Emo rapper and singer iann dior, pianist Simone Dinnerstein, Americana singer-songwriter Aoife O'Donovan and more land on this week's shortlist for the best new releases out on Jan. 21. Featured Albums: 1. iann dior — on to better thingsFeatured Songs: "V12" and "hopeless romantic"2. Che Noir — Food For ThoughtFeatured Song: "Communion"3. Simone Dinnerstein — UndersongFeatured Songs: Erik Satie's "Gnossienne No. 3" and Philip Glass' "Mad Rush"4. Aoife O'Donovan — Age of ApathyFeatured Song: "Sister Starling" 5. Jana Horn — OptimismFeatured Song: "Optimism"6. Tanya Tagaq — TonguesFeatured Songs: "Earth Monster" and "Colonizer"Other notable releases for Jan. 21:Aurora - The Gods We Can TouchBoris — WBoy Harsher — The Runner (Original Soundtrack)Jake Xerxes Fussell — Good and Green AgainJanis Ian — The Light at the End of the LinePedro the Lion — HavasuYoung T & Bugsey — Truth Be Told

All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tracks, including one from Hadestown creator Anaïs Mitchell, Frank Turner's dream-inspired ode to his late friend, Scott Hutchison and more.Featured Tracks And Artists:1. Frank Turner: "A Wave Across A Bay," from FTHC2. Anaïs Mitchell: "On Your Way (Felix Song)," from Anaïs Mitchell3. Janis Ian: "Better Times Will Come," from The Light at the End of the Line4. Midlake: "Bethel Woods," from For The Sake of Bethel Woods5. Shamir: "Reproductive," from Heterosexuality6. Keeley Forsyth: "I Stand Alone," from Limbs

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include FKA Twigs' CAPRISONGS, SICK! from Earl Sweatshirt, joyful singalongs from The Lumineers and more.Featured Albums: 1. FKA Twigs — CAPRISONGSFeatured Songs: "papi bones" and "track girl interlude"2. Earl Sweatshirt — SICK!Featured Song: "God Laughs"3. The Lumineers — BrightsideFeatured Song: "Where We Are"4. Bonobo — FragmentsFeatured Song: "Rosewood"5. Cordae — From A Birds Eye ViewFeatured Song: "Champagne Glasses"6. Linying — There Could Be Wreckage HereFeatured Song: "Faith"Other notable releases for Jan. 14: Blood Red Shoes — GHOSTS ON TAPE; Broken Social Scene — Old Dead Young; Cat Power — Covers; Elvis Costello and The Imposters — The Boy Named If.

All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tracks of the week, along with NPR Music's curator of the weird and loud, Lars Gotrich.Featured Artists And Tracks:1. Kae Tempest: "More Pressure," from The Line Is A Curve2. Pigeon Pit: "Empties," from Feather River Canyon Blues3. Souk: "Sooner or Later," from Souk Demo4. Basia Bulat: "The Garden," from The Garden5. Barrie: "Quarry," from Barbara6. The Smile: "You Will Never Work In Television Again" (Single)7. Yard Act: "Rich," from The Overload

Our friends at NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast take a look Spotify's annual end-of-year event, and viral sensation, 'Wrapped.' In 2019 the service started pairing its year-end listening data with eye-catching and extremely shareable graphics. But, when the algorithm curates so much of our listening experience... are we just creating a perpetual feedback loop?