November 3, 2017

I swear I am no longer jet lagged, but I’ve been going to bed extra early (errr, ~10pm), and sleeping a sound 10 hours… on top of “napping” when I get home from work… so this whole “extensive restfulness” has me feeling like a human all day, but also waking up with very vivid dreams. Dream me has opened a corgi farm, taken part in a film role with an on screen torrid affair with Tom Hiddleston (subliminal Thor advertising???), and crafted a Steve Harrington sitcom Stranger Things spin-off TV show. Hiddleston’s pale butt aside, dream me has been doing very well. As for awake-world me? I have marathoned all of Stranger Things season 2, celebrated Halloween to the fullest extent, and started a new job since returning stateside Sunday afternoon. It hasn’t left me much time to listen to new music, but I’ve managed to scrape by with a few tunes as per usual.

Please reach out to me via the handy dandy contact page on the cmd+f website, or on Twitter with your thoughts about any of the tracks I’ve selected this week. As you already know, I love chatting about music. Let me in on your new favorite band; they’re looking for new fans, too!

As always, you know the drill: if you like what you hear, spread the cheer. Tell your friends about the songs you liked in this letter, but most importantly, let the artists know. There’s a good chance they’ll see your comments. Let them know how good their tunes are, and they’ll crank out even more magic.

P.S. If you would like to have this letter sent to your email every Friday, please head over to this link right here to subscribe to never miss a weekly roundup!

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“90’s Kids” -  Shamir | To quote my dear Scorpio twin, Agnes, “This ultimate late millennial anthem goes too hard.” It’s a truly on brand tune with the opening lyrics “we talk with vocal fry, we watch our futures die,” and, yes, absolutely 12/10 highly relatable song. Be sure to listen to Shamir’s new 9-track album Revelations sometime this weekend Listen here

“Half life” - Smerz | Okay, WERQ @ this Robyn Body Talk realness. Norweigan duo Smerz continue to shock and amaze me, forging truly left of center pop that’s dark and fresh. Listen here

“Glu” -  Fieh | This soulful, laid back bop comes from the Norwegian band Fieh. Say “Fieh” a few times out loud and you can feel the difference between a roaring, crackling fire vs. a fireside chat with a little whisky in a jazz club. With their debut official single “Glu,”  they’re obvs the second choice: cool, slick, and sizzling. What the hell else could they have up their sleeve if this is what they deliver for a debut single? Damn. Listen here

“I Wanna Dance With You Again” -  Band of Gold | The Norwegians are at it again this week. I am a sucker for any Fleetwood Mac-lite (circa Stevie, of course), and “I Wanna Dance With You Again” ticks all the boxes. Listen here

“Loving Is Easy” -  Rex Orange County and Benny Sings | Rex Orange County has made a huge splash in the past year and a half. His easy, feel-good track “Loving Is Easy” has already racked up over 1 million spins on Spotify since its release last month. Can recommend this tune is paired well with many activities, including but not limited to driving on a sunny afternoon with your convertible top down, sipping wine in candlelight, and when you’re generally having a good day. It’s Friday, so you’ve got at least that going for you. Listen here

BONUS

• First and foremost, I managed to catch a screening of Call Me By Your Name just before I departed London, and let me say: it lives up to the hype. I can’t believe I have to wait nearly a month to see it again in theaters Stateside. The music for the film was directed by none other than Sufjan Stevens, king of being pensive, sad, and gay at Jesus camp, and included two new Sufjan tracks, along with a gut-wrenching remix of his very own “Futile Devices.” As I type this, half the Call Me By Your Name is not available to stream on Spotify, including the new Sufjan cuts, but do save the album and keep it on your radar for future listens Listen here

• God bless us all: N.E.R.D. reunite to drops new track “Lemon” featuring the baddest bitch of them all, RIHANNA Listen here

• Emeli Sande’s released a new 6 track EP, Kingdom Come, which includes tracks featuring Dave East, Giggs, and Wretch 32  Listen here

