Zuzu

cmd+vent calendar | Day 2: Christina

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Photo courtesy of Christina Ventura, 2017

Photo courtesy of Christina Ventura, 2017

It’s day two of the cmd+vent calendar.

While I swore I wouldn’t grind myself down to commit to choosing just one favorite song of the year, I managed to coax someone else into doing it. Who could be so brave? It’s Christina, of course.

Quick little backstory: Christina is the reason cmd+f is "a thing." In late 2015, the two of us started a newsletter called “What’s Poppin’?” in which we shared 5 songs each of us were really digging every few weeks (also there was a lot of pop culture slander folded into the mix).

Now Christina eat, sleeps, and breathes music full time with her day job, so we’ve scaled back on the music criticism (now it’s all about those Shadowhunters recaps, baby).

While Christina managed to settle on a single, definitive favorite tune for 2017, she also tucked in a handful of other artists to check out.

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Hi, I'm Christina. I'm a digital marketer working in music in NYC.

This is a little intimidating. It feels like you can capture the essence of a person based on their playlists. I know I often judge people based on what music they do (or don't) listen to.

I was going to use Spotify's handy Wrapped function to choose my Song of The Year, but it turns out my most listened to song this year is one that came out last year. So, that's where I'm at emotionally.

I'm kind of going to cheat on this assignment and give you my "also-rans" before telling you definitively what my favorite song this year was. Full disclosure, 99% of the music I listen to is by British artists. There's a special place in my heart for baby UK bands that hustle and play tiny rooms when they come to America.

  • The Amazons are a rowdy bunch from Reading. If you like Sundara Karma and Circa Waves, you'll like these dudes. Their debut self-titled album came out this year.
  • Joy Room are a four-piece from London who have, I kid you not, only 3 songs you can listen to but I am absolutely charmed.
  • Zuzu is a 22 y.o. rocker from Liverpool who also has a handful of tracks you can listen to. There's a theme here. If you're British and have only 2 songs to your name, I am your champion.

Some more established artists I kept going back to include:

Ok, so here it is. My song of the year.

It’s... BIG FOR YOUR BOOTS by Stormzy.

If I die tomorrow, I am comfortable with this being part of my personal brand. "Did you hear about Christina? So sad. She really loved Stormzy."

I love Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo, Jr. like I gave birth to him myself. Controversial opinion: he's better than Skepta. I said it. Stormzy's words, music, and actions have a profound impact on his audience. 2017 doesn't allow for celebrities on the fence. Stormzy has always spoken out about inequality, whether it was trendy or not. His success in the UK is huge for Grime and people of color in music. I was at his first ever NYC show in a dingy but much-loved venue in Brooklyn called Market Hotel a few years ago. That was one of the most special nights. I'm heartbroken and disappointed that he hasn't made it over here after (outside of festival plays). "Big For Your Boots" is on Stormzy's debut album Gang Signs and Prayer which came out this year.

Check out Christina’s fantabulous adventures in the photo pit on Instagram: @hiventura

Stay tuned for a new edition of cmd+f dropping tomorrow! The next cmd+vent letter will go out Saturday, December 16.

March 10, 2017

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

I’ve truly outdone myself: six tracks AND three album recommendations are packed into today’s letter. Unlike last week, I’ve been much better about keeping this week more under wraps. I actually had 12 tracks lined up initially, and weeded out half because, really? Would you even bother with that much text? This is already getting out of control.

I also have a very special project in the works to accompany cmd+f sometime next week….keep your eyes peeled on my socials (re: Twitter) to see when I’m harking the good news.

Hit me up on Twitter at @hellogoodbritt with your thoughts about any of the tracks we’ve got for this week, and please do send me any finds of your own – let me know what you’re listening to these days.

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, and it’ll really make their day.

