\n<\/p>\n
Did any musician have a better February than Doechii<\/strong>?* Going into this month, the Tampa, Fla., rapper and self-proclaimed Swamp Princess was a rising star but hardly a household name. Then on Feb. 2, she had a breakout night at the Grammys<\/a>, giving an unforgettable (and impressively gymnastic) performance that showcased the full scope of her artistic vision, pulling off an upset win in the best rap album category for her razor-sharp \u201cAlligator Bites Never Heal\u201d and giving one of the night\u2019s most memorable, emotional speeches. If you didn\u2019t know her in January, you know her now.<\/p>\n But as Doechii makes clear on \u201cNosebleeds,\u201d an audacious one-off single she dropped just hours after her triumphant Grammy night, she was fully prepared to win that award. \u201cWill she ever lose?\u201d she ponders on the track with her signature cartoonish bite, before offering an answer straight out of another famous Grammy speech<\/a>: \u201cI guess we\u2019ll never know.\u201d<\/p>\n Doechii\u2019s bold, keyed-up victory lap<\/a> kicks off this eclectic roundup of some of the most notable new songs released in February, though it eventually segues into some softer sounds from the indie-rock group Mamalarky<\/strong>, the alt-country staple Waxahatchee<\/strong>, and the ambient folk composer William Tyler<\/strong>, among others. What would happen if you didn\u2019t have any new music to listen to this month? I guess we\u2019ll never know.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Cut my mic off \u2019cause I\u2019m \u2019bout to misbehave,<\/p>\n Lindsay<\/p>\n *OK, maybe<\/em> Kendrick Lamar<\/strong>, but that\u2019s the only other acceptable answer!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n There\u2019s a Grammy Award on the cover of this single that she obviously prepared well before the ceremony: That\u2019s the confidence of a superstar in the making. (I appreciate this comment on the YouTube video: \u201cObsessed with the concept of Doechii having a folder for \u2018Songs if I win the Grammys\u2019 and \u2018Songs if I don\u2019t.\u2019\u201d)<\/p>\n \u25b6 Listen on <\/strong>Spotify<\/a>, Apple Music<\/a> or YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n The Memphis-born singer-songwriter Valerie June \u2014 who describes her unique sound as \u201corganic moonshine roots music\u201d \u2014 offers a jolt of positivity on this first single from her upcoming sixth studio album \u201cOwls, Omens, and Oracles.\u201d \u201cI found that joy, joy in my soul,\u201d she sings on the brassy, blown-out chorus, which finds her playing with the elasticity of her voice\u2019s range. I believe her: She certainly sounds like she\u2019s having fun!<\/p>\n \u25b6 Listen on <\/strong>Spotify<\/a>, Apple Music<\/a> or YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n I already put a Perfume Genius song on last month\u2019s new songs roundup<\/a>, but the singles from his upcoming album \u201cGlory\u201d have been too good to ignore, so here\u2019s another one. An eerie, acoustic tune that suddenly erupts into a stomping, psych-rock freak-out, \u201cNo Front Teeth\u201d features haunting vocals from the gloriously strange New Zealand singer-songwriter Aldous Harding \u2014 who fits right into Perfume Genius\u2019s surreal sonic universe. (If you\u2019re unfamiliar with Harding, start with the video for \u201cThe Barrel,\u201d<\/a> and thank me later.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u25b6 Listen on <\/strong>Spotify<\/a>, Apple Music<\/a> or YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n Here\u2019s a band I discovered very recently and have been digging: The Texas four-piece Mamalarky. (No, I have no idea what the name means.) Mamalarky is one of those groups driven by a tension between technical complexity and pop simplicity, a push-and-pull you can hear on this single from the upcoming album \u201cHex Key.\u201d Skittish percussion and elastic bass lines provide a constantly shifting foundation for the lead singer Livvy Bennett\u2019s wryly chiming vocals. \u201cDon\u2019t think you could guess my next move in chess and checkers,\u201d she sings \u2014 a fitting sentiment for a song that revels in unexpected twists and turns.<\/p>\n \u25b6 Listen on <\/strong>Spotify<\/a>, Apple Music<\/a> or YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t wanna stand still,\u201d the Nigerian-born, British-based musician Obongjayar sings halfway through this new single \u2014 but the kinetic beat and electrified atmosphere has already made that plenty clear. Obongjayar (Steven Umoh) melds the sounds of Afrobeat, electro-pop, funk and hip-hop to create his unique style. If you\u2019re new to his music, his Tiny Desk<\/a> performance from 2023 is a good introduction.<\/p>\n \u25b6 Listen on <\/strong>Spotify<\/a>, Apple Music<\/a> or YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n Waxahatchee\u2019s incisive \u201cTigers Blood\u201d was No. 9 on my list of the best albums of 2024<\/a>, and this recently released outtake is as good as anything on the record. \u201cI\u2019m a fool in angel\u2019s clothing, I\u2019m a glutton for being let down,\u201d Katie Crutchfield howls, untangling a ball of knotted feelings while the song\u2019s banjo, lightly brushed percussion and warm backing vocals soften her edges.<\/p>\n \u25b6 Listen on <\/strong>Spotify<\/a>, Apple Music<\/a> or YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n Finally, I\u2019ll play you out with the latest transmission of bliss from the Nashville guitarist and composer William Tyler. Tyler’s wordless music offers an ethereal and ambient-minded take on country and folk; I love his 2016 album \u201cModern Country\u201d as well as his stirring score<\/a> for Kelly Reichardt\u2019s great 2019 deconstructed western \u201cFirst Cow<\/a>.\u201d This luminous soundscape is from his upcoming solo album \u2014 out April 25 \u2014 which has a title that beautifully describes the weightlessness that Tyler conjures through his best music: \u201cTime Indefinite.\u201d<\/p>\n \u25b6 Listen on <\/strong>Spotify<\/a>, Apple Music<\/a> or YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n \u201c7 New Songs You Should Hear Now\u201d track list<\/strong>Listen along while you read.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n1. Doechii: \u201cNosebleeds\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
2. Valerie June: \u201cJoy, Joy!\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
3. Perfume Genius Featuring Aldous Harding: \u201cNo Front Teeth\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
4. Mamalarky: \u201c#1 Best of All Time\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
5. Obongjayar: \u201cNot in Surrender\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
6. Waxahatchee: \u201cMud\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
7. William Tyler: \u201cConcern\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\nThe Amplifier Playlist<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Track 1: Doechii, \u201cNosebleeds\u201d
Track 2: Valerie June, \u201cJoy, Joy!\u201d
Track 3: Perfume Genius featuring Aldous Harding, \u201cNo Front Teeth\u201d
Track 4: Mamalarky, \u201c#1 Best of All Time\u201d
Track 5: Obongjayar, \u201cNot in Surrender\u201d
Track 6: Waxahatchee, \u201cMud\u201d
Track 7: William Tyler, \u201cConcern\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n