NPR Music - New Music Friday: The best albums out Aug. 28

Episode Date: August 28, 2026

Alabama Shakes. Mike D. Interpol. Host Stephen Thompson chats with Sean Carolan of WBJB in New Jersey about their favorite albums out Friday, August 28. Plus, a handful of NPR Music writers and critics offer their personal picks in the lightning round. The Starting 5(03:37) Album No. 1- Mastodon, 'Marrow Deep'(08:56) Album No. 2- Mike D 5D, 'Thank You'(15:41) Album No. 3- Alabama Shakes, 'I Must Be Dreaming'(21:43) Album No. 4- Interpol, 'This Mirror Weighs a Ton'(27:47) Album No. 5- The Linda Lindas, 'Gotta Get Out'(33:37) The Lightning Round- Billy Strings, 'So Much For Goodbyes'- Elephant Stone, 'ASHA'- Tiny Habits, 'Keepers'- Saul Williams, 'Leap Life'- Liim, 'A Sunflower Garden In Harlem Is Hard To Find'Sample the albums via our New Music Friday playlist and see our Long List of notable releases on NPR.orgCredits:Host: Stephen ThompsonGuest: Sean Carolan, WBJB Audio Producer: Noah CaldwellDigital Producer: Dora LeviteEditors: Elle Mannion, Otis HartExecutive Producer: Suraya MohamedSpecial thanks to Ann Powers and Rodney CarmichaelSupport 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.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Happy Friday, everyone from NPR Music. It's New Music Friday. I'm Stephen Thompson. Every week on New Music Friday, we talk to a different member of the NPR Music Network. And today, August 28th, we are here with Sean Carolyn of WBJB's Alt Rock Radio in New Jersey. Welcome to the show, Sean. Hello there. And thanks for having me on board. Yeah, it is a pleasure to have you. There is a lot going on this week. As we record this, we have just received the news that Dolly Part. Martin has died. I'm sure by the time this episode airs, everyone listening will have heard many, many remembrances. I'm sure those will be far more considered than our initial shock and sadness. But we didn't want this occasion to go by without acknowledging Dolly Parton. Her incredible life, her incredible career. You really, you know, Shauna, you and I were kind of saying, you know, before we started recording, there just really aren't very many famous people left. who would have as close to a 100% approval rating as Dolly Parton had. Right. Basically, somebody that everybody, without qualification, just loves. So that's a loss. Yeah, it's a huge loss. And, you know, I was just commiserating with my colleagues upstairs about how we never got to bring her to the tiny desk.

And, you know, it's just incredible when an artist has been around for as long as Dolly Parton was around and they still leave you wanting more. That in and of itself is just an absolutely remarkable. legacy. And her last album was a rock album. And her last album was a rock album. And I hope there's more in the vault. I wouldn't be shocked to find out. I agree. Yeah. She never stopped working and bless her. I mean, boy, her memory is a blessing. There's, you know, can't say really more than that, at least at this time. We did want to acknowledge, this is a really, really busy week for new music. We, you know, I always say at the end of each show, we couldn't possibly get to everything that's out today. But This is a really big one.

And one of the reasons it's a really big one, Sean, is that today, August 28th, is the last day of eligibility for the 2027 Grammys. Ah, it all becomes crystal clear. It sure does. So you get a sense, kind of listening to these records. We got a lot of veteran artists this week, a lot of Grammy favorites this week, kind of trying to slip those big records under the wire at the last minute. So, you know, so if you're wondering why there are so many big ones, that is one indication. why and Sean we couldn't even we didn't even get access to the new album by erika badu and the alchemist the album title has been so fluid that i don't want to say it out loud lest i get it

wrong but the first single witch doctor is terrific erika badu you know made all these classic neo soul records and then her her output has really slowed down i mean she put out a mixtape in 2015, but this is kind of her first full-length album since 2010. And I would imagine she's angling for Grammys, and I couldn't be happier. But like I said, it's a packed week. Let's get to it with the new album from Mastodon. Mastodon's new album is called Mero Deep. So Mastodon, for those who don't know, is a metal band from Atlanta that formed in 2000.

