Music

Meeting Charley Crockett through his music, you get the sense he's the kind of guy who, in person, would shake your hand, look you straight in the eye and remember your name. Charley was raised in South Texas by a single mom whose unshakable sense of ambition and perseverance rubbed off.

All Songs Considered's Robin Hilton talks with NPR Music's Ann Powers and Stephen Thompson about the best new albums out on June 1, including the remarkable new Neko Case record Hell-On and an emotional and revealing new album from Father John Misty. Complete list below.

Featured Albums

• Neko Case, Hell-On
• Featured Track: "Last Lion of Albion"

• Father John Misty, God's Favorite Customer

Rock's not dead. They say this every few years — or months, or days — but really, the state of rock is quite strong.

Note: NPR's First Listen audio comes down after the album is released. However, you can still listen with the Spotify or Apple Music playlist at the bottom of the page.

In 1995, Bill Watterson, the author of the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, decided to end it even though it seemed like the comic was in its prime. Since then, Bill has said, "It's better to leave the party early." Belly, our guest in this session did the very same thing. The band had explosive success with the debut album Star in 1993 and was all over MTV with the hit song "Feed the Tree." Belly released the follow-up King in 1995, grabbing the cover of Rolling Stone in the spring of that year.