New Music Friday: The best albums out Aug. 28

NPR Music

NPR Music's New Music Friday episode highlights the best albums released on August 28, featuring deep dives into Mastodon's 'Marrow Deep', M

Key takeaways

• Mastodon's 'Marrow Deep' marks their first album in five years following the departure and death of guitarist Brent Hines, introducing new members with intense, varied metal soundscapes.
• Mike D's solo project 'Thank You' reflects a nostalgic, homegrown creative energy, blending EDM, dub, and drum and bass influences with familial collaboration from his sons.

Main topics

• New music releases on August 28
• Mastodon's return after lineup changes

Notable quotes

Mastodon is like quiet riot, pushing the gravel.

It's not just stripping paint here. There are really catchy rock songs.

Conclusion

The episode celebrates a rich, diverse week of new music with veteran artists and

Transcript preview

Speaker 7 (0:00) This message comes from the NPR Wine Club, which has generated over $1.75 million to support NPR. Whether buying a few bottles or joining the club, learn more at nprwineclub.org slash podcast. Must be 21 or older to purchase. Speaker 3 (0:23) Happy Friday, everyone, from NPR Music. It's New Music Friday. I'm Stephen Thompson. Every week on New Music Friday, we talk to a different member of the NPR Music Network. And today, August 28th, we are here with Sean Carlin of WBJB's Alt-Rock Radio in New Jersey. Welcome to the show, Sean. Hello there, and thanks for having me on board. Yeah, it is a pleasure to have you. There is a lot going on this week. As we record this, we have just... received the news that Dolly Parton has died. I'm sure by the time this episode airs, everyone listening will have heard many, many remembrances. I'm sure those will be far more considered. than our initial shock and sadness. But we didn't want this occasion to go by without acknowledging Dolly Parton. Absolutely. Incredible life, her incredible career. You really, you know, Shana, you and I were kind of saying, you know, before we started recording, there just really aren't very many famous people left who would have as close to a 100 % approval rating as Dolly Parton had. Speaker 2 (1:28) Right. Basically somebody that everybody without qualification just loves. So that's a loss. Yeah, Speaker 3 (1:34) it's Speaker 2 (1:34) a Speaker 3 (1:34) huge loss. And, you know, I was just commiserating with my colleagues upstairs about how we never got to bring her to the tiny desk. And, you know, it's just incredible when an artist has been around for as long as Dolly Parton was around and they still leave you wanting more. Speaker 2 (1:48) That Speaker 3 (1:49) in and of itself is just an absolutely remarkable legacy. And her last album was a rock album. And her last album was a rock album, and I hope there's more in the vault. I wouldn't be shocked to find out. I agree. Yeah. She never stopped working, and bless her. I mean, boy, her memory is a blessing. Mm-hmm. Agreed. You know, can't say really more than that, at least at this time. We did want to acknowledge this is a really, really busy week for new music. Yeah. We, you know, I always say at the end of each show, we couldn't possibly get to everything that's out today. But this is a really big one. And one of the reasons it's a really big one, Sean, is that today, August 28th, is the last day. of eligibility for the 2027 Grammys. Ah, it all becomes crystal clear. It sure does. So you get a sense, kind of listening to these records, we got a lot of veteran artists this week, a lot of Grammy favorites this week, kind of trying to slip those big records under the wire at the last minute. So if you're wondering why there are so many big ones, that is one indication why. And Sean, we couldn't even, we didn't even get access to the new album by Erykah Badu and The Alchemists. The album title has been so fluid that I don't want to say it out loud lest I get it wrong. But the first single, Witch Doctor, is terrific. Erykah Badu made all these classic neo-soul records. And then her output has really slowed down. I mean, she put out a mixtape in 2015, but this is kind of her first full-length album since 2010. And I would imagine she's angling for Grammys, and I couldn't be happier. Speaker 3 (3:54) But like I said, it's a packed week. Let's get to it with the new album from Mastodon. Mastodon's new album is called Marrow Deep. Speaker 3 (4:58) So Mastodon, for those who don't know, is a metal band from Atlanta that formed in 2000. This is their ninth album. So these guys are veterans. They are lifers. And also they are Grammy favorites. They have been nominated for many Grammys over the years. They're a staple of the heavy metal categories. They have won a Grammy. And this is their first album in five years. During that time, their lead guitarist Brent Hines left the band and a few months later died in a motorcycle accident. So there have been some kind of lineup changes for Mastodon, which is not typical of them. They've generally been a very sturdy and steady lineup. Here they introduce a new guitarist by the name of Nick Johnston, as well as a keyboardist named Joao Nogueira. And Sean, this record is just... non-stop 65 minutes of just like roaring, blood-curdling, kick-ass metal, but with a lot of variation along the way. Speaker 2 (5:59) It'll take the paint off of your... off of anything you choose to expose it to. But, you know, Mastodon remind me of that, the announcer that they used for concerts, for metal concerts back in the day, where they'd go, they'd say, quiet riot, and they'd really, you know, just... push the gravel. Speaker 1 (6:18) Crocus! Speaker 2 (6:20) And, you know, they'd do that, and it was just funny toward the end of the 80s as they were kind of going out of step with the times and starting to say things like, Morrissey! But I think their time has returned because we have a new Mastodon album, and they're going to be touring, I'm sure. Speaker 3 (6:36) Yeah, and, you know, in this record, I mean, Mastodon is a metal band, and if you don't think of yourself as a metalhead... There are entry points here. Good places to start if you're metal curious. The song Snakes for Dinner, which was kind of the lead single from this record, features Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age on guest vocals. It's got this kind of sick keyboard solo. It's a metal song, but it's also a rock song. And if you were kind of wondering about the fate of rock and roll, if you're one of those people who sort of like, whatever happened to just like kick-ass rock and roll, Mastodon... isn't just stripping paint here. There are really catchy rock songs. Speaker 3 (7:45) You know, it's interesting. You know, I referenced Hines, you know, having left the band and subsequently died, bringing in a new guitarist. Well, that's scary. Nick Johnston, they put him to work. They give him a workout here. You take a song like They're Coming For You, which, you know, not only slaps pretty hard, but it gives Nick Johnston a canvas on which to just unleash these thick, chunky guitar riffs on top of guitar riffs. in just this like epic stadium filling kind of way. That is Mastodon. Their new album is called Marrow Deep. Next up, a new album from Mike D of the Beastie Boys and his new band, Mike D 5D. The album is called Thank You. Speaker 3 (10:09) So as I said a moment ago, this is the first solo record from Mike D of the Beastie Boys. Though it's not technically a solo record, this is his new band. The members of this band include, among others, his sons, Skylar and Davis Diamond. So the Beastie Boys disbanded in 2012 upon the death of Adam Yauch, and that really kind of ended that whole project. Those guys had worked together since the 80s and didn't really see a musical way forward without. a guy who had basically become like their brother. And so it's lovely to see Mike D kind of back in this realm with the first music he's put out in, you know, a decade and a half. Well, Speaker 2 (10:49) I think we can thank, you know, the musician's itch for that. Yeah. You know, because you do get, you know, you're quiet for a while and then you find yourself thinking about the kinds of things you'd be doing if you were still performing and then... eventually finally asking the question, why aren't I performing? Speaker 3 (11:05) And Speaker 2 (11:05) I think we have a little bit of that here, and certainly we welcome that to happen. We understand, I understand, of course, we all understand, why they would take a massive break. But at the same time, they're still people, and they've still got an itch. And here's that itch for you now. Speaker 3 (11:20) Exactly. And, you know, the sound of this record... is mostly a pretty wide departure from what I think of as the Beastie Boys sound.