Music & Culture

David Lynch doesn't do a lot of interviews. The Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive creator usually just lets his work speak for itself. But he was excited to talk to Rachel about his new album coming out this summer, Cellophane Memories. And he also was game to dive into his love for transcendental meditation, a fateful childhood psychosomatic illness and a memorable encounter with a Buddha statue.

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For a seventh straight week, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department rules the Billboard 200. On the singles chart, Eminem references both the Steve Miller Band and his own past glory.

To mark the halfway point of 2024, Felix Contreras, Anamaria Sayre and NPR Culture Desk producer Isabella Gomez Sarmiento run down their favorite releases of the year so far, from a career-defining release from Nathy Peluso, a leveling up from Argentina rapper Trueno, introspective jazz from Melissa Aldana and so much more.
Songs featured in this episode:

•Trueno, "Tranky Funky"
•Kali Uchis, "Dame Beso //Muévete"
•Lau Noah ft. Gaby Moreno, "Aunque Suene Bonito"
•Carlos Ares, "Amigo"
•Angelica Garcia, "Gemini"
•Melissa Aldana, "I Know You Know"
•Nathy Peluso, "Legendario"
•Reyna Tropical, "Cartagena"
•Daymé Arocena (feat. Vicente García), "A Fuego Lento"
•Akapellah (feat. Al2 El Aldeano, Faker), "Ni Con Money"
•The Marias, "Run Your Mouth"
•Grupo Frontera, "Me Hizo Un Favor"
•Alvaro Diaz, Feid, "Gatitas Sandungueras Vol. 1"

To mark the halfway point of 2024, Felix Contreras, Anamaria Sayre and NPR Culture Desk producer Isabella Gomez Sarmiento run down their favorite releases of the year so far, from a career-defining release from Nathy Peluso, a leveling up from Argentine rapper Trueno, introspective jazz from Melissa Aldana and so much more.
Songs featured in this episode:

•Trueno, "Tranky Funky"
•Kali Uchis, "Dame Beso //Muévete"
•Lau Noah ft. Gaby Moreno, "Aunque Suene Bonito"
•Carlos Ares, "Amigo"
•Angelica Garcia, "Gemini"
•Melissa Aldana, "I Know You Know"
•Nathy Peluso, "Legendario"
•Reyna Tropical, "Cartagena"
•Daymé Arocena (feat. Vicente García), "A Fuego Lento"
•Akapellah (feat. Al2 El Aldeano, Faker), "Ni Con Money"
•The Marias, "Run Your Mouth"
•Grupo Frontera, "Me Hizo Un Favor"
•Alvaro Diaz, Feid, "Gatitas Sandungueras Vol. 1"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler, with editorial support from Hazel Cills. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

The Roots bandleader says hearing The Sugarhill Gang's 1980 hit felt like a paradigm shift: "Suddenly they start talking in rhythmic poetry and we didn't know what to make of it."