December 22, 2017

I’m not even going to front: I’m beat. Absolutely beat. And the weekend hasn’t even started.

It’s Thursday night as I type this up, as I do every Thursday evening tying up all loose ends for cmd+f. I’m currently waiting for some brownies to cool for a holiday party, am thinking about maybe buying more wrapping paper, trying to strategically plan out all the cookie dough prep I can do over the weekend, and my list of things To Do is seemingly endless. It is exciting, but being in Santa’s Elf mode is taxing.

It’s been a lot of fun collaborating with so many people and putting out cmd+vent for y’all; I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re in the final stretch for the calendar, and seeing it come to an end is rather bittersweet. It’s exciting to have material for you all every day, and the response has been incredible. I am so pleased with the content my dear friends have so graciously crafted for this holiday project; I can’t wait to do it all again with you next year, along with a lot of other exciting plans I have up my sleeve for cmd+f.

Let’s get on with the music, people! This week I have five sweet selections from emerging artists across a variety of genres. Get ready to dance, get ready to sulk, get ready to get sloppy drunk: cmd+f has it all this week!

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.

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“Sign” - VHS Collection | I am coming out the gate this week with a strong claim: “Sign” is the greatest song I have heard all year. ALL. FUCKING. YEAR. Now I have an obligation to hype this song up, but I can assure you when you hear it, you’ll know. “Sign” opens with a distorted, solemn hymn, fizzes out, then guns forward into a Tears for Fears-worthy powerballad. Who can resist a cascade of rubbery synths? On first listen, it reminded me of the 1984 poverty-porn hit “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” which, imperialist guilt aside, we all know pops OFF every time it comes on the speakers. “Sign” is a 4:20 cinematic, hypnotizing journey. I’ll remind you: “Sign” is the best song I’ve heard in 2017. Listen here

“In Blue” - Yumi Zouma | For those of you who read Day 1 of cmd+vent, Ana made a chic playlist full of tunes by New Zealand artists, including this particular tune “In Blue” by Yumi Zouma. The group already have a solid fan base with a few amount of streams on all their tunes. They’ve got a lush, neo-disco vibe akin to Phoenix, buffed over with velvety vocals. While Phoenix begs you to hop on a bike and head to the discotech, Yumi Zouma made that hazy bedroom pop. I’ve been listening to “In Blue” obsessively for a couple weeks now, and nearly resisted including it in the letter this week simply because Ana had thrown them in her playlist. Nay, “In Blue” needs its own spotlight. Listen here

“Guilty Party” -  Thunder Jackson | What exactly is a Thunder Jackson???? While everyone is trying to figure this out, the secretive alleged pop duo shared their debut single “Guilty Party” last month, and it’s fucking massive. Allegedly the two met in a taxi in West Hollywood - one a songwriter from the South, the other a producer from Wales. To start, the song rides on a brilliantly sped up sample of the opening notes to Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’s “Enola Gay.” It’s a scrapbook of nostalgic sounds that end up feeling so utterly contemporary. Also, the song is so blatantly about having a really fucked up hangover after going to a party in The Valley, so, 10/10 can relate.  Listen here

“This Is For You” - Bleach Baby | House music is my first love. It’s been a minute since I’ve heard a house tune that’s excited me. Bleach Baby’s “This Is For You” is a fantastic pop house tune, stabbing piano keys and massive drops included. Listen here

“No Angels” -  Catholic Action | I’m ending my five tracks this week with a Christmas tune! I’ve been listening to this particular track all month long amongst my Christmas list tunes, and “No Angels” cracks me up every time. With the opening lyrics, “You can’t have sex at Christmas / You can’t make love or screw / Celebrate as he intended / With television and food” it instantly became a favorite. Catholic Action are a rowdy bunch of Glaswegian’s who dropped their debut album In Memory Of in October this year, and it’s fantastic. But first, listen to “No Angels” Listen here

