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NPR News

New Mix: Solange, Gillian Welch, Cuddle Magic, More

NPR | By Robin Hilton,
Bob Boilen
Published October 5, 2016 at 12:34 PM EDT
Clockwise from upper left: Solange, Black Honey, Gillian Welch, Major Stars
Courtesy of the artists
Clockwise from upper left: Solange, Black Honey, Gillian Welch, Major Stars

Do you ever want to hear another rock guitar solo again? That's where the fight began. Robin played a song with a lot of guitar wankery by the band Major Stars. He loved it and I frankly couldn't wait for it to end. It got me wondering: Is this sort of music even relevant in 2016?

But there are lots of other sounds on this week's show, including a song from a favorite new album of mine by a band that certainly has the most adorable name: Cuddle Magic. It's a spare bit of electronic pop inspired by music from Ghana. It leans somewhere between Sylvan Esso and the Postal Service. Other spare sounds include music from Solange — an interlude that begins with her mom's thoughts on racism, which seems to inspire Solange to explore the notion of pride. We'll also hear Gillian Welch on this 20th anniversary of her album Revival, a record that was a pivot point in the '90s revival of American Roots music. --Bob Boilen

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

NPR News
Robin Hilton
Robin Hilton is the Senior Podcast Producer for NPR Music and hosts the New Music Friday episodes of All Songs Considered. He is also a composer and multi-instrumentalist whose original scores have appeared in podcasts, films, radio programs and other works. He arranged and performed the theme for NPR's Weekend All Things Considered and composed and performed its elections coverage theme. You can hear more of his music here.
Bob Boilen
In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.