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

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 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Robin Hilton is a producer and co-host of the popular NPR Music show All Songs Considered.
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.