12 of my Favorite Records from March 2024

Some standouts from the start of Spring

I tried to narrow it down to 10 and even then, I made exceptions to exclude 3 of my absolute favorites of the month. This includes my Album of the Year by Amaro Freitas, one of my favorite electronic records in years by Four Tet and one of the highest praised (and rightfully so) albums of the year Tigers Blood by Waxahatchee. That last one, I figured you could find a million reviews of online, so why muddy up the waters with my voice? It’s great.

I had chosen 10 and then I realized I forgot one on my list, but 11 seemed weird, so I added a 12th.

WHATEVER. March was a killer month for new releases and I haven’t even heard everything that I want to (and didn’t get to really ANY classical releases).

As usual, I will link the Bandcamp if it exists or whichever link seems best. Thanks for checkin’ this out.

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Angelo Outlaw
Axis of Time (Eraserhood Sound) (released 3/15)
Dreamy, retro-tinged soul jazz from Philly-based percussionist

I first heard lead single “Free My Mind” as either a snippet behind a video on Instagram or as an ad itself (I definitely got ads for this record), and I knew this was going to be an album I was going to need to check out. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect going in, expecting more of a neo-soul vibe, but was happily surprised to find some vibraphone-heavy retro soul-jazz. This has a lot of the markings of the Jazz Is Dead/Adrian Younge collective, some of the early 00s Stones Throw/Now-Again-era jazz and just some classic 70s film scores. It’s light and airy and breezy and dreamy and just a total uplifting vibe, which is what Outlaw set out to do. I find myself drifting away from a lot of modern reinterpretations of this particular sound, but this one is really just the perfect amount of smooth while retaining that Philly-funk sound.

BrhyM
Deep Sea Vents (Thirty Tigers) (released 3/1)
Bruce Hornsby & yMusic team up for an art-pop concept album about water

Pretty easily the most surprising album of the year for me. This collaboration between Bruce and 6-piece chamber group yMusic is actually super playful, interesting and clever. And the songs are good! I really thought this would be too silly or too corny, and it has elements of that, but it is genuinely forward-thinking pop music. I’ve only recently learned to love Bruce Hornsby beyond his big hits and playing with The Dead, and while I didn’t love his last album (also featuring yMusic) from 2019, this one really suckered me in. The songs are short but go all over the place and we get inspiration from Moby Dick to clownfish to food & drink. It’s almost like Bruce goes Sufjan, but it is it’s own thing and it IS distinctly Bruce and it’s going to be a good sunny day banger as the year goes on.

Charlie Parr
Little Sun (Smithsonian Folkways) (released 3/22)
Ramshackle folk-blues legend settles down a little bit

Charlie Parr is one of those musicians I’ve known for over 20 years and have heard snippets of most of his 15ish albums here and there and I really respect but never really delve into. He’s well respected in the “roots” community and this new record on Folkways, recorded during a snowstorm here in Portland feels more fleshed out and a little bit less raw than his usual output. This is just really excellently written folk-blues/singer-songwriter stuff from a near-legend who makes making music sound like the most natural thing in the world, even though this is likely his most fleshed-out recording. It came out during a week of like a dozen great country/folk releases and still stood out. I’m going to make it a goal to go back and listen to all his stuff I can find. Bravo (as always) to Smithsonian Folkways.

Creekbed Carter Hogan
Creekbed Carter (Gar Hole) (released 3/22)
Silver-tongued, biting, blasphemous and beautiful folk music

Creekbed Carter Hogan is a trans writer, poet and musician from Austin who I was completely unfamiliar with until about 2 week ago and am now essentially obsessed with. Carter deftly weaves stories of growing up Catholic with their own current story to tell all through the lens of arresting and raw traditionalish folk. The album cover is unreal good, the merch that accompanies the record is unreal good and most importantly - the music is incredible. This is a top 5 record of the year for me through these 3 months and truly seems like one that could grow. In a way to be reductive, I described his music as somewhere between Bill Callahan, Vetiver and Bobby Charles with some of the imagery of Devendra and a singing style somewhere between Sam Amidon and Anais Mitchell…but Southern. Equal parts emotionally raw and powerful and funny and whimsical - I love this record and will be following Carter for hopeful years to come.

