Quick New Music Round-up

Kind of forcing myself to post a little more due to a long absence! Life and work were/are busy, but not writing for long periods of time makes me feel incredibly unwell, so here I am. Do you remember when I did this a lot in like 2009? To be young again lol.

First up, The Beatles have a new-ish song out, "Now and Then," which is apparently The Beatles' final song. I did not know The Beatles were releasing new music, but AI is a very interesting (if not quite scary) thing. If you haven't listened to it yet, I recommend checking it out. It does not sound out of place in 2023 while managing to sound straight out of a time capsule.

Other music tidbits to share: I saw the "Eras" movie over this last weekend. Pretty good, considering I did not want to dish out an arm and a leg for the concert itself. Taylor Swift has gone very impressively far since I interviewed her in 2011. "1989" Taylor's version is continuing to shatter records, arguably as it is her most iconic album and probably the most highly anticipated re-release. Anyone else feel like the production was a little off on that version? To be fair tho, and this might be a hyperbolic statement, it's like remaking "Citizen Kane" ... probably won't work that well.

The Libertines are back, which is another shock to me. I grew up following Pete Doherty and Kate Moss on online tabloids! See, I was just thinking, it's a good thing I am not in a relationship because all my couple costumes would be music-related and kind of too niche. Pete and Kate, Beach House, The White Stripes. "Run Run Run" anyway is a fun song, a throwback to the band's glory days. And honestly, it's good to hear them back. IMO, they sound fresh, if a little more ragged from the last few decades. You can expect a new Libertines album come March 2024.

Phoenix-based duo Bogan Via has released a charming twee EP, "Everything's OK." Would absolutely recommend it for a comforting escape from life for some ephemeral 25 minutes. I had the pleasure of seeing them recently at the Tempe Public Library, and it was a fun little show. You can catch them at Canal Convergence this upcoming Thursday.

I've just heard of Northern Ireland-based Conchur White (please note there is an accent mark over that u, I just can't figure out how to do it on blogger), who has a debut album slated for January 2024. The singer-songwriter released "I Did Good Today" this past September, and has stated that the song deals with "craving validation but understanding that such approval can come at the expense of honesty or integrity." A lot of White's work deals with mental health issues, so I'm looking forward to diving into it more. He has opened for the likes of The Magnetic Fields, Margaret Glaspy, and Richard Hawley, which is pretty amazing.

Finally, both Roosevelt and Arlo Parks are coming to Phoenix next year for the McDowell Mountain Music Fest, which I've never attended. Other artists are of course performing, but I'm really just in it for Roosevelt and Arlo Parks. Check out the melancholic and beautiful "Caroline" by Parks below.

That's it! Until 2027 or whenever I decide to update again (which might be much sooner than that, but who knows.) Thanks for dealing with my music ramblings and please stay safe out there.

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