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New Mix: Sufjan Stevens, Gorillaz, Perfume Genius, More

Clockwise from upper left: Sufjan Stevens with James McCalister, Perfume Genius, Gorillaz, The Family Crest
Courtesy of the artists
Clockwise from upper left: Sufjan Stevens with James McCalister, Perfume Genius, Gorillaz, The Family Crest

It's late March, which can only mean one thing: Time for my beloved Kansas Jayhawks to take a premature nosedive in the NCAA men's basketball tournament! Accordingly, we begin this week's show with an annual tradition: me whining to Bob Boilen about my deep, dark, post-tournament depression. Bob says it's madness to keep putting myself through this, but I can't stop.

Even with the cloud of defeat hanging over us (me), I managed to heave myself off of the floor long enough to hit the play button on some phenomenal new music from Perfume Genius, who has followed 2014's Too Bright with his biggest, boldest sound yet (which is really saying something). I also found comfort in the drifting, ambient sounds of Teen Daze and a profoundly moving elegy to a lost sister from the band Hippo Campus.

World Cafe host Talia Schlanger joined us from the studios at WXPN in Philadelphia to try to cheer me up with an uplifting dance-pop anthem from Gorillaz, while Bob does his best to begin the healing with a cut from Sufjan Stevens, who is collaborating with composer Nico Muhly, The National's Bryce Dessner and drummer James McAlister for a galactic project they're calling Planetarium.

Also on the show: Kevin Morby's love letter to cities and the diverse people who live there; a big, joyful sing-along from The Family Crest; and a dark and gritty guitar rock cut from Brooklyn band Alexander F. -- Robin Hilton

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.