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.
Waxahatchee "Fire"
If you think you know what a new Waxahatchee track is going to sound like, think again. Katie Crutchfield has gone through some major changes since the last album, including getting sober, and her music went on that journey with her. This is the first single ahead of a new album due on March 27. You have my attention.
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CocoRosie "Aloha Friday"
This third single from their forthcoming album is a sweet little lullaby that Bianca Casady says the duo wrote in Hawaii, her home state. It's got a fragility and sparseness that is utterly charming and will make you want to swing around in a slow dance — alone or with someone.
Alina Baraz "Trust"
A little something for fans of Kali Uchis and Bad Boy style production: enjoy this track from Baraz. It's a journey, switching musical styles and pulling at your synapsis like an evil psychologist who hypnotized you in a Christopher Nolan movie.
Alex the Astronaut "I Think You're Great"
For fans of Courtney Barnett and positivity: this one from Australia's Alex the Astronaut is a song we all need on our playlist. Just someone telling you that you're great, even though you mess up sometimes. And you are.
Kiana Ledé "Mad At Me."
Yes, that is the melody from Outkast's "So Fresh, So Clean" (which is Joe Simon's "Before the Night Is Over"). Yeah, she went there and it was SUCH a good call — there's an immediate familiarity that pulling a known melody like that brings but Ledé's lyrics and vocals are strong enough to match. It's a fun bop.