NPR Music ....

ALL SONGS CONSIDERED Song Premiere: The Avett Brothers, 'Another Is Waiting' From an album due out in October, "Another Is Waiting" accomplishes everything an Avetts song should: Fueled by sweet banjo strums, it's catchy, concise and sweet, with a thoughtful and subtle message about rejecting shallow pursuits and staying open to emotional connections with others. Hear this song

FIELD RECORDINGS Hanni El Khatib Gets Saved In The Desert Hanni El Khatib and his band brave sharp desert succulents, chilly temperatures and an aggressive maraca for this performance of the appropriately titled "Save Me." The Los Angeles singer-songwriter, on a break from touring, gamely strips down his loud, bluesy garage-rock sound and lets the stunning backdrop of Joshua Tree National Park provide the drama. Watch this video

FIRST LISTEN First Listen: Julianna Barwick, 'Nepenthe' Barwick takes small vocal phrases and bits of instrumentation, samples them and loops them impeccably to create a sound that tentatively recalls the impossible lushness of Enya when it's not fanning out into sounds that can be experimental, spare, artful and alluring. Stream this album

SUMMER BOOKS Of Ingenuity And Insane Clown Posse: 5 Books On Music For What's Left Of Summer A lengthy interview with Leonard Bernstein. One man's quest to understand obsessive Phish fandom. A look at the life of a jazz legend. We survey these and other highlights of music-themed books worth reading this summer. Get this list