This is their ninth album. So these guys are veterans. They are lifers. and also they are Grammy favorites. They have been nominated for many Grammys over the years. They're a staple of the heavy metal categories. They have won a Grammy. And this is their first album in five years.

During that time, their lead guitarist, Brent Hines, left the band, and a few months later died in a motorcycle accident. So there have been some kind of lineup changes for Mastodon, which is not typical of them. They've generally been a very sturdy and, steady lineup. Here they introduce a new guitarist by the name of Nick Johnston, as well as a keyboardist named Joao Nogera. And Sean, this record is just nonstop, 65 minutes of just like roaring, blood-curdling, kick-ass metal, but with a lot of variation along the way. It'll take the paint

off of anything you choose to expose it to. But, you know, Mastodon remind me, you know, of that, the announcer that they used for concerts, for metal concerts back in the day, where they'd go, they'd say, quiet riot, and they'd really, you know, just push... Crocus! Crocus!

And, you know, they'd do that, and it was just funny toward the end of the 80s as they were kind of going out of step at the times and starting to say things like, Morrissey! But I think their time has returned because we'd have a new Mastodon album, and they're going to be touring, I'm sure.

Yeah, and, you know, in this record, I mean, it's Mastodon is a metal band, and if you don't think of yourself as a metalhead, there are entry points here. Good places to start if you're metal curious. The song Snakes for Dinner, which was kind of the lead single from this record, features Josh Hami from Queens of the Stone Age on guest vocals. It's got this kind of sick keyboard solo. It's a metal song, but it's also a rock song. And if you were kind of wondering about the fate of rock and roll, if you're one of those people who's sort of like, whatever happened to just like kick ass, rock and roll.

Mastodon isn't just stripping paint here. There are really catchy rocks. You know, it's interesting. You know, I referenced Heinz, you know, having left the band and subsequently died, bringing in a new guitarist. Well, that's scary. Nick Johnston, they put him to work. They give him a workout here.

You take a song like, they're coming for you, which, you know, not only slaps pretty hard, but it gives Nick Johnston a canvas on which to just unleash these thick, chunky guitar riffs on top of guitar riffs in just this epic stadium-filling kind of way. That is Mastodon. Their new album is called Mero Deep. Next up, a new album from Mike D of the Beastie Boys and his new band Mike D. 5D, the album is called Thank You. So as I said a moment ago, this is the first solo record from Mike D of the Beastie Boys. Though it's not technically a solo record, this is his new band. The members of this band include, among others, his sons, Skyler, and Davis Diamond.

So the Beastie Boys disbanded in 2012 upon the death of Adam Yauk, and that really kind of ended that whole project. Those guys had worked together since the 80s and didn't really see a musical way forward without a guy who would basically become like their brother. And so it's lovely to see Mike D kind of back in this realm with the first music he's put out in, you know, a decade and a half. Well, I think we can thank, you know, the musician's itch for that. You know, because you do get, you know, you're quiet for a while

and you find yourself thinking about the kinds of things you'd be doing if you were still performing and then eventually finally asking the question, why aren't I performing? Yeah. And I think we have a little bit of that here, and certainly we welcome that to happen. We understand, I understand, of course, and we all understand, why they would take a massive break. But at the same time, there's still people, and they still got an itch. And here's that itch for you now. Exactly.

And, you know, the sound of this record is mostly a pretty wide departure from what I think of as the Beastie Boys sound. You definitely have elements of it here. But this particular concoction, it's kind of glitchy, EDM inspired. There's a dub influence that comes through quite a bit. There's a drum and bass influence that comes through quite a bit. But a lot of it really feels, Sean, tell me what you think of this, just to paint a picture. I just imagine a restless dude in a big house, just like, as you said, kind of getting that itch, but just like working on a lot of these things at home.

Like, I've got some old keyboards. Right. Let's see what I can put together. It really has this kind of, like, restless dad realizes that he's surrounded by, realizes that he's surrounded by people he loves and still wants to make music. Yeah. At All Rock Radio, we've been playing Switchup, the lead single off of the album. And so it's exactly the aspirations you're talking about.

