Over the past few months, there has been an abundance of wonderful new music from so many artists. This week, I would like to share with you some of the new music that I have been loving lately and, hopefully, put you onto some new music as well.
Of course, this post does not discuss every new single, album, or EP that I’ve enjoyed over the past few months as that would make for an extremely long post. The singles, albums, and EPs discussed in this blog were released between the dates of December 1, 2023, and February 2, 2024.
Albums & EPs:
‘Live From Dexter’s Basement’ - Dexter and The Moonrocks
As a big Dexter and The Moonrocks fan who wishes they could go back to the night they saw them live, I was ecstatic when I found out about this album. For me, listening to this album is a nostalgic experience. Listening to it mentally takes me back to that night and allows me to somewhat relive the night I saw them at Growlers in Memphis, Tennesee back in early 2023.
This album features 7 songs and was a surprise release on January 4, 2024. However, in writing this blog, I discovered that Spotify states that this album was released on February 4, 2023, when it definitely was not. So I’m not sure what’s up with that.
Regardless of what Spotify says the release date is, I think that ‘Live From Dexter’s Basement’ is a very well-executed live album. I think that the crowd noise and the music are perfectly balanced so that one does not overwhelm the other. And even though the songs were recorded live, the band still sounds just as good as they do in their studio recordings, if not even better.
My favorite song on this album is ‘Freaks - Live’. This song is actually a cover and was originally performed and made popular by the band Surf Curse. I have been listening to Surf Curse's song 'Freaks' for years now and, when I saw Dexter and The Moonrocks live back in early 2023, I was floored when they started playing it during their set.
Ever since that show, I have rewatched my video of Dexter and The Moonrocks covering ‘Freaks’ countless times and, finally, I can listen to the whole song again, conveniently, whenever I want. Dexter and The Moonrocks did a great job with this cover and added their own unique sound and style to an already great song.
‘Dear Dolly’ - Ashley Anne
I found out about this EP just a few days before it was released. I saw a snippet of one of the songs on TikTok and my attention was captured instantly. Thankfully for me, I didn’t have to wait too long to hear the entire song.
This EP was released on January 19, 2024, and it features 6 songs. This EP has been my introduction to Ashley Anne and her music and I have been quite impressed. She has strong vocals in addition to creative, engaging lyrics. I am honestly shocked that I have not heard more people talking about this EP or Ashely Anne; she definitely deserves more recognition.
My favorite song off this EP is ‘Mary Jane’s Been Talkin' (Interlude)’ which also happened to be the song I heard in that TikTok snippet. I love the lyricism and wordplay in this song. Not only is it well-written, but the music and vocals are also beautiful.
Singles:
‘Suburban Outlaw’ - Maggie Antone
I was obsessed with this song before it was even released. Like with Ashely Anne’s album, I first heard this song in a TikTok snippet. However, for this one, there was a much longer period of time from when I first heard the snippet on TikTok until the full song was released. And I can say, without a doubt, that this song was worth the wait.
This song was released on December 1, 2023, and since then, I truly have not been able to get enough of this song. I listen to it at least once a day, oftentimes more than once, and sometimes on repeat. I know it’s early to be making such a prediction but I honestly think this song may end up being my top song in my 2024 Spotify Wrapped.
I love everything about this song: the lyrics, the vocals, the music. I relate heavily to this song and find it to be a very cathartic song that I love to scream-sing whether I’m in the car, on my treadmill at home, or pacing the floors late at night because I can’t sleep.
I cannot wait to hear even more new music from Maggie; I know she is going places fast. She’s actually coming out with a new song, ‘I Don't Wanna Hear About It’ on February 16th! You can presave this song by clicking here.
‘Cincinnati Heart’ - Nolan Taylor
This song is yet another great song from Nolan. I have yet to hear a Nolan Taylor song that I haven’t liked and I don’t see that changing. He is consistently coming out with great music.
This song was released on January 29, 2024, which was also the day that he announced the dates for his upcoming tour, the 'Cincinnati Heart Tour'. On this tour, Nolan is coming to over 20 cities across the United States.
If you are interested in going to any of these shows, I highly suggest that you get your tickets as soon as possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if all of these shows sold out! I’ve already got my tickets to see him in Nashville, Tennessee in April!
‘Made To Love Someone’ - Anna Graves
This was another song that I discovered through TikTok. If you haven’t noticed yet, that’s how I’ve been discovering a lot of new music lately. And like with ‘Suburban Outlaw’, this song was definitely worth the wait.
This song was released on February 2, 2024, and the timing of this release could not have been better for me personally. I find this song so relatable to my current situation and the message in this song is a message I truly needed to hear at this point in my life. I truly appreciate the perspective on life and love that Anna provides in this song.
Not only do I love the message, but I also love the music and vocals in this song. To me, this song has a Lana Del Ray meets country and americana vibe. Also, for Lana fans like me out there, did y’all hear we are getting a country album from her? I honestly cannot wait for it.
This song was my introduction to Anna Graves and her music. I cannot wait to hear what else she comes out with. She only has three songs on Spotify as of this writing but I have been thoroughly impressed with everything I’ve heard from her so far.
‘All The Way’ - Shane Smith & The Saints
This is, without a doubt, my favorite Shane Smith & The Saints song thus far. I truly cannot get over this song. I find this song to be an incredibly beautiful portrayal and description of love. I cannot help but smile every time I hear this song.
This song was released on January 17, 2024, and, the night it was released, I listened to it on repeat for the rest of the night until I fell asleep. This song hasn’t even been out for a month yet and I have already listened to it over 160 times according to my Stats.fm.
This song has such an old country vibe to it which makes sense as it was inspired by Johnny Cash's music. As of right now, this song is a front-runner for songs to be played at my future wedding even though I’m single and who knows if I’ll ever even get married. But, if I do, this song will probably be incorporated in some way.
If you’re interested in discovering more about the artists discussed in this article you can check them out on Instagram: Dexter and the Moonrocks / Ashley Anne / Maggie Antone / Nolan Taylor / Anna Graves / Shane Smith & The Saints!
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