BONUS

• Merry! Fuckin! Christmas! We’ve been blessed with Cardi B’s new single “Bartier Cardi” featuring 21 Savage. Hook is fiiiiire  Listen here
• Mat Kearney has a new self-titled EP, and the New Years Eve breakup ballad “Don’t Cry For Me” is rather good Listen here
• cmd+f fav BETSY has shared an acoustic mini-album Listen here
• Cassie out here whispering her ass off in her new single “Don’t Play It Safe” Listen here
• It was announced this week that Liam Payne and Rita Ora are releasing their duet single for the Fifty Shades Freed film. Some reactions to the news has been “Who?” or “they don’t even have fans,” but I am here to tell you: I know who they are, and I am their fan. I am their lone fan who is psyched as hell for this duet recorded exclusively for a hellfire film franchise that was made specifically for horny soccer moms.
• Pale Waves, aka the future biggest new music act of 2018 (take notes!!! If you haven’t been listening to me ALL YEAR LONG!), have shared a very aesthetically aesthetic (haha) music video for their latest single “My Obsession.” Dear Heather goes full on Lars and the Real Girl with her “dream boy” and… anyway, I need to speak to whomever is doing their color direction because their videos are always a feast to watch Watch here
• Last but certainly not least, I’m including a link to my own Christmas music playlist I will have on loop all weekend long. It includes a host of non-traditional classics from the likes of WHAM!, The Waitresses, and Paul McCartney, covers of “classics,” a few original Christmas tunes, and of course, no Christmas music list is complete without a host of Sufjan Stevens. If you’re about to pull your hair out listening to “Jingle Bell Rock” one more time, I promise you, this one is like, a really cool Christmas playlist. Mix things up a bit: Listen here
• P.S. A new cmd+vent calendar letter drops tomorrow!

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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 December 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.

October 6, 2017

A lot has happened in the past week: the best month of the year started on Sunday, I called out sick for the first time ever for the sole purpose of resting my body and not ditching work for a press event or Disneyland, decompressed binge-watching all five seasons of Merlin, booked flights to London for the entire second half of October, and landed & accepted an offer for the start of my dream career. To boot, Blade Runner 2049 opens tonight and my friend got tickets to see Coldplay at the Rose Bowl tonight, so I can officially report back to you about experiencing Tove Lo perform “Disco Tits” live.

Pals in London reading this: my schedule’s open for taking my Chevrolegs around to as many art galleries and museums I can fit in during my stay. I would be grateful for leads on any exciting gigs happening in London between 16-28 October. Give me a tweet, and allow me to buy you a drink for your troubles.

Between all that excitement, can you believe I have managed to dig up five exciting artists this week? Brace yourself – they’ll blow your socks off.

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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“Last Time We Danced” - BETSY | Though I included BETSY’s entire debut album as a recommendation in the Bonus section in last week’s letter, I felt compelled to include a track in the letter this today. Sounding like the second coming of Cher aside, “Last Time We Danced” is a bizarre, enchanting burst of feel-goodness basking in the memory of the most perfect moment. Those moments are little beacons to hold onto and keep you going, aren’t they? Perfectly fitting as we eclipse into a new season and the final quarter of the year, yeah? Listen here

“Hands Up Head Down” -  Sure Sure | Abso-fucking-lutely put down everything you’re doing right this moment and LISTEN TO THIS TUNE. Listen to this on full volume, quietly with the window open, with noise-canceling headphones, with the shower rumbling in the background – and each experience will uncover a new delectable sonic layer. “Hands Up Head Down” rocks to its own beat, swirled with fuzzy guitars, tinny drums, and snappy melodies. Oh, and it’s got its own dance move: “put your hands up, keep your head down, and then bob to the beat like a zombie.” Happy freakin’ October, y’all. Listen here

“Bubblegum” -  YONAKA | Some may say rock has lost its raw spirit, but I say those who say that are likely just boring dudes only listening to other boring dudes singing dull rock music. YONAKA are the wave. Fronted with theeeee realest female vocalist, the group teeter the line of piercing through the rock-mosphere with a pop sensibility. Their sound is hungry, ambitious, and raw AF. All that is best showcased on their new track “Bubblegum.” How fitting their debut EP is titled HEAVY. Listen here

“Pinball” -  Luwten | Dutch outfit Luwten’s debut album is dropping next Friday, and I cannot wait for it to become my new spooky non-Halloween-but-absolutely-fitting-for-October album to go alongside Agnes Obel’s Aventine and iamamiwhoami’s kin records. “Pinball” is a chilling, achey, heartbreaking echo of a love that’s not quite right. Listen here

“Míol Mór Mara” -  Outsider |  I think I’ve stumbled across the Irish Bruce Springsteen??? “Míol Mór Mara” is a blissful indie pop joint that I cannot take off repeat. Listen here

BONUS

• Last known living rockstar on planet earth Liam Gallagher has released his debut solo album As You Were. Should he ever read this letter, he’d most definitely make a comment about how nobody actually listens to “music” anymore, and streaming’s ruined everything. That aside, it’s a fuckin’ great rock record Stream here

• As I linked/alluded in the intro, Tove Lo has a new music video for her single “Disco Tits.” It’s NSFW, and wild as hell. How wild? Includes number clips of a Jim Henson-esque puppet giving head to Tove Lo in a top-down convertible and in a seedy roadside motel room. Ch’yeah, buddy. Watch here

• Kelela has DELIVERT! Her new album Take Me Apart is finally out! Listen here

• Need more sultry, sexy R&B tunes, spin Sabrina Claudio’s debut album About Time. Standout track: “Used To” Listen here

• Someone collect Craig David, please Listen here

• Feeling soft? An entire Blue Hawaii album titled Tenderness is here to swaddle you Listen here

• cmd+f favorites ROMES have finally dropped their self-titled debut album. Congrats, gents 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 October 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!

