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New Mix: Japanese Breakfast, Kate Tempest, Future Teens, More

Clockwise from upper left: Japanese Breakfast, Kate Tempest, Mannequin Pussy, Patio
Courtesy of the artists
Clockwise from upper left: Japanese Breakfast, Kate Tempest, Mannequin Pussy, Patio

Have you ever had Persian cotton candy? It looks like Muppet hair and tastes like pistachio — well, at least the one we ate in the studio.

We begin our show with one of the great poets of the day, Kate Tempest. The British playwright, novelist and spoken word artist has a new record coming called The Book of Traps and Lessons. We play "Firesmoke," a song dedicated to her lover. We also have new music from Japanese Breakfast, and as NPR Music's Marissa Lorusso tells us, the entire song was written and recorded by Michelle Zauner in a hotel in Bali.

NPR Music's Lyndsey McKenna brings us music from Mannequin Pussy and a song about what happens on the downside of romance, called "Drunk II." Lyndsey also brings us "Emotional Bachelor" from Future Teens, a band that calls its style "Boston bummer pop." And I have the shortest song in recent memory from a new trio I love called Patio. This 1:35-minute gem takes inspiration from a dream and features the winning line, "I think I'm gonna go home and listen to Washer / Instead of spending any more time with you."

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.
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