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The Magnetic Fields' '100,000 Fireflies' Sounds The Way Being Lonely Feels

Detail view of Wendy Smith's cover art for Distant Plastic Trees, The Magnetic Fields' debut album, on which the song "100,000 Fireflies" was released in 1991. Wendy Smith/Courtesy of Merge Records hide caption

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Wendy Smith/Courtesy of Merge Records

Editors' Picks

The Magnetic Fields' '100,000 Fireflies' Sounds The Way Being Lonely Feels

September 22, 2021 • Susan Anway, the singer on The Magnetic Fields' early albums, died this month. For many, her legacy is the remarkable "100,000 Fireflies," a desolate love song that finds the comfort in emptiness.

Reintroducing Matthew E. White, The Musician With A Producer's Brain

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Cameron Lewis/Courtesy of the artist

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Reintroducing Matthew E. White, The Musician With A Producer's Brain

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September 21, 2021 • On his latest album, K Bay, the singer-songwriter made music in a variety of studios and used a variety of sonic tricks.

Matthew E. White on World Cafe

42:03

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On 'The Roadside,' Billy Idol Reunites With An Old Collaborator

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Steven Sebring /Courtesy of the artist

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On 'The Roadside,' Billy Idol Reunites With An Old Collaborator

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September 20, 2021 • This month, Billy Idol released The Roadside, a four song EP made with his longtime guitarist and cowriter, Steve Stevens.

Billy Idol on World cafe

46:54

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On 'A Southern Gothic,' Adia Victoria Reckons With Her Relationship To The South

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Huy Van Nguyen/Courtesy of the artist

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On 'A Southern Gothic,' Adia Victoria Reckons With Her Relationship To The South

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September 17, 2021 • On A Southern Gothic, her third full-length album, Adia Victoria emerges as a songwriter capable of nuance and atmosphere.

Adia Victoria on World Cafe

44:41

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Love Tractor, 'I Broke My Saw (Long Version Mitch Easter Mix)'

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Love Tractor, 'I Broke My Saw (Long Version Mitch Easter Mix)'

September 17, 2021 • A new reissue uncovers Mitch Easter's original mix for Love Tractor's most popular song. The jangly rock band was featured in the Athens, Ga.: Inside/Out documentary.

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Tiny Desk (Home) Concerts

Diamante Eléctrico: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

September 17, 2021 • The Colombian indie rock band performs a colorful and funky four-song set from their home country's capital, Bogotá.

Hell Is A Teenage Girl: Olivia Rodrigo, 'Jennifer's Body' And The Joy Of Rage

Olivia Rodrigo performs "good 4 u" during the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 12, 2021. John Shearer/MTV VMAs 2021/Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS hide caption

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John Shearer/MTV VMAs 2021/Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS

Editors' Picks

Hell Is A Teenage Girl: Olivia Rodrigo, 'Jennifer's Body' And The Joy Of Rage

September 16, 2021 • Rodrigo's spiky "good 4 u" isn't just a breakup song: It inserts her into a tradition of art, including one particularly beloved cult horror film, about the right of teenage girls to get angry.

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Martina Hoffmann/Courtesy of the artist

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Cynic, 'Mythical Serpents'

September 15, 2021 • In "Mythical Serpents," tremolo-picked riffs undulate with ambient synths and aerobic drumming, billowing but never blowing up the melody, as if to sit inside and meditate on the music.

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Snail Mail, 'Valentine'

September 15, 2021 • "Valentine," the title track from Snail Mail's forthcoming sophomore album, finds a pair of lovers at circumstantial odds.

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Makthaverskan, 'This Time'

September 14, 2021 • A drum machine-beat mingles with an organic kit as a jangly guitar melody bounces through misty synths, creating a liminal space to process loss: a spiraling nightmare of regret that is oh so pretty.

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Girl K, 'Departures'

September 14, 2021 • "Departures" draws strength through its resistance to stability; the track ripples and morphs across melancholic, synth-soaked '80s melodies, rocking jam sessions and cooing vocal breakdowns.

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Mastodon, 'Pushing The Tides'

September 13, 2021 • The metal band rips once again.

Low's 'Hey What' Finds The Duo Strong And Forever Searching

The indie rock band Low released their 13th studio album, HEY WHAT, on Sept. 10. Nathan Keay/Courtesy of Sub Pop Records hide caption

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Nathan Keay/Courtesy of Sub Pop Records

Music Interviews

Low's 'Hey What' Finds The Duo Strong And Forever Searching

September 10, 2021 • Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker of Low talk with NPR's Lee Hale about their newest album HEY WHAT and how they're still finding their sound.

Low's 'Hey What' Finds The Duo Strong And Forever Searching

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Enter 'The Metallica Blacklist': St. Vincent And Jason Isbell On The Black Album

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Enter 'The Metallica Blacklist': St. Vincent And Jason Isbell On The Black Album

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September 10, 2021 • To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Metallica's beloved self-titled album, they're releasing The Metallica Blacklist: a compilation featuring more than 50 different artists covering songs from the record.

The Metallica Blacklist on World Cafe

8:29

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Pays P., 'Corps vs Cœur'

September 10, 2021 • There's a savagery and a delicacy to the Parisienne rock trio that grabs you by the scuff of the neck and plants a kiss on the cheek.

On 'Peacemeal,' Ron Gallo Embraces A Playful Pop Sound

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Dylan Reyes/Courtesy of the artist

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On 'Peacemeal,' Ron Gallo Embraces A Playful Pop Sound

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September 8, 2021 • Ron Gallo's Peacemeal is a warm and playful low-fi pop record, unafraid to be skeptical and insightful.

Ron Gallo on World Cafe

37:28

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Tasha, 'Perfect Wife'

September 7, 2021 • If "Perfect Wife" is any indication of the pleasure to be found on the Chicago artist's forthcoming sophomore album, it sounds like she's created the gentle kind of love she's been dreaming of.

Get Your Booty On The Floor. Turnstile Is Here To Help

Vocalist Brendan Yates directing the dance at Turnstile's Glow On release show at Clifton Park Bandshell in Baltimore. Farrah Skeiky for NPR hide caption

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