Summer sounds & semi-secret playlists ☀️👀
+ "Everybody's Live" & "Everybody Laughs"
Greetings from Newark Airport, where I’m taking advantage of a 5-hour delay to finally write a new issue! As usual, it’s been impossible to compile all the essential music from the last month, since there’s so much good stuff released every week. (And since I’m distracted by NYC’s mayoral race & America’s unhinged executive branch.)
So I’ll keep this one simple. Since it’s the first week of summer, and we’re (somehow) past the halfway mark of 2025, let’s breeze through a few standout playlists to get the season started. (And to stay sane in this strange & scary moment.)
Starting with…some seasonal mixes from the usual suspects, of course!
cracking open a miller lite and sitting by the lake from hyper-specific playlist maker Kasey Gelsomino // for “daydreaming about midwestern summers” [ft. Wednesday, Ratboys, Hotline TNT, MJ Lenderman, and Peach Pit]
summer2025 from listen all y’all // tracking all of this year’s “big dumb summer songs” [ft. JENNIE, Lorde, Chappell Roan, The Beaches, Doechii, and fun new remixes of old hits from Band Of Horses & Passion Pit]
Summer Rotation. 🌞 from Carefully Curated // “summer songs new and old” [ft. The Beach Boys, Blood Orange, Turnstile, Japanese Breakfast]
Patio Grooves 😎 Summer 2025 from The Wax Museum // “sunny vibes for dark times” [ft. Tennis, The Meters, Lil Yachty, Liquid Mike, Sharp Pins]
Summer (Or What It Sounds Like) Vol. 16 from Taylor Johnston // an “annual mixtape of bright, breezy jams” [ft. Alex G, Sleigh Bells, TOPS, Wet Leg, and HAIM]
Two top-tier midyear mixes
Two of my favorite resources for music discovery — No Expectations and Stereogum — both put together wide-ranging lists of the year’s top albums so far. Here are a few notable picks, with standout songs added to the Hear Hear playlist…
Moontype made both lists, with their unorthodox melodies and the “ethereal and pointed” voice of singer Margaret McCarthy.
Florry, who I saw open for MJ Lenderman in the basement of an Elks Lodge fraternal order in Cambridge, MA (it was as strange as it sounds) released a record full of “rambunctious, barroom twang.”
Alien Boy “are a reliable source of hooky, nostalgic indie rock” writes Danielle Chelosky. “Changes” is a particularly infectious tune.
Smerz’s “slinky postmodern pop album” was also stamped with Pitchfork’s coveted “Best New Music” label.
Foxwarren is a side-project of sorts for the distinct songwriter and vocalist Andy Shauf, who is always full of memorable, quirky melodies.
Momma landed at #2 on Stereogum’s list; Chelosky wrote they remain “one of the catchiest groups in indie rock.”
And in Stereogum’s #1 spot? Oklou, whose dance-pop songs have “all the melodic force and anthemic urgency of the best mainstream bangers, but now work as glinting mysteries” according to Tom Breihan.
A few more albums to note…
From both lists: Indie rock from Philly-based Friendship and NY trio Horsegirl, alt-country from Grace Rogers, and Chicago folk band Sleeper’s Bell
From No Expectations: Drive My Car composer Eiko Ishibashi // Fleet Foxes collaborator Uwade // Renny Conti // Lily Seabird // Will Stratton // plus albums I’ve shared from Saba and No ID, Tobacco City, and Silver Synthetic
From Stereogum: “experimental rock collective” caroline // “idiosyncratic German dance producer” DJ Koze // the “glitch-pop shoegaze” of yeule // Irish musician Maria Somerville // Hear Hear favorite Saya Gray
Mulaney’s mixtapes for Everybody’s Live
“As you know, Everybody’s Live is the best showcase for live music in entertainment,” John Mulaney declared weekly on his chaotic, charming Netflix show. And he had a point — while other late-night programs showcase plenty of great artists, Mulaney’s distinctive taste and creative freedom enabled him to feature unique collaborations, band reunions, rare performances, and TV debuts — from Randy Newman to Bartees Strange to Maggie Rogers & John Cale to Alanis Morissette.
So, to borrow his phrasing: As you know, Hear Hear is the best showcase for semi-secret playlists in the newsletter world! Here’s what I mean — since Spotify is focused on its own playlist ecosystem, I’ve noticed that when prominent artists and influencers share their personal playlists, people don’t always see them! So I try to surface those gems here.
Despite Mulaney’s massive fame, some of his personally curated Spotify playlists have as few as 24 saves. But you can join in! Among the mixes he’s shared: one the show used to “load in” audiences, one that played in the writers’ room, and episode-specific playlists with personal favorites from the week’s guests.
David Byrne Radio & “Everybody Laughs”
Another king of the semi-secret playlist category is David Byrne, who sends out a monthlyish mix to his email list that’s always thoughtfully curated with his specific sensibilities. Each playlist has its own theme — from orchestral jazz to South African sounds to “classic funk for summer” to his latest, “Avant Pop 2025” — a sampler of what he’s listening to right now. [Including Panda Bear, FKA Twigs, Dawn Richard, and Laura Marling]
It’s safe to assume all these swirling sounds informed Byrne’s fantastic new single, “Everybody Laughs,” which feels like an instant classic that will slot alongside his greatest hits on his upcoming tour. I can’t wait.
RIP Sly Stone & Brian Wilson
The world lost two musical icons in the same week. While I can’t do justice to their legacies, many of my favorite writers and curators tried. A few standout pieces, with gift links to everything from the NYT…
The Times curated two excellent playlists: a 15-track “Sly Stone primer” and “Brian Wilson’s 12 essential songs” And for Stereogum, Stephen Thomas Erlewine captured 15 Wilson deep cuts beyond the greatest hits.
Jon Pareles, Zach Schonfeld, and Craig Jenkins all wrote about losing Stone & Wilson in the same week.
For the NYT, Wesley Morris wrote an appraisal of Stone and for Pitchfork, Sam Sodomsky reflected on “the long life and boundless imagination” of Wilson.
Finally, I wanted to share this IG message from singer-songwriter Omar Apollo about his family’s immigration journey amidst the recent wave of anti-immigrant propaganda and hate. Hope everyone is staying safe and sane out there.
have been listening to that foxwarren album nonstop!
very cool.