New Music To Know This Week: Caroline Polachek Paints A Masterpiece, Gold Child Rocks Us Gently & More
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.
Caroline Polachek "Door"
Some artists on are on a different trip, and Caroline Polachek (whose voice you certainly recognise from Chairlift) is living in a world of her own making. She describes this new music from her forthcoming solo project as building "landscapes for the mind." It's like she's painting brushes dripping with Surrealism and Dadaism onto a canvas most of us didn't even know was in the room. The song sounds deceptively simple with its catchy melody, but it's actually layered with echoes and atmospheric sounds. Truly, this song is a masterpiece.
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Gold Child "In Between"
She might be from Brooklyn, but the steel guitars driving this track give it an Americana feel that's part relaxing day on the seaside and part spending the evening under the stars on the ranch. There's a Linda Ronstadt-tenor to her voice, filtered through whatever vibe machine Tennis and Cults used in the golden era of bedroom indie pop from the late 2010s. The stars and the planets aligned when this song was written to make it an instant classic.
Baby Rose "Mortal"
For fans of H.E.R.'s vibe or Yola's amazing voice, or really anyone who can appreciate classic, timeless soul music, please jump on this Baby Rose track. Her voice is everything — it will haunt you for DAYS. If you're still pondering the question with no answer from High Fidelity: "What came first, the music or the misery?...Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?" This song has the answer.
Jae Stephens "2019"
If you want a quick masterclass in harmonies, give Jae Stephens a listen. This song is layers on layers on layers of vocal tracks that must have taken hours to work together. Since Stephens produced, wrote, and performed it herself, she clearly had a vision in mind and did not take shortcuts to get there. Technically, it's an impressive feat. And it's a treat for the ears.
Petite Meller "Aeroplane"
French pop is getting the reinvigoration it deserves with this bop from Petite Meller. There are elements of African instrumentation here, laid under a driving pop beat and something of the upbeat sound Uffie loves, minus the anti-social attitude. If anything, it's almost a rap because of the speed but...not, because the cadence is more of a chant. At any rate, it's a refreshing summer treat.