March 30, 2018

Is anyone else starting to feel a bit restless?

Perhaps it’s the change in the seasons, but I’m itching to take on a project so wild, it’s left me feeling a bit ravenous. My priority should be Spring Cleaning, but I’d rather comb through Next Door to hire a “professional” organizer at this point.

On this Good Friday before Easter, I’m really excited to present five very different tunes by emerging artists.

As always, I hope these songs inspire you to check out more music by these artists, or lead to introducing you to another artist you’ve never heard before!

Remember: if you like what you hear, spread the cheer. Tell your friends about these artists and share the love.

You can contact me by replying directly to the newsletter that is mailed to your inbox every Friday, via my Twitter account, or using the contact page on the cmd+f website.

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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“Mother Maybe” - Kadhja Bonet | Let’s step into that funky Friday feeling with the ethereal Kadhja Bonet’s brand new single “Mother Maybe.” The LA native announced her new album Childqueen drops June 3, and this lead single is pure bliss. It’s brimming with soul and power, delicate and durable vocals curved over a vibrant groove. The biggest draw is the entire vibe sounding out of time, notched with a 1970s technicolor flare and an unpredictable jazz flow. In an article I found about her new release on NPR, Bonet states “Mother Maybe isn't about my mother, it's about the mother I may be….It's about a moment, a realization, in which I felt God, I felt like God... I remembered how powerful women are in this world, that we create life, and I felt strong.” Listen here

“Blowjob” - E^ST | When I saw this song title, I was expecting some rapturous, woofer-wubbing frat party anthem fit for a sticky-floored nightclub, not a soaring, mid-tempo piano ballad about craving intimacy. The first listen, my thoughts were "this is so corny," but "Blowjob" is the level of corny to be a memorable pop song. Hearing the lyrics "I just need your open arms / And you just need a blowjob" sung in earnest puts it in the running as a defining lyric of the decade. Listen here

“Wolflove” - Flash Flood Darlings feat. Kirara | My pal Agnes, who never fails me with her song suggestions she unearths from the depths of the internet, passed on Flash Flood Darlings this week. I didn't know what to make of this chaos on first listen but I couldn't stop churning out their tracks. "Wolflove" is draped in hundreds of layers of sounds all clawing their way to the surface of your brainwaves, yet all drift around the melodies so seamlessly. This song will be especially adored by fans of Animal Collective and of Montreal. Listen here

“Fake You” - Yoke Lore | Yoke Lore, aka Adrian Galvin, split from the infectious synth pop group Walk the Moon to forge his own music project. Shying away from the polished, radio-ready sound of Walk the Moon, Yoke Lore channels more of the neo-indie pop vibe, a la BØRNS and Bleachers. Above everything, "Fake You" is a sonic masterpiece. I know making claims that heavy can be extreme, but I assure you are going to fall in love with this song within the first 15 seconds. The song's composition is splayed out like an artfully crafted three-tier cake, just strapping on each layer of vocal harmonies, pulsing synths, kick drums, and reverb so effortlessly. Listen here

“Best Dressed Man” - Aeris Roves | The last tune is my delightful find of the week that I've been so excited to share. Hailing from South Yorkshire, homie only has this single up on Spotify, is currently working on his debut EP, and is touring with Billie Eilish on her European leg of her tour. I have the same feeling about Aeris Roves as I did with Billie a year ago: he's got an alluring vibe that's hard to shake. We're going to be hearing a lot more from him this year. Channeling some serious Frank Ocean and Craig David vibes, "Best Dressed Man" is the start of something great. Listen here

