Keith Richards had enough of politics with Maggie Trudeau

When he visited NPR’s New York bureau to speak with Morning Edition, Keith Richards wore his reputation on his sleeve as he lit up cigarettes between questions, just inches from our very expensive microphones. Neville went over to Richards’s house with a pile of vinyl, and he filmed them talking about music and getting all fanboyish.

The tension between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards has threatened to tear the Rolling Stones asunder a few times, but it’s also driven the band to produce much of their best music – and Richards says he and his longtime partner are still throwing sparks after all these years. “Game of Thrones” was the most nominated show, with 24 nods, followed by “American Horror Story: Freak Show” with 19 and “Olive Kitteridge” with 13. Richards and his X-Pensive Winos cohorts, including co-producer Steve Jordan, also work their way through reggae (Gregory Isaacs “Love Overdue”), R&B (the defiant “Nothing On Me”), roadhouse rave-ups (“Amnesia, ” “Blues in the Morning”) and genuinely intimate tender balladry (“Robbed Blind, ” “Lovers Plea”).

The album features jazz and blues singer Norah Jones. He’s still Keef after all these years, and, thankfully, that’s still a gas, gas, gas.

Alabama, “Southern Drawl” (BMG Chrysalis): The iconic country group, now a trio, returns to active duty with its first new album in 14 years.

Black Dahlia Murder, “Abysmal” (Metal Blade): More killer death metal from the Detroit-area troupe that’s risen to the brutal heights of its chosen genre.

The 71-year-old guitarist has lived a life filled with moments like that one.

Richards said the band had been reinvigorated by its most recent US tour, where it deliberately focused on smaller cities it first played in 1960s and 70s.

The movie was originally meant to document the making of “Crosseyed Heart”, his first solo album in more than 20 years.

The septuagenarian rockers have not released an album since A Bigger Bang in 2005.

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Shinedown, “Threat To Survival” (Atlantic): The Florida rock hitmakers explore a fair amount of surprising new directions on their fifth studio album. “I’ve got a lot of new songs and songs I’ve written over the last couple of years”. (Piloor); Judy Collins, “Strangers Again” (Wildflower/Cleopatra); David Cook, “Digital Vein” (Analog Heart); Guy Davis, “Kokomo Kid” (MC); Deep Purple, “From The Setting Sunday “.