NPR Music - New Music Friday: The best albums out March 14

Episode Date: March 14, 2025

Charley Crockett. Twin Shadow. Throwing Muses. NPR Music's Stephen Thompson is joined by Matt Reilly of Austin public radio station KUTX to discuss the best new releases we heard this week.Featured albums:• Charley Crockett, Lonesome Drifter (Stream)• Twin Shadow, Georgie (Stream)• Courting, Lust for Life, Or: 'How To Thread The Needle And Come Out The Other Side To Tell The Story (Stream)• Étienne de Crécy, WARM UP (Stream)• Throwing Muses, Moonlight Concessions (Stream)Check out the long list of albums out March 14 and stream our New Music Friday playlist on npr.org/music.Credits:Host: Stephen ThompsonGuest: Matt Reilly, KUTXProducer: Simon RentnerEditor: Otis HartExecutive Producer: Suraya MohamedVice President, Music and Visuals: Keith JenkinsSee 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, here with Matt Riley from KUTX and Austin. Hello, sir. It is good to talk to you, especially on this really national holiday, South by Southwest week in your beloved city. Sadly, I am not going to South by Southwest this year, but you will avenge me by attending. That's right. You will be missed, and this is like our very own version, Marty Grau. Yeah. down here where all real life stops for about 10 days. Yeah. Anybody you're especially excited to see? Frankie and the Witch Fingers have really popped out at me.

They're starting to make some noise nationally. I just love loud rock and roll, especially in person and in the morning. In the morning, yes. So they're going to play for us Saturday morning at the oldest beer garden in Texas, Schultz Beer Garden. And I'm really curious to see how this is going to land at 10 a.m. Saturday morning. That's one of the best things about South by Southwest is just like wiping the crud out of your eyes and immediately putting in earplugs. So before we get started, I wanted to acknowledge that there is a new album out today by the rapper Playboy Cardi. He's just released

his third album, I Am Music. It's his first since 2020's whole lot of red. This record's been in the works for a long time and he just announced it later this week. We have not heard the whole thing. If you don't know Playboy Cardi, he's been around for a while. He's had really high-profile collaborations with Kanye West, Travis Scott, The Weekend. He's been on these huge hits like Carnival and Fien. And this record is ushering in a new era for an artist who's known for modulating his voice and, again, working with all these huge stars. So again, that album, I Am Music by Playboy Cardi is out today.

We've got a bunch of other titles, though, that we have spent a lot of time with. that we're really excited about, so let's kick it off. We're going to move south to the Rio Grande Valley for our first album, Charlie Crockett, has a new record called Lonesome Drifter. What really jumps out to me about this record? that it straddles vintage sounds yet also being modern. So the classic country conventions are there, you know, strings, banjo, pedal steel.

But you've also got some more rock and roll guitars, some New Orleans sounds creeping in, like the horns on Jamestown Ferry. So I think if you're a fan of classic country, this will appeal to you. But if you're a fan of, you know, the more modernized country, this would also appeal to you and he's really effortlessly carved out his own space. Everybody's waiting on that bison sun to drop down turn red and be done. He's old school in a new school kind of way.

He somehow finds a way to straddle those worlds. He's also incredibly prolific. You know, he's 40 years old. He's released more than a dozen albums. This is his first for a major label. He just got his first Grammy nomination this year. So he's definitely taken off. We use expressions like paying your dues and authenticity, I think, too much in this business.

But, you know, he's done his time as a subway busker in New York City. He's toiled in CDLA bars for six hours a night. He lived on the streets of Paris. He worked on farms in Northern California. And, you know, he's channeled these life experiences into kind of vintage-sounding country songs that still feel fresh. For sure. And I call it time in the van. You know, you got to spend that time in the van to build your resume and, you know, get your experience under your belt.