New Music Friday Selects

• Lesbian Jesus Hayley Kiyoko’s debut album Expectations is out now, and it’s dope. If you only have time to listen to one track of the album, make it “What I Need” feat. Kehlani Listen here
• Chuck P is back at it again: this time he’s got a generibop commenting with a passive, non-action “why can’t we just get along” activist anthemic radio single, “Change,” featuring none other than the legendary James Taylor. Listen here
• Looking for some beach tunes? Can’t make it to a beach? The Vaccines’ new album Combat Sports will do just the trick Listen here
• Kylie Minogue has truly outdone herself this time, giving the gays a dazzling new single “Raining Glitter”  Listen here
• To quote my dear editor, Kimmie, “It is the year of our Lord 2018 and Shaggy is on a song” -- damn RIGHT Shaggy is back. “Tu Pum Pum” is a sizzling summer bop Listen here
• The Weeknd ‘surprise’ dropped a new little music project last night titled My Dear Melancholy, comma included. Two the tracks are in collaboration with Gesaffelstein, meaning we’re going to get an entire Raf Simons collection inspired by this EP Listen here
• Lady Gaga has covered Elton John’s “Your Song.” It’s Gaga at her best: one piano and her vocals. Bless up. Listen here
• America’s sweetheart Cardi B is dropping her debut album next week and has shared a new single off it today called “Be Careful” Listen here

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A(lmost a)ll of the tracks I have shared in this week’s letter are archived into a single playlist on Spotify for you to follow here.

Subscribe to that playlist, share it with friends, or take some inspiration from the ever growing list to compile some of your own.

If you’re interested in listening to what I’m rinsing this month, you can follow my March 2018 playlist here. There I will dump a hodgepodge of new and old songs that fit my mood and the trends of the month. Having a personal monthly playlist makes a year in review so easy. Share your playlists with me!

See you next week!

January 26, 2018

On January 27, 2017, the very first cmd+f newsletter was sent out to 12 very wonderful friends via Tinyletter. I initially started it as a new means to share music with friends in a central, organized forum, and as an easy place to document all of the new music I was consuming. It also turned into something I looked forward to writing every week after spending a year of writing empty news bites, elbowing my way through an arms race of publishing passionless content.

Throughout this past year, I trialed a mini radio show through Anchor.FM, and expanded the newsletter into a full on website. I found meaning in this project through the cmd+vent advent calendar in December: understanding ways music brings joy into our lives.

(Nearly) one year later, this project is still kicking. I’m so pleased to have finally established an outlet that aims to highlight the pure joy I take out of my devotion for discovering new music. The act of sharing new music and simply discussing music brings me so much personal fulfillment. The act of putting together cmd+f’s weekly letter alone is deeply satisfying to me. I’ve been vaguely hinting on expanding cmd+f over the past few months, and that next step is a Mighty Big Leap. When the time does come, I hope you’ll take that jump with me.

For now, happy birthday cmd+f!!

So, I’ve rebranded the BONUS section to the freshly titled New Music Friday Selects. It’s more fitting, as a bulk of the bonus content highlights contain the most anticipated releases of the week, surprise releases, and the occasional status update of a new release by a cmd+f alum!

Before you hit that section up, it’s time to check out five smashing tunes by emerging artists!

Remember: if you like what you hear, spread the cheer.

You can contact me by replying directly to the newsletter that is mailed to your inbox every Friday, via my Twitter account, or using the contact page on the cmd+f website.

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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“A Foreign Affair” - Client Liaison feat. Tina Arena | Opening this week’s batch of fantastic finds with a gloriously campy 80s-injected pop bop by Australia’s Client Liaison. “A Foreign Affair” is a major, major tune that has been HIDDEN FROM THE UNIVERSE. Australia is generally a wash because it’s covered in spiders and snakes the size of school buses – that’s beside the point! Client Liaison have also included pop icon Tina Arena (who I learnt about via my faaaavorite pop music podcast duo Dan and Andy of Popchops) on this blisteringly good chorus. To those who are unfamiliar with Tina Arena, she’s absolutely massive - like, on par with who Celine Dion is to Canada. For as essential as Tina’s pop career has been in Australia and France, I’m surprised I’ve only just stumbled upon this track in the last couple weeks. I’m not sure if it’s been a particularly successful single in Australia, but it deserves to be heard and played at FULL VOLUME. Listen here

