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New Mix: Pedro The Lion, boygenius, Rubblebucket, And More

Clockwise from upper left: Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus as boygenius, Rubblebucket, Pedro The Lion and PAVVLA
Courtesy of the artists
Clockwise from upper left: Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus as boygenius, Rubblebucket, Pedro The Lion and PAVVLA

This week on the show, we hear from artists learning to live with the brokenness in life. In his return as Pedro The Lion, David Bazan looks back at his first shaky chance at independence while learning to ride a yellow bike. After a career on the road, he traces the loneliness that's followed him to that pivotal moment, feeling "that little ache inside." Meanwhile, Melbourne's Quivers comes out of a tragic loss with an anthem for living through pain: "All my best friends are broken. All the best people are."

Also on the show: Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers join Lucy Dacus as boygenius to plumb a deep break in the foundation of an imbalanced relationship; Barcelona's PAVVLA writes a song that questions the precarious normalcy of life and, pushing through warped production, finds a new appreciation for how fleeting everything can be; and after struggling with cancer, alcoholism and heartbreak, Rubblebucket returns with a celebratory blast of chaotic horns.

But first, at 92 and still smiling, Bob Boilen's mother deserves this shoutout: Happy Birthday, Buzzy. This week's songs are a great reminder that whatever pain we carry through our lives, we can't forget to celebrate life itself.

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

Robin Hilton is a producer and co-host of the popular NPR Music show All Songs Considered.
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.