Very grateful to be writing this letter at the moment rather than waiting in a virtual queue on Sephora.com preparing to max out my credit card in an attempt to swipe up a few pieces of the new Fenty Beauty collection. With October only weeks away, I have 7 family birthdays and Christmas Time to consider. “Treat yoself” is not an option unless it’s a dry gin martini with two onions and an olive with Tom Hardy’s butt in full view on my TV on a Tuesday night (and yes, I speak of this as if I've lived it because I have and you should join me sometime).
Well then.
Got six tracks by emerging artists that you likely let slip under your radar. If you have heard of these artists/songs, please give me a bell – you and I should talk. It could be the start of something great.
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. 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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“Satan, Luella & I” - HMLTD | Let’s start this week’s letter with a MOOD. HMLTD’s entire essence is a mood. It’s dark, theatrical, flamboyant, and fun. Aesthetically, they look very much straight out of Rocky Horror Picture Show, and musically parallel Adam and the Ants (who somewhat also aesthetically looked fresh out of Rocky Horror Picture Show… in a way). HMLTD’s latest single “Satan, Luella & I” is a rollercoaster ride, marked with piano stabs, boisterous horns, and a healthy dash of vibrato. It’s a lot coming at you, and the radio edit cuts off about 2 minutes gets right to the point. You’ll be singing along in no time. Listen here (radio version is here)
“You and I” - Maika Loubté | It is an absolutely crime I’ve only just stumbled across this song. Taken from Maika’s Le Zip EP that dropped in August 2016, I found myself spinning “You and I” a disgusting amount this week. While her tune “Le Gong” is also fantastic, I wanted to introduce you to Maika’s catalogue with this gem. It builds on itself so delicately and unfolds rather beautifully. Listen here
“Say It to My Face” - Maty Noyes | Maty’s had her share of success being a featured vocalist on a Kygo track a couple years ago, which, good on her, and her last EP racked up quite a bit of spins on streaming services, but “Say It to My Face,” a full blow pop bop, is something to write home about. Please come mutually scream with me about how good this song is. Listen here
“Drink Too Much” - Geowulf | A truly successful sad girl anthem utilizes painfully honest, sing-songy lyrics (such as “I get myself in trouble when I drink too much”) over lo-fi twee instrumentals. Geowulf have nailed that on the head here. Listen here
“Hotspice” - Paper Son & Halima | Big up my girl Agnes for pointing out our Discover Weekly playlists are finally starting to sync. I actually stumbled this across her own personal playlist for September 2017 and fell in head first –then I noticed it showed up in my Discover Weekly playlist, too! “Hotspice” is a delightful mish-mash of Caribbean drums, dancehall, and upbeat electronic delights. Definitely a summer fresh jam that’s guaranteed to spark a bit of sunshine into your day. Listen here
“Live Like Animals” - Nothing But Thieves | Cannot tell you how many times my friend Chris has told me about Nothing But Thieves, and finally this week I caught wind of the release of their new album Broken Machine after hearing a few previewed tracks on Radio 1. “Live Like Animals” is INSANE!! The guitars go berserk, the drums skitter along, the vocals are all over the place. Listen here
BONUS
An artist from the very first issue of cmd+f has dropped their debut album today! Three cheers to Anna of the North - give their new album Lovers a few spins and then tell them how much you love it. It’s absolutely magical. Listen here
“No Limit” - G-Eazy, A$AP Rocky and Cardi B. You heard: Rocky and Cardi on the same TRACK. Fuegooooo Listen here
If you told me a year ago that one of my favorite pop songs of 2017 would have the lyric “nipples are hard,” I wouldn’t have believed you. Considering the state of the world, it’s no surprise that Tove Lo has done the damn thing and unleashed her new single “Disco Tits” unto the world, and it’s a Grade A banger. Obvs NSFW, FYI. Listen here
11/10 would want to live inside this new Mount Kimbie album, Love What Survives Listen here
If you’re looking for something a bit more intense, intentional, industrial, and high key powerful, I advise you listen to Zola Jesus’ new album Okovi. It spares no limits on theatrics. Production is astounding. Listen here
Sam Smith is back and I am SCALPT. I wasn’t expecting much out of “Too Good at Goodbyes” after the most boring Bond song of all time won a freakin’ Oscar…. But this is very much in his lane, it’s catchy, but these lyrics are SCALDING. Way to come back with a “f*ck you, I’m good” anthem, Sammy Boy. Listen here (and watch the little video he did for Spotify on your mobile if you have a moment here)
NEW SZA AND JORJA SMITH ON HBO’S INSECURE SEASON 2 OST!!!!!! Listen here
New York’s rising Afro-Puertorican hip-hop star Princess Nokia has finally dropped her highly anticipated album 1992 Deluxe. Twisted with some classic New York hip-hop flavor, album is DOPE. Listen here
Nadine Coyle, the only member left of Girls Aloud (who never signed the contract to formalize her split from the group), has released a new single titled “Go To Work” but it’s only available on iTunes and Apple Music… not in the States. Glad she’s back, but can I at least get some label clearance/distribution deals for me to have a reunion with Nadine here? Not asking for much. If I can’t have this, then I’d like to formally request for Nadine to move back to California and reopen her pub because that was the best pint of Guinness I’ve ever had outside of Ireland.
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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.