• “Sugar kills” takes a whole new meaning in the new Exit Kid (Emre and Dylan of Years & Years’ side project) music video Watch here

• Not even two months since Bicep have released their debut album and they’ve already dropped the Glue EP. It features the track “Glue,” taken from the self-titled debut, and two unreleased tracks. Me thinks it’s their latest single, and a single isn’t technically a single if it has more than one extra song differing from the single…. Anywho, “DLR” is sick Listen here

• The Ride revival keeps on waving in, and it’s honestly making 2017 more bearable. Ride’s latest release “Pulsar” is a melodic delight Listen here

• Sam Smith’s new album The Thrill Of It All is out and apparently it was composed in hopes for listeners to “have sex with [our] sadness” and, okay… #deep Listen here

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New month, new playlist! If you’re interested in hearing what else I’ve been rinsing this month (aside from the tracks listed above), peep my personal November 2017 playlist. There I will be dumping in new (and occasionally throw back) tracks as the month carries on. You can dive into the cmd+f archive to hear what I’ve been listening to in previous months this year.

A(lmost a)ll of the tracks I’ve shared this week and past cmd+f newsletters are archived into a single playlist on Spotify for you to follow here. You’re welcome.

See you next week!

June 9, 2017

What an emotionally charged week. Can ya feel it in the air? In ya bones?

I’ve spent about 18 hours of my week at my day job listening solely to podcasts about government conspiracy theories and serial killers to take the edge off the Comey public hearing and UK snap election results that happened yesterday, and oddly enough it helped! Feeling pretty good about my Friday now, though I could go for a pitcher of sangria.

Please reach out to me via the handy dandy contact page on the cmd+f website, or at the brand new cmd+f Twitter at @cmdf_me with your thoughts about any of the tracks I’ve selected this week. I love chatting about music. Let me in on your new favorite band; they’re looking for new fans, too.

As always, you know the drill: if you like what you hear, spread the cheer. Tell your friends about the songs you liked in this letter, but most importantly, let the artists know. There’s a good chance they’ll see your comments. Let them know how good their tunes are, and they’ll crank out even more magic.

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“Not About You” - Haiku Hands | Y E S. YES. YEEEEES. Fuck me up!! Melbourne’s Haiku Hands have come out of left field with this bratty banger I’ve been blasting in my car all damn week. This is their first single, and I’m hooked. The production takes me back to those halcyon days when I’d pirate episodes of Skins in high school and rinse Klaxons and Hadouken! records for hours on end afterward (I thought I was really, really cool). “Not About You” has purely addictive, cheeky lyrics and brazen bursts of energy. I can’t wait for more from Haiku Hands. Listen here

“Until You Feel Good” -  San Mei | I bring yet another tune from Down Under, this time from Gold Coast’s San Mei. This hazy, post-beach come down with lush vocals and fuzzed-out guitars is intoxicating. The melodies cradle you with a sense of comfort whilst San Mei croons about being sure to take care and go easy on ourselves. Listen here

“Glory” -  Dermot Kennedy | Dermot is on his way to be THE next male singer songwriter, mark my damn words, y’all!! Most of you may already be thinking, “not another one,” or “don’t we have enough of those?” Can’t argue with you there, but Dermot, like those who’ve garnered a steady fan base over the years, has that something special factor, all bundled up in his vocals and songwriting. I initially had his new single “Boston” up for this week, but I fell back on his track “Glory” to really grab you by the balls. Strap in: the conviction and strength in his vocals will knock out of your seat. Oh, and did I mention he’s Irish? If you live in LA, be sure to RSVP for School Night and see Dermot for FREE at the Bardot in Hollywood (and let me know if you’re going)! Listen here