That, you know, they were, he's got the kitchen sink available, so he'll throw it in. And that's what's happening there. You know, I was talking about how different this record is from, you know, the Beastie Boys' records, but there's a track called What We Got, which is probably the beastiest cut here. You know, you get these rich kind of vintage samples, and there are moments in that song

where you almost feel like Ad Rock and MCA are going to jump in and take their turns. And then, of course, obviously they don't. But if you've got that kind of Beastie Boys' Itch that you're wanting to scratch. A lot of this record isn't necessarily going to do that, but this song, what we got will, I think, scratch that itch. Well, we've got a lot of itches around here today. I know. We do. We do. It's, you know, late summer. There's a lot of algis and stuff. That is Mike D. 5D. Mike D. 5D's debut album is called Thank You. We've got more records.

We're going to get to in depth, as well as a lightning round of some of our other favorite records out today. But first, let's take a quick break. From NPR Music, it's New Music Friday. I'm Stephen Thompson here with Sean Carolyn of WBJB's Alt Rock Radio in New Jersey. Sean, tell us about the station. Tell us what you're working on. Well, kicked off my experience with Alt Rock Radio a long time ago. It dates back to about 1981 or so.

Oh, my gosh. Well, not the Alt Rock Radio we know now, but... Streaming didn't exist. Streaming didn't exist. As a matter of fact, you know, we had to go uphill both ways to get to school. but by 2001 I got in tired of the direction commercial alternative rock stations were headed since they were just the new name for Main Street Rock and the web had grown to accommodate casual listing so I tried reclaiming what I felt alternative rock should be so I called the thing Alt Rock Radio and by 2005 a lot of people I had worked with in commercial radio a number of my compatriots at FM1063 on the Jersey Shore had made the move to public radio and suggested I joined them and so here I am running the alt Rock Radio. Showcase on WBJB 90.5 the night at the Jersey Shore every Friday night and the altrockradio.com streamed 7 by 24, playing new and classic modern rock and occasionally guesting on awesome NPR podcasts. Oh, Sean, and we are so happy to have you. Thanks so much for being here. All right, let's kick off our next segment with Alabama Shakes. Alabama Shakes's new album is called I Must Be Dreaming.

So one reason that I mentioned several times in this conversation already that today is the last day of Grammy's eligibility, it was very smart of Alabama Shakes to put out this record on the last day of Grammy's eligibility. Because if there is one band that the Grammys love, it's Alabama Shakes. They have collected armloads. They've certainly collected armloads of nominations. Singer Brittany Howard is a Grammy favorite. They loved her first solo record. But Alabama Shakes, you know, they put out two records in the 2010s, went on hiatus in 2018, while Brittany Howard kind of went solo, and really kind of dropped off the map for a while, but they reunited a couple years ago, have been touring and kind of building up to this point, and are back with this new record, which kind of takes a lot of Alabama Shakes kind of classic bluesy, soulful sound,

and finds new textures and dimensions within it. There's kind of a vibeier, slightly dubier quality to this record that was a little bit mellower and more experimental than I'd expected. Well, mellower and more experimental, but also I found that there were some definite rhythm-heavy moves on the record that made me perk up. And there were some things on this album that I think expand their textbook pretty significantly. I was pleasantly surprised at what.

I was hearing. Yeah, you take a track like Garden. You know, it's got some of that kind of mellow throwback soul. It feels retro but also modern at the same time. I was listening to that track and really keying in on how much power there is in their restraint. You know, Alabama Shakes are extremely skillful musicians, but they don't necessarily hit the throttle all the time. They know when to hang back and let these songs build in intensity and power that isn't always manifesting as like pure volume. Well, one of the things I always look, I'm a singles guy, unfortunately, from an album perspective, I'm the guy who wants to figure out which singles they are and play those,

you know, which, you know, that makes me maybe not the best album. rock and chore, but at the same time I can hear in this that they are taking you on a journey with the album. Yeah, absolutely. I, you know, I wanted to call out a song on this record called I Feel Hope Coming. And it's really interesting. You know, in the last several years, a lot of popular music has seemed a little bit adrift in terms of speaking to the present moment. Because I think things, you know, are changing so quickly. Yeah, what exactly is the present moment? You know, what exactly is the present moment? And there's, you know, there's a record keeps changing.

