Ever since my first job at MTV working as a music programmer, I can't stop trying to match 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.
Dana Williams "Holiday"
Oh were you looking for a nice smooth, slow summer jam to kick off your Summer 2019 Vibes playlist? Found it for you. Williams has one of those jazz-influenced voices (for real, you heard it in Whiplash) that is just so easy to listen to. Paired with a drum-forward (another nod to jazz) production touched up with modern flourishes, this is the hazy days of summer track I'll be bumping until about October.
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Lauran Hibberd "Hoochie"
All the stuff you loved about Weezer on those first two albums (the only good ones, don't @ me) is exactly what's lovable about Hibberd: the crunchy sound with quirky guitar parts, the hilarious and dryly delivered lyrics, the IRONY. Hibberd knows hoochie means slut in '90s speak...and that's why she named her hamster, as well as this song, that. A closer listen reveals that the hoochie in question is more of a douchebag who made the poor life choice of not picking Hibberd. Rude.
Grace Gillespie "I'm Your Man"
One of the best things about Gillespie's track is the musical build up to the chorus. It's an homage to how Phil Spector treated his famous songs — the ones that still get stuck in your head for days — but also loaded down with a fuzzy guitar straight out of the Jesus & Mary Chain. Add that to the Leonard Cohen reference with the song title and dear god there's a lot of stuff I like about this track. But the best part is Gillespie's unique, etherial voice. Baby, she's the kind of girl I've been looking for.
Jozzy "Sucka Free"
So, you know how you got obsessed with "Old Town Road"? Part of the thanks goes to Jozzy, who wrote the Billy Ray Cyrus verse on the remix. For a song about being real, Jozzy keeps it upbeat — she loves her bop bop bops and doesn't advocate for chasing likes (easy to say when you've got Lil' Wayne on the track). It's fun, it's light, it's got that special something that will make it sound good on repeat.
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V.V. Lightbody "Baby, Honestly"
The phrasing on V.V. Lightbody's vocals in this track were what stuck me on first listen — the way she holds a bit on "baby" and the music stops, drawing the moment out with her. And then there's the step up at the end of the chorus, so unexpected! While the track is built on the floor of a bossa nova beat, it's got the vibe of a The Bird and the Bee song, with those honey-dripping vocals and the lounge-y music. Just ride this wave through spring.