New Mix: The Monkees, Esmé Patterson, Adia Victoria, Matt The Electrician, More

On this week's episode we've got one of the sunniest bands of all time, mesmerizing music from the Sahara and an elegy to growing old.

Co-host Robin Hilton gets things started with a sweetly sad song from Matt The Electrician, a pop-folk singer based in Austin who no longer has anything to do with his own hands, while host Bob Boilen follows with Esmé Patterson, a singer with roots in folk music and a new album that stretches into the world of gritty rock.

Also on the show: The Monkees celebrate the band's 50th anniversary with a new album that includes the bubbly pop song "You Bring The Summer;" singer Adia Victoria sings sultry blues with a distinctive voice and the Algerian band Imarhan has an incredible debut album of Tuareg music.

But before we get to any music, Bob explains how he ended up flat on his back on a train platform.