Daily Newsletter, February 12, 2024

A regularly updated guide to the new albums, EPs, mixtapes, and projects getting released in the coming weeks and months

John Doran relishes a Numero box set compiling the early output of supremely relaxed & hypnotic Texans AmAnSet. Home page portrait courtesy of Andrew Kenny

Welcome to the fifth Songs of the Week of 2024. This week Andy Von Pip, Mark Moody, Matt the Raven, Scott Dransfield, and Stephen Humphries all helped me decide what should make the list. We settled on a Top 12 this week, narrowed down from the 20 songs we seriously considered.

Ann Powers and Sheldon Pearce listen to the new albums out on Feb. 9 — including Brittany Howard's What Now — and find themselves wondering about the cultural value of virtuosity in 2024.Featured albums:1. Brittany Howard, What Now2. Joel Ross, nublues3. Boldy James & Nicholas Craven, Penalty of Leadership (released Jan. 12)4. Kali Malone, All Life Long5. Sonic Youth, Walls Have Ears6. Usher, Coming HomeOther notable albums out Feb. 9:• Helado Negro, PHASOR• Chelsea Wolfe, She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She• Madi Diaz, Weird Faith• Declan McKenna, What Happened To The Beach?• Little Simz, Drop 7 EP• Shygirl, Club Shy EP• Kelela, RAVE:N, The Remixes • Mk.gee, Two Star & The Dream Police• Ducks Ltd., Harm's Way• David Nance & Mowed Sound, David Nance & Mowed Sound• Split System, Vol. 2• The Telescopes, Growing Eyes Become String

David Crosby once wrote a song to depict the story of bitterness between Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young in the setting of a western movie.

The Grateful Dead has now beaten Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra for the most top 40 albums in U.S. charts history.

Herbie Hancock has announced the first concert with the original Head Hunters band since 1973 at the Hollywood Bowl.

In 1971, Alice Coltrane had an acclaimed concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall, now, for the first time it's being released in full.

Our guide to the month’s crucial jazz LPs.

Released during a period when New York was "the poster child for disrepair and abandonment", gang drama The Warriors came to appear more realistic than intended.