Panda Bear’s ‘Sinister Grift’ is a self-assured, midlife joyride
Noah Lennox of Animal Collective has made a few 21st century classics performing solo under his Panda Bear moniker. Records like Person Pitch and Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper were dizzying affairs filled to the brim with ideas.
On his new album, Lennox glides through different sonic textures with ease.
“If the thing feels good, I just sort of let it ride in a way that maybe I didn’t so much in the past,” he says.
In this session, Panda Bear talks about making Sinister Grift; working with longtime friend and Animal Collective bandmate Deakin; and why you might have to open your wallet if you want to hire your daughter to perform on your album.
Plus, we’ll hear live performances from Panda Bear recorded in Spain.
This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Miguel Perez. Our senior producer is Kimberly Junod and our engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.
His brother’s mental illness isolated his family. Now he’s helping other caregivers
When it comes to serious mental illness, family caregivers are crucial partners. But often, they must fend for themselves. A new solution offers them support.
Out with the mayo: How Ukrainians reclaim holiday food
For many people from former Soviet countries, New Year's is a big holiday feast time. A Ukrainian restaurant in Washington gives NPR a taste of what's on the menu.
Farmers are about to pay a lot more for health insurance
Tariffs, inflation, and other federal policies have battered U.S. farmers' bottom lines. Now many farmers say the expiration of federal health care subsidies will make their coverage unaffordable.
50 wonderful things from 2025
Each year, critic Linda Holmes looks back on the year and compiles a list of the things that brought her joy.
Why do we make New Year’s resolutions? A brief history of a long tradition
One of the earliest mentions of New Year's resolutions appeared in a Boston newspaper in 1813. But the practice itself can be traced back to the Babylonians.
Judge orders new trial for Alabama woman sentenced to 18 years in prison after stillbirth
Lee County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Tickal vacated Brooke Shoemaker’s 2020 conviction for chemical endangerment of a child resulting in death. Tickal said Shoemaker's attorneys presented credible new evidence that the infection caused the stillbirth.