Junegrass
Perpetual Stew (Grass Music) (released 3/1)
Delightfully jammy instrumental psychedelic vibes for the backyard

The first time I heard this record, it just HIT. I was blown away by this band I was totally unfamiliar with, because it was exactly the vibe I was going for. I’ve been slowly getting back into The Dead and listening to them here and there a bit and this is rooted in that feeling a little bit, but is a bit heavier and more modern - though it does really jam. Junegrass is from Chicago and has a little bit of the 90s and 00s Chicago DNA in their music, a bit of jazz here and there, that particular Chicago echo on the guitar and jam music that has a lot of movements without feeling particularly chaotic or like overkill. Guitars, drums, synths, bass and sax - this is something you just put on and really vibe out to.

Kimmi Bitter
Old School (self-released) (released 3/29)
60s-obsessed mod-inspired classic country with a surf influence

Kimmi Bitter is a midcentury-obsessed country singer from my mom’s stomping grounds of Oceanside, California and that informs her sound a lot. Despite the odds, this is the best country record to have come out on March 29th (the Beyonce record is good, I just had to say it), and it is REALLY good. Retro in sound almost to the point of going too far (with lyrics that fit), she does still get a bit of a more 90s sound on the ballads later on in the album. Regardless, if I had my way and programmed country radio, Kimmi Bitter would be a staple of the genre and getting heavy airplay. Her voice really reminds me of Trisha Yearwood, but her sound is earlier. It’s a ton of fun and a must listen for classic country-pop fans.

Magic Tuber Stringband
Needlefall (Thrill Jockey) (released 3/22)
Unreal good trance-inducing instrumental folk music

Magic Tuber Stringband’s album from last year Tarantism blew me away and was very nearly my album of the year. This year’s release on Thrill Jockey might be even better. MTS’s sound is similar to their last release, using banjo, saw, shruti box, sax, strings, clarinet and more to basically make an album about transcendence, seasons, North Carolina, camp fires and more through their ability to translate traditional Appalachian music into pieces that sound more akin to the minimalism of Don Cherry or Harry Partch. This is the music I long to make and it’s the music I long to listen to. The Magic Tuber Stringband is special and the duo of Evan and Courtney are quickly becoming my favorite act in the world.

The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis
The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis (Impulse!) (released 3/15)
Fugazi rhythm section jazz fusion record with skilled guitarist and horn player

Wow! This just works. If not for my album of the year, which may or may not even be considered jazz, as of right now, this is probably my jazz album of the year. I go in and out with James Brandon Lewis who sometimes is TOO far out for me, but generally is one of my favorite players in all of the genre and is always worth checking out. I’m mostly unfamiliar with guitarist Anthony Pirog but he rips here and I’m super familiar with Brendan Canty and Joel Lally from Fugazi. This is great. Ignore most things that might label this as Art Punk or anything like that. This is a JAZZ record and what’s more it sounds almost like the most 2024 jazz album you can make. It’s brash and loud, but the rhythm is driving and does have rave-ups like you would get in a Fugazi chorus, but follows jazz structure. It’s awesome, all 4 players rip through the whole runtime. I hope we get more and if not, then I hope the Messthetics experiment with other current featured jazz guys on subsequent releases. Excellent stuff.

