A blockbuster month for new music
+ early album of the year contenders // playlists to follow
In the movie world, February has been coined as “dumpuary” — the time of year when studios dump their worst stuff to get it all out of the way. (Madame Web and Argylle are this year’s highest-profile dumps.)
But here in the music world, February has been a blockbuster month, with a barrage of huge singles setting the stage for the year to come. That means new songs from: Vampire Weekend! Beyoncé! Maggie Rogers! Kacey Musgraves! And even better news: they’re all stellar. Here’s a quick recap. (Of course, if you’d prefer to meet some new artists instead, keep scrolling for some lesser-known picks.)
Follow the Hear Hear playlist to listen along as you read.
“Capricorn” and “Gen-X Cops,” Vampire Weekend. Five years after the Father of the Bride tour reinvented VW as a jammy, rollicking live band, they’re back — fusing that playful experimentation with the tight, NYC-themed chamber-pop of 2013’s Modern Vampires of the City. (And there’s another big tour planned.) “Capricorn” is the instant classic of the duo, a sequel of sorts to “Step” with an equally memorable twinkling piano. “Gen-X Cops” is a grower, but its abrasive guitar wail somehow warps into something sweet and addictive. The corresponding videos set a distinct tone for the upcoming album, playing around with footage of New York in the ‘80s from photographer Steven Siegel and finding clever ways to slot in the present-day trio.
“16 CARRIAGES” and “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM,” Beyoncé. As she often does, Beyoncé took us all by surprise — dropping two tracks in the middle of the Super Bowl. Plus, they’re country songs, signaling a shift from the disco and house of 2022’s RENAISSANCE for what she’s calling Act II. There’s a lot to be said about the subtext of this pivot — for that, you can read Craig Jenkins in Vulture and Marissa Moss in Don’t Rock The Inbox. But the songs themselves are simply sublime. As Jon Pareles writes in the NYT, “16 CARRIAGES” is “an arena-country crescendo, from acoustic-guitar strum to full-band impact topped by pedal-steel guitar, along with gospel-organ underpinnings and country quavers in Beyoncé’s vocal lines.”
“Don’t Forget Me,” Maggie Rogers. “I wanted to make an album that sounded like a Sunday afternoon,” writes Rogers in a letter to fans. “An album to belt at full volume alone in your car, a trusted friend who could ride shotgun and be there when you needed her.” The first single succeeds big-time. As Chris DeVille writes for Stereogum, it’s “a bright, propulsive folk-rock track that lives up to her description for the project.”
“Deeper Well,” Kacey Musgraves. “Accompanied by an acoustic guitar that’s punctuated by ethereal water droplets,” as Boutayna Chokrane writes for Pitchfork, Musgraves glides back with a lovely new single. (And appropriately-woodsy A24-style promo photos.)
Indie rock corner!
These artists aren’t quite as widely known as the batch above — but their new songs are still a big deal to Hear Hear.
“Bored,” Waxahatchee. Continuing to build hype for the March release of Tigers Blood, “Bored” picks up the pace from the album’s lead single (“Right Back To It,” a slow-strummed duet with MJ Lenderman) with a surging beat and Katie Crutchfield’s signature sing-along howl.
“Burial Ground,” The Decemberists. The first new tune in six years from these indie vets is one of their catchiest ever, a slice of retro jangle-pop featuring extremely welcome guest vocals from The Shins’ James Mercer. While I’m not a superfan, the song inspired me to put together a mix of all their earworms that have stuck with me over the years, in chronological order from 2003 to today.
2 great albums to hear
Two Star & The Dream Police, Mk.gee. Pitchfork’s Brady Brickner-Wood has a great review serving as an intro to this 26-year-old New Jerseyan who makes a “mangled mix of pop, rock, and soul” and rose to prominence as Dijon’s guitarist. “Aside from its obvious influences—Prince, D’Angelo, the Police—Two Star’s closest contemporary analogues are Jai Paul’s Bait Ones and Bon Iver’s 22, A Million.”
Blue Rasberry, Katy Kirby. Kirby’s Cool Dry Place was one of the best albums of 2021, driven by its titular track — “full of lovingly rendered hooks that slowly unfold into a snarling, guitar jam” as Josh Terry writes in No Expectations. Her follow-up, Terry says, “feels like the most smartly rendered amalgamation of where indie rock and folk have tread over the last decade (think Andy Shauf, Lomelda, Alex G) and an enticing hint at where those genres are going.”
4 artists to know
Toby Leaman: One of Dr. Dog’s lead singers has released a solo EP that fans of the band will love. [Listen to: “Spooked By The Kooks” + “7th Seal”]
Bnny: Another emerging indie rock band working with producer Alex Farrar at Asheville studio Drop of Sun. [Listen to: “Good Stuff”]
Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners: A rising band in the mountain-folk space of Mt. Joy // Caamp // Noah Kahan, with a particularly sharp and vibrant sound. [Listen to: “Northstar”+ “Signal Sender” + “Evergreen”]
Tierra Whack: Eclectic, poppy hip-hop from an artist with a singular vision, prepping her follow-up to 2018’s excellent Whack World. [Listen to: “27 CLUB” + “SHOWER SONG” + “Chanel Pit”]
4 playlists to keep up with the best songs of 2024
I often get asked how I keep up with so much music and the answer is usually: following other people’s playlists! These four are highly recommended if you’re looking for a way to stay up-to-date with the best new releases. (I sort them all by “Date Added.”)
They’re all embedded here, from the essential blog Gorilla vs. Bear and curators Matt Perpetua, Josh Terry, and Patrick Mahan. (Plus, here’s where I keep track of my favorites.)
Bonus tracks: The halftime show and The Grammys
I enjoyed Usher’s entertaining, nostalgic halftime show — and loved Clover Hope’s review of the performance for Pitchfork.
“Usher is a charmer at heart, with a healthy balance of dramatic flair that works flawlessly when calibrated to the impeccable degree incorporated into his Las Vegas residency over two years. While he wasn’t as flawless as he could be, if the idea for his halftime show was to create a world of beautiful chaos, Usher achieved that feat, packing 13 career-spanning songs into 13 breathless minutes.”
The Grammys had many great moments, but here are two high-res highlights worth watching from legendary figures…
Tracy Chapman, joined by Luke Combs, for a lovely rendition of her classic “Fast Car.”
Joni Mitchell — joined by Brandi Carlile, Allison Russell, Jacob Collier, SistaStrings, Lucius, and Blake Mills — for a poignant performance of “Both Sides Now.”
I'm really excited to hear Maggie Rogers' new one, and see where she takes us.