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NPR News

New Mix: Deafheaven, Tim Hecker, John Grant And More

NPR | By Robin Hilton,
Bob Boilen, Catherine Zhang
Published July 10, 2018 at 11:56 AM EDT
Clockwise from upper left: Deafheaven, Flasher, Wet, John Grant, Tim Hecker
Courtesy of the artists
Clockwise from upper left: Deafheaven, Flasher, Wet, John Grant, Tim Hecker

Love is often presented as something easy, a matter of simply following your heart. But in actuality, it's rarely that effortless. Several of this week's songs reflect the sour, absurd, and heartrending aspects of intimacy: Wet, one of Robin's picks, mourns the fact that "love is not enough." Singer-songwriter John Grant muses on its absurdity in his darkly comical "Love Is Magic." The episode's closer, black metal band Deafheaven, communicates their feelings most viscerally with a jarring, gruesome refrain. Deafheaven's new album, the aptly-titled Ordinary Corrupt Human Love, is available to stream on our website as part of our First Listen series until its release on July 13.

Also on the program: the classic guitar rock of Montreal singer Michael Rault, the urgent music of D.C. post-punk band Flasher, and the glitchy, atmospheric electronics of Tim Hecker. Plus, a happy National Sugar Cookie Day to Robin Hilton.

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.
Catherine Zhang