All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best albums out Oct. 10

October 10, 2025

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  • The episode of *All Songs Considered*, "New Music Friday: The best albums out Oct. 10," featured guest host Rodney Carmichael and Celia Gregory from WNXP discussing new releases, starting with a tribute to Patti Smith's *Horses* 50th anniversary. 
  • Madi Diaz's new album *Fatal Optimist* is highlighted as the stripped-down, cathartic conclusion to her heartbreak trilogy, while Princess Nokia's *Girls* is praised for balancing intense confrontation of the patriarchy with celebratory, pop-influenced tracks. 
  • The discussion covered a diverse range of new music, including the lush, jubilant heartbreak record *Ace* by Madison Cunningham and Makaya McCraven's 20-track, live improvisation-based jazz/hip-hop fusion project *Off The Record*. 

Segments

Intro and Patti Smith Anniversary
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(00:00:19)
  • Key Takeaway: Rodney Carmichael is guest hosting the All Songs Considered episode focusing on new music from October 10th.
  • Summary: Rodney Carmichael, filling in for Stephen Thompson, welcomes Celia Gregory from WNXP to discuss the week’s new albums. The show opens by celebrating the 50th anniversary of Patti Smith’s 1975 LP Horses. Celia Gregory cites “Gloria” as her favorite track from Horses, appreciating Smith’s snarl and extra verses.
Madi Diaz’s Fatal Optimist
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(00:02:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Madi Diaz’s Fatal Optimist is the final entry in her heartbreak trilogy, written in total isolation and featuring a very bare, acoustic sound.
  • Summary: Madi Diaz’s Fatal Optimist is described as the most bare and spare work from the artist, focusing heavily on her voice and acoustic guitar. The album tracks her moving through heartbreak, culminating in the title track, which is the only up-tempo song with fuller instrumentation, suggesting rebirth.
Princess Nokia’s Girls Album
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(00:07:51)
  • Key Takeaway: Princess Nokia’s Girls balances calling out oppressors and confronting the patriarchy with tracks dedicated to partying and celebrating womanhood.
  • Summary: Rodney Carmichael provided context on Princess Nokia’s history of embracing Afro-indigenous lineage and tackling the gender binary, noting that Girls mixes hip-hop with pop and EDM vibes. Celia Gregory highlighted tracks like “Medusa” and “Period Blood” for speaking hard truths, while noting the production remains musically pretty.
WNXP Station Update
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(00:15:47)
  • Key Takeaway: WNXP in Nashville is approaching its fifth birthday (founded November 30, 2020) and is now 100% listener-funded.
  • Summary: Celia Gregory shared that WNXP is celebrating its upcoming fifth birthday, having launched in late 2020. The station is thriving and remains 100% listener-funded, hosting special events like shows with Cuko and Jose Gonzalez.
Madison Cunningham’s Ace
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(00:17:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Madison Cunningham’s Ace is a jubilant heartbreak record, lushly arranged with strings and woodwinds, contrasting with Madi Diaz’s sparser approach.
  • Summary: Madison Cunningham’s Ace is characterized as a jubilant heartbreak record, featuring lush instrumentation that gives it a musical theater quality. The album showcases her dexterity as a guitarist and features varied styles, ranging from Beatles-esque to Nickel Creek-like folk.
Makaya McCraven’s Off The Record
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(00:21:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Makaya McCraven’s Off The Record consists of 20 songs created from live improvisation, intended to counter digital over-reliance and capture human, in-the-moment energy.
  • Summary: Jazz drummer Makaya McCraven released the double LP Off The Record, which blends jazz with diasporic elements from hip-hop and folk music. The project was intentionally recorded as live improvisation to amplify a wild, human experience, rewarding those who purchase the physical vinyl.
Mobb Deep’s Infinite Release
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(00:27:20)
  • Key Takeaway: Mobb Deep’s Infinite is the duo’s final album, featuring never-before-heard stockpiled vocals from the late Prodigy, co-produced by Havoc and The Alchemist.
  • Summary: The release of Infinite marks the first Mobb Deep project since Prodigy’s death in 2017 and is confirmed by Havoc to be their last album. The tracks utilize stockpiled, unreleased Prodigy verses, co-produced by Havoc and The Alchemist, resulting in a seamless sound that avoids feeling like a stitched-together posthumous release.
Lightning Round Recommendations
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(00:32:01)
  • Key Takeaway: NPR colleagues recommended NoSo’s When Are You Leaving? celebrating new identity, Jason’s collaborative indie rock Belong, Amber Mark’s sunny Pretty Idea, Black Eyes’ chaotic Hostile Design, and Gabriel Kahane’s Heirloom concerto.
  • Summary: Celia Gregory highlighted NoSo’s When Are You Leaving? as a documentation of personal transition. Hazel Sills recommended Jason’s Belong, noting strong features from Haley Williams and Jim Adkins. Sheldon Pierce favored Amber Mark’s warm, focused Pretty Idea, while Lars Gottrich praised Black Eyes’ heavy, weird return with Hostile Design.