Weezer

October 27, 2017

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Happy Friday, folks? Happy. Hmmm. It is certainly Friday. Not too happy about it. Well, it’s bittersweet – it’s my final Friday in London, and the past week has been a bit of a doozy. While this week has been virtually music free for me, I have traveled across most of southern England, seen some amazing landscapes in the countryside, and visited cities older than the trees on my block at home in LA. Very beautiful island over here. What architecture they’ve preserved lives up to the hype and whatnot. While I’ll be sad to go home, I have an entire season of Stranger Things waiting for me to watch while I readjust to my timezone, and buckets of Halloween candy to pass out. See you again sometime soon, England. Thanks for having me the past two weeks.

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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“Alterlife” (Seiho Remix) -  Rina Sawayama | Keep your finger on the pulse for RINA, y’all! She’s dropped her debut 8-track mini album today simply titled RINA (listen here). I’ve decided to include the Seiho remix of her absolute BANGER track “Alterlife” simply for the fact I’m obsessed with the club-ready flourishes slipped over the instrumentals. Her songs are all 12/10’s, lush, addictive, and SO. FUCKING. INCREDIBLE. Listen here (okay but also spin the original HERE)

“Two Laces” - THØSS | Remember the days when all you listened to was Local Natives on repeat for weeks at a time? No? Just me? Listening to THØSS took me back to those days – but it’s generally his vocal inflections that resemble Local Natives. The instrumentals in the track are just slightly off kilter. Whilst sounding deceptively organized, it’s riddled with surprising twangs and notes being plucked apart. The more you listen to “Two Laces,” the more you guzzle up its quirky nuances. Listen here

“Sweet Luv” -  Avelino feat. MJ Cole | Avelino, one of my favorite UK hip-hop (not Grime, y’all!) artists, has blessed us with an entire new project titled NO BULLSHIT. “Sweet Luv” is a charming, softer side of Avelino, and is one of my favorites off his new tape. Listen here

“Never One Thing” -  May Erlewine | Based on “Never One Thing” alone, I have declared May Erlewine a Midwestern treasure. It takes one hell of a talent to craft a simple, beautiful, sing-a-long folk tune. “Never One Thing” was love at first listen. Listen here

“Overboard” -  Miles From Kinshasa | For fans of ABRA, Blood Orange, and the lush, tinny sounds of lo-fi music, Miles From Kinshasa has been waiting for you. Recorded entirely in his bedroom in South London, the opening track of his mini album LIMBO “Overboard” is an absolute delight. Listen here

BONUS

  • My neglectful eye FAILED to notify all of you that a Tegan and Sara cover album dropped last week in celebration of The Con turning TEN years old. Jeez. It has covers by MUNA, Myyki Blanco, CHVRCHES, Pvris, Bleachers, Shura, Shamir, Hayley Williams, and SO so so so so so many amazing artists. I may be biased, but my favorite cover is MUNA’s of “Relief Next to Me” Listen here

  • ERDEM x H&M have launched the most EXTRA collaborative campaign I have seen in awhile. The adverts peppered around London have been nothing short of gorgeous. The collab is a bit of a big deal, as the clothes, covered in Erdem’s signature floral, look exquisite for a high-low fashion production. H&M’s budget included a 4 minute mini film directed by the legendary Baz Luhrman and original music composed by Years & Years! The result? A dream fantasy I want to live in Watch here

  • Best birthday surprise of the week was Franz Ferdinand announcing a forthcoming album and dropping a new, swanky tune “Always Ascending” Listen here

  • Sexy R&B jams album rec of the week: new Majid Jordan album The Space Between Listen here

  • I will support Tinashe (the American Rita Ora) to the ends of the EARTH. Girl deserves more than “2 On,” is the chameleon queen of recording and performing for ANY genre of music and nailing it… and OF COURSE keeps getting f*cked over. IDK what is going on, but, here – have this collab with blackbear, “up in this”  Listen here

  • Absolute legends Stereophonics have a new album, Scream Above The Sounds Listen here

  • Other absolute legends Weezer also have a new album out today, Pacific Daydream Listen here

  • Update from last week: A WHOLE ASS FEVER RAY ALBUM IS OUT NOW!!! Just in time for HALLOWEEN!!! Listen here

  • Speaking of Halloween, don’t think I’d leave you hanging! As promised last week, I have thrown (quite literally) a moody playlist for Halloween. Filled with sinister film scores and dark pop tunes, I’d say this list may help you get in the spirit on Tuesday 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 October 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!

August 18, 2017

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Happy Friday! Coming at you live from Portland, Oregon! I’m here to provide you a brief break from the reality of (most of) America (just) waking up to a racism problem (understatement), and I come bearing a lot of music. So much, I got it coming out my ears and into yours (that sounds gross).

