Lars Gotrich

The four original members of R.E.M. — Mike Mills, Michael Stipe, Bill Berry and Peter Bucks — reunited and performed at the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony. L. Busacca/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall of Fame hide caption

"Make It Me" sounds like Mickey Guyton's roséwave playlist come to life Joseph Lanes/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

What Luiza Brina's music communicates is beyond words: spiritual transcendence. Daniela Paoliello/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Artists like Superchunk, Neurosis, Pixies, Low, Mogwai and Joanna Newsom came to recording engineer Steve Albini when they had something righteous or defiant to proclaim. Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty hide caption

Steve Albini in his Electrical Audio studios in Chicago in 2023. John Semley/WXPN hide caption

Black Thought and Your Old Droog feature on Madlib's new track, "REEKYOD." Mathieu Bitton/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Otoboke Beaver performs a Tiny Desk concert March 25, 2024, at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C. Michael Zamora/NPR/NPR hide caption

Songwriter, out June 28, features early '90s demos by Johnny Cash with new backing tracks. Alan Messer hide caption

Thursday's first song in 13 years, "Application for Release From the Dream," is a soaring, searing return. Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images hide caption

There's a trio of fantastic records featuring drummer Jim White all out in the first half of 2024. Anna White/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Sonhos Tomam Conta roughly translates as "dreams take over," which is a perfect way to think of this samba-infused shoegaze project from São Paulo. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

New Jazz Underground pushes at the corners of hard bop and hip-hop. PETER LueDERS/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Soul Glo performs at the Tiny Desk Elizabeth Gillis/NPR hide caption

In a music scene policed by politics and faith, there was none more real than Michael Knott. Kate Gutwein Smith/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

A prolific songwriter, Michael Knott confronted his demons with both bombast and a quietly fervent spirit. Matt Wignall hide caption

Kamasi Washington's "Prologue" will give you chills of the body and thrills of the mind. B+/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Pianist and composer Kelly Moran translates her love of figure skating into the luxuriant "Butterfly Phase." YouTube hide caption

The Bat for Lashes beacon has been lit; it's shaped like a bat, of course, but somehow features an intricately woven lace pattern. Michal Pudelka/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Maggie Rogers' new song, "Don't Forget Me," is a folksy, yet fierce singalong. Erika Goldring/FilmMagic via Getty Images hide caption