A super deluxe box set of The Beatles' legendary 1965 album Rubber Soul has just been released with brand new mixes, demos and outtakes that show The Beatles breaking up with the past, their fans and everything people knew and loved about the band. 

In this conversation with All Songs Considered host Robin Hilton, Giles Martin, the producer behind the new mixes and son of late Beatles producer George Martin, talks about why Rubber Soul was such a pivotal album for the band, how the music was changing, and why it sounds “reasonably bleak.”  Martin also explains how the AI tools he used to update the mixes work, how he preserved the original spirit of Rubber Soul and more.

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We get big and loud this week with a surprise drop from Phoebe Bridgers and her song “On Video,” from the Primetime soundtrack; the monstrously disjointed “Placeholder” from Gilla Band; widescreened shoegaze from the Danish artist Trentemøller and more.  

NPR Music’s Dora Levite joins host Robin Hilton as they share their picks for the best new songs out now.

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Featured artists and songs:
(00:00) Intro
(03:22) Phoebe Bridgers: “On Video”
(10:26) Gilla Band: “Placeholder”
(17:25) Trentemøller: “Swerve”
(23:31) Wednesday: “Carolina Murder Suicide (Avey Tare Remix)”
(30:29) serpentwithfeet: “sentinel”
(36:37) Lily Konigsberg: “Free Byrd”

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Our latest mix of the week’s best new songs swings from the shoegaze rock of rising LA band untitled (halo) to Bach’s “Air on the G String” performed by pianist Víkingur Ólafsson. We’ve also got singer Lizzy McAlpine’s breathtaking ode to her late father, the laid-back grooves of polymath Sen Morimoto, the extraordinary voice of Scottish singer Beth Taylor and more.

NPR Music’s Tom Huizenga joins host Robin Hilton.

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Featured artists and songs:

(00:00) Intro

(02:05) Sen Morimoto: “Chewing Gum”

(09:27) Víkingur Ólafsson: “Air on the G String” (Johann Sebastian Bach)

(16:56) Lizzy McAlpine: “The Crowd”

(25:51) Beth Taylor: “My Lagan Love”

(33:49) untitled (halo): “easy rider”

(41:58) inti figgis-vizueta: “Samara (Maple Seed) Mvmt. III - Find Roots”


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We’re back with another round of the best new songs out now, including the universe-splitting “Blister Sunrise” from M83, Shygirl’s bone-rattling and euphoric “Alyse,” subversive funk from Asher White and more.

NRP Music writer and editor Sheldon Pearce joins host Robin Hilton.

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Featured artists and songs:

(00:00) Intro

(02:02) M83: “Blister Sunrise”

(07:51) Shygirl: “Alyse”

(15:13) FKJ & Labrinth: “Little Little Voice”

(22:21) Renny Conti: “Leaving the Zoo”

(30:57) Asher White: “My Day at the Casino”

(38:36) Rachel Chinouriri: “Make Believe”


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We share more reimagined and reinterpreted songs that rival the originals, including Janis Joplin’s iconic take on Kris Kristofferson’s “Me and Bobby McGee,” a reggae version of The Beatles song “Don’t Let Me Down,” and more.

NPR Music’s Dora Levite and Lars Gotrich rejoin host Robin Hilton for another round.

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Featured artists and songs:

(00:00) Intro

(04:30) Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris: Neil Young’s “After the Gold Rush”

(09:31) Frodus: Devo’s “Explosions” 

(12:58) Janis Joplin: Kris Kristofferson’s “Me and Bobby McGee”

(17:12) Jai Paul: Jennifer Paige’s “Crush”

(22:26) Luther Vandross & Mariah Carey: Lionel Richie & Diana Ross's “Endless Love”

(27:40) Nico: Jackson Browne’s “These Days”

(32:34) Tricky: Public Enemy’s “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos”

(35:29) Cassandra Wilson: Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon”

(40:04) Phoebe Bridgers: The Cure’s “Friday I’m In Love”

(43:56) Marcia Griffiths: The Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down”


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After nearly two decades of producing works by other musicians, including Kendrick Lamar and Vampire Weekend, the artist known as Dahi has just released his debut solo album. He describes it as “African Radiohead,” with kaleidoscopic soundscapes, intricate polyrhythms and a breathtaking list of collaborators. We open this week’s show with the song “How to Pray,” featuring both Kendrick Lamar and singer Amber Mark.

Our other picks for the best new tracks of the week include Dominic Fike’s heady “Wallflower,” dancefloor beats from singer Jorja Smith, an 8-bit instrumental from composer Emily A. Sprague and more.

NPR Music writer and editor Sheldon Pearce joins host Robin Hilton.

Leave us a review on Apple or Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]

Featured artists and songs:
(00:00) Intro
(02:00) Dahi, Kenrick Lamar & Amber Mark: “How To Pray”
(10:08) OHMA: “Ever Expanding”
(18:46) Dominic Fike: “Wallflower”
(25:20) Jorja Smith: “I Lied, You Lied”
(33:20) Emily A. Sprague: “Noon Liquid Ore”
(41:50) Osamu Fukuzawa & IYAMAH: “Butterflies (feat. edbl)”

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Is Sunday morning the best time for music? Whether you prefer solitude, get-togethers with family or friends, or steeling yourself for the week to come, we’ve got the perfect album to score your early hours.  

