Not-So-Dry January

I cannot remember a year where January has been so stacked with so many stellar new tracks and releases. I guess this is a case of pandemic backlog? I thought some of you might appreciate a roundup of my favorite new tracks from December and January especially if you have been too busy to keep up. So let’s start the year off with some excellent new music!

Belle & Sebastian are back and their newest single, the ultra catchy “I Don’t Know What You See In Me," and it is giving me so much joy. Their new album, Late Developers, is out now. Lætitia Tamko who records under the name Vagabon dropped her new single “Carpenter” a few weeks back and I haven’t stopped listening. I would say that one of my most anticipated albums of 2023 is the upcoming release from Everything But The Girl and the first single “Nothing Left To Lose” does not disappoint. I cannot wait to hear more. One of the best 2023 releases so far has to be Margo Price’s latest, Strays. I chose “Radio” for this playlist. If you feature Sharon Van Etten on a track, it is pretty much a no-brainer for me. Yo La Tengo is releasing This Stupid World next month. I am a sucker for a Georgia Hubley-sung track so I included their new one “Aselestine” on my playlist. boygenius are a band made up of thee of my very favorites: Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridges and Lucy Dacus. They released three tracks from their much anticipated album last week and the internet nearly exploded. In honor of David Bowie's birthday on January 8th, Spoon released a cover of “I Can’t Give Everything Away” off his final album, Blackstar and it is a fitting tribute. Quasi, the duo of Sam Coombes and Janet Weiss, will release their tenth album, Breaking the Balls of History, next month. “Nowheresville” is the third single from their new one. Gina Birch, from the legendary band The Raincoats, pays homage to her instrument with her new single “I Play My Bass Loud” and I am obsessed. SZA released her acclaimed album SOS in December which includes the latest single “Kill Bill.” Tarantino fans should check out the video. Avey Tare is the long-running solo project of David Portner from Animal Collective. He is releasing his new album 7s next month. Lana Del Rey put out the cinematic title track “Did you know there is a tunnel under Ocean Blvd” from her forthcoming album at the end of last year. “…Ocean Blvd” will be released in March. The final song on this playlist is a new version of the title track from Hurray for the Riff Raff’s 2022 album, LIFE ON EARTH. Released in December, this new version of the song features the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and it is a stunner.

Belle & Sebastian - I Don’t Know What You See In Me

Vagabon - Carpenter

Everything But The Girl - Nothing Left To Lose

Margo Price - Radio [Feat. Sharon Van Etten]

Yo La Tengo - Aselestine

boygenius - Emily I’m Sorry

Spoon - I Can’t Give Everything Away

Quasi - Nowheresville

Gina Birch - I Play My Bass Loud

SZA - Kill Bill

Avey Tare - The Musical

Lana Del Rey - Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd

Hurray For The Riff Raff - LIFE ON EARTH with Preservation Hall Jazz Band

What new tracks are you loving and what releases are you looking forward to the most? I must say, musically speaking, 2023 is off to a great start.

Julie's Top 10 Albums From 2022

Eleven months ago, I launched Your Girlfriend Made You A Mixtape with a playlist of my Top Ten Albums from 2021. Thank you for listening, reading, subscribing and helping spread the word. It has been a complete joy for me to share my playlists with you. I look forward to more great music in the year ahead. On that note, it is time for my Top Ten Albums of 2022. Several of these artists made appearances on earlier playlists so I opted to use new tracks on this playlist.

My favorite album of the year was Beyoncé’s masterpiece, Renaissance. It is impossible to count the number of times I have listened to this record and every time something new catches my ear. Renaissance an homage to the dance floor, specifically black queer dance culture and it is glorious. Don’t get me started on the transitions. The epic one-two punch of “Pure/Honey” into “Summer Renaissance” might be the best album closer of all-time.

It is hard to believe that I ended last year seeing one of Wet Leg’s first American shows at a tiny club in Brooklyn and a year later they have played Madison Square Garden, been covered by Harry Styles and are nominated for multiple Grammy Awards. They are so much fun and I absolutely adore them.

Alvvays new one, Blue Rev, is their best album yet and is stacked with solid track after track. Speaking of great tracks, “Runner” from Alex G is definitely one of my favorite songs of the year. When I saw him perform live, “Mission” blew me away as well. Angel Olsen also blew me away live. She is truly a force and Big Time is stunning. It took me a minute to come around to Plains, the new project from Jess Williamson and Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield, but I am all in. The Beths are consistently great and New Zealand indie pop rules. Actually, I saw Sasami open up for The Beths this summer and she is truly a star. Weyes Blood’s And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow was just released a few weeks ago and it quickly made an impression. Natalie Mering’s voice is extraordinary. Rounding out my top ten is British post-punk band, Yard Act. It’s good fun.

There you have it. I hope you enjoy these. Hit me back with your 2022 favorites and Happy Holidays!

Julie's Top 10 Albums of 2022

Beyoncé - Renaissance

Wet Leg - Wet Leg

Alvvays - Blue Rev

Alex G - God Save The Animals

Angel Olsen - Big Time

Plains - I Walked With You A Ways

The Beths - Expert In A Dying Field

Sasami - Squeeze

Weyes Blood - And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow

Yard Act - The Overload

Autumn's Weather

October is my favorite time of year in New York City. Crisp mornings and changing leaves. There are so many albums and songs that bring to mind this, the finest of seasons. As soon as the temperature starts to drop, I am often hit with the urge to listen to The Shins first album, Oh, Inverted World. I can't count the number of times I played that album as I walked around Brooklyn in the Fall of 2001. Or even Sebadoh’s Bakesale, which was the soundtrack of the first Thanksgiving dinner that I ever hosted in NYC. These were my starting points with the playlist and then I started to think a little further back with artists like classics from The Cure and Kate Bush; and then more obscure artists, Vashti Bunyan and Felt. For some reason, I kept coming back to the ‘90s and early ‘00s with songs from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Elliott Smith, Cat Power and Clinic. Included are a few new ones that fit the mood, the epic track “Go Home” from Angel Olsen and the Arctic Monkeys’ “Body Paint,” which was especially epic when I saw them play it live a few weeks ago, plus a new one from Alvvays called “Lottery Noises.” Charles Bradley’s soulful cover of Black Sabbath’s “Changes” from his final album is right at home on this playlist. As are FKA Twigs “Fallen Alien,” Bat for Lashes’ brilliant “Daniel” and Kevin Morby’s moody (and long) “Harlem River.” I am curious to know what songs remind you of autumn. Please drop them in the comments. Until next time, put on those headphones, press play and get outside and enjoy the best of the spookiest of seasons.

The Cure - A Forest

Bat For Lashes - Daniel

Angel Olsen - Go Home

Charles Bradley - Changes (featuring The Budos Band)

Arctic Monkeys - Body Paint

FKA twigs - fallen alien

Broadcast - Come On Let's Go

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Red Right Hand

Sebadoh - Magnet's Coil

Alvvays - Lottery Noises

Elliott Smith - Bottle Up and Explode!

The Shins - Know Your Onion!

Felt - Vasco De Gama

Clinic - Distortions

Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights

Cat Power - Cross Bones Style

Vashti Bunyan - Where I Like To Stand

Kevin Morby - Harlem River