Releasing February 14:
Frog, 1000 Variations on the Same Song
I love the Spotify feature that lets you see what your friends are listening to. It’s so fun to see what new music friends are discovering, or what they have been liking recently. There is something sweetly intimate about seeing what music people you care about are listening to in real time—it gives you a glimpse into their day, their mood, and their interests. When I came to Vassar as a freshman, I had many acquaintances from high school that I wasn’t close enough with to keep in touch. I was thus reminded of them when I opened Spotify and saw their little icon pop up under “Friend Activity”, a peek at their new college lives and the people they were morphing into. One friend, who always had great taste in music in high school, and gave me great recommendations, was listening to a band called Frog. I thought, what a silly name, but I played the song he had been listening to and was pleasantly surprised. Considered a folk duo from New York, their music often feels like a jangly, late summer dusk guitar session with friends, nostalgic but hopeful. They are reminiscent of Pinegrove and Modest Mouse, containing a similar high vocal range with twangy tambourine alongside electric guitar and strong drums. Their music has seen a progression due to changing membership in the band, but I am excited to see this duo continue to play outside of the box and push the envelope of folk rock.
Releasing February 28:
Yo La Tengo: Old Joy, EP
I came to Yo La Tengo from their cover of “Friday I’m in Love”, a soft, almost spoken version of the Cure’s 1992 hit. I was drawn to their delicate, thoughtful sound, and as I explored their extensive 40-year discography, I found more and more to enjoy. I have strong memories from high school associated with the bright yellow and red cover of their 1997 record, “I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One”, and can remember the smell of the hallways when I listen to “Sugarcube”. Their music floats through several styles, often on the same album, from shoegaze to hard rock, folk, ambient, electronic, and experimental. Their ability to change sound so seamlessly, with the same catchiness, playfulness, and dreaminess, is truly impressive. I believe they have a song for anyone, no matter what kind of music one enjoys, because of the borrowing and mixing they pull from all genres. Their upcoming album is their previously unreleased 2006 score for Kelly Reichardt’s film, “Old Joy”. Following two old friends reuniting for a camping trip, the soundtrack provides an atmospheric and contemplative mood, contributing to the melancholy beauty of this film. Described by Mississippi Records as “… a balm, remarkably full of emotion despite (or maybe because of) its restraint and minimalism,” I am looking forward to listening to this score while journaling or reading, bringing some introspection into the new year.
Releasing March 21:
Japanese Breakfast, For Melancholy Brunettes
“Everybody Wants to Love You” from the 2016 album, Psychopomp, was mindblowing to the seventh-grade version of myself. Jangly guitars, floaty, and dreamy synth, with a cutting voice singing catchy choruses and mature lyrics aspiring for affection and love? What’s not to enjoy? This song sticks out to me as a relic of the “bedroom pop” era, associated with Clairo, Mac DeMarco, Beach House, and Dayglow, among others, and stands as a memory of an innocent, artless self. Returning to Japanese Breakfast much later in 2021 with “Jubilee,” I was yet again drawn to the project’s catchiness and fun. Opening with “Paprika,” violins swelling alongside drums, horn, and synth, Michelle Zauner asks, “How’s it feel to be at the center of magic/ To linger in tones and words?” An easy answer is her music, with its upbeat peppiness providing a certain kind of mysticism, even on slower, yearnful songs like “Kokomo, IN”. My favorite song off this album is easily “Posing For Cars,” wrapping up the record with a long ballad, ramping up to an intensely beautiful ripping 4-minute drum and guitar solo, communicating effectively without words. Since releasing an ambient album for a video game soundtrack in 2021, Zauner moved to South Korea in 2023 to work on music for this year’s project: “For Melancholy Brunettes”. I hope to see more folk influence on this album, as I think her voice would work beautifully with more stripped-down, instrumental music, especially carrying her catchy melodies and thoughtful songwriting.
Releasing April 4:
Florist, Jellywish
Florist describes themselves as “a friendship project that was formed in the Catskill Mountains of Upstate, New York in 2013”, and it is so evident that the love and care they have for each other carries directly over to their music. Emily Sprague’s lead vocals are beautifully striking, bringing a certain melancholy calmness even to positive lyrics. Their songwriting is meticulous and alluring, offering thoughtful prose about moving on, acceptance, hope, and reverence for the natural world. Since moving to Vassar in the Hudson Valley, I have reexamined my love for their music through the lens of the upstate environment. Being surrounded by such natural beauty, I understand the constant references in their work: “Well I don’t really think/ My life will ever make me as happy as Kaaterskill Creek”. I often find myself walking around campus, admiring the sun shining through the trees and finding a sense of gratitude and calmness, evident in their music. Florists’ songs feel like a soft encouraging word spoken by an old friend and an acceptance that things will be okay, eventually. They have found a niche that works well for themselves, and I can only hope they continue in the enchanting and delightful groove they’ve been in.
Releasing April 11:
Bon Iver, Sable fABLE
I would easily consider “For Emma, Forever Ago,” Bon Iver’s first project, released back in 2008 as a classic for our generation. Featuring well-known songs “Skinny Love”, “Flume”, “For Emma”, and “Re:Stacks,” I find myself returning to this album again and again. Although the music speaks to a certain isolation and coldness often associated with winter, its symphonic softness reminds me of rainy, foggy nights in spring, summer, and autumn as well. Its emotional themes are applicable to anyone, and I can find myself appreciating its simple delicateness in all moods. Three years later, “Bon Iver, Bon Iver” further provided beautiful and magnificent songs, with a more full, surrealist sound and transportation to a lovely, reminiscent world. On the last two albums, “22 A Million” and “i,i,”Bon Iver increased their production, turning towards strangeness with sampling and synths. Admittedly, not my favorite, as I prefer the band’s more stripped-back, instrumental work, I have found their musical process interesting and am curious to see if they will continue down a more experimental path or go back to an instrumental one.
Releasing May 21:
Lana Del Rey, The Right Person Will Stay
I was in 5th grade when I discovered “Summertime Sadness” by Lana Del Rey, and for about two weeks, it was all that I played on my Kindle Fire. I loved the building orchestral arrangement of the drums, violin, voices, and synth, and was perfectly catchy for me to sing along to. I didn’t return to Lana again until around 5 years later when I rediscovered her during Covid with 2019’s release of “Norman Fucking Rockwell” and I listened to everything I had been oblivious to as an elementary schooler. Lana’s voice is always beautiful to me, reminiscent of cinematic glamour, whether on stylistically traditional albums like “Born to Die” or Americana-influenced “Blue Banisters”. Most recently, she has explored Americana and alternative pop more meaningfully on 2023’s “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd”. Ambitious and much quieter than her other projects, this album revealed a push towards less performative aspects associated with her work and an emphasis on the strength of her voice and melodies. I believe that “The Right Person Will Stay,” is going to build on the strengths of “Did you know”, however, I honestly think I will end up liking it no matter what it sounds like. As a longtime fan, I don’t necessarily have any hopes, I am just freely excited to see what she has to say.