatic science fiction samples.

20:48

It reminds you of like a old B movie, how the whole thing plays out.

20:53

And it's a really interesting enveloping Sonic environment that he's created here.

21:00

The music hits and it's funky and it has like a heavy drum breaks and everything.

21:05

And it's cool sounding, but it's also strange and a bizarre trip that he's taken us on.

21:12

Retro Spotify is a theme that plays out throughout the record, and these are the kinds of movies that would play late at night on TV when I was growing up.

21:20

And it kind of took me back to that late night Headspace in a really nice way.

21:24

But I mean, I don't want to read too much into this, but it felt to me like he's not just spilling and whipping together a bunch of sounds that like he's really working on a, a unified statement thematically.

21:37

Yeah. Instrumental hip hop as a form is interesting on a lot of levels or for a lot of reasons because you can have some producers just drop a beat tape and it's just ideas and it's just dope and there's not too much to be read into it, but then you also have the flip side where you have records like this, where everything is intentional, it's tied together, beautifully.

22:01

It plays out in its own weird way.

22:04

And it's really this unique world that he's building up through beats and samples and that sort of thing.

22:10

Yep. I felt very much like a reflection on the mystery of our own existence.

22:13

Kind of how small that wondrous we are.

22:17

And a little bit about how we're so caught up in the minutia of daily living that we can't see how small and wondrous we are, you know?

22:25

Yeah. That definitely at moments got that feeling of grand jury, but also like just the strangeness of all of this stuff.

22:35

This whole thing is, is fantastic.

22:38

Spectacular diagnostics is the artist and ancient methods is the new album.

22:42

Thanks so much, John, Thank

22:45

you Robin. And that'll do it for new music Friday 2021.

22:48

As I said, not a ton of releases come out in December and all of our coverage for the rest of the next few weeks.

22:54

We'll look back at the past year in music, the best albums and songs, and more to keep up with all of our coverage, including tiny desks and other features, sign up for our weekly newsletter at npr.org/music newsletter.

23:07

And if you want to hear full versions of the songs we featured on this week show along with a bunch of singles that came out this week, look for NPRs new music, Friday playlist and apple music, Spotify, and on our website at npr.org/all songs and foreign peer music and all songs considered I'm Robin Hilton.

23:26

I hope you have a great weekend be well and treat yourself to lots of music.

23:33

I'm an astronaut. I was sent here on a rescue mission in front of fellow astronauts time to.