“Here Lies” - Jorge Elbrecht feat. Tamryn | Less than one second into “Here Lies,” and you’re suckerpunched straight in the chest by the force of fourteen thousand sounds booming out of the speakers all at once. The jolt of sound rolls open and outward through the song, graciously unfolding layers of a steady synth loop disrupted by a crunchy, disjointed rumble of sirens, police dispatch comms, and machine guns. “Here Lies” is so busy battling through the thousands of layers of sounds battling to bubble through the surface of the song, it’s impossible to decipher what to prioritize listening to first - the sonics or the lyrics? Are the lyrics even important? It wavers between sounding hopeful and the soundtrack to getting decked in the face by an axe murderer. Listen here

“Arms of Pleonexia” - Cabbage | My fav scuzzy post-punk bros Cabbage announced their debut album Nihilistic Glamour Shots is dropping at the end of March! Cabbage have never been one to hold back on making political statements in their lyrics. Their new single “Arms of Pleonexia” is a hot take on the UK’s bloody history of arms deals that have supplied mass destruction in war torn countries around the world. After recently watching the TV mini series The Last Post, this history of disturbing the peace in the Middle East is rather fresh on my mind. “How long til we take responsibility?” the chorus coos. “Arms of Pleonexia” is the most punk drag I’ve heard in at least a decade. Read those greedy government jerks for filth. Listen here

“Freaking Out” -  Yehan Jehan | Imagine: Hall & Oates shared an edible then recorded “Private Eyes” and I’m pretty sure you’d end up with something that sounded very close to Yehan Jehan’s “Freaking Out.” It rests on a low key funky vibe that borders on sounding more careless about enduring heartbreak than complete numbness. The lush harmonies woven through the chorus will stick to your eardrums like white on rice. Listen here

“I’m In Love Without You” - FINNEAS | This song hands down brings the DRAMA. While I’m unsure of FINNEAS’s sun sign, I feel a kindred spirit to this Scorpio-dense bath of groveling for a lover you might not even HAVE to move on from. 12/10 CAN RELATE. The song opens with (no joke) twenty layers of ghostly harmonies echoing “I’m in love without you….please don’t still love me….but you still find a way inside my dreams.” The song chops up the last lyric into a dense, electronic synth line FINNEAS sings over throughout the rest of the song. It’s...fucking genius. It sounds entirely genreless/its very own brand of forward thinking pop, and I am obsessed with it the more I listen to it (pro-tip: it loops perfectly when you have it on repeat). Song aside, the most shocking fact I learnt about FINNEAS is he is the brother and co-songwriter to pop darling Billie Eillish (who’s been doing very well for herself since she featured on cmd+f last March!). I’m excited to hear what other tunes FINNEAS has hiding up his sleeve this year. Listen here

New Music Friday Selects

• The powerpop tune of the month, Liam Payne and Rita Ora’s “For You” for the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack, now has a lush music video. Liam Payne’s involvement on the track has only furthered my Rita Ora stanning, and for that I’m beyond grateful. She looks absolutely stunning in a scarlet gown, swaddled in a bed of roses, while Liam is donning a velvet evening jacket like he’s a baby Enrique Iglesias. This also marks the first music video my man’s reciprocated direct intimacy with another mujer, and honestly, kick up that sex appeal a few notches, please. Watch here

• Talented vocalist and global superstar who keeps testing my patience, Stefani Germanotta, commonly known as Lady Gaga, has dropped a stripped version of her song “Joanne” - it’s beautiful, but I am STARVED for a massive pop tune. Listen here, I guess

• Migos’ Culture II is here and-there-is-a-Drake-co-lab-bor-ray-shun (raay-shun) [skrr skrrr] Listen here

• James Blake has surprise dropped a new, dope single, “If the Car Beside You Moves Ahead” Listen here

• Foaming at the mouth ‘cuz The Vaccines have dropped another banger, “Nightclub” Listen here

• If you’re looking for an atmospheric instrumental music, one of my favorite composers, Nils Frahm, has a new album out called All Melody Listen here

