Happy Friday I’m writing this letter from my phone on an airplane will wonders never cease etc. My jet lag app says I can go to sleep in two hours. I’m not a chill traveler per se - I need to adhere to my strict guidelines and regimes l, and also to overpack 4-9 lbs over the weight limit (minimum), in order to feel secure enough to go boho-who-cares mode when I’m actually on my vacation. This is my process. When presented with my systems (and the notions of packing cubes) my travel companion said, and I quote, “your preparedness is dazzling.”
I can’t do a particularly well formatted version of this due to the circumstances but here’s a nonetheless meaty list of probably not accidentally free-wheeling, horizon-seeking new music I’m loving for the weekend, and a of course, a little playlist (sorry for the typos):
I’ve had this song stuck in my head for a week. (I’m fine).
New Fontaines D.C song “Marianne” is good! Bodes well for the forthcoming album.
My friend Adrien put me on to this Atlanta band called Ricochet Star and when someone sends me something like this (gauzy, layered, dreamy) I feel seen and known. Their EP, Every Other Moon, came out in June.
She was the subject of our last Monday Mixtape (“our” hallucinating collaborators now) and I said it then and I’ll say it again - Grace Cummings is the musical offspring of Nick Cave and PJ Harvey.
WiFi went out and I fell asleep but I’m back.
(I can’t explain it fully but these next few albums feel linked to the Traveling Wilburys music video I watched while sitting at “Rock and Brews” at LAX this morning):
I’m really loving the new Wild Pink album Still Coming Down. Hat tip to shaad D’Souza for texting me about it at 5am my time (I was up, as per my rigid jet lag avoidance protocol).
Afghan Whigs have a new album and I guess because they always sort of made whiskey-soaked jawline-forward older Man music it just keeps working? Dulli’s softened a bit with age (the album is in fact called Soft Control which I’m sorry but that’s so hot) and his voice still sounds stellar (Chris Ryan and I went to see them play last month and it was awesome).
The new Westside Cowboy album is out today. My Anglophilia is no secret so this is sort of catnip to me but I like how their college rock is also kinda like elevated pub rock (to these American ears anyway). That being said it’s called It Goes On and I think it would make a Wilbury smile.
I’m not sure how I came across Slumped (fronted by Nathaniel Thomas Punty) but this song came out in 2024 and no one told me about it which makes me feel not seen and not known tbh.
I also found a few other great new singles and they are on the playlist…
Which is here, I’m going back to sleep now
Way up high or down low…will be waking up in Edinburgh if all goes to plan.
Have a great weekend (I’ll go wherever you will go) xx
Damn. Thank you for the intro to Ricochet Star.
travel safely! have fun ❤️