Sløtface — 2017 Letters Archive

The coming week is going to be exciting for me. After many moons, the day has nearly arrived in which I will be seeing a concert lineup of my fever dreams: MUNA and Harry Styles live at the Greek Theater. Somebody pinch me, please! I’ve been working very hard at day-job stuff so I’ve been neglecting actual live concert coverage for the past month, so I’m very much looking forward to this one, so much so I’ve requested the day after the show off from my day job. It’s serious.

We’ve already got fourth quarter heating up - artists are coming forward with album release announcements and new singles. Considering 2017 has been the wildest year of Madlibs and nostalgia comeback tours, who do you think is going to come out of left field with a new album? After seeing that Cher and Future GAP ad, oh what I’d give for another Cher single.

Anyhow, I’ve harvested five sweet tracks for you to enjoy throughout your 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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“Where’s the Bass Amp?” - Superfood | When you say “a-boom chicka boom,” and you chk chk boom to boom biddy bumbombrrapp skeetybeep pap pap - well, you get the gist. This little earworm is the opening track from Superfood’s new album Bambino. I’ve tested this extensively throughout the past week with the general public (re: my co workers) by playing it aloud (at my desk during work hours), and 100% of my subjects responded with a hip sway, a hop-skip-jump jump, or even a verbal response of delight. With findings like that, “Where’s the Bass Amp?” allows for guaranteed satisfaction. Listen here

“Victoria Falls” - Flyte | Phew! I’ve been gabbing on and on to a handful of friends this week about Flyte. I stumbled across their sonically light-hearted Beatles-esque tune “Cathy Come Home” (which is lyrically about a loved one begging Cathy to get out of an abusive relationship), and in turn dove head first into Flyte’s debut album The Loved Ones. While definitely soaked in 60s/70s rock vibes, their sound varies across a massive span of influences. With a guitar solo slick enough to make Blue Oyster Cult proud, “Victoria Falls” shines bright with a breadth of lush harmonies woven throughout the tune. Truly my most warming find I’ve stumbled upon this week. Listen here

“Soft power” - Ayla | Holy moly… Ayla is onto something. I was unsure about “Soft power” when it first started playing, but as the song builds on itself, it beefs up with a handful of plot twists - from the instrumental chorus, the politically charged lyrics. It took me ages to dig up info on Ayla herself, and I finally found a single blog post about her on a Swedish entertainment blog. Through the power of Google Translate, it turns out Ayla is yet another Swedish genius. If you enjoy unconventional pop (re: Grimes, Charli XCX, Lykke Li, etc.), “Soft power” is right up your alley. Listen here

“Lifted Away” - Joseph | Once again, shout out to my pal Agnes for throwing this gem down in front of me yesterday. Before I dip into the song itself, I feel very obligated to know my friend Brittany is likely reading this with her fist pumping in the air with delight knowing she’s heard of a music artist from this list before reading the letter. Joseph are her GIRLS, her Oregonian kin. While Joseph already have a strong following, I’ve plucked “Lifted Away” to share as it sounds completely different to their usual “White Winter Hymnal” / Power ‘Muricana sound. “Lifted Away” has a fate fit for a major motion picture trailer/soundtrack, potential for bubbling under the radar on local rock radio, and hell, even a nice life on all of the playlists you’re throwing together to slog your way through the next few months. Listen here

“Flags” - Shoffy feat. Yuna | A year ago, I watched this guy perform on the pool deck of the rooftop bar at the Mondrian on Sunset in West Hollywood. It was a private event for press and label execs, and he really impressed me. I lost touch with his manager to set up an interview in the future about his forthcoming projects (so if you’re reading this right now...hit me up), and now he’s got a full on album. That night I learnt Shoffy (named Alex) is (or now likely WAS) a suit-and-tie professional by day working in finance who comes home to write sexy R&B jams at night. He’s had some explosive success on streaming services over the years, racking up literal MILLIONS (one has over 40 million!!) of streams on his tunes (seriously, his songs have cropped up in every major pop curated playlist I’ve stumbled upon since 2015). Now his new single and opening track from his debut self-titled LP ”Flags” features Malaysian pop goddess Yuna. Despite all the online success with his songs, Shoffy’s career is only starting to simmer. “Flags” is the ultimate soft bop. Listen here

BONUS

MUNA, one of my absolute favorite bands and Album of the Year contenders, are about to kick off their tour opening for Harry Styles next week and have finally released a studio recording of their tune “In My Way” Listen here
Your favorite Norwegian more-punk-than-pop band Sløtface have dropped their debut album Try Not to Freak Out. While half the album’s already been released via singles/previous EPs, it’s a delight to imagine it as an entire LP filled with songs for an imaginary teen movie soundtrack. Listen here
Queen of Behind the Scenes Footage Cut Music Videos Carly Rae Jepsen has shared a really cute video cut with behind the scenes footage leading up to actual choreographed music video footage for her splash summer single “Cut to the Feeling.” It’s directed by Gia Coppola, because why not??? Watch here
LORDE FEAT. KHALID, SZA (er, and Post Malone) - HOMEMADE DYNAMITE REMIX Listen here
BURIAL - “RODENT” Listen here
It was the late Amy Winehouse’s birthday yesterday. Dua Lipa and Gallant paid a touching tribute with an absolutely incredible cover of Amy’s “Tears Dry On Their Own” Watch here
Niall Horan has announced his debut album Flicker will be released (a week before my birthday!) on October 20, and has gifted us with a world of pain with his new single “Too Much To Ask.” With the lyric “my shadow’s dancing without you for the first time,” I got three words for young Niall: WHO HURT YOU???? Listen here
Following up about Nadine Coyle’s new single “Go to Work,” and it’s available on streaming services in the States now. I’m not saying this little gay club BOP has helped me get through 15 hours of overtime in the past week, but then again, you’ll never really know Listen 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!

