I don’t mean to be that boring person who talks of the weather, but when it’s so hot you can hardly breathe, it’s difficult to think about anything else. The fact I sweat out a liter of water trekking across the parking lot by the time I step foot inside my work office or into Target is NOT OKAY. As I prepare to melt into the asphalt the moment I even consider stepping outside this weekend, I present to you five tracks I’m 100% you’ll take a chance on and listen to this week.
Please reach out to me via the handy dandy contact page on the cmd+f website, or on the 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.
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 and never miss a weekly music roundup!
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“Film Club” - Childcare | What a breath of fresh air “Film Club” is - churning guitars, giddy lyrics, insatiable hooks. The guitar licks peppered throughout the chorus are the star of this jam - or are they audio recordings of someone screaming “AaaAAAaAAAH!” ?? Whatever that sound is, it’s the GOAT. Go forth and marinate in this tune. Sonics aside, lyrics are high key relatable: “Film Club” is about attending a film club mostly to see/meet with someone they admire (or are secretly obsessed with????) more than the films. I recall considering taking up some unusual hobbies once upon a time around high school and my early college years in hopes to get close to someone. Is it safe to say we’ve all been there, or did I just read way too much YA lit in my formative teen years? Listen here
“overbehind” - Flor | LA-based Flor have racked up several million streams across the net from their latest album come out. you’re hiding. A perfect blend of those last-era pop punk instrumentals flourished with a bit of BØRNS-esque infectious hooks and vocals, “overbehind” was a song I was trying my darndest to resist loving it the first time I heard it. After spinning it endlessly and never skipping it once this week whenever it came on, I knew it was a keeper for this week’s letter. Listen here
“We Stayed Up All Night” - Tourist feat. Ardyn | I am LIVID this slipped past my radar the day it dropped! How on earth did this get lost in the sauce??? (It was released on a Wednesday….) We’re so lucky I didn’t go another week without hearing this song, or you’d hear me screaming from over 10,000 miles away. Tourist hangs up the synth-heavy house productions for a surprising, dreamy little pop number with Ardyn. If The OC was still on air, this song would fit PERFECTLY onto their iconic soundtrack mixes. Listen here
“Someone” - Anna of the North | Anna of the North is no stranger to cmd+f - I featured the Norwegian/Kiwi duo’s single “Oslo” in the very first letter. “Someone” is a shimmery synth-pop JAM. I am so, so in love. Listen here
“Durbaan Ka Ii Tuma” - Waayaha Cusub feat. Desiigner | Guess what Spotify did this week? In a bold as fuck political move TWO DAYS after Independence Day, Spotify launched their “I’m with the Banned” music movement. The initiative links six American artists with six artists from the Muslim-majority countries listed in 45*’s (attempted and continually ruled unconstitutional) travel ban. Oh, yes. Spotify pulled a Degrassi: they SO went there. Of all six tunes, I picked this BOP by Somalia’s Waayaha Cusub featuring Desiigner. Listen here
BONUS
Zedd and Liam Payne have a song out - “Get Low.” At first I wasn’t sure about it, and then I spent approximately 5 hours of my day yesterday listening to it on repeat (this is not a hyperbole). As a proud militant Liam stan, I have to be completely honest: I still feel like the song needs some more flourishes (i.e. Liam belting out some crazy ass runs in the final two bridges), but I really cannot complain when I’ve been gifted 3:22 continuous minutes of nothing but Liam Payne singing over an entire instrumental. Very pleased with this sound/direction. More this and less Sheeran, Payno. Listen here
Whole new HAIM album is out Listen here
Brian freakin Eno produced the new Coldplay track “A L I E N S” Listen here
I completely missed Liam Gallagher sharing another new solo single?????? It is of course incredibly listenable and enjoyable and what a time to be ALIVE for the return of Liam f*cking Gallagher, amirite? Listen here
The two new Rhye songs are A+ Watch here
For your entertainment, I started a playlist composed of Halsey imposters to document the growing trend of Halsey-esque vocalists cropping up in pop music as of late 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 July 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!