September 29, 2017

Going to keep the opening notes very short and sweet this week, as so much has happened (personally, globally, etc) - but before anything else, I reckon if you haven’t already, though you most likely have (if you haven’t, you must be just logging onto the internet for the first time today, I suppose), but J Balvin has released a remix of his global smash (in Latin countries. Trust me, the song is massive as f*ck, and you’re going to have to believe me if you’re not from a Latin country) hit “Mi Gente” with none other than MFing BEYONCE. J Balvin’s impact - he’s got Bey signing in Spanish, too! Naturally, the internet lost its mind over it.

100% of proceeds made from the release of this remix will go toward helping victims from the recent natural disasters in Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Get on streaming the tune here, and maybe consider purchasing the track off iTunes/your preferred digital music retailer if you dig. It's for a good cause 'n all that.

Now, onto five fantastic tracks I want to share with y’all this week.

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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“Tommy” - Tommy Genesis | Those who follow the underground rap scene likely are already familiar with Vancouver emcee Tommy Genesis. Hailed as the “most rebellious underground rap queen,” her new joint “Tommy” is a sinister, biting track. The beat is dope, definitely borderline unnerving in an-axe-murderer-is-lurking-behind-your-shower-curtain kind of way. Warning: highly addictive. Listen here

“Big One” -  Madeline Kenney | Music to listen to when you’re freaking the hell out because every single element of your life has lead up to this moment of time and everything feels more wholesome and real and worthwhile than it ever did leading up to that moment in time. “Big One” is a lyrically grand tune, each cry out a beam of excitement about figuring out your life and discovering you’ve found the one person you want to share the rest of your life with. Madeline’s entire album Night Night at the First Landing also has this cozy, dreamworld vibe if you’re looking to channel this mood over the weekend. Listen here

“Angel Fire” -  Hollie Cook | I know most of us are prepared to launch into super-goth mode and burrow under nine layers of blankets then sink into the mattress over a cup of steaming hot cocoa listening to Transatlantacism on repeat, right? Well, for those who AREN’T seeking that our/live in the SOUTHERN hemisphere (yeah, guys - they’re about to plow through Springtime down there), I present to you the groovy, island vibey “Angel Fire.” Hollie’s voice is as smooth as whipped buttercream. Listen here

“Needing U” -  Desta French | That Tribe “Electric Relaxation” sample is fine as hell. Desta French’s got the chops with this old school mid-90s R&B pop job, I can’t wait to hear more from Desta. Listen here

“Why Didn’t You Say That?” -  The Lemon Twigs |  The Lemon Twigs are truly from another time. Their entire vibe is plucked straight out of that kooky, 60s Baroque rock. It’s hokey, but it works, and it sonically sounds like a day kissed by the California sun. Listen here

BONUS

• Harry Styles, covering a song about a girl wanting to be a girlfriend of a boy they have a crush on so they can be close to the boy. [cue rainbow flag] Listen to Harry Styles cover “Girl Crush” here

• Legends stacked on legends stacked on legends! Listen to what we go at stake: Little Dragon feat. Faith Evans “Peace Of Mind” produced by Raphael Saadiq. Raphael Saadiq!! Listen here

• For my shoegaze babes, go listen to Wolf Alice’s new album Vision of a Life. Personal favorite is the CAN-inspired minimal bass “Formidable Cool.” Listen here

• New Four Tet album New Energy Listen here AND new Miley Cyrus album Younger Now Listen here

• Former cmd+f mentionable BETSY has finally released her self-titled debut album! Hurray! Listen here

• If you’re doing for a bit of a laugh, please check out Lizzo’s new track and video for “Truth Hurts” Watch here

• So, Spotify thinks they can guestimate what music you listened to during formative teenage years based off their nifty algorithm. Granted my list neglected to include music from my later high school years, it was on the nose with its selections for tunes I listened to primarily from my days of middle school and early high school. Selections included primarily early pop punk and emo tunes, with a big of gangster rap peppered in between all of those bits. Click here if you’d like to peep my own Time Capsule playlist. Discover your own Time Capsule 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 September 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!