23:48

This message comes from our 2021 lead sponsor of NPR music, state, farm to celebrate their surprisingly great message comes from our twenty twenty one lead sponsor of NPR MusicPodcasts Farm. To celebrate their surprisingly great rates. State farm invites you to discover the surprisingly great John rhe State Farm invites you to discover the surprisingly great genre, Volk. Trannika a genre bending mashup of folk and a genre bending mash up of Folkpin electronica. That'll leave your ears and off like a good neighbor, state farm is that'll leave your ears and off. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. How do we reinvent ourselves? And what's the secret to living longer. I'm minutiae on Marodi. Each week on NPR's Ted Radio Hour, we go on a journey with Ted Speakers to seek a deeper understanding of the world and to figure out new ways to think and create. Listen now. From in fair music and all songs considered, I'm Robin Hilton. I'm here with contributor MENA Tabakoli. Hey MENA. Hi, Robin. How are you doing? It's new music Friday, our last episode of the new music Friday, our last episode of the year, and we're taking a quick look at the best albums out now on November twenty sixth. Starting with the soundtrack to Paul Thomas Anderson's highly highly anticipated new film, liquorice pizza. Do my need. This is the Doiron performing their song Peacefrog just one of the cuts on this new soundtrack for liquorice pizza, the new film from Paul Thomas Anderson. And, you know, we don't do a lot of soundtracks like this on the show, but You know, music has always played such a big role in PT Anderson's films. You think of something like his epic movie, Magnolia, which was largely based on the songs of Amy Mann, What's he doing with this latest project, licorice pizza? Yeah. You're totally right. This Anderson guy, you know, it's really clear that he likes music. You know, for as long as he's been directing feature films, he's also done music videos, he's done stuff for radiohead, fionna Apple, Amy Mann, doing a new son, Cham, This movie is Mad Californian and something like a period piece taking place in seventy three in the San Fernando Valley. And it unfolds into this charming, frothy, coming of age meets love story between two charming, frothy people. We're just trying to do some growing up parallel to and with one another. The soundtrack didn't need to go this hard for something already so rich but it's a key player in this film, you know. Yeah. The music in his films often becomes a character in and of itself. What's the song selection like on this record? Yeah, Yeah. Not to sound windy, but I think Anderson's something like a like a cultural archaeologist, if not just a really good curator. So he's acutely sensitive to the tensions that are at play when it comes to matching motion with noise. This movie is definitely in the music as character camp. It scenes are like stained with music. They're mixed super high so that you can really relish the fact that you're listening to, you know, Susie Quatro, and then you'll go to Nina Simone. You'll get a glorious wings in Paul McCartney Cut. And each one's sort of like a a jab in the thigh when they're played against the story that unfolds. I'm like a Doiron but when Anderson puts piece rock against scenes, it's beautiful. I feel like they're these tracks are reframed for me. He's asking me reconsider. And it's a soundtrack that's so effective in really reconstructing the delicious feeling of of light brain damage you feel when you're newly in love. Yeah. I feel that too. I mean, and I hear you on the doors. I love the doors, but he has this gift for getting me to listen to and love music that I might not listen to in any other context. And in addition to all the tunes by other artists, there is this one important track written specifically for the film. It's the title track. For the film and it's by Johnny Greenwood. Yeah. I think Anderson loves Greenwood's, like, aesthetic, compass and sensibility Cham seems to happen with people with with authors who are just built for each other -- Mhmm. -- like cosmically and artistically. Greenwood did a gorgeous full score for the twenty fourteen movie Phantom Thread, but where that one was darker and and more melodramatic to match the mood of that beautiful freaky movie. This piece is plucky, brighter, warmer. Well, I used to buy a lot of soundtrack like this back in the day because it was just such a great way to discover music that I didn't know or that I'd forgotten about, and it's like just this instant mix tape like, you know, one that a friend would make for you. And I feel that even still now with a record like this, like the soundtrack to licorice pizza Cham It's reminder that this is still an important art form. It is. Yeah. It's probably not a novel thought here, but I think it's so cool to listen to Soundtracks as, like, total and distinct works of art. I think it's because when you divorce or separate a score from the screen, they take on new life when they're sidetracking yours. Yeah. For sure. And that's the soundtrack for licorice Pizza, a film that is out in some cities Today, it's out everywhere on Christmas day. Thanks so much, MENA. Thanks so much, Robin. I'll write another release out now on November twenty six that we're loving comes from l Michels affair. It's called abominable. This is L Michels affair from their new EP abominable. The song we're hearing from it is chong chong. And radio Milwaukee's Tarik Moody here for this one. Hey tree, Hey Robin, how Hey, Tarik. Hey, Robin. How are you doing? Alright. Now Michael's affairs had a really busy year. They released the album Yeti season back in They released the album YETI season back in March. They had a remix project with Liam Bailey that just dropped in August. What are they doing on this release? I used to call it a companion piece to the album YETI season collection unreleased tracks, alternate takes, and instrumentals. From that recording session. But for those who are not familiar with, oh, Michels Affair, the group is founded by Leon Marcus Michels, who is just He's been everywhere. He's the founder of 2 labels, truth and soul records, and big crown records, founding members of Sharon Jones and DAB Kings, and Middahan Street Band, and Lee feels and expressions. He's played with Charles Bradley as well as Wu Tang Cham, Collaborate Dan Hour back, and to remember the black keys and produced for artists like 2 Batman and Annie El Castillo. That's insane. He's a force to be reckoned with and unlike this new EP is like my type of holiday music. I'm not a fan of like traditional holiday I'm not a fan of like the digital holiday music. This puts me in a holiday spirit. I love the vibe it gives off of like spaghetti westerns -- Mhmm. -- with