This past week has been a long, luminous blur. I’ve had approximately 4 hours of sleep per night, met some incredible people, and somehow managed to dig up five sweet tracks from artists you may have never heard of or have flown under your radar.

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.

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!

________________________________________

“LMK” - Kelela | Kelela is simultaneously not a secret, yet is THE secret weapon to experiencing sonic bliss. Her 2013 release CUT 4 ME made her an instant cult sensation, and her 2015 EP Hallucinogen was met with massive critical acclaim. Those in “the know” and on top of the coolest of cool music are no stranger to Kelela - her buttery smooth vocals have been featured on the Gorillaz’s latest album Humanz, and Solange’s A Seat at the Table. “LMK” is the first single off her highly anticipated debut album, and I could not be foaming at the mouth any harder than the moment this song dropped. Kelela's vocal delivery is sultry over the crisp, vivid backdrop produced by Jam City. You can sway to it, sing in the shower to it, initiate a hook up at the club to it…. Summer ‘17 has officially been blessed by “LMK.” Listen here

“You’re Mine” - Lola Marsh | While “You’re Mine” has a cool 8 million+ streams on Spotify, “You’re Mine” is a song that has to be approached from all angles. What drew me in on the first listen was the lush, sultry alto swooping over a delectable bass line. Lola Marsh’s Yael Shoshana Cohen turns the dreamy pop tune from sounding like a Velvet Underground deep cut in the studio recording into a charming coffee shop ballad. When I heard “You’re Mine” from a live recording with an acoustic guitar, stripped from that sinister, heavy bass, and it took on a more romantic facade. Listen to the studio version here, then get your coffee shop ballad on here

“Monday” - Moon Regiment feat. Dominique | Firstable, TGIF - but may I introduce you to “Monday?” If Grimes worked with Sally Shapiro to produce an Italo Disco track, it’d 1000% sound like “Monday.” Moon Regiment is a Swedish producer I know next to nothing about, only than the fact that "Monday" is great and he’s been composing music for over a decade. Listen here

“Magazine” - Sløtface | Norway’s more-punk-than-pop Sløtface are stirring quite a buzz recently. I first heard them on BBC Radio 1 several moon cycles ago, but I’ve seen their name mentioned across a handful of publications in the past week. As a big believer in “signs,” the universe was obviously shining a blinding neon sign over Sløtface. I jumped back into their tunes, and their sound’s gotten so much heavier since the release of their single “Kill ‘Em With Kindness.” What hasn't changed is their chorus hooks are still undeniable. The group cite late-90s/early-00s teen romance film soundtracks as a huge influence on their sound, and what’s better than a Norwegian “Teenage Dirtbag,” baby?? Keep your finger on the pulse of this band - Sløtface are the new indie darlings and are going to burst through 2018 at breakneck speed. Listen here

“Deep Summer” (Burial Remix) - Mønic | As the dog days of summer begin to soak into the skin on our backs from the moment our pinky toe steps out the door, we immediately settle in a “mood.” For me, if it’s over 90F and humid, I’m immediately stricken with grief. There is something so bittersweet about Summertime after you’ve gone through proper schooling and your dream Croatian beach vacation fund is really your emergency fund that somehow always goes toward your monthly credit card payment…. Wow, this got personal real quick. In “Deep Summer,” leave it to Burial to cast a humanized element over Mønic’s drowsy soundscape. The remix is bursting with life: tropical xylophones, the crisp “ktch” of a spliff catching fire, sharp inhales and wispy chuckles. It’s Burial at his best, transporting you straight onto a city block, and for ten minutes, your mouth will begin to water at the sound of the ice cream truck’s bell, sweat will cradle your shoulders as a campfire crackles in the sweltering heat. Get ready to dive head first into “Deep Summer.” Listen here

BONUS

Lorde’s new single is “Perfect Places” and I wanna vacation in every single location this video was shot - in the elaborate designer garb and all Watch here
This headline: LOL - laughs aside, producers literally realize a song into existence…. With that, if there is a song you are really, really digging right now, go find out the producer of that particular track, then see what other songs they’ve produced. It’s fun, and producers need love, too - especially in hip-hop.
Each new epic the War On Drugs song that comes out blows my friggin’ mind. “Pain” is divine Listen here
Meanwhile, Bebe Rexha out here releasing songs Camila Cabello’s label WISHES they could snatch from her. Her new single “That’s It” features a slick trap beat, Gucci Mane, and 2 Chainz. Smells like a hit, sounds like a hit, bangs like a hit; must be a hit. Go IN, Bebe!! Listen here
Innovative experimental producer of the decade Actress has dropped “Audio Track 5,” a new track from his forthcoming collaborative LP with the London Contemporary Orchestra. News broke yesterday that Actress and the LCO will be be debuting a performance via Boiler Room sometime this autumn. From the fragmented, distorted dystopian haze heard in “Audio Track 5,” rest assured this is going to be one sick livestream. 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 August 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!