Yeah, and there's a record coming up that we'll be talking about that also contains kind of several, you know, pieces of protest music. And protest music is very challenging in general right now. And what struck me about this song, you know, is, you know, there was a lot of pop music, you know, 10, 15 years ago that was full of kind of, you know, a lot of like, you know, a lot of empowerment-focused lyrics, a lot of, a lot of songs kind of about hope and defiance. And that's really kind of fallen back a little bit. And so it was interesting to hear a song. The song is called I Feel Hope Coming. And when you hear those words, it's like, oh, you are really speaking to the moment, which is this sense that optimism isn't here yet, but like optimism could be on the way. It's like I'm hopeful about the fact that I might one day feel hope.

Well, yeah, it's a bit like, you know, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I actually have to be. haven't entered the tunnel yet. Yeah, exactly. Like, once I enter that tunnel, I can imagine they're one day being light at the end of it. That is Alabama Shakes. Their new record is called I Must Be Dreaming. Next up, a new album from Interpol. Interpol's new album is titled, This Mirror Ways a Ton.

So Interpol is a post-punk band from New York. They've been around for well over. over two decades. They're celebrating their 30th anniversary next year and the 25th anniversary of their true breakthrough album, Turn on the Bright Lights, you know, which was like a huge post-punk alt-rock powerhouse. I cannot believe it has been 25 years, Sean, what has happened to our lives. Well, when you do the math, more time between now and then than there was between then and Joy Division's first album. Wow. That is wild. And yet there are still, you know, there are still echoes of Joy Division in this band's sound, as you kind of allude to Paul Banks.

The singer has clearly spent plenty of time listening to Ian Curtis in Joy Division. Where is a badge of honor, I'd say? Oh, absolutely. And, you know, I talked about this a little bit with Mastodon at the beginning of this show. But, you know, a band that has been together as long as Interpol has, while not really kind of suffering a lot of that lineup churn that so many long-running bands have, there have been, you know, some small adjustments here and there, they actually add to members, long-time touring members of Interpol have kind of been added to the official lineup here, Brandon Curtis, who plays keyboards and Brad Truax, who plays bass. But like, these guys have been working together

consistently for years and years and years in kind of a highly functional and highly collaborative way. And this record really, I think, reflects that. There's still experimentation happening. There are still new ideas being explored, but you get a sense of a band that is extremely comfortable in its own skin and really knows who and what it is. You get lucky every now and again. Sometimes the band just sticks together. Yeah. And I was surprised, Sean, kind of early in this record, how much quieter and vibier and more atmospheric a lot of these songs feel. You know, But then kind of scattered throughout the record, you'll get tracks like See Out Loud, which is more jagged and clangy, you know, kind of really, really kind of amping up that post-punk sound in a way that's really vibrant and rocking. Of course, we had gone with that initially at Alt Rock, See Out Loud, but we're with Iron City right now as far as, you know, as I said, I'm a singles guy.

You are a singles guy, absolutely. And Iron City is interesting that you mentioned that song, because, like, That one is kind of more keyed into the, like, kind of off-kilter atmospherics where it's like a little gloomier and more uneasy. But, you know, for our station, if it isn't banging away at rhythm, it had better be intense. And that's what you got here. And, you know, that intensity definitely comes through even in this album's quieter moments. You know, late on this record, you have tracks like Enemy, which has more of like kind of a portentious kind of piano-based slover. Compassion we do divide years across

I think my love and let me drown in your arms That's my enemy There's a little history there Paul Banks at one point had done a very interesting cover of a Sinatra track Where I think he just

He was kind of working that out And now he's gotten it integrated into his Interpol play Yeah I mean And it's interesting you know Because Paul Banks has done some solo work and some side work and has clearly explored kind of different sides of his sound. And it's nice to kind of hear a bunch of different approaches coming together on this, you know,

cohesive record. It's the eighth Interpol record and they're not out of ideas. Nope. That is Interpol. Their new album is called This Mirror Ways a ton. We got one more record we're going to talk about in depth, as well as a lightning round of some of our other favorite albums out today, August 28th. But first, let's take one last quick break. From NPR Music, it's New Music Friday. I'm Stephen Thompson here with Sean Carolyn of WBJB's Alt Rock Radio in New Jersey. Before we get to our lightning round, we got one more record we wanted to talk about. It's by The Linda Lindas.