And he's also at the same time, though, got this amazing star quality. So if you ever meet him in person, you're like, oh, wow, he's got that aura about him that really just sort of screams, I need to be on stage. Look at me. I am a star. And so the chops along with the kind of intangibles should propel him to another level, hopefully with this record. The more I think about it, unless I'm really sure that I know

just what I'm doing any of this vote. But I hold myself together for all the things When you listen to this album, you do get this kind of expanse of country music history. Like there is a modern quality to what he's doing, even as he's doing these kind of throwback songs. There's a song on this record called This Crazy Life. You know, it has a kind of a slower, sadder vibe to it than some of the stuff here.

It's this sort of speak-sung country blues hybrid. It wouldn't have sounded out of place on a Tom T. Hall record. But then there's also, the album closes with Amarillo by Morning, which is a George Strait song from 1982 that, you know, that I used to hear working at a grocery store in a small town when I first fell in love with country music. And so he's pulling together a lot of country music history. From San Antonio I've got is just what I've got on. I was high in that Texas sky

I'll be walking at the county fair More by morning Amarillo I'll be there I was struck by the Amarillo by Morning cover Which is pretty true to the original It's just adding horns and more piano to the track

But it's a pretty nice, faithful rendition of that with a little bit of added flair. And the other one that sort of jumped out to me was the tune Never Know More. It starts out like you're at a dead concert. Or, because it's kind of noodley, you know, at the beginning. Or a Willie jam session from like one of his picnics from the 70s, because that's how a lot of those were. There's a lot of crossover. Feels like Commerce Street playing for nickels and dives. Easy money. It's definitely a free-flowing nature to this record.

And he was capturing it on Never No More pretty well. That's Lonesome Drifter by Charlie Crockett. Out today, March 14th. Next up, something pretty different. A new album called Georgie by the artist Twin Shadow. help but no one came nothing new you're the same uh uh uh i've got closer to the stars bought a bike and crossed a car uh now you just show up suddenly and you're more stress than i've ever seen instead of giving me a heart of This record struck me immediately by how spare it is.

There is not a tremendous amount of production on this record. It is all about the songwriting. It's all about the lyrics. And this is catharsis, I think. And it deals with the death of his father. And the theme running through this is commitment. Now that can be commitment to life, to your art. to really whatever, and it really is just getting down to the bare bones of songwriting on this record.

Yeah, I mean, it manages to conjure this kind of moody, warm, slightly warped neo-soul vibes. It kind of hit me in an Omar Apollo sweet spot. I'll take you where you're coming from and hold you till the thrill is gone. There you want I'll go along. You take it from here. We're always falling dominoes. I know it's late you gotta go. Put on your coat, you'll catch a call.

Take it from me. There's such deep sincerity and warmth to this record. And I think Twin Shadow has had such an interesting career. Twin Shadow is the project of a guy named George William Lewis Jr. and he's been around for a while, just like as a working musician. He's put out a string of records as Twin Shadow. This is his sixth. And he's also just been a working musician in other people's bands.

He turned up at the tiny desk playing bass for Santigold. And he's talked a lot in interviews about never really wanting to stay put in one genre or do just one thing. And he's talked about how that's an extension of his identity. He was born to a white Jewish New York mother and a black Dominican country. father. He's just never wanting to stay in one lane at the same time. But this record feels very cohesive. It has one overarching vibe. And for me, that's really working for me with the tone of these songs. You know, you're not going to get a party with this record. But it is, it's very introspective. And less can be more, I think.

And it kind of also reminded me of Frank Ocean a little bit. Yeah, absolutely. Because, you know, Frank Ocean can just sort of strip everything down and just get down to what he's trying to say without, you know, a bunch of production getting in the way. He said of this record as he was tackling the project of recording these songs, he committed himself to a project where there would be no drums and lots of fretless instruments.

and that gives you a sense sonically of a consistent vibe that comes together really beautifully. And you mentioned that it's inspired in part by the death of his father. His father died kind of late in the process of making this record. After his father died, he realized how many of these songs were in conversation with his father and how much that relationship shaped this record. And even the cover art, you know, because his father was George Lewis Sr., He had his father just write his own name at Georgie. And just had the cursive handwriting Georgie is just the cover of this record.

