NPR: All Songs Considered

Songs for this Episode"Summon the Fire" by The Comet Is Coming"Weird Little Idea" by Radiator Hospital "Give A Chance" by Jesse Mac Cormack"Daylight Matters" by Cate Le Bon"House Of Angels" by Lee "Scratch" Perry"Outside" by Mormor

It's a packed release week with a whole bunch of notable albums to highlight, including the rock guitar heroics on Ex Hex's It's Real, the wistful wisdom of Jenny Lewis, Andrew Bird's "finest work yet," mind-blowing sonics from the genre-bending composers Emily Wells and Lafawndah, the German electronic artist Apparat and much more. Hosts Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson share their top picks for the best albums out on March 22 on this episode of New Music Friday. FEATURED ALBUMS: Ex Hex: It's Real; Jenny Lewis: On The Line; American Football: American Football; Lafawndah: Ancestor Boy; Andrew Bird: My Finest Work Yet; Emily Wells: This World Is Too ______ For You; Apparat: LP5; Lambchop: This (Is What I Wanted To Tell You). OTHER NOTABLE ALBUMS OUT MARCH 22: Bill McKay: Fountain Fire ; Dean Lewis: A Place We Knew ; Ibibio Sound Machine: Doko Mien ; Lucy Rose: No Words Left ; Nilufer Yanya: Miss Universe ; Rich The Kid: The World Is Yours 2 ; Strand Of Oaks: Eraserland ; Wallows: Nothings Happens

We've returned from our weeklong grind through the South by Southwest music festival happy, though a little dazed, with ringing ears, and a whole bunch of incredible discoveries. On this All Songs Considered we run through some of the most memorable music and performances, from the shredded noise rock of Rev Rev Rev and thundering soul of Yola Carter to the Afro-Cuban grooves of Cimafunk and the remarkable voice of Tamino. Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson and I each saw around 100 different shows in just a few short days, way more than we could ever share in a single episode. But you can hear more in our Late Night Dispatches from SXSW, including a playlist of songs, and the Austin 100. You can find our complete coverage of the SXSW festival here, including video highlights from our first-ever Tiny Desk Family Hour, a series of Tiny Desk alums performing at Austin's Central Presbyterian Church, including Wyclef Jean, John Paul White and more. -- Robin Hilton

With another SXSW in the books, a truncated and reconstituted All Songs Considered gang — Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson and Jessi Whitten of Colorado Public Radio — gathered late Saturday night (early Sunday morning, really) for one last joyous huddle to share notes on the day's highlights. Since Jessi wasn't on the night before, she had to share at least one major discovery from Friday: The Jazzrauch Bigband, who put on one of the best shows she'd seen in years. (On Saturday, she loved the singer who goes by the name Del Water Gap, as well as Dreamer Boy and Ings.) Bob had raves for Indigo Sparke, THERE and the ever-evolving Miya Folick, while Stephen recommended Jerusalem-based composer and looper ORI, skirts and the soul singer Celeste.

Bob Boilen, Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson regale each other with tall tales about Friday night's escapades at SXSW.