The Linda Lindas are back with a new record. It's called Gotta Get Out. The snow's getting closer. I'm burning inside. I run out of breath while I waste all my time. All the time in the world could never claim my mind. No matter how it, it always comes back. So the linda linda linda linda's first entered the public consciousness with a viral video of the band, you know, who were young girls at the time, performing in a public library, a song called Racist Sexist Boy, just this like ragey, spiteful, screamy punk song with just tons and tons of energy and energy and

promise and just general excitement. And people were thrilled to see punk rock performed in a library. And, you know, which is like... That's what libraries are for, man. That's what libraries are for. And it was one of those things that made people happy kind of during the pandemic, you know, at a time when a lot of people were looking for sources of energy and joy. And in the years since that video, the Linda Lindas have put out several records

and have kind of sharpened and refined and experienced. banded and polished their sound. And this record to me just really feels like this kind of arena rock leveling up. You know, I definitely pick up Green Day vibes in like some of these

in some of these riffs. The Linda Lindas have opened for Green Day on tour. Definitely Paramour vibes. Yeah. But just like big, anthemic, pop punk joy. But also rage. Well, I mean,

And why not? Why shouldn't there be? Yeah. But at the same time, the degree to which they've been embraced by the slightly older or even very much older rock community is impressive. You know, when you see them at Coachella and I believe they share the stage with the breeders. They seem to invite people reaching out to have them be a part of what they're doing and to be a part of what they themselves are doing. It's fun to see that. It's fun to hear what they're doing, too. Yeah.

And this record is so catchy and so vibrant. the title track got to get out is like this kind of spiky rock. It feels like a descendant of like bikini kill. But there's also this, these notes of new wave running through it at the same time where you're just seeing this band's kind of sonic toolbox

get bigger and bigger as they go along. There have actually been quite a few very young bands showing up on my radar over the past few years. And I think it's almost the fallout from the explosion of School of Rocks. Totally. Absolutely. Girls rock camps. Exactly.

And they're saying rock and roll is a thing you can do if you don't want to do soccer, you know, as a kid. And inevitably out of that, you're going to get people that are going to embrace it and just plow forth. And that's what they're doing. And it's great to see them continuing to do it as they are. Yeah. And I remember when those, you know, not only school of rock camps, girls rock camps, you know, any kind of youth music thing that springs up, As those were really becoming popular, I just remember thinking like, man, I can't wait to hear these bands start churning out records.

I can't wait for these bands to kind of get this experience and just take it in directions we've never heard before. And this record, you know, it certainly has sonic debts. You know, I've mentioned, we've mentioned the breeders, we've mentioned Paramore, we've mentioned Green Day, you know, you get a little bad religion in there. It's inevitable that you're going to hear influences. But I loved listening to this record and hearing kind of how many different things

that they're willing to explore at the same time on the same record. As poppy and anthemic, as many of these songs are, you also have sludgy metal in a track like Blood on Our Hands, which is an extremely political song that kind of blurts by in under two minutes. They're not just making kind of the biggest, catchiest, you know, poppiest music they can. They're exploring lots of sounds here. The blood on our hands. Give me a good reason

All the money we spend Go to mass murder When does it end? All the people here We'll let them go hungry How does building camps And dropping bombs help our country Give me a good reason

That they're taking away Healthcare and food That people need day to day And I don't care about your wealth I don't care about your tax breaks Nothing big or beautiful About a fascist state That's The Linda Linda's

their new album is called Gotta Get Out. Now, Sean, Yes, sir. We could not, I say this every week, we could not get to every new record out today, August 28th, particularly on such an unusually crowded release date. So we wanted to do a lightning round,

bring in a few other members of NPR music along the way to throw out a few more recommendations. So let's kick off our lightning round. I'm going to actually kick us off with one of the week's biggest albums in more ways, than one. It's like 75 minutes long. Billy Strings is a bluegrass superstar with an armload of Grammys to his name.

