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The cassette is not only a tool of communication but also one of creation. This week on 8 Tracks, NPR Music's Lars Gotrich celebrates new music released on his favorite format.

The Philadelphia bandleader didn't always connect with traditional jazz audiences, but he found a second home doing so in Baltimore. A new double album revisit a show he and his "Arkestra" gave there.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with musician Thurston Moore about his new album, "Flow Critical Lucidity."

A week after Kendrick Lamar's new album, GNX, was surprise released, it proved to be a chart phenomenon, debuting at No. 1 on the album chart and claiming the Top 5 spots on the singles chart.

Listening to the Oregon band's debut is like walking onto the set of an HBO show about fear, longing, betrayal and loneliness. Black Prairie was founded by two members of The Decemberists, and its songs evoke images of barren Midwestern landscapes. Hear Feast of the Hunter's Moon in its entirety a week prior to its release on April 6.

The Philadelphia band Dr. Dog makes the sound of tomorrow's classic rock today. The group's latest album evokes the past while still sounding new, and features crafty guitar lines alongside Dr. Dog's signature piano sound. Hear Shame, Shame in its entirety a week prior to its release on April 6.

The sheer volume of loss felt by the music world in 2020 is almost overwhelming. Here is NPR's tribute to dozens of the musicians — founders and innovators across genres — who died this year.

Heat Check salutes the 2020 Tiny Desk Contest entries that could hold their own among the worlds of R&B, hip-hop, reggae, pop and more.

Composer-bandleader Maria Schneider's The Thompson Fields and alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa's Bird Calls tie for top album honors among 147 writers and broadcasters.

Is it possible to hear the music of 2020 without getting lost in the noise? NPR Music's critic Ann Powers studies a year during which nearly everything about loving music was turned upside down.