This is an archived post originally sent out via the cmd+f weekly newsletter
This week on cmd+f, strap in for some extremely talented lady vox and killer guitars. I’ve got five tracks and artists that may have flown under your radar.
Like last week, I’ve recorded another ‘radio show’ on the Anchor app as a companion to this week’s newsletter. Tune in via the link below to hear me talk about the tracks I’ve picked out this week, padded with a little extra information I didn't mention in the letter.
If you’re wondering what Anchor is, it’s a new-ish app that’s essentially a Snapchat for radio - the recordings are only up for 24 hours, so listen to this station as soon as you open this email! (Note: you DON’T have to download the Anchor app if you’re accessing this link on your desktop!)
Click here to visit the cmd+f Anchor station
I absolutely love the fact Anchor has a “Call In” feature. Please take advantage of this wonderful feature and pop on over to drop me a voice note. Has this newsletter helped you discover new artists? I’d love to hear from you, and my readers would love to hear from you, too. We’re all in this new music discovery journey together, y’all.
You can also always get in touch with me on Twitter at @hellogoodbritt with your thoughts about any of the tracks I’ve selected this week, 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 veeeeery good chance they’ll see your comments, and from past experience, I know it’ll really make their day.
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“The Cure” - Rotana | If you follow me on the ‘Gram, you may have noticed I posted a handful of videos on my Instagram Story at the Hotel Cafe. I was there for this gal right here, making her debut live performance. Her first single “Daddy” made an appearance in the second cmd+f letter - and after hearing her perform live, I am HOOKED. “The Cure” is her second single, and I can’t express how excited I am to hear more from her. All of her tracks she performed at Hotel Cafe were incredible. If you’ve watch Mozart in the Jungle, you know how Rodrigo is constantly reminding Hailey she plays the oboe with “the blood?” That’s Rotana - she sings with “the blood.” It’s pure, strong, and hits you right in the gut. Listen here
“All the Rage” - Allie X | So... “All the Rage” isn’t a new song at all. Allie X is well loved in the circles of pop-enthusiasts, but I’ll admit I’m a bit late on this train. I’ve been throwing her jams on playlists more and more, especially after news of her new LP COLLXTION II dropping in June. “All the Rage” was birthed from the guts of Annie meets St. Vincent meets good ol’ Charli XCX. Dear Alexxxxxandra crafts an incredible pop track. Can’t wait for COLLXTION II! Listen here
“Silver Heat” - Ten Tonnes | This guy is going to be EVERYWHERE by the end of this year, mark my words. BBC Radio 1’s been gassing him up, and rightfully so. “Silver Heat” is a wall-to-wall high energy track, oozing with vibrant youth. Keep your eyes out for his new EP out in June! Listen here
“Lit the Fire” - Ralph | “Lit the Fire” is a long lost teen fantasy diary entry. Glistening with smooth confessions of holding onto love, the song simmers with a weighty sting of desperation to cling onto them by any means necessary. This is the sadpop we deserve. Also, check our Ralph’s self-titled EP. Listen here
“Edge of Town” - Middle Kids | I fucking love finding a song I know I’m going to like from the first note. “Edge of Town” fell into my lap by way of an email exchange with a couple PR people. I paid no mind to it at first, but for some reason I kept opening the email up, and eventually opened the video link for this track, and it’s absolutely brilliant. The Sydney trio have been making the rounds with this track for nearly a year now (shame on me), and got a huge boost after Sir Elton John played this track on his Beats 1 show, too. Middle Kids have a full EP up on Spotify - so I’m mostly sharing this track as an appetizer to help guide you to the full EP. Give that a full listen or three after hearing “Edge of Town,” then let me know what you think. Listen here
BONUS
CUE: AN AESTHETICALLY AESTHETIC-ESQUE 8 MINUTE MINI FILM MUSIC VIDEO YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY TAKE THE TIME TO WATCH THIS WEEK
“Samaritan” - ionnalee | Last week, I was thinking, “wow, I haven’t heard from iamamiwhoami in a while - I wonder if they’ve been teasing new music.” It’s like a piece of my soul has parsed itself within the pixels and bytes of their YouTube channel, because when I did mosey on over I was greeted with a full on 8 minute mini film. For those unfamiliar with iamamiwhoami, it’s an avant-garde pop music project that’s produced and filmed 3 full visual albums (literally every song they’ve released has a music video for it) since 2009. Their initial cryptic, creepy, and cerebral videos sparked a lot of buzz around who the hell was behind the project. When it was revealed Swedish singer-songwriter Jonna Lee decided to overhaul all of her standard pop songs and reinvent herself, the shroud of mystery and awe of the incredible artistry behind iamamwhoami remained. Anyhow, looks like she’s reinvented herself again, channeling the same creepy Bjork au naturale aesthetic, but now goes by ionnalee. For my fashion geeks, dear Jonna is draped in some incredible Comme des Garçons. Feast your eyes on that. Watch 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 March 2017 playlist. You can dive into the cmd+f archive to hear what I’ve been listening to in previous months.
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!