Music to kick off Spring 2024 🌸
Issue #50 of Hear Hear!
TBH, it’s still pretty damn cold here in Boston — but the sun is shining, the days are longer, and the sounds in my speakers are brighter than ever. That’s because a few of my favorite curators put together wonderful playlists to soundtrack Spring 2024, all listed below for your listening pleasure. I also made a mix of my own, a starter pack to kick off the season led by “Mood Ring,” the latest earworm from radiant Chicago trio Dehd. Just try getting that hook out of your head!
in bloom 🌼 from playlist curator Kasey Gelsomino: “spring indie pop!” [ft. vibey jams from Del Water Gap ft. Holly Humberstone, MICHELLE, Samia, The Japanese House, Hovvdy]
Songs for Spring from culture connoisseur Largehearted Boy: “Enjoy the 23-song playlist while the earth warms up, summer vacation gets closer, and you can finally shed that winter coat for a half-year.” [ft. seasonal classics from Frank Ocean, Rufus Wainwright, Voxtrot, Beach House, The Head And The Heart]
spring2024 from expert seasonal playlister Adam Sharp: “A new mix of songs fit for the season and all its nuances and false starts.” [ft. Hinds, Bully, lake j, Faye Webster, Middle Kids, Ducks Ltd.]
sping!!! 2024! from music supervisor Jules Zucker, whose playlists always help me discover under-the-radar artists: “one time my sister got a marketing email with a typo that said ‘LAUNCH INTO SPING’ and we’ve called it sping ever since. anyway, ring in the warm weather with some tunes i’ve been loving…” [ft. Toledo, Kate Stephenson, Reyna Tropical, Matt Champion, Alex Winston]
Spring Rotation 🌼 from Patrick Mahan’s Carefully Curated newsletter: “Each year I refresh this playlist with fresh songs with a few classics sprinkled in.” [ft. Hurray For The Riff Raff, Miracle Worker, Golden Apples, and Hannah Frances alongside classics from The Replacements, Orange Juice, and Crowded House]
Albums + songs to hear
As always, follow the Hear Hear playlist to check out the artists featured below and standout tracks from the playlists featured above.
Hana Vu’s weighty, melodic pop-rock: This LA singer-songwriter is new to me, but these two singles from her upcoming sophomore album caught my ear instantly. “Care” and “Hammer” are both immediately gripping and big in scope, with an earnest, cinematic approach shared by artists like Indigo De Souza and Lala Lala.
Friko’s throwback indie vibe: “Channeling the sound and spirit of 2000s indie rock, the Chicago duo’s debut album feels like a generational passing of the torch,” writes Ian Cohen for Pitchfork. I’m a sucker for this sound, reminiscent of bands like Japandroids, Bright Eyes, The Walkmen, and Arcade Fire. Rousing chamber-pop sing-along “Get Numb To It!” has been on repeat.
Tokyo Police Club’s farewell songs: Hailing from that 2000s era of indie rock, this Canadian band always maintained a sound all their own thanks to the distinct tones of lead singer Dave Monks. They’re calling it quits, and their final two singles, “Just A Scratch” and “Catch Me If You Can,” are worthy additions to their excellent catalog. I’m hyped for their farewell tour, especially because they’ll be bringing along fellow Canadians and Hear Hear favorites Born Ruffians for the ride.
Khruangbin’s psychedelic singles: “A Love International,” “May Ninth,” and “Pon Pón,” from the upcoming album A LA SALA, all carry forward the trio’s dynamic, airy, singular sound.
Real Estate’s steady, weekend-ready tunes: Another album of dreamy, well-crafted songs from the reliable rockers, whose ongoing tour is fittingly titled “Infinite Jangle.”
More buzzy new albums to explore
There has been plenty of deserved hype for new albums from Adrianne Lenker (Big Thief’s singer gone solo), Hurray For The Riff Raff (already on their ninth LP, covered by Lindsay Zoladz in the NYT), and Waxahatchee. All three records were stamped with Pitchfork’s coveted Best New Music label.
Tierra Whack’s long-awaited full-length LP is also here! As Rodney Carmichael writes for NPR Music, it’s a darker turn from her “whimsical, industry-shifting 2018 EP, Whack World” as she “takes things beyond her signature point of absurdity to reveal the personal anguish she's lived through.”
While the Bleachers album won’t work for everyone, I’ve been really into it. As a fellow cornball from New Jersey, Jack Antonoff’s Bruce Springsteen cosplay appeals directly to me.
Another 2024 playlist to follow, from Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold
The Fleet Foxes frontman shared a playlist tracking new music in 2024, and he’s adding new discoveries every day. Unsurprisingly, he has a good ear for good tunes!
Celebrating Hear Hear’s 50th issue!
I started a little music newsletter called “The Note” on Mailchimp in 2015 shortly after graduating college, then migrated those 290 subscribers over to Substack in January 2020 when I launched Hear Hear.
50 issues later, we’ve got 1.3K readers in 43 states! (And 42 countries!)
I’m truly thankful for all of you reading and engaging with this passion project — those who have been here since day one, and those who have joined along the way. I love few things more than sharing music recs with my friends, family, and now hundreds of strangers and internet buds. (And I really love when you send me recommendations of your own, so don’t be shy about replying to these emails!)
In honor of issue #50, can you help me get to all 50 states?
If you know anyone who loves music and lives in Mississippi, Arkansas, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, or Alaska — forward them this issue and let them know they might enjoy the newsletter!
If we can get to 50 countries, that would be cool too. Feel free to forward along to any music-loving friends from countries that aren’t highlighted on that map!