6 new songs you should hear now6 songs, 23 min 18 sec
Dear listeners,I was delighted to learn, in Steven Kurutz’s recent profile of the Philadelphia-based musician Kurt Vile, the name that Vile has given the recording studio in his basement: “OKV Central,” as in “Overnite Kurt Vile.” The studio is a kind of musical man cave, where Vile spends some solitary time after his wife and two teenage daughters have gone to bed. Kurutz refers to Vile as “the slacker poet of modern indie rock,” and Vile provides further evidence in the way he describes those nocturnal hours he spends in OKV Central: “I get a lot of my KV world and my KV mind together around then.” You’ll step right into KV World — a place of tuneful, easygoing benevolence — on the first track of today’s playlist, “Zoom 97,” a song from Vile’s upcoming album that I’ve had on repeat this week. (The title of the album is an expression of plain-spoken, heart-on-his-sleeve KV poetry: “Philadelphia’s Been Good to Me.”) This brief digest of some of my favorite new songs released in recent weeks also includes an electric earworm from the British breakbeat enthusiast Nia Archives, a gorgeously atmospheric tune from the R&B deconstructionist Nick Hakim and, astonishingly, the first new song released by a Beastie Boy in more than a dozen years. Ch-check it out. Also, as some readers astutely pointed out, a correction to last week’s Amplifier is in order: I mistakenly claimed that the upcoming Rolling Stones album will be the first to feature a credited appearance by Paul McCartney. This is not so. McCartney played bass on “Bite My Head Off,” a blistering track from the 2023 Stones album “Hackney Diamonds.” I will now play it 10 times in a row, loudly, as my penance. My ears can’t believe what they are seeing, Lindsay
Listen along while you read.1. Kurt Vile: “Zoom 97”Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever compare Kurt Vile to the Bay Area rapper E-40, but I hear an echo of “Choices” in the hiccuping “yup!” that punctuates the verses of this lovely song. ▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
|
The Amplifier Playlist
 |
“6 New Songs You Should Hear Now” track list
Track 1: Kurt Vile, “Zoom 97”
Track 2: Iceage, “The Weak”
Track 3: Nia Archives, “Boys In Blue”
Track 4: Yard Act, “Redeemer”
Track 5: Nick Hakim, “Real Here Now”
Track 6: Mike D, “Switch Up”
Read past editions of the newsletter here.
If you’re enjoying what you’re reading, please consider recommending it to others. They can sign up here.
Have feedback? Ideas for a playlist? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at theamplifier@nytimes.com.
 |
| ||
If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Amplifier from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Amplifier, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. | |||||
| |||||
  | |||||
The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 |