And that gives you a sense, Matt, of what you were kind of talking about, of the sparesness of this record. There's nothing here that doesn't need to be here. There's a track on this record called Headless Hero, which is a song about his dad that he wrote before his dad died. And he, you know, he said of the song, it sounds more like a goodbye than I was able to give him in life. which gives you a sense of just how much feeling is behind this record. I think it's one of those that we call them growers. The more he listened to it, the more rewarding it is because you'll just kind of pick up more of the nuance.

Yeah. Well, if you're not at South by Southwest and you've got nothing to do on this Friday night, sit yourself down, maybe pour yourself a glass of something mild, put your headphones on, and spend some time with this record. It's really beautiful. That's Georgie from Twin Shadow. We've got a few more records to get to on this New Music Friday. But first, let's take a quick break.

It's New Music Friday from NPR. I'm Stephen Thompson here with Matt Riley from KUTX. Matt, tell me a little bit about what KUTX has going on right now outside of South by Southwest. Well, we pat on the back here. Yeah, do it. Just won our 11th Austin Music Award for Best Radio Station. Well, deserved.

Because we've only been around. for 12 years. So that's pretty cool. And we've got a busy spring and summer lined up. We're doing a lot of outdoor concerts. The big one coming up later this month is called Rock the Park. And we're really looking to create connections with people here in Austin. It makes this big town feel a little bit smaller if we can all go hang out and enjoy the same things together. Building community, I got to say, we listen to KUTX in our kitchen all the time. I met my partner at South by Southwest in 2012 and we keep a little bit of Austin at home with us in our kitchen. So you guys, you guys do a phenomenal job. Warming my heart. Thank you, Stephen. All right, well, next up,

we've got a new record by courting. Now, this album title's going to take me a minute, so bear with me. It is called Lust for Life or How to Thread the Needle and Come Out The Other Side to Tell the Story. So this record, Lust for Life, is eight songs in 26 minutes, And each one of those songs, in a way, it feels like it's hurtling in five different directions at once. You have a little bit of like kind of maximalist post-punk. It's invoking everything from like Franz Ferdinand to Hyperpop to Noise Bands. It's noisy and strangely danceable at the same time. And you just never really know where a song is going to go from where it starts.

Yeah, and as I mentioned earlier, I like the rock and roll. Yes. These types of records to me are fascinating because there's so much more than just what you hear at first listen. You can really dig into these and kind of go instrument by instrument and be like, wow, this guy's amazing. The chops are very high with this band, and I'm really enjoying the fact that upon repeated listens, you're getting so many more rewards because you know, at the first time you hear it, you're like, well, I don't know what this is going. And then once you know where it's going, you can sort of dig in a little bit and enjoy more and more each time when you listen what each individual member is doing. I like what you're saying about a record that kind of builds on repeat listens, because this is a record, A, or it's pretty easy to do that.

It's 26 minutes long. But B, you really are going to get more out of it each time you hear it. There's a track on this record called NAMC, NAMC-Y. and I just have in my notes like kick-ass rock song but then when you dig deeper into it it reveals more and more of these layers Rock and row

Yeah it's like nothing is off the table right Like you just like this band's going I don't know Throw it in Like they're not saying no And I appreciate that And also sometimes you need music to make you feel like you need to run through a brick wall

and just delivers also have tracks that take you on more of a journey. The title track from the record Lust for Life feels more subdued at first until part way through where it kind of having showcased the band's ability to execute a slow burn, it then tears into kind of almost two more different songs. The song itself is like three songs. stacked up under a trench coat.