a little bit of this Turkish funk and a little bit of a bollywood vibes that I truly love and how we blend it all together. Yeah. And and like Mariachi horns. Yes. Yes. I just love how he uses instrumentation to create a just put you in different mindset. There were moments that kinda reminded me of Crung Ben. You know, the grooves are kinda they're kinda sly and sultry and they they kinda sliver around Yes. You can tell he was just having a lot of fun. Yeah. I would just love them in a fly on the wall during that recording session. Yeah. Well, it is nice little treat from L. Michels' affair. Their new EP is called abominable. Thanks so much, 2. wreak. Thank you, Robin. Hope you have great holiday. You You too. We've got a shorter show for you this week, not a ton of albums dropping the day after Thanksgiving, but we do have a few more releases that we wanna play for you right after this short break. This message comes from NPR sponsor. Better help. The online counseling service dedicated to connecting you with a licensed counselor to help you overcome whatever stands in the way of your The online counseling service dedicated to connecting you with a licensed counselor to help you overcome whatever stands in the way of your happiness. Fill out a questionnaire and get matched with a professional tailored to your Fill out a questionnaire and get mashed with a professional tailored to your needs. And if you aren't satisfied with your counselor, you can request a new one at any time free of And if you aren't satisfied with your counselor, you can request a new one at any time free of charge. Visit better help dot com slash songs to get ten percent off your first month. Get the help you deserve with better help. Support for this podcast and the following message come from. McDonald's proudly serving communities since 1965 from birthday parties to little league after game Hangouts, everyone's been to McDonald's proudly serving communities since nineteen sixty 5, from birthday parties to little league after game hangouts. Everyone's been to McDonald's. It's more than just a place to get tasty, affordable It's more than just a place to get tasty, affordable food. It's a place where friends and families from the community come together. And because the majority of restaurants are run by independent franchisees, McDonald's has deep roots in communities show support for your And because the majority of restaurants are run by independent franchisees, McDonald's has deep roots in communities. Show support for your community the next time you walk into local McDonald's. I'm loving it. Its new music Friday from NPR and all songs considered I'm Robin Hilton and we're doing quick rundown of the best albums out now on November twenty sixth, we start the second half of the show off with Julie Doiron. Doiron. Her new album is new album is called I thought of you. It's time to sleep now. My dream is calling me. Cancel about bugs. Forget the party. Don't go to discuss it. Can't be extrains. The dreams are coming. Don't call me beautiful. It's done 26 sleep. Don't call to discuss don't count me beautiful. The dream is It's time to sleep. It's time to sleep now. It's time to sleep now. This is Julie Doiron. The singer, Julie Doyron. I thought of you as the name of For Howland the song from it is canceled the Party4. And in concert music, Lars Gotrich returns for one last spin in the new music Friday chair. Hey, Lars. Hey, I'm glad to be here at the end of the world here with, Rob. I'm glad to be here at the end of the world here with you. I wouldn't spend it any other way. So Bob Boyland played another great cut from this Julie Joy Run album on the Tuesday episode of all songs considered just a couple of weeks ago, but we love the album so much. We wanted to share a bit more from it. Tell me what it is that you're loving about, I thought of you. It sounds like sounds like it. And she, she set this on the episode with Bob Boyle and that she wrote these songs at the spur of the moment and went into the studio at the spur of the and she she said this on the episode with Bob Boyle Cham she wrote these songs at the spur of the moment and went into the studio at burn the moment with a rag tag pickup band. And the whole record has that kind of feel. It's really loose and ramshackle, but her voice is the guiding light of these songs about turning a corner, but a lot of times, songs about turning a corner are when you see that stuff in their rearview. But this this Albums1, the songs are very specifically about you. I mean, it's like saying it to directly to one person, and she is saying, we are turning this corner right now we are doing it together. Right. Some of this sucks, but we are getting to a place. And that's the kind of thing that I've hit upon this record that's really hit me. Yeah. It feels like you're just spending time with her. Right? Like hanging in her living room or maybe taking walk around the city while she unwinds all of these stories and reflections. I like this sort of beautiful urgency in the music. It's like they they have so much momentum they just keep pushing and pushing and not super aggressively, but just persevering which feels like it mirrors some of the themes on this record. Like you say, finding your way back home and how you 2 keep moving. And it's easy to dip out and not pay attention the worse and just rock along to the groove because I don't know. There weren't many rock albums like this year -- Yeah. -- like this this year, you know. And that's it's kind of thing that I miss. And it it feels like a little nailing, crazy horsey. Which is exactly my lane. And Julie is a really great guitarist. I don't think she gets enough due as a guitarist. Yeah, some great guitar noise. And to be fair, she drops a lot of hand claps across the record, which is, you know, musical catnip for me. Yeah. Add the hand claps, stir it up a little bit, instant hit. Julie Doiron is the artist. Her new record is I thought of you. And Lars, let's do one more before let you go for twenty twenty one. It's from the veteran metal band cynic. Their new one out today is called Ascension Coats. This is the band cynic their new Albums1, codes. Cut we're hearing from it is mythical serpents. Lars, these guys have been together since the late eighties more than thirty years, but this is just their fourth full length album in their first in seven years. Well, this album comes out of a out of some tragedy. The band kind of broke up a number of years ago after their last Albums1, after some internal drama where people left the band, people came back and it got really messy. But in twenty twenty, the drummer Sean Reinert and the bassist Sean Malone both died. Quite suddenly. And it just sent a shockwave through the metal community