• Franz Ferdinand have gone full-on 1983, whence disco meets the goths, and I’m INTO IT. “Lazy Boy” is a choooon Listen here

• The Cassie of the 20-teens, Jhene Aiko, has whispered her way thru yet another single. Swae Lee knows how to write a damn hook, but this Rae Sremmurd drop throughout “Sativa” isn’t meant to be anything other than a very, super chill ass song. The video on the other hand is pretty freakin’ wild. Watch here

• What’s more refreshing that hearing Jack White jam the fuck out? Listen to his new tune “Corporation” Listen here

• Techno legend DJ Koze has returned with new material for the first time in nearly 5 years with his Seeing Aliens EP. It’s a bit more pop and accessible than other cuts in his archives, but it’s a glorious peak into his forthcoming 16-track full length LP, Knock Knock (out May 4) Listen here

• The legendary CRAIG freakin’ DAVID has a brand spankin’ new album stacked with jams. Standout track off The Time Is Now would be “Brand New” Listen here

• Color me shocked, but the new Django Django album Marble Skies is actually a rather fun listen. Must hear for fans of Temples, Jagwar Ma, Yeasayer, and (the now defunct [R.I.P.]) Wild Beasts Listen here

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A(lmost a)ll of the tracks I have shared in this week’s letter are archived into a single playlist on Spotify for you to follow here.

Subscribe to that playlist, share it with friends, or take some inspiration from the ever growing list to compile some of your own.

If you’re interested in listening to what I’m rinsing this month, you can follow my January 2018 playlist here. There I will dump a hodgepodge of new and old songs that fit my mood and the trends of the month. Having a personal monthly playlist makes a year in review so easy. Share your playlists with me!

See you next week!

January 5, 2018

Whoa. Welcome to 2018.

It’s a brand new year full of brand new flavors and feelings. So far in this first week it’s been a bit of a shitstorm - quite literally on the East coast as y’all suffer it out under a deep freeze (stay toasty, buds).

This year, I wanna take steps to make cmd+f to feel more like a community. After the response to cmd+vent, I believe it’s feasible. I know I spend every week telling y’all what you could be listening to, but that’s from one perspective. To accomplish this, I’d love to hear from you about your music experiences throughout 2018. Was there a song on your Discover Weekly that blew your mind? Were you stopped in your tracks in the middle of picking out a detergent and heard a wicked tune humming over your head? An above average concert opener? How about a song from that party you went to last weekend when your friend’s cousin DJ’d? As I said last year: your new favorite music act is always looking for new fans. Give us the goods, and everyone wins.

If you like what you hear, spread the cheer.

For now, it’s business as usual: strap in for 5 exciting emerging artists to slip onto your radar.

You can contact me by replying directly to the newsletter that is mailed to your inbox every Friday, via my Twitter account, or using the contact page on the cmd+f website.

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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“Prune, You Talk Funny” - Gus Dapperton | Gus Dapperton has the full package to dive headfirst into 2018 as one of the most buzzworthy and compelling acts to watch this year. He already has a loyal following of fans trickling in by the day from all corners of the net, racking up millions of streams on YouTube bootlegs and authorized streaming platforms. Gus not only has a formative, definitive aesthetic about him (eccentric art school weirdo who clearly worships David Byrne), but he’s got off-kilter earworms that’ll burrow into your brain for days. “Prune, You Talk Funny” is a whimsical, breezy bop. What’ll assure your love for this tune is the music video - so please watch that before skipping straight to the song stream. You’ll understand this elusive charm that just oozes from him and his music; from his bowl cut, to his oversized polyester suits with deck shoes, and teal eyeshadow. Gus is at the top of my list of artists to watch this year. I have a feeling he’s going to catch on with a large audience. Watch here // Listen here

“Fever Thoughts” - Louis III | This is a debut single. This! A debut single! What in the hell?! “Fever Thoughts” sounds exactly like that hazy, nauseated restlessness an insomniac feels when trying to go the f*ck to sleep. The production is definite Frank Ocean-esque, paired with crisp R&B vocals. The dizzy sample loops scratch at your spine and try to seduce you to sleep. Listen here

