Another use for your old winter scarf
+ Haim has figured me out, Wet Leg can beat you up and I <3 spring music
Hello hello happy April!
Last Saturday I saw Horsegirl, a band that sounds like they belong in the ‘90s post-punk U.K. scene next to the Slits and the Raincoats, but they’re actually a group of musicians 22 and younger from Chicago, now based in New York—two are studying at NYU right now. The show was at Williamsburg’s Warsaw, and a questionable number of dads were there. They weren’t with kids, I just felt dad energy from them. When there are many dad-looking dudes seeing a band that’s not made up of all men, you know the guitar will be good.
I’ve heard of guitar players putting a piece of fabric on their guitar neck in order to mute strings or create a kind of restricted sound, but I’ve never seen what Horsegirl did last week. In the middle of the set, singer-guitarist Penelope Lowenstein took out a winter scarf and tied it around her guitar. It took a couple of tries for her to get it right—at one point her bandmate Nora Cheng started coming over to help her. But Penelope laughed and gave it one more go with a constricted strum. “It’s supposed to sound like that, believe it or not,” she said. Then Horsegirl plucked through “Julie,” the closest the band gets to a ballad on their new album, “Phonetics On and On.” I took a terrible video to show you what I mean. But as the weather warms up this month, consider learning guitar so that you can repurpose your scarf.
❤️ LOVE NOTES ❤️
Wet Leg is back with a new song ”catch these fists.” For their Jimmy Fallon performance this week, Rhian Teasdale wore a boxing look—she’s jacked and none of us should want to catch her fists. Wet Leg is putting out a new album, “moisturizer,” July 11.
Téa from one of my favorite current pop punk bands Meet Me at the Altar is leaving the band. In the same announcement, the band shared that they’re independent again. I think there’s a bigger back story here?
I’m going to start noting concerts I attend in here—who has time to write a concert review?! Not me, the girl who chose to write this thing in the first place. Anyway, I saw the Weather Station at Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday, and it made me like her more, as live music often does. One member of the band played both saxophone and flute, which tugged at my former high school band member heartstrings. I’ve been revisiting this song “Neon Signs” from her January album “Humanhood” ever since.
Haim put out another new song today and wow. With “Everybody’s trying to figure me out,” they’ve created the anthem for those of us who do not feel like being perceived, who have made a big decision and don’t care what anyone else thinks about it. “Everybody's got a bed they're sleeping in / And I know that I've made mine.” I wish I had this song during my last breakup.
Emily White on the importance of human music curators: “In an era where AI can generate endless content, human curators offer something uniquely valuable: distinctive taste, compelling storytelling and communities where music is more than background noise.”
Speaking of human curators: The past week’s warmer weather has placed me on a quest for spring playlists. I’ve been combing through everything Adam Offitzer mentioned in his latest post on Hear Hear, which you should definitely subscribe to if you don’t already. He subscribes to New Crush, so you know he has taste. This playlist called in bloom is part of my new rotation thanks to his newsletter.
🚨 VIBE CHECK 🚨
What the people are actually listening to:
“Luther” is still No. 1 on the singles chart! I’m bored. And Playboi Carti is in his second week of topping the Billboard 200.
Some fun debuts on the albums chart: Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s joint album “I Said I Love You First” is at No. 2. Confession: I think this album is kind of fun, especially “Sunset Blvd.” Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it. And Japanese Breakfast’s latest album, which I mentioned here a couple of weeks ago, debuted at No. 45! This is huge for an indie artist.
🔥 Old Flames 🔥
Almost every month, I make a playlist full of songs I’m loving. Once the month is over, I start a new one. This has allowed me to create monthly time capsules, and now I’m sharing them with you!
Last April I was listening to… Good Luck, Babe! by Chappell Roan and a major trifecta of 2024 favorite albums: “Cowboy Carter” by Beyoncè, “Don’t Forget Me” by Maggie Rogers and “The Tortured Poets Department” by Taylor Swift (duh)
In April 2023 I was listening to… My favorite Blondshell song, “Salad,” “You Can Be Mean” by Indigo de Souza, “One That Got Away” by MUNA, and the 25th anniversary edition of emo band Braid’s “Frame & Canvas”
In April 2022 I was listening to… Philly band Caracara’s album “New Preoccupations.” I loved/love this album so much and I still haven’t seen them live. For some reason I loved the 2001 song “Flowers In the Window” by Travis. And my favorite Holly Humberstone song, “Sleep Tight,” was released.
In April 2021 I was listening to… I got really into the ‘90s band Texas. “Head Cheerleader” by Pom Pom Squad, “Mr. Perfectly Fine” by Taylor Swift (canonical release). The album “Head of Roses” by Flock of Dimes.
In April 2020 I was listening to… I titled this one APRIL INDOORS because that was what was happening, wasn’t it? This was when I discovered Bartees Strange through his mind-blowing cover of The National’s “Lemonworld.” “Who Are You” by Diet Cig, “Kyoto” by Phoebe Bridgers, “Perfect” by Sorry.
In April 2019 I was listening to… And I named this one after a very underrated Illuminati Hotties song, “Shape of My Hands,” because I had a crush on a boy who turned out to be a total loser then, attempted to REDEEM himself last summer and turned out to be an even bigger loser. But I digress. One of my favorite songs in the world, “Living Room, N.Y.” by Laura Stevenson (one of Rockville Centre’s finest). “Julien” by Carly Rae Jepsen. Sidney Gish’s cover of “Somebody’s Baby.”
😘 Friday I’m in Love 😘
This week’s notable album releases:
“Welcome to My Blue Sky” by Momma - This will surely be on my top albums of 2025 list!
“Jellywish” by Florist
“Revengeseekerz” by Jane Remover
“Who Believes in Angels?” by Elton John and Brandi Carlile
“Spring Grove” by The Ophelias
There are only two things you actually need to know about me. My name is Natalia and my favorite podcast is Las Culturistas. They end every episode with a song. I end every newsletter with a song.
Blondshell put out a new song and the video is loosely inspired by the DILFS of Disneyland instagram account.
I am also loving Horsegirl and the Weather Station <3 Thanks for the shout out to my piece!