last year. In addition to everything else, that was going on last year. And Paul Masfidal, who's the sole remaining original member, member. And instead of trying to replace two extremely important voices to this band, he has decided to reshape instead of trying to replace two extremely important voices to this band, he decided to reshape Cynic. So he brought in the keyboardist and Cynic Dave McKay, and the drummer, Matt Lynch. And they bring different tools to SYNNEX. So SYNNEX, they are highly regarded as pushing metal forward and thinking more about fusion and jazz influence within metal and breaking out the space, but also still being very technical and brutal at the same time. And in fact, Paul Masfidal once told me that what he makes is rothko metal like the painter, more rothko. So it's very deconstructed, very complex, very layered, but there's this amorphous blob that you can attach yourself 2. You know? Yeah. But Ascension Codes feels more impressionistic to me. This is a whole album experience. It's something that you sit something that you sit in. It's less of a it's less of head banger. Yeah. They have all these lovely little I would call them meditative moments on the album. These are mostly instrumental interludes between the bigger tracks, and they all have this kind of CodesFeatured or these coded names. This one that I want to play a bit of, it's called a dash V a 4 this one that I wanna play a bit of, it's called a dash VA4 thirty two. Oh, it's flats. I like that 2, how it's like everything seems to be connected. And that's and that's kind of like a theme of this record. Even the album artwork itself, you have to take a look at it. It's gorgeous. It's like this huge organic alien ship body Cham just kind of like you can just see those tentacles reaching across the universe. And that's kind of what this feels like too. Cynic is the band. Their new album is called Ascension Codes. Thanks so much, Lars. Thanks, Robin. As I said, this is a shorter show this week. It's also our last new music Friday of the year. December will be filled with all of our best of the year coverage, but there are a few releases that are coming out next week on December third that I wanna flag for you. Starting with Arcus kick two and kick three, these are both out on December third. They are sequels to the album kick one. That Aker released last year. The singer known as LP. LP has a new album out next week called churches and the DC band beauty pill has a new EP out on the third called Instant Night. Look for those releases. At the top of December for this week, we've got one more album out now in November twenty six that we wanna 2. From the producer's spectacular diagnostics, it's called ancient methods. I stepped from the tardis. Onto a bleak planet. All of our on the ground was ravaged. No vegetation. Thanks. Actually in fox riding through here. I can have been brought here. Welcome. Alright. I'm a MAGA brand. Gonna shed a stretch of support. Low hanging side. Same motion broke my heart. Broke the guy everywhere. Struck a fool on the wall. Unzip a crazy wall. K. But I said, where did they call me? No. Last with the way. Am I final call? I am every now. This is spectacular diagnostics. The album is ancient methods This cover hearing from it is called the Wall, and W XP ends John Morrison here for this one. Hey, John. Hey, what's up, Robin? Spectacular Diagnostics is a producer from Chicago, and man, he is shop together just this really super cool mix of samples and beats on this Albums1. yeah, you can tell he did a lot of deep crate digging. Yeah. This this album ancient methods, very dope, instrumental hip hop record. It seems like he's he's clearly pulling a lot of inspiration from film with all of these, like, weird and dramatic science fiction samples. It it reminds you of like a old b movie -- Mhmm. -- how the whole thing plays out and it's a really interesting, enveloping, sonic environment that he's created here the music hits and it's it's funky and Cham, like, heavy drum brakes and everything and it's it's cool sounding. But it's also strange and a bizarre trip that he's taken us on. Yeah. Retro sci fi is a theme that plays out throughout the record and these are the kinds of movies that would play late at night on TV when I was growing up, and it kinda took me back to that late night headspace in a really nice way. But I mean, I don't wanna read too much into this, but it felt to me like he's not just spilling and whipping together a bunch of sounds. Like, he's really working on a unified statement thematically. Yeah. Incremental hip hop as a form is interesting on a lot of levels or for a lot of reasons because you can have some producers just drop a b tape and it's just ideas, and it's just dope. There's not too much to be read into it. But then you also have the flip side where you have records like this where everything is intentional. It's tied together beautifully. It plays out in its own weird It plays out in its own weird way and it's really this unique world that he's building up. Through beats and samples and that sort of thing. Yeah. It felt very much like a a reflection on the mystery of our own existence. Kinda how small but wondrous we are and a little bit about how we're so caught up in the minutia of daily living that we can't see how small and wondrous we are. You know? Yeah. Cham definitely at moments got that feeling of grandeur, but also, like, just the the strangeness of all of this stuff. This whole thing is is fantastic. Spectacular diagnostics is the artist and ancient methods is the new album. Thanks so much, John. Yeah. Thank you, Robin. And that'll do it for new music Friday twenty twenty one. As I said, not a ton of releases come out December and all of our coverage for the rest of the next few weeks. We'll look back at the past year in music, the best albums and songs and more. To keep up with all of our coverage, including tiny desks and other features, sign up for our weekly newsletter at NPR dot org slash music newsletter. And if you wanna hear full versions of the songs we featured on this week show along with a bunch of singles that came out this week, look for NPR's new music Friday playlist and Apple Music Spotify, and on our website at NPR dot org slash all songs. And for NPR Music and All songs considered, I'm Robin Hill I hope you have a great weekend. Be well and treat yourself to lots of music. I'm an astronaut. I was sent here on a rescue mission in front of fellow astronauts time I was sent here on a rescue mission to find a fellow astronaut. Or from this planet, but from another time to. thousand years ago. I

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know. I will know sir. Let

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me see.