Mildlife
Chorus (Heavenly Recordings) (released 3/1)
Aussie jazz-funk combo lay the psychedelic disco on thick

Mildlife is a band that I am new to but I have discovered have quite a following online and elsewhere. People like their combination of fusion and jazz funk, pushing boundaries but maintaining excellently produce, smooth records. I’ve seen some people really hating on this, their 3rd album - with it’s increased focus on vocals and it occasionally going more disco than jazz, but man, this is great. This is a party record, one that I could spin for days on end (and have!). Opener “Forever” sounds like if RAM-era Daft Punk cut a record with Steely Dan (or more realistically, Chromeo), “Yourself” continues that pop trend, bringing to mind more Daft Punk, but with a Peter, Bjorn and John aspect to the few vocals. The tones on the album really really do it for me. This is probably the single HAPPIEST record on this list and perhaps of the year. A real smooth joy. I can understand not wanting vocals in this music, but like a lot of the best disco of yesteryear (or jazz-funk), the vocals aren’t so much there for SONG purposes, but texture. I love it.

Outfit
Too Hot To Sleep (You’ve Changed Records) (released 3/1)
Ever prolific Daniel Romano creates a punky Big Star record. It rocks.

Daniel Romano releases a lot of music. It used to be that I liked his country records and disliked everything else. Then that changed to who knows what I like with him. I could love a live record, I could like a Dylan cover-record, I might hate a country record and like a punk record. Listen, he released 9 records in 2020 and 4 more since. And now this. That’s AT LEAST 14 records in 4 years. Hell yeah, dude. Dropping his name from the bandname, this is THE best Outfit record, easy, and probably my favorite Romano album, full stop. This is sweaty, agitated power-pop in the vein of Big Star or Cheap Trick or The Exploding Hearts. It sounds retro rather than snotty, and it is catchy as hell. 10 tracks in 27 minutes. Play this loud and jump around, one of the most fun records of the year.

Sierra Ferrell
Trail of Flowers (Rounder) (released 3/22)
Sierra Ferrell has arrived, officially. Take notice or get lost.

I was battling between like 5 different female-fronted “country” records to include on this and almost chose to exclude all of them and make a post just for a bunch of these incredible records released this month, but ultimately chose to focus on Sierra’s new one here because it humbled me. I have many friends who have been posting Sierra videos for years. I’ve been aware of her for around 5 years now and every live performance of her is unreal. However, her last album really was quite disappointing to me (I know I may be alone in this one). With this album, despite being on Rounder records, has come with a whole lot of hype, a whole lot of press (she was just on CBS This Morning!) and I gotta say, I didn’t expect a lot - pegged her to be one of those musicians just BUILT for live performances…but this is excellent. The record is tightened up compared to previous efforts, her voice is smoother and more reminiscent of her live performance compared to the almost “put-on” cutesy-ness of her last record and while it still feels retro, it doesn’t sound so for the purpose of BEING retro. It’s less whimsical, more contemporary and it’s better for it. Sierra is going to become huge. She’s already almost there. Her drive and her talent is inescapable. And now she has an excellent album.

Torrey
Torrey (Slumberland) (released 3/8)
Bay Area shoegaze band with fully realized sound that hits all the right buttons

I’ve talked a few times about the modern shoegaze revival and how exciting it is (and how unlikely it was). I love a lot of it, from the stuff happening in South Korea and Brazil to the midwest to the “never left” sound of San Francisco and Portland. Torrey is a band I’ve seen releases by but never bothered to check out - but this new record on Slumberland is just that perfect nostalgic hit you want. Hushed female vocals, swirling guitars, feedback up the wazoo, a mix of dream pop and harsh noise, kick-drums, catchy choruses you can’t understand. This is music to play loud (and probably in headphones). It SOUNDS like Slumberland and a dozen other bands from 30 years ago you know and love and yet the songs are strong enough to differentiate the band from many of their peers. If you’re into the sound at all, you should check this one out.

Alright y’all, that’s it! Apologies for typos or sentences that don’t make sense. I should edit this post, but I’m not!

Enjoy, let me know what you like and what you hate and feel free to comment any records released in March that YOU loved.

Much love,

Andy