“It’s All Good” -  Superorganism | This is the shit I live for right here! Part Architecture in Helsinki, part early Gorillaz met with cut n’ paste production a la The Avalanches, “It’s All Good” is a demented piece of audible mastery. Appaz Superorganism is a trans-continental supergroup of 7 musicians from London scratching up beats for a 17-year-old vocalist name Orano who lives in Maine. Or at least that’s what they’ve said… their first song got taken down for an unauthorized sample clearance (despite Frank Ocean playing it on his Beats1 blondeRADIO show). When “It’s All Good” was polished and ready for released, they somehow nabbed a premiere on Beats1. Kooky origin story aside, “It’s All Good” bangs. Listen here

“Lose My Cool” -  Amber Mark | I’m excited as hell for Amber Mark - girl has got some serious pipes and a true gift for songwriting on all levels. Her production is smooth and heavily influenced by her nomadic life of growing up around the globe. You can hear traces of Samba and classic R&B. In one of her interviews, Mark says her sister best described her sound as ‘tribal soul.’ It’s a breath of fresh air, and each track on her 3:33am EP has a life of its own. Listen here

BONUS

• Again - Dermot Kennedy is performing Monday June 12 at the Bardot Hollywood for FREE for the weekly It’s a School Night showcase. Former cmd+f pick Ten Fe will also be making an appearance that night! Hit me up if you’re going and say hi! Click here to RSVP

• Exit Kid (Emre of Years & Years and their touring drummer Dylan’s music project) have their debut EP out today! D O P E Listen here

• Ten Tonnes has dropped his Born to Lose EP today Listen here

• Best new Lorde release has arrived - “Sober” Listen here

• About damn time: SZA coming through with a new album! Listen here

• Only gonna mention Katy Perry has a new album out (listen to Allie X’s CollXtion II album instead Listen here)

• Need to feel like you’re living inside a romanticized summer on the InterRail across Europe, riding rented bikes around cities all day, getting drunk on 2€ bottles of wine every night and reckless heavy petting on park benches and cobblestone streets? #bigmood - Phoenix have an album for that. Listen here

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If you’re interested in hearing what else I’ve been rinsing this month (aside from the tracks listed above), peep my personal June 2017 playlist. You can dive into the cmd+f archive to hear what I’ve been listening to in previous months this year.

A(lmost a)ll of the tracks I’ve shared this week and past cmd+f newsletters are archived into a single playlist on Spotify for you to follow here. You’re welcome.

See you next week!

April 21, 2017

This is an archived post originally sent out via the cmd+f weekly newsletter

This is where I usually write a quirky intro about what’s happening in music while vaguely referencing my week in music exploration, but my brain has turned to oatmeal. I will note: remember how last week I had 12 songs stashed in my cmd+f arsenal? Well, I sat on the tunes that didn’t make it into the letter last week, and they’re not so fresh anymore. Only one of the five songs listed this week survived the lot of leftovers from last week.

As for the Anchor recordings, those are definitely on hiatus indefinitely. I’m working on adding new features to take cmd+f to a whole ‘nother level. It’s all under wraps, but it’ll roll out soon enough.

Got any questions? Tips? Please reach out to me via Twitter at @hellogoodbritt (or any other way you may know how to contact me) with your thoughts about any of the tracks I’ve selected this week. I love chatting about music – it's why I started this letter! Let me know what you’re listening to so that I can let everyone else know they should be listening to that too.

As always, you know the drill: if you like what you hear, spread the cheer. Tell your friends about the songs you liked in this letter, but most importantly, let the artists know. There’s a good chance they’ll see your comments. It’s only good manners!