That's corny. That's corting. Their new album is called for more than a second, but I think I'm a believer. So when she told me to close my eyes for a second, I just couldn't quite believe her. And then I noticed a 45 on the nightstands sitting in a country. That's courting. Their new album is called Lust for Life, or How to Thread the Needle and Come Out the Other Side to Tell the Story. A new record from Etienne de Cressy. It's called Warm Up. That's with you're I don't want to pace this No, you don't want No referee You just want to take this

Yo, I got a little pedigree My shit got you That's with you Featuring Frank Leone and masterpiece from Etienne de Crecy So they've all teamed up here

to make this very well-produced tune With You that pulls some trip hop mixes in some Eastern sounds Lots of influences going on Etienne de Cresi is a club DJ

and producer and he wrote all of the instrumental beds for all these songs. And that was kind of his starting point for this album. But then for each track, he would send that instrumental bed to a different collaborator and ask them to write words to go with that instrumental and kind of feed off of the vibes of the music to kind of create something different. And so what you have on this album warm up is what feels like a very, very cohesive

mixtape where the music is all hanging together because it's all by the same producer. But then you have all these different voices lending it these different vibes. And so you have the kind of hip-hop slash trip-hop sound of With You, but then you've got a track like Karma, which is a collaboration with Olivia Marilotti, you know, has this bright, effervescent poppy feel. It's elevated by this breezy vocal. And it's a very different sounding song for. with you, the track we heard at the top,

but it still hangs together sonically. He's providing the bed, and then it's very interesting to see and fun what each artist brings to the record. So the Caroline Rose track really jumped out at me because she's usually kind of a biting indie rocker. And here we've got her in a clubby vibe, which is fun to hear

because it's not something that is typical of a record from Carolyn Rose. Yeah, that's, we can have fun. The Damon Allbar on track, too, kind of reminded me of his solo work that's a little more quiet, it's more low-tempo grooves. Right, rising soul.

This is definitely allowing each guest to bring their sensibilities over some really well-done beds. If you'd sing me a go, You'd known a dream with the... I come home every night to find it... World Away, featuring Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip, sounds like a hot chip song.

Right? But then you also have these, like, really summery kind of beachy songs. There's a track called Take It Back, which features sports, that is like it's as beachy as it is kind of solitary. There's a track called Small Screen with Caro, Caro, Bonito, which is just this little sugar hit. You know, he kind of intended this album for home listening. It wasn't necessarily built for the dance floor.

But he's still finding ways to kind of give you a sound that feels very internal but still makes you want to go outside. I think this will be a popular summer record to put on for whatever you've got going on. Exactly. That's Warm Up by Etienne Decresi. We've got one more album we're going to get to in depth as well as a lightning round of our other favorite albums out today, March 14th. But first, let's take a quick break. It's New Music Friday from NPR Music.

I'm Stephen Thompson here with Matt Riley from KUTX. Before we get to our lightning round, we want to talk about one more record. It is by the very long-running and very creatively fruitful band Throwing Muses. It's called Moonlight Concessions. I got a strong I mean, with the They truly ain't a walk of shame Finally life

I got strong 90s coffee house vibes here. Oh yeah. I mean, with the acoustic bass and the poetry. These are like poems. Yeah, I mean, throwing muses have been around since, I mean, I guess they formed in 1981.

Their first record came out in 1986. This, for me, you know, it's the sound of You know, I was a college radio guy in the early 90s, and this just sent me hurtling back to that era. You know, Kristen Hirsch has been kind of at the center of throwing muses since it began. She's intermittently worked with her stepsister, Tanya Donnelly, who went on to form belly. And, you know, throwing muses, the formula, you know, to the extent that there's anything formulaic about what throwing muses does, The formula is kind of really expansive, creative arrangements set against Kristen Hirsch's deeply surreal lyrics. They're kind of touching on things that happened, spinning out stories from small moments, but also just words that evoke something.

