Welcome to The Notebook. Every month explore the new sounds that the Hult Center team (and some special guests) are listening to.
March hit us with some big release and a handful of surprises. From the bands we have loved forever to the new artists we’ve just learned about, March had a little bit of everything to keep our playlists fresh.
Vicki Infinito – Director of Programing
I was driving in today and heard a song by this artist and immediately found her on Spotify to listen to more. She creates a wonderful blend of indie, pop and with a tiny bit of country thrown in. The song I heard that made me want to listen to more is her newest single “Are You Okay?” which is makes me long for warm summer nights.
BEL, Are You Okay?
Greg – House of Records
An all-instrumental workout that takes you right back to the seventies. The band is led by J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. His guitar playing has always been his strength, while his vocals are not everyone’s cup of tea. So this scorcher of a record gives you the best of both worlds: raging guitar riffs, Hendrix-style shredding, no singing. Guaranteed to get any party started.
Literate, deep-voiced MC reminiscent of Kid Cudi, with wonderful organ washes, thick spacy beats, and surprising harmonic twists. Every track is different, yet it holds together well as a whole album. On some of the tracks, very cool background harmonies are sung by what sounds like a choir of Black women.
Heavy Blanket, Moon Is
Namir Blade, Metropolis
Rich Hobby – Director of Marketing
I was a very lucky lad in that I happened to have a free night during a recent trip to visit family in the UK and was able to score tickets to the incredible new production of Guys & Dolls at the snazzy Bridge Theater that is located smack dab next to the Tower Bridge in London. This was no normal production of G&D though, as this one is both in the round and also allows a standing audience on the main floor of the show which provided a truly unforgettable experience in that you are, quite literally, shoulder-to-shoulder with the stars of the show as you then watch them rise to their scenes as sections of the floor raised and lowered to create an constantly morphing stage layout. All of this moving about is majestically orchestrated by floor managers, appropriately dressed at NYPD beat cops, who move the audience to-and-fro, in a fun way, feeling like an actual character in the production. That experience, paired with an outstanding cast (extra hat tips to Cedric Neal’s Nicely-Nicely, and Marisha Wallace’s Miss Adelaide) and performance made this one of the most thrilling and enjoyable live theater experience I’ve had in a while, especially the cast led dance party that erupts after each performance. Now, I know popping over to ole blighty isn’t a possibility for most – but I’d encourage anyone crossing the pond between now and September of 2023 to not miss this incredible experience.
Dusty Adair – Talent Buyer
Morgan hasn’t released an album since 2021 and this album has a little bit of everything. He has had some ups and downs during his career, and it seems like this album is a representation of that. You can hear his true country roots in his songs, but he also mixed in some alternative and hip-hop sound. A few of my favorite songs on the album are Thought You Should Know, Last Night and Ain’t That Some.
Warren is a rising country artist, and he has a grittiness to his voice that I love. This song is great, and I can’t wait for his upcoming EP to be released on April 14th.
Morgan Wallen, One Thing At A Time
Warren Zeiders, Pretty Little Poison
Daniel Olbrych – Content and Design Coordinator
Everything about this song makes my ears happy. I’m a sucker for a rock band who is able to incorporate the sounds of an NES so seamlessly into their sound. Topped off with killer vocals and some dystopian lyrics. Whatever the Thieves are up to with Dead Club City, consider me in. And just comparing it to their last big release… the range on these guys is insane.
FOB comes out of the pandemic with a confident rock album and it’s maybe the best they’ve ever been. I love the Slash style guitar sounds on “Heaven, Iowa,” the MJ vocals throughout, the huge orchestral sounds. And while emo is back… this isn’t some throwback album either. And FOD never went away. Stardust is a huge production from start to finish and I’m here for it.
Nothing But Thieves, Welcome to the DCC
Fall Out Boy, So Much (for) Stardust
