Welcome to The Notebook. Every month explore the new sounds that the Hult Center team and friends are listening to.
Greg – House of Records
Maybe the album of the year so far. Great songs, catchy tunes, upbeat, perky, and dancey in a very Doja Cat way, and delivered with panache. Even when she sings a ballad, she sounds comfortable in her own skin. Perfect music for this fleeting moment of hope that people are experiencing across the country.
Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of A Midwest Princess
The newest X record will be their last. They’re calling it quits. But don’t be sad, because Smoke & Fictions sounds just like…classic X from the 80s, before they took their turn toward twang. And all of the original members are here, too. It is as if the intervening decades never happened. One of the most pleasant surprises of the year.
X – Smoke & Fiction
Daniel O – Content and Design Coordinator
Following the melancholy but beautiful record Pressure Machine, The Killers return to form (with their original line up!) for the fantastic new track “Bright Lights.” The standalone gospel driven single rocks like only The Killers. It’s nice to hear Dave Keuning on guitar again, the man absolutely rips. I hope there is more to come but Brandon Flowers recently gave an interview about “Bright Lights” and scrapping an entire album because “it didn’t feel right.” Well, “Bright Lights” certainly feels right, so fingers crossed.
The Killers – “Bright Lights”
Since the first time I heard the lyrics “Let’s get f@%$ed up and die…” I’ve needed Motion City Soundtrack in my life. And then they were part of my life until they weren’t and broke up. But “No one’s ever really gone” – thanks Star Wars. So despite seeing them on a farewell tour like 9 years ago, I’m more than happy to welcome them back. And the gang’s all here and haven’t missed a beat. “Stop Talking” sounds like peak MCS. If this is a taste of what’s to come, consider this guy ready for more depressing lyrics dished in the most uplifting way possible.
Motion City Soundtrack – “Stop Talking”
Evan G – Marketing Coordinator
From her first EP in 2019, Remi Wolf has been one of the most interesting and innovative voices in the pop genre. With her sophomore album Big Ideas, it feels like Remi Wolf has taken another big leap in developing her unique sound. An album filled with an eclectic blend of musical influences, it’s impressive how it all comes together into something that feels cohesive and of its own. Big Ideas is a lot of fun to listen to and I can’t wait to see what’s coming next from Remi Wolf.
Remi Wolf – Big Ideas
Jim O – The Jazz Station
Dynamic Maximum Tension, composer and bandleader Darcy James Argue’s most recent CD, was nominated for a Grammy this past February. It’s easily his best release yet, a 21st century take on the big band tradition that honors the influence of Duke Ellington, Thad Jones and Bob Brookmeyer and at the same time shows how Argue has synthesized those sounds into his own voice.
These are real compositions, not just bookends for a string of soloists. They take their time unfolding and really develop their musical ideas. The moods vary from “Single Cell Jitterbug’s” swing to the darkness of “Ferromagnetic” and the brooding intensity of “Your Enemies Are Asleep.”
A totally unexpected treat is “Mae West: Advice,” which adds an unexpected touch of pseudo-Beat poetry to the album. Vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant delivers Paisley Rekdal’s lyrics with just the right amount of sly humor.
Excellent compositions, beautifully played by some of the best musicians in New York City. Highly recommended.
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society – Dynamic Maximum Tension
Eryn H – Marketing Coordinator
August has long felt like the pinnacle of summer to me – everything seems to burn a little brighter. Ayra Starr’s live version of “Commas” is no exception. The mid-year release is nothing less than a masterpiece and has been serving as the definitive backdrop to my life this month. With afro-beats on gorgeous display, Starr’s meteoric rise is undeniably justified, and the accompanying video is spectacularly saturated with the song’s infectious rhythm and full-color composition. I could say more, but really “Commas” speaks for itself.
Rich H – Director of Marketing
Sometimes you want music to brighten your day, to change the vibe and push your mindset and outlook for sunnier days. Sometimes, though, you want a song to transport you to a seedy cyber-punk world where you’re a kingpin of an elaborate gang gearing up for a heist, but don’t forget there is always romance, deep bristling romance, both of the danger afoot and someone luring you to it. That vibe is what I feel every time I listen to Phantogram, who just dropped the single “Come Alive” from their forthcoming new album “(Memory of Day)” coming out October 18th. Its synth laden griminess has always been in a class of its own as once you layer on the gorgeous vocals of Sarah Barthel over the darkly pulsing production of Josh Carter you find yourself in a tantalizing new place that is both seductive and dangerous. Consider me eagerly anticipating the new album, and maybe one day, some brilliant genius will get them to score the dark sci-fi film of my dreams. One can only hope.
Phantogram – “Come Alive”
