month in review: april 2024

just knowing you exist takes a load off of me - medium build (knowing u exist)

May 07, 2024

on my rotation last month. if you enjoy npe, please heart this post to help others find it too!

check out @npezine on instagram & rym.

sam evian - plunge (rollin’ in)

i want to let the record show that i take song/album/artist recommendations very seriously [shout out to nick for this one]. a few weeks ago sam evian taught in school of song, a platform born out of the pandemic that encourages community in songwriting. nick attended evians class and we had an insightful discussion [overcoming a 12-hour time difference and four 20-minute voice memos]. he described the class and i clung to a specific grounding tenet: an organized outside keeps an organized inside. apparently, cleaning your workspace leads to unbridled productivity and success. sam plays in nashville on my birthday [if you don’t know when that is, now you have no excuse!] at the blue room. i will, [un]fortunately, be in LA so go in my honor. and when i get back i’ll clean my desk [pictured below]… i promise!

medium build - country (knowing u exist)

this is an album i’ve long-awaited, and have fully embraced. medium build, i have sung your praises to many and will not stop now. his lyrical vulnerability is simple, raw, ever so subtle yet lingers heavy on the soul. “i didn't know i had a hurt in my heart / i didn't know I had a vacancy / i couldn't tell how tired i was / until you put your arms around me” - [relief]. since its release, the aforementioned song has stuck. i quit my job two weeks ago and this record stungggg baddddd. at its core, its an album about missing [past relationships, old friends, childhood]. can’t wait to check him out at bonnaroo next month.

daffo - pest (poor madeline)

what did i say about song recommendations? thank you ellarie! this 19 year old from philly is making waves in the indie-folk/rock space. influenced by one of my favorite bands, big thief, gabi gamberg offers an honesty that brings this ep to life, “i just lie to spare myself the guilt / cause i'm a shame collector / i'm a hoarder” - [collector]; “i let you cum in my mouth cause you were blue / you still don't love me” - [good god]; “it’s wake up in the morning / and suffer and die” - [poor madeline]. i just found out they played in town recently, opening up for sir chloe at exit/in [it was the day i got caught in broadway traffic and walked a mile from skydeck to cannery hall in the pouring rain. ugh!!!!!]. had been listening to this track for a few weeks before meeting someone on their team at the venus & the flytraps show. felt sooo good to know i was tapped in. always grateful for the company i keep and also that they know my tastes. no better compliment than that. [as always, to be loved is to be known…]

english teacher - this could be texas (r&b)

in this post-punk project, fronted by a woman of color lily fontaine, i find the context of each song transcends its face value. fontaine writes in Youth Music, “i often worry that people think i’m doing what i love because companies are desperate to meet their diversity quotas since 2020’s blackout tuesday.” of course, i’ve felt this before, and by expressing these frustrations through foggy bass riffs, searing melodies and guttural syncopations, her message has the most efficient delivery. this track ends in a distorted haze: “if i have stuff to write, thеn why don't i just write it for me? / despite appearances, i haven't got the voice for r&b / even though i've seen more Colour Shows than KEXPs.” i raved about that line to matthew and he did not share in my enthusiasm. someone tell me you understand!!!

glen campbell - wichita lineman (title track)

oldie but goodie. it was between this and the beach boys pet sounds but i didn’t want you to think i was basic [even though i do love that record!!!]. watched a clip of paul rudd’s reaction to elbow playing this song on bbc [in which he mentions the beach boys, coincidence?]. it sent me on an introspective quest of wondering what song, 20 years from now, could bring me such joy. i came up empty handed [paralyzed with infinite choices]. have i found it yet, or will i hear it at the show i’m going to tonight? will someone introduce it to me next week or ten years from now? what is your wichita lineman? i’d love to hear it!

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baby wave - you me & (green girls)

local pick! i have a thing for bands that place drummers/bassists at the forefront and this itch is scratched two fold by baby wave — your favorite nashville bands favorite band. i remember my first interaction with them at the east room last year [they opened for budge, mckay & edgehill], and was blown away by their energy. being first of four is never easy, but they navigated it well as the crowd obeyed their orders to, “jump! jump! jump!”. since then, i’ve become a huge fan of their latest ep [i have been listening to the double edged CD that also features book NOT brooke’s the day i was supposed to be born]. as opposed to their intense live sound, the lo-fi green girls brings out an intimate side of the band. acoustic & gentle it starkly juxtaposes tracks like the noisy, unreleased yellow dye #5, showcasing the bands range of talent. at the hana eid ep release show, bw debuted their contribution to Nashville for Palestine’s compilation album raising money for palestine’s children relief fund. it features snooper, total wife, celltower & more. buy it here.

bombay bicycle club, the staves - the endless coloured ways: the songs of nick drake (road)

bombay + staves struck gold with this one. the two english bands expertly capture the essence of the original track, adding a subtle twist to the classic. their harmonies create a perfect microcosm of rhythm and melody, etched in the mysticism of the road that they see us through. hearing nick drake always brings me back to my days on radio. i discovered pink moon my first show with the station [and he was actually the first song i ever played, may 21 2022 at 5:30 am]. in hindsight, that day kinda changed the trajectory of my life. other favorites from this record: ‘cello song by fontaines dc, pink moon by aurora, from the morning by let’s eat grandma, and northern sky by karine polwart & kris drever. really well done.

etc...

new babehoven album is phenomenal. will forever be struck by how many bands use this pun [see: babe haven, babeheaven]. they played a date with wednesday recently in new hampshire. what a combo!
heard at dinos: SOFT PLAY, bob vylan, jay reatard & parquet courts. i am a loyal user of the shazam widget.
the last week or so in solitude has confirmed i will always prefer calling over texting. it just feels right.
heard hints of the contortions in the new vampire weekend record. not sure if james chance is a specific influence but super cool to hear.
looking forward to new still woozy next month. it has been three years since the last record and after the last few singles it sounds like we are in for a treat.
have put many hours into my kindle lately. take a trip to your local library because it will get your soul right!
been drinking a lot of tea lately… forgot some in the mailroom kitchen. it has my name on it! please enjoy it for me!
enjoying the new hatetoquit/hiding places comp album raising money for palestine’s children relief fund. the fust track and villagerrr demo are two of my favorites.