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“What You Want” - Zuzu | Firstly, I’d like to give a huuuuge thank you to my friend Chris for tipping me off to Zuzu. From the first note, I was craving more. “What You Want” is only her second official single she’s released, and both tracks warrant much hype. Dancing between shredding guitars and a chorus that’ll eat away at your eardrums, Zuzu’s absolutely carving her mark out on 2017.  Listen here

“Isabel” -  Gold Connections | “Isabel” sounds like the feeling I get remembering the times I’d sit in my apartment while living in Seattle, refreshing my Tumblr dashboard for 3 hours straight while avoiding a mid-term research paper. Now that I’ve read that description back, it makes the song sound potentially awful, but here’s what I mean: I found a lot of solace in my solitude through those hours of procrastination. I spent a lot of it wired into my headphones, plopping random lo-fi dreampop tracks into playlists fit for very niche emotive states (exhibit A, exhibit B). Back to “Isabel” - the entire mood of the track, plotted with peaks and valleys, veiled in softness yet freckled with bits of ferocity that punch through the atmosphere. The most magical part of the song is it’s relentless commitment to staying in 4/4 time, no matter how distorted and bitter the instrumentals swirl into themselves throughout the last third of the track. Listen here

“Breathe” -  Astrid S | So, Astrid S is a big deal in Norway. As we know, the Scandinavians fucking adore their pop music, and they’re so damn good at making it. Astrid’s dropped an endless string of singles the past few years, all solid efforts, and with the right PR team/strategy, “Breathe” could help Astrid tap into a broader, global audience a la neighboring rising Swedish superstar Zara Larsson. “Breathe” has all of the right elements of that darkpop vibe that’s creeping onto the radio here, at least Stateside. It’s a future hit, y’all. Listen here

“Sports” - Fufanu | This song is on here for two very particular reasons: audible Joy Division cosplay, and ‘Fufanu’ is reeeeeally fun to say. Go ahead; say Fufanu out loud, I’ll give you a moment. Let it roll off your tongue. Yeah? Great. Now that that’s aside, let me tell you why “Sports” is in here this week: Fufanu are an Icelandic band who started out producing techno music, but have since evolved into a really sick rock band. As noted above, their newer music truly sounds like audible Joy Division cosplay - down to the frantic drums and two tons of reverb caked over the vocal stems. The title track and opener to their latest album Sports is a fucking ride, so strap in. Listen here

“Don’t Ya Feel Better?” - The Velveteins | Now to bob you back up to the surface with a lighter track, “Don’t Ya Feel Better?” is pure summer, like that sheen of sweat cooling on your skin in the breeze whilst on your back in the grass with your shoes kicked off and you’re wiggling your toes and trying to find your slowly warming can of blood orange San Pellegrino to quench yourself in the midst of some primo cloud watching. Yeah. That’s exact kind of summertimeness this sounds like. Listen here

“Fuck Right Off Back to LA” - GIRLI | If you can’t tell by the title, this track is NSFW solely based on the fact it’s littered with a robust helping of “fuck you’s” in the chorus, and that’s not even accounting for the amount of fucks given in the verses. “Fuck Right Off Back to LA” is the sonic equivalent of trying to be cordial and smile through a really shitty break up. After blowing through the first two seasons of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend in the last two weeks, I’m pretty sure I’m finding traces of Rebecca’s crazy ass in this song. If you haven’t seen Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, do yourself a solid and watch the pilot episode at the least, and then you’ll fully understand what I’m talking about when you head this track. The contrast of cotton candy production paired with the most abrasive middle finger is easily the most relatable song I’ve posted on cmd+f to date. Fans of Charli XCX will especially enjoy GIRLI. Listen here

Oh, and one last thing:

ALBUMS/MIXTAPES YOU SHOULD RINSE THIS WEEK WITH NO EXPLANATION BEYOND ME CONFIRMING THEY WILL NOT BE A WASTE OF YOUR TIME:

Volcano - Temples | Listen here

Number 1 Angel - Charli XCX | Listen here

Feel Infinite - Jacques Greene | 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 March 2017 playlist.

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!