“1986” -  HÅN | Perhaps the most cinematic single plucked out for the letter this week, “1986” is magical. Italian songstress HÅN’s creamy vocals glide over an increasingly confident chorus of melancholic synths. This song is begging to get tipped by a music supervisor for an episode of Shadowhunters (which, yes, please) - the sweet intimacy and honesty in the lyrics is like fresh, powdery snow. Listen here

“King of Pop” - Roy Irwin | New Zealand artist Roy Irwin churned out one of the catchiest tunes about battling with depression in 2017. The lyrics are pretty vague, but there’s mentions of leaving the house wasted but coming home jade. Sonically the tune sounds like a bike ride in the park on a perfectly sunny day. Irwin’s entire album, also titled King of Pop, is littered with catchy tunes about avoiding Your Actual Feelings to Avoid Getting Into How Bad Things Are Actually Going With Someone You Don’t Really Care to Get Into It With. That was a mouthful, but people with depression will get it: sometimes you gotta fake it, or you gotta circumvent your reality to make it through the day, or a single conversation. Irwin’s managed to bottle this essence of irony so effortlessly.  Listen here

“Don’t Fade” -  JGrrey | After living with this song for a few weeks, I found out this song was almost never released as a single. Rising South London artist JGrrey whipped up a recorded version for a performance on YouTube channel COLORS (in which artists are invited to perform live in a brightly painted monochrome room), got a rave reaction (duh), and released a proper studio recording. It may be a cheap shot to suggest JGrrey is a “mini Adele,” but girl got pipes and incredible song lyrics. Listen here

BONUS

• Running out the gate, the best release of the week is Liam and Rita’s “For You” for the Fifty Shades Free OST. The quality of the tune has come as a surprise to virtually every pop fan who’s laid ears on it, but I knew they had it in ‘em. Is 2018 Rita’s breakout year? Will she finally stop getting lucrative yet shoddy TV hosting gigs and finally be a music artist? Anyhow, ISSA BOP. Listen here
• An official press release came out this week announcing Kendrick Lamar and TDE are supervising Marvel’s Black Panther soundtrack, including his new collab with Grammy nominee SZA - “All the Stars” Listen here
• Bruno Mars out here, continuing to be the king of releasing the song of the summer in January. He’s dropped a remix of “Finesse” featuring none other than America’s sweetheart from the BX, Cardi B. The music video, an homage to 90s comedy sketch show In Living Color, has caused quite a buzz. I even shared it with my mom and she bumped to it. Watch here
• Last week Allie X and VERITÉ officially released a music video for their soon-to-be sleeper hit “Casanova” Watch here
• Charli XCX has covered Wolf Alice’s “Don’t Delete the Kisses” and transformed it into a distorted, desperate hyper-pop ballad. Listen here
• Interscope labelmates Lana del Rey and BØRNS join forces on a euphoric collab, “God Save Our Young Blood,” and honestly, it’s okay, and isn’t a total waste of your time listening to it Listen here
• THE VACCINES ARE BACK Listen here
• Raunchy rapper and frequent Charli XCX collaborator cupcakKe has dropped her new album Ephorize. Please proceed with extreme caution if considering playing this around prude co-workers - “Spoiled Milk Titties” in particular is not safe for work (in case the title didn’t give that away). Listen here

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The New Year has brought on a clean slate - thus, a fresh playlist is born. A(lmost a)ll of the tracks I am going to share in the cmd+f newsletters this year will be archived into a single playlist on Spotify for you to follow here.

Subscribe to that playlist, share it with friends, or take some inspiration from the ever growing list to compile some lists of your own.

If you’re interested in listening to what I’m rinsing this month, you can follow my January 2018 playlist here. There I will dump a hodgepodge of new and old songs that fit my mood and the trends of the month. Having a personal monthly playlist makes a year in review so easy. Share your playlists with me!

See you next week!