December 29, 2017

The week between Christmas and New Years Eve isn’t real. It’s where time and space stretch and thin to a borderline fantasy world. Money hardly moves. Phones seldom ring. The streets are (generally) uncongested. In fact, it’s the best time of year to be in Los Angeles because all of the transplants leave for the holidays. For that, I must acknowledge the elephant in the room: I never sent out the 12th day of the cmd+vent calendar. Please accept my apologies; you’ll have it before the end of this year. Consider it an extra treat over the weekend.

For the final Friday of 2017, there isn’t much going on musically. While I have dug up some tunes that’ve likely slipped under your radar, I’m not going to be sharing those with you today. Instead, I am doing what I swore I wouldn’t - a “year end roundup.” Yeehaw!

This isn’t your ordinary round up though - nay, this one consists a list of my top 15 favorite music videos released in 2017 for very specific reasons. I started compiling this list back in November, before I dreamt up the idea of cmd+vent, and honestly, I knew you’d feel cheated if I didn’t share this list with you.

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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-Best Makeup | “Atletico” - Rae Morris

    I initially placed Rae’s “Reborn” video under this slot until the “Atletico” single dropped. In this video she roams the streets of New Orleans donning a coppery red cat eye under a blinding spotlight that washes out her face. What sounds like Vampira-chic actually is an effortless cool that actually makes her blue eyes POP. Paired with a barely there but definitely noticeable Yves Klein Blue mascara, it’s having me reconsider my entire makeup kit when traveling next year. Are we leaving the "play it safe" makeup trend behind in 2017?

-Best Original Screenplay | “Selfish Love” - Jessie Ware

    Bitch...I want to live in this god damn music video. Homegirl Jessie lays out an intricate and intimate display of a marriage falling apart at a luxurious Spanish estate. Jessie’s swaddled in mid-20th century inspired clothing, ignoring her sexy but obviously trite husband, and settles the score with him all in 4 minutes. Almost convinced Tom Ford drafted the storyboard for this video.

-Best Use of Boomerang Clips | “Say My Name” - Tove Styrke

    “Say My Name” is still one of my top 5 favorite songs released this year. The vibrant video grasps the cheerful, bold attitude striped over the song. Tove sways to the beat in an endless succession of clips barely a second long each. The video comes across as effortless with the monochrome backgrounds and ACNE wardrobe, but was likely an editing nightmare. Someone get Stefan a round of shots, please. He deserves it.

-Best Location Scouting | “Perfect Places” - Lorde

    Like Jessie’s video above, I’d also love to live inside the locations of the “Perfect Places” video. Whomever did the location scouting for this video had a lot to live up to considering the song title – and they nailed it. Shot on a resort in Jamaica, I’m suddenly itching for another vacation.

-Best Use of Incorporating Los Angeles Architecture, Raf Simons’ Visions for Calvin Klein, and a Stranger Things Star | “I Dare You” - The xx

    I mean, the superlative says it all. Emma-Watson-in-training Millie Bobby Brown is hardly the star of this video. There’re also appearances by Ashton Sanders, Paris Jackson, Ernesto Cervantes, Lulu, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Sowden House! The xx deemed this video as a love letter to Los Angeles, and that it very much is. Though highly idealized with warm tones and the somewhat organically manicured Hollywood Hills, it shows LA at its best.

-Best Visuals of Dacre Montgomery Looking Like an Idyllic Boyfriend for 4 minutes and 49 seconds | “Chateau” - Angus and Julia Stone

    Second best use of a Stranger Things star goes to Angus and Julia Stone’s “Chateau” starring Dacre Montgomery, aka the leather jacket, Fabio mullet MILF bait Billy from season 2 of Stranger Things. The video’s a rom com road trip in the deep south, featuring a very beautiful, young couple smooching on every possible surface, cuddling in a drop-top convertible, and crashing a wedding. Sounds corny, but every once in a while there’s great wine with a little cheese.

-Best Use of Lil Kim Wigs | “LMK” - Kelela

    Kelela went full on Lil Kim Wig in this video, and I am eternally grateful. All of the visuals for “LMK” scream Y2K steez: a bold colored hallway, a “futuristic” inspired wardrobe (including spaghetti straps and The Matrix-esque sunglasses). Oh, and there’s choreography for time occupied in this hallway! The video ends at Diddy’s White Party in a flurry of flower petals falling from the ceiling, and honestly, it looks like heaven.

-Best Norman Bates Covered in Confetti Glitter Impression | “My Smile Is Extinct” - Kane Strang

    This video had barely 100k views when I initially stumbled upon it this summer, now look at it grow! My favorite thing about this video is how fucking EXTRA and melodramatic the lyrics are for how utterly indifferent he appears in the music video. In fact, he looks like he is about to drop dead any moment, and I commend this commitment to being that furious. My guess is Kane Strang is a Scorpio.