There's that Grammy's connection again. And now he's got a supersized new record full of somber and expansive songs that touch on not only bluegrass but also folk and country and psychedelic rock. It's the product of a stretch in Billy Strings' life where he lost his mother. So there is grief here, but also warmth and grace and real. intensity. Billy String's new fifth studio album is called So Much for Goodbyes. For this week's lightning round from me, Stephen, well, it's hard for me to ignore a band whose name was influenced by the Stone Roses. It's the latest from Elephant Stone. The album's called Asha,

named after leader Rishi Deer's mother, and it was produced within his home studio. Note that while the album's name translates to hope, it's not all smiles and sunshine and certainly has its foot in reality. Here's the track Everything Evil. Everything Evil from Asha, the new album from Elephant Stone. Thank you, Sean Carolyn. Let's bring in our dear pal, Ann Powers. Ann Powers, what he got for us. Hey there, Stephen. Everyone who knows me knows I love harmonies. I grew up singing in choirs, and nothing draws me into a song more than a great vocal blend. So, of course, I fell in love with Tiny Habits, the trio of Sinha Khan, Judah, Maya, and Maya Rae, The very first time I heard one of their viral videos where they would sing covers in various Boston stairwells back when they were students at Berkeley College of Music.

Since that time, the trio has become everybody's favorite harmonizers. They've toured with James Taylor and Noah Kahn and collabed with folks like Casey Musgraves and the 1975's Maddie Healy. Throughout this record, Tiny Habits expands beyond the gentle interplay that gained them so many fans, including me, to explore pop R&B styling. and uptempo arrangements that remind me of classic groups like the Fifth Dimension. But don't worry, because Tiny Habits can still get me weeping with yearning songs like anything he was, which features Healy jumping into the mix. Never stop breaking my heart, Tiny Habits. That's Keepers by Tiny Habits.

Thank you, Anne Powers. Rodney Carmichael. Rodney Carmichael, what do you got? So I have been fully immersed in Leap Life. And that's the new album by Saul Williams, the shapeshifting multidisciplinaryan, poet, actor, musician. This album, though, it's not a collection of songs as much as it is a conjuring. It's quiet, full of meditative soundscapes at first that build into something ceremonial. He created these soundscapes in part with producer and percussionist Carlos Nino.

and it's probably the first album of his that comes closest to the feeling you get attending his early spoken word performances nearly 30 years ago. But this ain't spoken word Saul. This is spellcasting Saul. He's chanting and channeling and taking us on these guided meditations that really opened up a portal between the living and the ancestors between politics and possibility. And for an artist who's been so politically outspoken about palis, Palestine and Imperial Power. He's really pushing us to tap into an alternative power source, and his foot is on the gas. We destroy those systems.

We destroy those systems. We destroy those systems. We destroy those systems. That's Saul Williams with Leib Life. All right. Thank you, Rodney Carmichael. Joining me in the studio, my gosh, I'm looking at a human face. Dora Levitt, what do you got?

Hi, Stephen. Nice to see your face. Nice to see you. The album I want to highlight is Leams. A Sunflower Garden in Harlem is hard to find. The New York rapper's sophomore album chronicles his journey growing up in Harlem, and it serves as both a love letter to the city and a reflection on living in a place where independence is often found at a very young age.

What I love most about this album is that it's overflowing with vintage New York nostalgia and hip-hop and pop culture references that let the listener decode all of the influences like a huge geographic scavenger hunt. That's Leams, a sunflower garden in Harlem, is hard to find. Nice. Thank you so much, Dora Levitt. That is our show for this week. Thank you, Sean Carolyn, for taking time out of your week at WBJB's Alt Rock Radio in New Jersey. Thanks a lot.

And if you haven't heard enough of me already, you can hear what I'm doing every Friday night on the Alt Rock Radio Showcase at WBJB, 90.5 The Night or anytime at altrockradio.com. All right. Well, if you enjoyed this week's show, we always appreciate a positive review on Apple or Spotify or whatever app you are listening to right now. This episode was produced by Noah Caldwell and Al Mannion

and edited by Otis Hart. Our production assistant is Dora Levitt, who's in the room with me right now. The executive producer, of NPR music is Saraya Mohamed. We'll be back next week to discuss more new music. Until then, take a moment to be well. Find the nearest domesticated animal and scratch it behind the ears.

And treat yourself to lots of great music.