Before I share the SEVEN tracks I’ve scooped up for you this week, I’d first like to give a shout out to my friend Elise. She’s the header picture for this week’s edition of cmd+f, and she’s getting married this weekend (that’s why I’m in Portland!). I’ve spent this past week dusting off the cobwebs of some ancient iTunes playlists in my archives and compiling a list of songs I remember we listened to whilst living together in college (that was 7 years ago!!!). I remember when Gaga’s “Bad Romance” demo leaked and I played it on repeat for hours in our room, and the rich irony of me snapping at her for playing La Roux’s “Bulletproof” everyday. I got her a gigantic poster of Eric Northman for our dorm because we were obsessed with True Blood, we danced to Metronomy regularly, and bonded over our fascination with Patrick Wolf. The list is evergreen and I’ll dump new tracks in there from time to time, but it’s mostly a time capsule of tunes circa 2010. I get strong emotional attachments and associations with songs -  and I can say 100% of the songs dumped onto this playlist bring me such great memories of my friendship with Elise.

You can listen to my mix for Elise anytime here. Love you, girl!

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!

________________________________________

“Waking Up Slow” -  Gabrielle Aplin | This little slice of pop perfect has been on loop for the most of this past week. It’s got the lowkey sunpunched mellowbanger quality of a Carly Rae Jepsen track, aka it’s amazing AND will implant itself in your brain. Gabrielle’s had massive international success the past few years, particularly in Brazil, mostly pushing soft vocals over acoustic instrumentals… but Gabrielle Aplin the cinematic power pop princess? Into it. More, please. Listen here

“Water Me” - Lizzo | Lizzo is a damn goddess. “Water Me” is a celebration of her entire self, declaring she is her own source of inspiration, embraces the practice of self-acceptance and love, and she’s the source of her own personal growth. As a fat woman of color myself, Lizzo truly is the most refreshing and exciting acts out there killing the game. She is marching her way into the spotlight as a proud, big black woman, and she has written anthem after anthem about how much she loves being in her skin. The “Water Me” video takes it a step further, and celebrating the outward beauty of blackness. Beautiful, beautiful song. Listen here and Watch here

“Hot Mess” -  GIRLI | I know what you’re thinking - another GIRLI song?! So long as she cranks out these bops… I will not stop until she’s somewhat of a household name in the pop music community. “Hot Mess” is frantic, bold, fun, and high key relatable. Listen here

“Warning Signs” - Boilermakers feat. KLP | Boilermakers is Matt Okine, a jack of all trades of the entertainment industry from Australia. Beat is dope, but the hook carried out by KLP is luuuuush. “Warning Signs” is smooth as hell. Listen here

“Every Day’s the Weekend” -  Alex Lahey | Heyya! Would you look at that? Alex Lahey is another fellow Aussie cranking out fun, relentless rock tunes. “Every Day’s the Weekend” is a delirious, insatiable flask of indie pop. Listen here

“Favorite Girl” -  Henrik the Artist | Henrik the Artist stems from the self-proclaimed “first club music boi band” collective Rytmeklubben which they blend club and pop music. “Favorite girl” is cut from the same vein as the UK’s PC Music producers, but in this instance he mixes a slightly less demented and softer brush of late 90s/early 00s commercial pop vibes. “Favorite Girl” is a sticky, sweet delight. Listen here

“Black Cat Heavy Metal” -  Dan Luke and The Raid | Last but certainly not least is the debut single from Dan Luke and the Raid - a fast and heavy psych rock jam. With a weighty distortion on the vocals, the only words I can manage to slur my way through deciphering are “black cat” and “neon sign,” but I can’t help pretending how to sing the words all the way through. The hook on that chorus is so clutch. Listen here

BONUS

  • BRAND NEW RELEASED (their final????) AN ALBUM !!!!!! A select handful of fans who pre-ordered the album today, but you can buy and download Science Fiction here

  • A$AP Mob’s most consistent member A$AP Ferg dropped a surprise Still Striving mixtape and it’s doooooooope. “Plain Jane” is my shit. Tape includes features from everyone relevant in rap right now and Meek Mill Listen here

  • Justin Bieber has released yet another country song disguised as a pop bop. Producer BloodPop had his hands in this one so it’s fuego Listen here

  • New Weezer album is in the horizon. For now, listen to their new song “Mexican Fender” if you are in a mood to rawk out  Listen here

  • 1000% not fronting: Miley Cyrus’ new song “Younger Now” bangs Listen here

  • Katy Perry has added Purity Ring and CARLY RAE JEPSEN as openers for her upcoming tour. Yep, Jeppo is opening for KPez. Bet that woke you up

  • The sound of 2008 has evolved: Alice Glass, formerly of Crystal Castles, has released her debut EP and it was produced by Jupiter Keyes formerly of HEALTH, and I forgot how much I missed a wet, juicy bass line. Listen here

  • Dance yr nite away “tonite” with new LCD Soundsystem 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 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!