And I'm so glad that throwing muses, which is now in its fifth decade making music, is still doing fruitful, beautiful music that is still evoking these strong emotions. These are kind of dark tunes too. And, you know, with her raspy vocals, it just really kind of feels like we're in on a therapy session. We're eavesdropping a little bit. This is throwing Muses' first album in five years. If you, like me, kind of grew up, you know, feeling an attachment to this band. It's lovely to revisit.

it, and they're still doing fascinating things sonically. As much as you say things like 90's coffee house, that might signify something that is narrow in scope. These songs are not narrow in scope. No, it's the good kind of 90s coffee. Yes. You meant that as a compliment. I just wanted to clarify that. Yeah, let's be very clear. I meant in the best way possible. And because it's just the instrumentation to me that sounds like that, but also it seems like you're walking in on a scene, like a venue where everybody is, you know, taking their art seriously. And I also appreciate the fact that throwing muses refuses to just stay what a lot of people discovered them as in the 90s. You know, they're moving the ball forward. They are attempting

new things. They are evolving with their own age. And that, to me, is the mark of a really good artist. Yeah, I mean, Kristen Hirsch is such a treasure. She's been around for so long. She's made a bunch of solo records. She's had this band for ages. She's really made

her mark and continues to make her mark in wonderful, wonderful ways. That's Moonlight Concessions. It is the 11th album by throwing muses, still highly recommended to this day. We obviously could not get around to every record that we wanted to talk about on this busy release day, March 14th.

So we're going to do a quick lightning round of some of the other albums that are exciting this week. I'm going to kick us off. If you are looking for a refreshing bit of dream pop loveliness, I highly recommend the New Zealand band Wom. Their music is woozy and dramatic, while conjuring memories of early 90s college radio bands like The Sundays, speaking of early 90s college radio, Wom's new album is called One Is Always Heading,

somewhere. This record from clipping called Dead Channel Sky jumped out at me. So take Dell the funky Homo sapien, a dash of prodigy, and then a spoonful of industrial rock, put it in a blender, and you get this really cool energetic record that feels like music you'd have in a rave scene and a movie about the future. The status quo. Avatar Opportunity is creating the capital and no cap. Audiences are infinitely more valuable when they think and they ugly and acting fat and them.

Fash. Kill yourself. Blue blocker chucks in a glowing screen. Blue baby bottles and soda stream. More piques illegal or brighter dream. Yeah. And that's DeVee Diggs from Hamilton for those who never stopped streaming Hamilton. This is a very different side of him.

So the artist Haley 4 has been recording under the name Circuit de You for ages now. And she's a huge NPR music favorite. Her songs are dark and booming and god. and mysterious. You might have heard the track Megaloner on All Songs Considered earlier this year. Now Circuit DeU

has a new full-length album. It is so dramatic called Halo on the Inside. And bringing you back to the Lone Star State. San Antonio, specifically,

it's Mexican standoff with their record Ola, Texas. And this is traditional sounding, they call it Mexamericana or Mejamericana

music from San Antonio, like I said. And so you've got the traditional elements of Mexican music that made its way into the Texas sound in the 60s and 70s with folks like Doug Somm and Flaco Jimenez, both of whom, coincidentally, or not, from San Antonio. And so it's just a modern take on a sound that has been here in Texas and the Southwest for decades and generations. And so this is super fun, this all-female outfit. Bring in the party wherever they go. And finally, Spiral Deluxe is an improvisational, electronics-tinged jazz funk supergroup

led by the percussionist and techno artist Jeff Mills. Their music is noodily and strange, but it's also playful. Their new album pulls from two days' worth of sessions the band recorded before the pandemic, but they've been reworked and tinkered over in the years since. It's called The Love Pretender. And that is our show for this week.

Thank you, Matt Riley for taking time out of South by Southwest to join us today. Thank you for having me, Stephen. It is such a pleasure. If you enjoyed this week's show, we always appreciate a positive review on Apple or Spotify or whatever app you're listening to right now. This episode was produced by Simon Rentner and edited by Otis Hart. The executive producer of NPR Music is Soraya Mohamed, and her boss is Keith Jenkins, NPR's vice president of music and visuals. We'll be back next week to talk about new albums from Japanese Breakfast and many more. with Izzy Balvis of Baltimore Public Radio Station, WTMD.

Until then, take a moment to be well, nurse your psychic wounds by watching videos of cute animals, and treat yourself to lots of great music.