Noots Letter: March Madness
March 2024
If you don’t wanna read, here’s something for you hoopster folks:
These are all in order of listening and only selected from this month’s favorites, so while the distribution isn’t perfectly fair, our winners are fairly obvious…
Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter (2024). In addition to absorbing all of the memes, I have also loved learning about the songwriting credits on these tracks. Jon Batiste, RAYE, Ryan Beatty, Arlo Parks, Ryan Tedder, Nile Rodgers, 070 Shake, and more. Also, extensively, Mamii, a mere 22 (?!?) year-old. Keep your eyes on her.
If you wished more current artists sounded like Blondie…
Sheer Mag, Playing Favorites (2024). I adore music that is new but sounds old!!!
If you love pop culture lore…
Ariana Grande, Eternal Sunshine (2024). Believe me when I say I was peeling through Genius annotations with the fervor of Olivia Benson, wondering who these lyrics were about.
If you love clever existentialism…
Ugh there’s really no one doing it like Tierra Whack, WORLD WIDE WHACK (2024). This highly awaited second album has much of the humor of debut Whack World, but is significantly more forward about depression and anxiety.
If you love Bruce Springsteen…
Bleachers, Bleachers (2024). These boys just wanna be Bruce soooo bad. Which I love, to be clear.
If you want to get amped up…
Flo Milli, Fine Ho, Stay (2024). Catch me stomping around the streets listening to this. If anyone collects a tally of how many times she says c**chie, please let me know when you’ve crunched the numbers.
If you’re dancing through the pain…
Bolis Pupul, Letter to Yu (2024), is a record of grief and exploration in the face of it. Such an electric journey, literally and figuratively.
If you’re partial to instrumental…
Four Tet, Three (2024). This made me realize why people do drugs.
If you’re a fan of Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens…
Haux, Blue Angeles (2024). My initial thought while listening was “this is like if Sufjan was straight” (I have nothing to back these claims up).
If you want quirky and contemporary…
Faye Webster, Underdressed at the Symphony (2024). She’s so chill and odd, I love it. Also Rosie Tucker, Utopia Now! (2024)--one of those albums that I’ll definitely return to many times and discover something new every time.
If you wonder what your childhood next door neighbor’s dad is rocking out to in the suburbs rn…
Black Crowes, Happiness Bastards (2024). Classic rock ain’t dead!
If you wish you were alive during Joni Mitchell’s heyday…
We’ve got a near equivalent right now in the form of Adrianne Lenker, Bright Future (2024). The poetry of these lyrics, the heartwrenching instrumental melodies, the thousand lives this individual has likely lived. Please be warned that you should only listen to this on a patio in a very specific state of wistfulness!
If you like Adrianne Lenker…
Waxahatchee, Tigers Blood (2024). Katie here has been touted heavily by my favorite music publications and I’m always like, okay calm down, but then I listened to this. A tremendous songwriter!
If you want even more of this (love my folk girlies)…
I got loads! Hannah Frances, Keeper of the Shepherd (2024). Abby Sage, The Rot (2024). Rosali, Bite Down (2024). And, obvi, Kacey Musgraves, Deeper Well (2024).
If you’re wondering who is especially underrated right now…
Empress Of, For Your Consideration (2024). We reeeeeally are not speaking about her enough! This is such a versatile record with fantastic features (MUNA, Rina, etc).
If you’ve ever watched all the videos under the “Water” sound on TikTok…
Tyla, Tyla (2024). A lot of these songs sound quite similar to “Water”, which made it a little repetitive, but maybe you’re into that!
If you’re gay…
Fletcher, Antidote (2024). It’s giving Your Toxic Ex but hot nonetheless.
If you want to feel inspired…
Salt Cathedral, Before It’s Gone (2024). Really unique, really lovely for pushing through bleakness and connecting with your younger self.
If you want to know my second favorite album of the year…
Justin Timberlake, Everything I Thought It Was (2024)!!!!!!! **
**April Fools, had to turn this one off immediately.