Must keep this brief: I might asleep writing this,,,klloiiiiioi;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
…. Well… good morning….. crap.
Let me explain myself: I had my first major event at my job Thursday night, drank some [erm, fair amount] wine, and despite the cup of extra strong black tea I brewed to stay up and write this, I woke up in a pile of my own drool around 11pm, admitted defeat, and took my ass to bed.
It feels weird sending this out on a Monday, as I presume you’ve already listened to most if not all of the Bonus tracks/albums I’m throwing down at the bottom of the letter. Fear not: I am unfathomably stoked to present five sick tracks from emerging artists I’m almost certain you’ve not heard. They’re all super top notch.
Enjoy, and happy Monday.
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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“Love You So Bad” - Ezra Furman | How bad have you ever loved someone in your life? Like, really really bad? “Like the kid in the back of the classroom who can’t do the math ‘cause he can’t see the blackboard, so bad” croons the Newest Ezra I Have Admitted Into My Life. When you’re at a loss for words to describe how smitten you are with the love of your life, take a page out of Ezra’s book and I’m nearly positive you’ll get many a kudos. Cannot wait for their album Transangelic Exodus Listen here
“Blind” - FEVA | I...got a fever...and the only prescription….is….mo….. FEVA [I low key wonder how many times they’ve heard this joke] - Jokes aside, I am 97% sure after you listen to “Blind” you will agree with me. The relentless, churning guitars, massive chorus, it’s all fucking incredible. Listen here
“Bring You Down” - Pinact | Imagine: a melodically inclined grunge band, aka what every early 00s neo punk band i.e. Saves the Day et. al tried to do, but I must say Pinact have carried that torch best on their joint “Bring You Down.” With the scratchy vocals layered over a chorus fit for an mid-90s teen flick, “Bring You Down” SLAPS. Listen here
“Liberty Belle” - Fontaines | It’s been several years since I’ve stumbled across straightforward, carefree sounding rock n’ roll jams (see: The Drums’s 2010 self-titled album). Though it came out in the early weeks of summer this year, Ireland’s very own Fontaines have shelled out a slick, cool, and infectious debut single with “Liberty Belle.” I typically have one song a week that sounds great on an endless loop for a good chunk of my week, and this one takes the cake. Listen here
“Sonora” - Spendtime Palace | I was driving home the other night through the Hollywood Hills listening to this tune, and immediately started outlining an entire dissertation on what could potentially “sound” like Southern California, and how Spendtime Palace’s “Sonora” is a journey through those vibrations. “Sonora” opens with a slumbering guitars, cranking up for sunrise, then coil into a twang over a crispy rattle under the desert sun. The vocals unfold over a backdrop of a wild frontier, swaying through sinister piano chords chopping their way up up up, then licks out to a Blue Oyster Cult-esque, cowbell-infused surf rock chorus. Not to mention, the opening lines are in Spanish, the song blossoms through so many sounds that remind me of growing up in Los Angeles, all of the little bands I’ve seen in dingy, low ceiling clubs with sweat dripping down the walls, in backyards under fairy lights around palm trees mingling with powerlines, on blacktops under the blazing sun. Spendtime Palace are indeed a SoCal band, from Orange County’s own Costa Mesa (I believe), and I can’t even front: I found out about them through Finn Wolfhard’s Instagram, and noticed Finn co-directed and starred in the music video for “Sonora.” The more I listened to “Sonora” and the rest of Spendtime Palace’s tunes, the more I sunk back into the sounds of Southern California. Listen here
BONUS
Apparently someone we should all know released an album (exclusive streaming on Apple Music) but I am not addressing it any further than saying what I’ve already said
Australian outfit Pnau has pumped out the best pop house album I’ve heard in a long ass time. As you work your way down the disc, each song slaps hard than the last, and I cannot get enough of it. Changa was the album I needed to keep my sleepy head away from a pillow Thursday night Listen here
I feel like I would be accused of being a fake pop music stan if I didn’t include Sigrid’s new tune “Strangers” so here is my obligatory Sigrid-has-a-new-song notification Listen here
cmd+f alumnae Ten Fé takes us on a sweeping voyage in their new track “Single, No Return” Listen here
Say what you want about JLo, but it better not be anything negative or neutral when I am in earshot. Listen to her latest Latin smash “Amor, Amor, Amor” feat. Wisin Listen here
Nothing negative or neutral about MY President, Mr. Worldwide, PITBULL’s new single “Jungle” either!! Uhm, it’s got E-40!!! Listen here
Raunchy rapper cupcakKe is one of those artists you either really love or can’t gel with. Her new single “Cartoons” is a damn treat Listen here
Since The 1975 have been teasing us about a new EP for months and finally came forward to say it won’t drop until the new year, have a listen to Backup The 1975, aka Pale Waves, on their new single “New Year’s Eve” Listen here
Jidenna has blessed us with his surprise release Boomerang EP Listen here
Empire of the Sun are back with their dreamy new single “On Our Way Home” 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 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!