This is an archived post originally sent out via the cmd+f weekly newsletter
Before I start this week’s letter, I need to address a very obvious elephant in the room: for those who are unaware, there has been an incredible revelation regarding PWR BTTM, one of the five artists I featured in last week’s cmd+f. Allegations of sexual assault from one half of the group have come forward, and since PWR BTTM have been dropped from their label, had their album pulled from streaming services, and their tour canceled.The backlash has been swift and ruthless, as it should be against sexual predators. But the backlash has left others shocked how quickly PWR BTTM’s relevancy has been crumbled whilst other aggressors in the music industry continue to maintain careers.
While there are a lot of thinkpiece-y Twitter threads on this that floated around last weekend, I would ask you to take a moment to read about the situation filtered through the POV of a friend of mine who is actively involved in the queer DIY music scene. Please note the article contains themes revolving around sexual assault and emotional abuse.
Click here to read “It’s Bigger Than PWR BTTM” by Reed DeLuca
With that, SCHOOL’S OUT!!! I’ve got some great track up my sleeve that I’ve been excited to share with you.
P.S. School does not very much suck. I kinda miss it.
Got any questions? Tips? Please reach out to me via Twitter at @hellogoodbritt (or any other way you may know how to contact me) with your thoughts about any of the tracks I’ve selected this week. I love chatting about music. Let me know what you’re listening to that everyone else should be listening to, 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. It’s only good manners!
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“Feel OK” - GIRLI feat. Lethal Bizzle | GIRLI has returned in all her hot pink glory to serve us the most electric one night stand anthem we've heard in years. I’ve dropped GIRLI into cmd+f a few months ago, and that tune was vastly different from “Fuck Right Off Back to LA.” Whilst that was more a novelty jam, “Feel OK” is a serious ass pop jam. I love GIRLI, and I’m ELATED to know she had this mulling inside of her. Could honestly listen to this on loop all day. Listen here
“April Flowers ” - Jesse Jo Stark | Got a new sad girl jam for y’all: this one's got me feeling like I'm back at my windowsill in Seattle watching the rain patter outside while looping Hole for hours on end avoiding my Victorian Lit dissertation and how things could have been if I didn't let me crippling anxiety keep me from going to another part the night before. Yeah; one of those kinda sad girl jams. Listen here
“Awake and Pretty Much Sober” - Violents, Monica Martin | This track is my own personal surprise of the week. For those of you who haven’t checked out the podcast Switched On Pop, they have an episode where they break down The Chainsmokers. I hope you’re still reading this, and as much as I personally have never vibed with a single The Chainsmokers song, the hosts break down their song formulas and why they work so good, and it’s because they tease the chorus right from the start. In “Awake and Pretty Much Sober,” we get the instrumentals for the chorus straight away too, establishing that melody and ultimately some emotional intimacy with the song. It’s a damn nice chorus, the entire song sprinkled with cinematic qualities (including a brilliant strings interlude 3 minutes into the song before a bridge breaks through). It’s easily one of the most gorgeous songs I’ve listened to in a long time. Listen here
“Dead for seconds” - Moto Boy, Nina Persson | I have been sitting on this one for a week now after going down a Scandinavian music hole. Moto Boy’s latest album is surprisingly enough titled New music, and it got me through a tumultuous week clogged with over time and exhaustion. The morbid romanticism of being “dead for seconds when you look at your object of affection. Let's be real: high key relatable theme as I know feeling very well whilst watching Tom Hardy on screen. Listen here
“World of Wonders” - Buddy | If you listen to the lyrics too closely, I am like, “you’re really gonna push this, you cocky MF.” With lyrics like, “gonna make you love me long time,” and “what you got on underneath that? I wanna know,” it warrants some serious eyerolling, but honestly I think Kaytranada’s smooth production on the instrumentals brings down the cringey . I can’t help but groove to this, and I made it through the whole song a few times, and it gets better with each listen. Listen here
BONUS
For the past five years, I have harrowed through a tumultuous journey, traveling across the country for three consecutive summers, wept, screamed, clawed, yearned, and prayed for this day. For this moment. To hold onto the meaning of this feeling. The feeling of Liam goddamn Payne as, finally and rightfully, a solo artist. Listen here
To follow up my previous bullet point, my well thought out takes on “Strip That Down:” lyrics are very Ed Sheeran (who wrote it, and when you hear it, you can’t help but agree), also they’re so simple and not too raunchy so Midwestern moms are gonna love this. Beat is good, bangs in the car better than on my computer, wish they could have pushed the chorus to go a little harder. iHeartRadio producers/DJs are loving it and tbh those are the only people who matter when it comes to churning out a hit. Fun bop, and I’m glad it happened.
Excuse the fuck out of Katy Perry! I have whiplash! I nearly turned my back on her after “Bon Apetit,” because I have no time for cunnalingus elevator music featuring verses from rappers who’ve never been eyelevel with a vag since birth, but she Did the Thing. “Swish Swish” is a god damn bop. Listen here
Selena Gomez samples Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” for her new song “Bad Liar,” and I felt a whole lot of emotions about it. Listen to “Bad Liar” and then “Psycho Killer”
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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!