tunes - october 2024

cowboy secrets, no way to relax, and pre-Fleetwood Mac

hi, hello!

It’s good to have your eyes and ears. Here’s what I’ve been listening to for the past month.

October is always a fun month because of Austin City Limits—one of my favorite Austin experiences. And this year’s was so special. Specifically, days seven through twelve in the list below are all artists who I saw at ACL.

Some highlights from the fest who weren’t featured in the newsletter are Chappell Roan and Khruangbin: both had amazing energy and sounded fantastic. Of course, Willie coming on stage with Orville Peck to perform their cover of “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond Of Each Other” was a highlight.

Orville Peck with Willie Nelson (left) and Chappell Roan (right). Below is Khruangbin.

In addition to the artists from ACL, two albums stood out to me: No Way To Relax When You Are On Fire and Cunningham Bird.

No Way To Relax When You Are On Fire is Dora Jar’s debut album. (Her real name is Dora Jarkowski if you’re wondering.) There’s not one bad song on this album—we love an album with no skips. These tracks keep me on my toes and wanting more. Fans of Remi Wolf and The Japanese House will appreciate the intricate lyrics, pop melodies, and range in tempo.

Cunningham Bird is Andrew Bird and Madison Cunningham’s interpretation of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks’s pre-Fleetwood Mac album Buckingham Nicks, which is not available to stream on Spotify, but you can find it on YouTube. The two versions are so different, yet so perfect in their own ways. Both sets of musicians are talented and compatible (at least at the time for Buckingham Nicks). If you’re looking for an exact Fleetwood Mac vibe, you may be disappointed, but if you’re open to a new interpretation of a folk-rock classic (with violins!), you’ll be very happy with this new version.

Also, I know it took me a few months, but I finally listened to the Peter, Paul and Mary album I mentioned in July. It’s the perfect background music for a fall day.

1. Kate Bollinger, Songs From A Thousand Frames Of Mind

2. Grapetooth, Grapetooth

3. Babehoven, Water's Here In You

4. Zach Bryan, The Great America Bar Scene

5. Dora Jar, No Way To Relax When You Are On Fire

6. Odetta, Odetta Sings Dylan

7. Remi Wolf, Big Ideas

8. BALTHVS, Harvest

9. Leon Bridges, Leon

10. Dua Lipa, Radical Optimism

11. Orville Peck, Stampede

12. Vince Staples, Vince Staples

13. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin III

14. Emily Rose and the Rounders, Emily Rose and the Rounders

15. Dream Stitch, Long Rattle

16. BANKS, Serpentina

17. Nemahsis, eleven achers

18. Andrew Bird, Madison Cunningham, Cunningham Bird

19. Nemahsis, Verbathim

20. Billie Holiday, Easy to Remember

21. Kelly McFarling, Water Dog

22. Madison Cunningham, Wednesday

23. Honeyglaze, Real Deal

24. Madison Cunningham, Revealer

25. Laura Marling, Patterns in Repeat

26. Haley Heynderickx, Among Horses III

27. Peter, Paul and Mary, In the Wind

28. Mitski, Puberty 2

29. Dora Jar, Digital Meadow

30. Dreamwave, Dreamwave And The Mindcave

31. Soccer Mommy, Evergreen

Thanks for reading, thanks for listening.

- emily