Hear Hear: Fetch The Newsletter
Fiona Apple, The Beatles, Thundercat, Stevie Wonder, La Roux + more
As your humble newsletter writer, it’s important to be open about my musical blind spots. And wow, did this week reveal a big one, as I watched Twitter respond in unison to the new Fiona Apple album with the type of fervor I’d typically seen reserved for only Beyoncé and Kanye. (Pitchfork gave the album, titled Fetch the Bolt Cutters, its first perfect 10 since Kanye’s Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.) It was nice to know I wasn’t fully alone — there’s so much posturing online that it’s refreshing when people admit what they haven’t heard. (This stigma is even worse in conversations about movies: “Wait, you haven’t seen THE SHINING/THE GODFATHER/RESERVOIR DOGS?!”)
Sometimes people miss stuff, some artists aren’t for everyone, and we all go on listening! That said, I’m excited to dig into this new album and Apple’s entire catalog, because what better time to catch up on missed classics than now? (If you want to join me, I’m planning to start with @danceremix’s top 20 Fiona songs, then stream her albums in a row as Pitchfork’s Jenn Pelly advises. If you’ve already heard the new album, Vulture has a great roundup of the best reviews to read.)
Songs + Albums to Stream
Follow the Hear Hear playlist to stream all of the songs referenced here.
Catch, Peter CottonTale. Back in 2015, Chance the Rapper and friends released Surf as The Social Experiment. Those friends included trumpeter Nico Segal (known as Donnie Trumpet at the time, pre-election) and producer Peter CottonTale, collaborators who helped Chance fuse jazz, hip-hop and gospel into one signature sound. Now, CottonTale has a joyous full-length of his own, with flourishes reminiscent of Surf’s finest tracks. (Plus guest appearances from Rex Orange County, Jamila Woods, Jon Batiste, Kirk Franklin, Chance himself and more.)
“On The Floor” + “Describe,” Perfume Genius. Last year, the music of Perfume Genius (Mike Hadreas) broke into the mainstream with “Slip Away,” the cathartic song soundtracking the Eighth Grade trailer (starting at :58) and the climax of Booksmart. (Spoiler alert!) His first two 2020 singles share that capital-B Big sound — both lush with wall-of-sound production, but one a dance-floor synth-pop banger, the other a grungy, slow-burn rocker. Excited to hear the full album next month.
“Black Qualls” + “Fair Chance,” Thundercat. Even if you don’t think you know Thundercat, you do. As Craig Jenkins writes in Vulture:
“Many of the notable hip-hop, soul, jazz, and funk records of the last decade and a half share a common fingerprint. The nexus joining the intricate grooves of Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. and To Pimp a Butterfly, Kamasi Washington’s Heaven and Earth and The Epic, Erykah Badu’s New Amerykah diptych, Janelle Monáe’s Dirty Computer, and records by Mac Miller, Flying Lotus, Childish Gambino, Travis Scott, Kali Uchis, Jhené Aiko, Moses Sumney, and many more is the fleet six-string fretwork of bassist, producer, and singer-songwriter Stephen Bruner, a.k.a. Thundercat.”
What an insane resume! On his solo album, he keeps the collabs coming with the relentlessly funky “Black Qualls” (featuring Steve Lacy and Steve Arrington) and the vibey “Fair Chance” (featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Lil B).
“The Kicker,” “Heavy Being You,” and “Get On,” Racoma.
Some really nice earnest indie alt-rock from Seattle, with shades of Del Water Gap and Pinegrove. The raw, folky “Get On” was my introduction to the band — new singles “The Kicker” and “Heavy Being You” bring that sound to a sleeker, more polished place. I’m eager to see where they take it next.
So much more than just “Bulletproof,” La Roux put together another excellent album of loungey tropical pop for your sunny days and (eventually) pre-gamey nights. “Automatic Driver” is the best track (even earning a strange remix from Tyler, the Creator this week) but the full album is worth a listen if you liked 2014’s underappreciated Trouble in Paradise.
Playlists to Follow
Rob Sheffield’s hypothetical Beatles album is a fantastic collection of the fab four’s best solo tracks in 1970, post-breakup. As Sheffield writes about the breakup’s 50th anniversary: “Questions linger about whether the breakup could have been — should have been — a temporary glitch. All four made great music in 1970, from John’s confessional Plastic Ono Band to George’s triple-vinyl epic All Things Must Pass. What if they saved a few songs here and there for another Beatle album, in time for Christmas 1970?” Reply All host PJ Vogt turned his hypothetical into this playlist.
Bruce Springsteen guest DJ’d for E Street Radio, and The Star-Ledger’s Bobby Olivier captured his picks in this playlist for your listening pleasure. As Olivier writes, it’s a “mix of rock, soul, folk and hip-hop with some Jersey connections mixed in.”
How it’s gonna feel when social distancing is over, turned into a musical feeling by Tiffany Wong, creator of the excellent music publication 12 Songs Project. It’s the dance party we’re all waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for, with Donna Summer, Dua Lipa, Tove Lo and more.
3 Videos to Watch
1. Stevie Wonder covering “Lean On Me” and transitioning seamlessly into “Love’s In Need Of Love Today.”
2. Ariana Grande covering “I Won’t Say I’m In Love” from Hercules.
3. Finally, I enjoyed Grouplove playing their new single on Kimmel. There’s a good DJDS remix of the song too — both are in the Hear Hear playlist. Stay safe and be well!
Correction: Last week’s issue mistakenly called The Beths an “Aussie band” — they’re actually from New Zealand!
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