dreamy.march
Eid Mubarak Neuphorians!
Spring is the season of Neu beginnings and Neu music. So much new music in fact, that there are two March playlists:
neuphoria.dreamy.march- The volume of ethereal new music warranted its own playlist- one that may make for interesting background music. However, dreamy.march still includes some hits, including the current #1 most streamed song and February’s Neuphoria winner.
neuphoria.normie.march- This is the more common Neuphoria playlist, including both hits and tunes with more urgency
You can vote on only one or both playlists, or a single combined vote; the choice is yours. And if you decide to only vote/listen to neuphoria.normie.march, that certainly doesn’t mean you are a “normie”…….. or does it?
Oh- and did I forget to mention that Chappel Roan has a new song?
Thanks to Paddybear and JoeMo for their playlist suggestions this month!
Your lonesome drifter,
D
Bon Iver, Everything is Peaceful Love (Alternative)- After getting a taste of pop stardom from being featured on Tay-Tay’s “Folklore” LP, esteemed Indie Folksters, Bon Iver seem to be doubling down on pop. Employing a drum machine and a falsetto vocal in “Everything is Peaceful Love ”, Bon Iver’s veer toward old school R&B and yacht rock charmed Neuphorians who voted it the February Song of the Month in a landslide!
Hannah Cohen, Dusty (Singer/songwriter)- San Francisco native singer/songwriter/model, Hannah Cohen channels 1970’s jazz/folk and Joni, with “Dusty”. While Cohen doesn’t have Joni’s lyrical chops, I’m still partial to the breezy flute/string arrangement and her waifish vocal.
BRONCHO, Funny (Alternative)- Oklahoma hipsters (is that an oxymoron?) Broncho’s “Funny” is so dreamy that its lyrics are virtually indecipherable. It sure sounds pleasant though.
Panda Bear, Praise (Alternative)- “Praise” is from Panda Bear’s Feb 28 LP, “Sinister Grift”, the highest rated 2025 LP by Pitchfork thus far- quite an acclaim. “Praise” and much of “Sinister Grift” suggests the production style and sunshine harmonics of the Beach Boys’ 1966 classic “Pet Sounds”.
Black Country, New Road, Happy Birthday (Alternative)- “Happy Birthday” is a teaser track from this Cambridge, UK band’s expected April 2025 LP, “Forever Howlong”. With its twisting melodies and orchestration, the sprawling “Happy Birthday” borrows liberally from 1970’s folk and art school rock.
Arooj Aftab & Khruangbin, raat ki rani (World)- Pakistani jazz chanteuse Arooj Aftab, engaged Neuphorian favorites and Grammy nominees Khruangbin to remix “raat ki rani”. The echo-ey production and Laura Lee’s distinctive bassline transports “raat ki rani” from its jazz roots to downtempo TripHop.
DJ Python & Isabella Lovestory, Besos Robados (Ambient/Latin)- “Besos Robados” by Ecuadorian/Argentinian/American DJ Python and Honduran Isabella Lovestory is truly a Pan American collab. Python’s last LP was Resident Advisor’s (the ultimate platform/magazine for DJ’s) 2020 Album of the Year and the Illbient “Besos Robados” and the DJ Python’s forthcoming EP will make for intriguing background music for your next cocktail party.
Saffron Bloom, Dirge of the Lonely (Ambient)- Saffron Bloom is a side project by Iranian American Bay Area-based DJ Sepehr and the Illbient “Dirge of the Lonely” which was named a song of the week by Pitchfork. Illbient is a subgenre from the early 90’s that mixed TripHop with Ambient music.
Playboi Carti, EVIL JORDAN (Rap/R&B)- Currently the world’s #1 most streamed song, “EVIL JORDAN’s” success is attributable to its haunting sample and Playboi’s unique mumble rap flow. “EVIL JORDAN” is from Atlanta’s Carti’s March 14 LP, “MUSIC” which is dominating current streaming charts and receiving favorable reviews, with Pitchfork calling Carti “the most disruptive rapper of his generation”, while acknowledging the LP's 30-track self-indulgence.
Seyi Vibez, Mario Kart (Afrobeats)- Like Afrobeats superstar, Asake, the 24-year-old Nigerian Seyi Vibez’ sports a flashy grill, a flamboyant street aesthetic and a sound that is more African and less Western pop influenced. This is evidenced by his current West African hit “Mario Kart”, which features a stripped down traditional African beat and group chorus, despite referencing the ubiquitous 1st world Nintendo game franchise.
Helena Deland, Bigger Pieces (Folk/Ambient)- Also a Pitchfork song of the week, Canadian Helena Deland’s “Bigger Pieces” has a simple, yet otherworldly quality. Something tells me that we won’t tire of this one.
Ichiko Aoba, Sonar (Ambient)- “Luminescent Creatures”, the March LP from Kyoto, Japan’s Ichiko Aoba, was inspired by her observing the local sea creatures in her swims from remote Southern Japan archipelago islands. With critics describing her unique sound as “transfixing”, “pristine”, “tender”, “poetic”, “infinite”, and “filigreed” and comparing her to geniuses Brian Eno and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, Ms. Aoba is a transcendent artist.
Ms. Aoka sings and plays the guitar, piano, flute, clarinet and accordion on "Luminescent Creatures"- a must listen.
