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.
King Princess "Cheap Queen"
We stand a cheap queen. If you, like me, have been eagerly anticipating the debut album from King Princess, then please help yourself to a long listen to her first single from it. It's the antithesis of a song of summer; instead, it's a cool drink of water. Of course it is — no one is cooler than King Princess right now.
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Sleater-Kinney "Hurry on Home"
I can't even begin to explain what a huge effect Sleater-Kinney's music has had on me or how much it means. So, I love to see them back together and working with St. Vincent as their producer on a new LP. And this song does not disappoint: it's fire.
Kimmortal "Sad Femme Club"
This song speaks to me and it should speak to you as well. Lyrically it touches on so many issues that I, along with so many women, encounter every day. Musically, her flow and the chorus remind me so strongly of MC Lyte — and that's not a good thing, it's a great thing. And hey: you are enough.
Nasty Cherry "What Do You Like In Me"
You got me Nasty Cherry. You dropped a song that is exactly my aesthetic and I'm obsessed. It's part crying on the dancefloor, part goth, part heavenly slow jam — and that adds up to a whole lot of excellence. Move over The Craft, let's make room for this shade of darkness.
Tove Lo "Glad He's Gone"
And another one that speaks to my soul this week: Tove Lo nails how I feel about too many exes with her new song. While the man/woman dynamic has driven countless great songs in history, far too few have called dues a bitch or talked about how women too frequently give up their confidence for a dude's ego — not to mention, set aside friendships. Consider it a masterclass in why the representation of women in songwriting matters.