Holy bananas, y’all. Today is today. It’s here, you and I are breathing, and I want to take a moment to thank you once again for indulging me and reading this little letter.
I’ve been subtly hyping this up for a couple weeks now, but I am very pleased to share with you the official cmd+f website.
Yup–you heard correctly: a real ass website! Wahoo! I’ve archived all of the past letters onto the site, including a nice little gallery viewing area of the 35mm film headers that link you to the letters. I also wanted to have all the content aggregate onto a tidier looking page with the potential to expand content without having to link you to ten different social media pages. From here on out, you can visit cmdf.me and (hopefully) find everything you need.
Please reach out to me via the handy dandy contact page on the cmd+f website, or at the brand new 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.
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“Dynabeat” - Jain | If you’re looking for a new song to wild out to at the gym, let Jain’s “Dynabeat” be your new anthem. The purest, feelgoodiest funky beats remind me of a handful of funky one hit wonders from the early 80s. So good, it’s made it onto my (slowly) growing Poolside Jammery playlist. Anyone else feel like causing a traffic jam with an improvised dance routine in the middle of your block after listening to this? Just me? Listen here
“Hold on to Me” - Tsörf | Don’t let the “ö” fool you – Tsörf is actually from New Zealand, forging gorgeous and somber pop. “Hold on to Me” is an ode to making your way out of darkness. I can practically hear her fingers slipping up her grip, yet there’s a current of grounded-ness wavering beneath it. This song is pure love. Listen here
“Merv” - The Hubbards | This tune comes courtesy of BBC Introducing in Humberside. I haven’t listened to a lick of radio for at least two months at this point, and this was one of the first things I heard. Completely obsessed with unpacking that opening bass line that burns into your brain from the jump. After listening to their EP this week for a few hours, I can attest The Hubbards have a knack for crafting a tune. “Merv” is their standout track, and one of my favorite tunes I've stumbled across this month. Listen here
“Life of the Party” - Chelsea Jade | Can you believe I’ve got another Kiwi on the letter this week?! Well, New Zealand’s cranking out some fantastic pop tunes. “Life of the Party” is a Broods song on Benadryl. Now that I’ve said that, it sounds completely offensive and implying it’s boring. On the contrary; I mean it more in the sense Chelsea Jade’s vocals are softer, relaxed, and dreamy. Listen here
“Carry On” (Dubbel Dutch Remix) - Tkay Maidza feat. Killer Mike | Australia’s Tkay Maidza’s debut album dropped last year, but a handful of remixes breathed new life into her track “Carry On.” I first heard Tkay on a feature for a Troye Sivan song a couple years ago. She cropped up on stage for a guest performance at Troye’s teeny tiny show in a 200 person capacity venue I saw him perform at before Blue Neighbourhood came out. She’s got a lot of elements that remind me of Santogold in her music. Of all the remixes of “Carry On,” Dubbel Dutch plays on the whimsical flare laced in the original song, strapping on some pseudo-island vibes. The bubbly synth upgraded this to straight up “certified bop” status. Listen here
BONUS
Once you’ve moseyed around the cmd+f site, shared the link with a few friends (thanks in advance), please follow cmd+f on Twitter and Instagram!
Big day in pop music for the gays: Carly Rae Jepsen, Troye Sivan, Sia, Little Mix all have new singles out today, and Lana Del Rey has confirmed a release date for her album Lust for Life (“July 21 fam”).
Bisexuals unite! Halsey and Lauren Jauregui of Fifth Harmony have dropped a synth-heavy lady loving anthem. Sounds like a bionic Stevie Nicks song. Taking bets on how long for MUNA to Tweet about it. Very much looking forward to this music video. Listen here
Lil Yachty got an album, y’all!! He’s even serving up some island vibes on a track with UK rapper and cmd+f alumna Stefflon Don. Listen here
Rita Ora’s taken a break from hosting TV shows, red carpet events, landing on the front page of The Daily Mail, and hung up the phone with Nick Grimshaw to remind you that, yes, she is indeed a career musician. Excuse me while I go bop to “Your Song.” Listen here
Today is too much. Too many single releases. I am both wired and tired.
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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 May 2017 playlist. 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!