NPR's favorite music of August, from rocking goats to swamp pop
The best music released in August features (from top left, clockwise) Tomu DJ, Eli Winter, The Alchemist, Tommy McLain, The Mountain Goats, Julia Jacklin, Roc Marciano. Courtesy of the artists hide caption
The best music released in August features (from top left, clockwise) Tomu DJ, Eli Winter, The Alchemist, Tommy McLain, The Mountain Goats, Julia Jacklin, Roc Marciano.
Courtesy of the artistsIt's been a minute since a Mountain Goats record really rocked. Bleed Out takes inspiration from and channels old-school action movies for a set of songs where punches fly, legs kick and stuff explodes, but, you know, Mountain Goats-style. We open the show with a bang as "Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome" pumps our veins full of blood.
NPR Music's Sheldon Pearce, Marissa Lorusso, Daoud Tyler-Ameen, Ann Powers and Stephen Thompson join host Lars Gotrich as they share the best music they heard in the month of August. We also discuss Roc Marciano and The Alchemist's team-up, Tomu DJ's unexpected electronics, Julia Jacklin's disarming lyrics, Eli Winter's wide-eyed guitar music and Tommy McLain's first album in over 40 years.
All that, plus a lightning round of picks the panel couldn't stop listening to. Let's also mention some major drops: Traumazine by Megan Thee Stallion, Vortex by Terence Etc., Heavy Rocks by Boris and Outsiders by Anna Tivel.
Featured Tracks and Artists:
1. The Mountain Goats: "Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome" from Bleed Out
2. Roc Marciano & The Alchemist: "JJ Flash" from The Elephant Man's Bones
3. Tomu DJ: "Optimistic" from Half Moon Bay
4. Julia Jacklin, "Ignore Tenderness" from Pre Pleasure
5. Eli Winter: "Dayenu" from Eli Winter
6. Tommy McLain: "Somebody" from I Ran Down Every Dream
Our panel's additional recommendations for August:
- Young Nudy, EA Monster
- Diamanda Galás, Broken Gargoyles
- Quinn Christopherson, "Celine"
- Danger Mouse & Black Thought, Cheat Codes
- Eight, Delight in Eight