Gould Soundz: March 31, 2023

This week's suggested new music, curated by omg!nyc

Mar 31, 2023

With the first quarter of 2023 in the books, it’s no question that we’re still in a major music renaissance with spectacular new releases dropping at a rapid clip. This week is no different. One of the most anticipated indie albums of the year is the return of supergroup boygenius who are back with their first full-length, aptly titled the record. As three of the biggest singer-songwriters of their generation, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus have each carved out their own splendid careers and have joined up once again to reignite their collective band and the results deliver on the hopes. Without a miss in any of their careers and led by singles that have only propelled the hype, this one feels epic-in-the-making with Julien taking lead on the heavier moments, Phoebe adding her mystical charm, and Lucy painting vivid stories. The acappella opener into $20 sets a tone for the album that carries on through their whirlwind of somber piano and grunge guitar before concluding with a final track that really sticks the landing.

Indie mainstays The Hold Steady are celebrating twenty years as a band this year, but today they’re back with yet another album of unabashed barroom rock that does exactly what this band does best, generates big hooks and celebrated singalongs. Similarly, the always prime New Pornographers have a new album out today as well which also continues their particular strain of straightforward and always delightful indie rock that’s helped keep them as leading figures of the scene for several decades.

The always compelling and always unpredictable Deerhoof have a new one out today as well and this one too upholds their legacy as an always surprising act that never caters to what many expect, but always seem to deliver something uniquely their own. Following a string of hazy, soulful singles, the killer duo of Larry June and The Alchemist finally drop their collaborative record today which contains so many dusty grooves and sticky verses that are sure to have you bumping their beats all weekend long.

Last year, Alan Braxe teamed-up with long-time friend DJ Falcon and the duo got Panda Bear to add vocals for their enchanting song of the year, the lush and luxurious “Step by Step.” Today, Braxe is back with a reissue of his iconic record The Upper Cuts, a pristine example of French Touch and electronic music that influenced the Daft Punk led EDM boom of the 2010s. It’s a must-listen for anyone who craves delicious grooves, silky synths, and big beats and is sure to be one of the top reissues of the year. Essential listening for all fans of dance music.

As one-half of the duo Plains, Jess Williamson was responsible for one of last year’s best albums. This week she announced her own solo record and with it, dropped the glowing single “Hunter.” While she’s been a regular fixture on tour, it’s been nearly four years since Jenny Lewis last released an album, but that will all change later this year and we’ve been given the first taste with the beaming lead track, “Psychos.”

The Beths are still riding high from last year’s Experts in a Dying Field, but this week they shared a punchy new track, “Watching the Credits,” that carries on the band’s fantastic takes on lush melodies and super-charged choruses. It may be a one-off, but it’s a natural fit in their brimming discography. Nashville’s be your own PET were a buzzing garage-rock band for a short period in the early aughts before calling it quits after only two (excellent) records. Last year, they returned to the stage and this week they shared their first new song in over a decade.

The mysterious electronic duo Two Shell already released an EP of busy dance music earlier this year, but dropped one more tune this week that samples automated phone recordings over a glitchy beat that is sure to make you boogie on the dance floor. This week also saw the return of the soulful dance act Jungle who announced their fourth album and shared the track “Candle Flame” featuring verses from Erick the Architect to create a compressed, yet vibing tune.

Electro-pop star Jessy Lanza dropped her new single this week, the sparkling dance number “Don’t Leave Me Now” which takes queues from ‘90s club music and her delicate vocals for something lush and propulsive. Hitting us with a sprawling, elegant piano ballad on her latest in a string of singles that have somehow not resulted in a full-length album, Chappell Roan shows off her range on her latest track, “Kaleidoscope.” Later this year, ‘90s act Everything But the Girl will release their first new album in over twenty years and this week they shared a Four Tet remix of the recent single, “Nothing Left to Lose.”

If you’re a Spotify user, you can listen to these songs (and more from 2023) here!

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