After my first job at MTV working as a music programmer, I can't stop trying to matchmake people with music they might like. So, I wrote a book called Record Collecting for Girls and started interviewing musicians. The Music Concierge is a column where I share music I'm listening to that you might enjoy, with a little context. Get everything I've recommended this year on Spotify, follow me on Twitter or Facebook, and leave a comment below telling me what you're listening to this week.
Kelsey Lu "Due West"
Everyone leaves home at some point, but not without reckoning with the feeling that they're leaving their childhood, and some part of themselves, behind. Kelsey Lu addresses the specific kind of melancholy and excitement that moment in life when you set off on a new adventure to somewhere unknown can invoke. And...if I were to tell you Skrillex contributed to the production, would you be surprised? It sounds like a few of those tropical-infused tricks Diplo likes so much may have rubbed off on him and (Scottish) producer Rodaidh McDonald.
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The Regrettes "California Friends"
If you were wondering what the formula for making a video to get played on 120 Minutes circa 1991 was, the Regrettes have nailed it. While the lo-fi camcorder quality and old school square TV image ratios give it that crunchy vibe, the clothes should not be overlooked as the very thing that the Breeders or Sonic Youth would have worn. The song, though, is classic pop rock. We seem to be on a going west trend today, which is perfect for fall.
Wafia "I'm Good"
I am dead because Wafia has reached into my soul and ripped out my experiences with approximately all of my breakups for the last 10 years and turned them into a perfect song. While you're out there spinning "Thank U, Next," I will be listening to this one on repeat for another take on the breakup oeuvre. The groove on this song is truly second to none, and paired with her airy vocals, it makes for a next level conception on a classic genre of song.
The Marías & Triathalon "Drip"
If you're searching for some zen going into the weekend, this trippy track was made for your ears. I'm such a sucker for these trance-inspired beats, and I cannot stop obsessing over how the male and female voices layer over each other in this vocal arrangement. "Drip" is giving me hardcore crying on the dance floor vibes, and I love it.
Nana Adjoa "Simmer Down"
Now let's slow it all the way down and stand still while basking in Nana Adjoa's gorgeous song. The music will envelop you like a warm hug while Adjoa's lyrics make you feel like you are loved and in the safest of places. Her delivery, so unhurried and coarse, is an unexpected delight, while that piano line lilts up and down like you're being rocked towards a calm but happy ending.