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“Shell” - Charlotte OC |  “Shell” is stacked with melodic surprises: opening as a thrumming, melancholic power ballad, the pensive verse bursts through as a hopeful, dazzling chorus. It literally echoes the emotions of gently basking in the freedom that comes with letting go of a bad past relationship, and recognizing that void inside you is left behind for you to fill up with something fresh. I could honestly listen to the transition from the verse to chorus on loop for hours on end; it’s just that perfect. If you can get out of looping “Shell” endlessly, please do give a listen to Charlotte’s new album Careless People. Listen here

“Mo(u)rning” -  Anne Dereaux | “Mo(u)rning” is Anne Dereaux’s debut single, and consider me scalpt. I can tell you right now, she’s destined to be a music journo’s DREAM to gas up. She’s got sick production, incredible vocals and tone, an entire look to go with her vibe. The journo’s are already foaming at the mouth, lurking in the shadows awaiting her debut Book of Lolita EP to drop. And to continue to blatantly hyping her up so more, Rick fucking Rubin emailed her the day after this song dropped, so needless to say her career trajectory is only going exponentially upward. Consider this your notice: all aboard the Anne Dereaux train. While I’ve seen a few write ups dub her sound similar to BANKS and FKA Twigs, I’d say Anne sounds much more like Kelela, Jorja Smith, and Tinashe when she's on her slow jam R&B tip. Listen here

“Minimum” - Charlie Cunningham | Before I even get into the music: if you stare at Charlie’s profile picture on Spotify long enough, your brain will start to confuse him for Chris Martin. I wonder how often he’s told this…. As for the music, “Minimum” has racked up a whopping 8+ million spins on Spotify. Most places with comment sections enabled that claim the song’s cropped up on a lot of people’s Spotify playlists and it's moved them. The song certainly stopped me in my tracks the first time I heard it, leaving me slack-jawed and immediately filing it away into my cmd+f playlist queue. With the airy production overlaid in moving Cathedral-level reverb, “Minimum” is haunting, soothing, and absolutely stunning. It almost makes you wonder what the song would sound like performed in a church (definitely click that previous link to satisfy your curiosity; it’s as good as the studio version). Listen here

“Drum Machine” -  Lao Ra | While I initially had Lao Ra’s new Pablo Escobar inspired track “Bala,” I found myself looping her bop “Drum Machine,” and it was only fair to share it with you, too. Early interviews with the Colombian-born London-based artist labeled her music as “pineapple pop,” dubbing her a Latinx M.I.A. The comparisons are fair when you see her boldly colored and collaged album covers – but the sound is still so clearly deeply rooted in Latin American musical influences. “Drum Machine” dropped last July, and I can assure you my ass will still be dancing to it this coming July. Listen here (and listen to it in Spanish here)

“It’s Cool” -  Exit Kid | Emre Turkmen of Years & Years launched a new music project with Years & Years’ tour drummer Dylan Bell this week called Exit Kid. I never thought I’d see the day when Emre’d get behind the mic, but it is here, and it’s… fucking great. After spending months of obsessively scrubbing every inch of YouTube to watch every Years & Years live performance and interview ever recorded, I recall Emre living in a battered Elastica tee for approximately 78% of them whilst continuously listing Radiohead as a major musical influence. “It’s Cool” is dripping in Brit Pop vibes, but then again the Brit Pop "genre" was so nuanced and varied over the years that it was more a movement in rock music than a true sound. That history lesson can be saved for another day. Anywho, Emre and Dylan absolutely crush it with their first song for this project. Exit Kid’s debut EP drops next month on May 25. Listen here

BONUS

• Pop’s current darling without a debut album Dua Lipa dropped a new single with Miguel and it’s rather good. Listen here

• Pop’s other current darling Sigrid officially has a second single to her name for people to gas up. Listen here

• While not exactly music, this is very much sound-oriented: stress is inevitable, but for those who have a difficult time falling asleep or trying to calm/sooth your brain, ambient/white noise simulations may help you tune out and relax. I use myNoise.net, and my personal favorite is the fireplace noise. You can calibrate the volume levels to your own liking so your ears can hear the noise even at a low volume.

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 If you’re interested in hearing what else I’ve been rinsing this month (aside from the tracks listed above), peep my personal April 2017 playlist. You can dive into the cmd+f archive to hear what I’ve been listening to in previous months this year.

A(lmost a)ll of the tracks I’ve shared this week and past cmd+f newsletters are archived into a single playlist on Spotify for you to follow here. You’re welcome.

See you next week!