NPR Music’s Hazel Cills and Lars Gotrich join host Robin Hilton.

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Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]

Featured songs and artists:

(00:00) Intro / Miles Davis: “So What”

(02:32) Astrud Gilberto: “Once I Loved”

(06:29) The Congos: “Fisherman”

(08:48) Madredeus: “Três Ilusoses - Amargura”

(13:02) Laurie Spiegel: “Patchwork”

(17:03) BAD OPERATION: “Bagel Rooks”

(20:10) Django Reinhardt: “Exactly Like You”

(24:05) Tirzah: “Holding On”

(28:13) Margo Guryan: “Sunday Morning”

(33:32) Ishman Williams & the William Singers: “The Old Ship Zion”

(37:42) Electrelane: “Gone Under Sea”

(41:35) Woo: “Make Me Tea”

(45:17) St. Germain: “So Flute”

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

Note: A version of this episode originally ran in 2025

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On this week’s show, Weezer gives the people what they want, plus a breathless “dirt dance” from saxophonist Colin Stetson and bagpiper Brìghde Chaimbeul, the scruffy cello-pop of yeemz, works by composer and vocalist Meredith Monk, electronic artist Jlin and more.  

NPR Music’s Tom Huizenga joins host Robin Hilton as we share our picks for the best new songs of the week.

Leave us a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]

Featured artists and songs:

(00:00) Intro

(00:51) Weezer: “C.E.O.”

(08:24) Colin Stetson, Brìghde Chaimbeul: “Dirt dance”

(18:16) slimdan: “Let’s Start A Cult!”

(25:09) Phaedra Ensemble: “Phantom Strings” (Meredith Monk)

(31:43) yeemz: “Brace for Impact” (single)

(37:36) PUBLIQuartet: “Baobab” (Jlin)


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Sometimes a cover song is so good, so singular that it completely eclipses the original version.  Think Sinéad O'Connor doing The Family's “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Jimmy Hendrix lighting up Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” or, of course, Whitney Houston’s defining take on Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”  On this week’s show, we share some of our picks for cover songs that are better than the originals, talk about why, and what, exactly, a cover song needs to become a classic.

NPR Music’s Dora Levite and Lars Gotrich join host Robin Hilton.

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Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]

Featured artists and songs:

(00:00) Intro and the G.O.A.T.s 

(06:06) Al Green: “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”

(09:58) Björk: “It’s Oh So Quiet”

(12:28) Aretha Franklin: “Respect”

(16:22) Low: “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me”

(19:45) Andrew Paul Woodworth: “Fight For Your Right to Party”

(25:10) Yaeji: “Passionfruit”

(28:13) Shonen Knife: “Top of the World”

(32:06) Wednesday: “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Double)”

(34:54) Low: “Fearless”

(36:37) Harry Nilsson: “Without You”

(39:57) Beyonce: “Before I Let Go (Homecoming Live Bonus Track)”

(42:35) Gary Jules: “Mad World”

(49:19) Chaka Khan: “I Feel For You”


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We open this week’s show by reflecting on the loss of Glen Hansard, an artist who was critical to shaping the sound and spirit of All Songs Considered in its earliest days. We then share some of our favorite new tracks of the week, including a King Princess cover of Neil Young’s “Helpless,” cheeky pop from Coco & Clair Clair, a stunning ambient track from Adam Wiltzie and the late composer Jóhann Jóhannsson and more.

NPR Music’s Dora Levite joins host Robin Hilton.

Support the show with a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]

Featured artists and songs:

(00:00) Intro and remembering Glen Hansard

(03:24) Coco & Clair Clair: “Coldplay”

(08:34) Claudia Isaki: “Origami”

(15:30) Slayyyter: “brand new chanel$”

(23:17) King Princess: “Helpless”

(31:01) Dawuna: “I am a woman too...”

(36:50) Adam Wiltzie & Jóhann Jóhannsson: “White Gloves & Turtlenecks”


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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest places, if you look at it right. And if you get confused, just listen to the music play. This week, resident Deadheads Isabella Gomez Sarmiento and Felix Contreras help host Robin Hilton hear what he’s been missing in the music of the Grateful Dead.

Are you a Deadhead? Share your memories of the Grateful Dead and we may include them in a big series we're launching about the band on Aug. 1.

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Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]

Featured songs:

(00:00) Intro and “King Solomon’s Marbles”

(08:54) “China Cat Sunflower / I Know You Rider” Alpine Valley, WI 7.17.89

(11:03) “Help On the Way / Slipknot / Franklin’s Tower”

(16:39) “Ripple”

(23:34) “Morning Dew (Europe ‘72)”

(26:17) “I Shall Be Released (Live)” 

(30:05) “Black Muddy River”

(31:34) “One More Saturday Night”

(32:09) “Sunrise”

(33:21) “Shady Grove”

(39:14) “Birdsong”

(41:45) “Uncle John’s Band”


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