Albini led the abrasive underground rock bands Big Black and Shellac and recorded — by his own estimate — thousands of albums, including classics like Nirvana's In Utero and Pixies' Surfer Rosa.

Madlib's music feels like a magic trick. On this edition of 8 Tracks, we bow down to Madlib's mastery, plus check out new music by Charly Bliss, Fana Hues and reminisce on an old Ted Leo record.

A few years ago, Jon Bon Jovi stopped performing due to a vocal cord injury. The Hulu docuseries Thank You, Goodnight offers a career retrospective, plus a view of his surgery and return to the stage.

"I'm not playing with persona," St. Vincent says of All Born Screaming. "It's a really a record about life and death and love. That's it. That's all we got."

Redbone's hit cracked the Billboard Top 5 this month in 1974. It was a first for a band with all Native and Mexican American members — but the song itself had a quietly political message, too.

Thursday's first song in 13 years leads off this edition of 8 Tracks, which we'll have to call 10 Tracks because there's been too much good music lately.

What do New Jazz Underground, Black Sabbath and Remi Wolf have in common? According to NPR Music producer Lars Gotrich, they put out the best tracks of the week.

What would you do if your favorite artist stared you down and asked for the truth? On this 8 Tracks: Michael Knott, Rapsody and Tierra Whack offer mirrors to themselves and to anyone listening.

An entire industry wouldn't exist without him, yet few know his name. In his songs, Knott challenged the faithful to examine their faults and hypocrisies.

The film and TV composer talks about his second solo album, plus scoring hit shows like The Midnight Gospel.

The artist's radically inventive new album produced with Justin Raisen plays like an apt distillation of what it's like to live right now.

You, a Pisces full of wisdom, have discovered a new song that lights up your soul. This week on 8 Tracks: Mild to wild obsessions with SZA, Bat for Lashes and Alice Coltrane.

Recent songs by Maggie Rogers and Kacey Musgraves took NPR Music's Lars Gotrich back to a familiar sound and ethos. On this edition of 8 Tracks, we dream up a Lilith Fair lineup.

The cassette is not only a tool of communication but also one of creation. This week on 8 Tracks, NPR Music's Lars Gotrich celebrates new music released on his favorite format.

Gibbons returns with a solo album, Lives Outgrown, and a song that wonders beyond this life. On this week's 8 Tracks, NPR Music's Lars Gotrich listens to songs that explore what happens next.