The Best of Car Talk

This week, Foo Fighters releases its latest project, Sonic Highways. Why "project" rather than album? Sonic Highways is more than just eight new songs. It's also an eight-part documentary currently running on HBO. Together, the album and film series look at the intersection of geography and music. It's what Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl calls a love letter to the history of American music. The band wrote and recorded each song in a different city...

It's been more than 40 years since singer Bryan Ferry started making some of the freshest, most original rock music of the early 1970s in the band Roxy Music. Ferry was 26 years old when the group formed in 1971, but his unexpectedly mature croon was a potent counterpoint to the glam and eerie electronic rock the group made. Later, as a solo artist, Ferry found entry points to cover both '60s rock hits and standards from the 1930s. His music has been a combination of all those things ever since...

It's been more than 40 years since singer Bryan Ferry started making some of the freshest, most original rock music of the early 1970s in the band Roxy Music. Ferry was 26 years old when the group formed in 1971, but his unexpectedly mature croon was a potent counterpoint to the glam and eerie electronic rock the group made. Later, as a solo artist, Ferry found entry points to cover both '60s rock hits and standards from the 1930s. His music has been a combination of all those things ever since...

It's been more than 40 years since singer Bryan Ferry started making some of the freshest, most original rock music of the early 1970s in the band Roxy Music. Ferry was 26 years old when the group formed in 1971, but his unexpectedly mature croon was a potent counterpoint to the glam and eerie electronic rock the group made. Later, as a solo artist, Ferry found entry points to cover both '60s rock hits and standards from the 1930s. His music has been a combination of all those things ever since...

On this week's All Songs Considered, Robin Hilton shares the first single from Belle & Sebastian's upcoming album, Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance, out Jan. 20. If they're looking for it, "The Party Line" would give those girls what they want — it's a surprisingly bouncy song from the veteran Scottish band. Bob Boilen's week was devoted to the CMJ Music Marathon, where he saw more than 60 bands perform. You can hear songs by ten of his favorite discoveries from the New York-based festival here...

On this week's All Songs Considered, Robin Hilton shares the first single from Belle & Sebastian's upcoming album, Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance, out Jan. 20. If they're looking for it, "The Party Line" would give those girls what they want — it's a surprisingly bouncy song from the veteran Scottish band. Bob Boilen's week was devoted to the CMJ Music Marathon, where he saw more than 60 bands perform. You can hear songs by ten of his favorite discoveries from the New York-based festival here...

The band Sleater-Kinney (Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker, Janet Weiss) is back together, and we're all pretty excited at All Songs Considered! After an eight-year hiatus, and nearly ten years since releasing their last album, Carrie and company have announced a new, upcoming record and a brand new song called "Bury Our Friends." The album, No Cities To Love, is due out Jan. 20...

The band Sleater-Kinney (Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker, Janet Weiss) is back together, and we're all pretty excited at All Songs Considered! After an eight-year hiatus, and nearly ten years since releasing their last album, Carrie and company have announced a new, upcoming record and a brand new song called "Bury Our Friends." The album, No Cities To Love, is due out Jan. 20...

The band Sleater-Kinney (Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker, Janet Weiss) is back together, and we're all pretty excited at All Songs Considered! After an eight-year hiatus, and nearly ten years since releasing their last album, Carrie and company have announced a new, upcoming record and a brand new song called "Bury Our Friends." The album, No Cities To Love, is due out Jan. 20...

Host Bob Boilen kicks off this week's show with a buzzing song from Toronto-based The Rural Alberta Advantage's new album, Mended With Gold. Inspired by the track's killer percussion, Robin Hilton shares the neurotic, upbeat "Paradise Girls" from Deerhoof's upcoming album La Isla Bonita, out Nov. 3. Alt. Latino's Felix Contreras joins Bob and Robin in the studio to discuss Helado Negro, an artist who caught Bob's attention opening for Sinkane earlier this month...