-Best Carl Barât Cameo | “Boys” - Charli XCX

    Did you even notice Carl Barat was in this video? Do you even know who Carl Barat is? The “Boys” video was an instant viral hit, and I must say I had hearts in my eyes for a few weeks after it came out. This video is one for the pop history books, kiddos.

-Best Video to Fulfill My Wildest Goth Fantasies | “Little Dark Age - MGMT

    Presented without comment.

-Best Use of Cotton Candy | “As If It’s Your Last” BLACKPINK

    This video has cotton candy everything - from literally mounds of floss, to a soft aura of cotton candy pink glowing over every frame of the video. I remember the internet went absolutely nuts when this song dropped this year. While the concept doesn’t differ much from most KPop group music videos, the song still goes off.

-Best Biotin Advert | “Honey Sweet” - Blossoms

Biotin, not Bitcoin - biotin. The Blossoms dudes have the lushest locks of hair in the game, and they let those manes fly in the wind for the “Honey Sweet” video. The video is essentially the band cycling around an overcast English town (I’m guessing near Manchester somewhere??),  until they stumble upon Doc Brown’s DeLorean locked away in a storage unit. What year is it again?

-Best “Always Wear a Helmet” PSA | “Motion Sickness” - Phoebe Bridgers

    The juxtaposition of this seemingly OTT preparation for a karaoke stint (suit and tie, helmet on a scooter to the bar, and singing your lungs out in the mic until your pass out), and the earnest anxieties unraveling in the lyrics of “Motion Sickness” makes this one of my favorite videos of the year. Phoebe is a phenomenal songwriter who’s also got a great sense of humor.

-Best Politically Active Music Video | “Feel It Still” Portugal. The Man

    First of all, “Feel It Still” was the surprise blockbuster indie hit of 2017 that seemingly came out of left field, but that bassline is undeniable, y’all. I remember when the interactive music video first dropped for this bop earlier in the year (shortly after 45’s inauguration), and the video inserted 30 tools to “fight apathy and injustice” to spot when viewing the music video. I honestly watched it 10 times that night trying to find the hidden tools all in one go, over and over again. The concept is cool as hell.

-Best Video That’s On Everyone Else’s “Best Of” Lists | “HUMBLE.” - Kendrick Lamar

I’m wrapping this shit up with the King of Greatness: KDot. Kendrick ushered in a new era with this surprise single release back in March. The visuals for “HUMBLE.” are fierce as fuck, sparred with busy patterns of bodies and sun-soaked empty spaces with each frame holding Kendrick at the center of the screen for nearly the entire video. The immediate charge and feeling evoked from the video is immense, too. Kendrick stands out in every clip he’s in: from the only head with cornrows in a sea of bald heads, to the only one in a white hoodie in a group of people in fitted black tees with heads wrapped in kerosene-dipped ropes, to Kendrick seated at the seat of Jesus in a reenactment of da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Kendrick knows he’s at the top of his game and can be picked out of the crowd, but knows he can’t let the notoriety get to his head. The visuals are so clear cut and stunning, it’s damn right deserving of being in virtually every 2017 music video roundup I’ve seen.

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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 December 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 in past cmd+f newsletters are archived into a single playlist on Spotify for you to follow here. I will be creating a brand new playlist for the 2018 year starting next week.

See you next week, and Happy New Year!

December 22, 2017

I’m not even going to front: I’m beat. Absolutely beat. And the weekend hasn’t even started.

It’s Thursday night as I type this up, as I do every Thursday evening tying up all loose ends for cmd+f. I’m currently waiting for some brownies to cool for a holiday party, am thinking about maybe buying more wrapping paper, trying to strategically plan out all the cookie dough prep I can do over the weekend, and my list of things To Do is seemingly endless. It is exciting, but being in Santa’s Elf mode is taxing.

It’s been a lot of fun collaborating with so many people and putting out cmd+vent for y’all; I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re in the final stretch for the calendar, and seeing it come to an end is rather bittersweet. It’s exciting to have material for you all every day, and the response has been incredible. I am so pleased with the content my dear friends have so graciously crafted for this holiday project; I can’t wait to do it all again with you next year, along with a lot of other exciting plans I have up my sleeve for cmd+f.

Let’s get on with the music, people! This week I have five sweet selections from emerging artists across a variety of genres. Get ready to dance, get ready to sulk, get ready to get sloppy drunk: cmd+f has it all this 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.

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“Sign” - VHS Collection | I am coming out the gate this week with a strong claim: “Sign” is the greatest song I have heard all year. ALL. FUCKING. YEAR. Now I have an obligation to hype this song up, but I can assure you when you hear it, you’ll know. “Sign” opens with a distorted, solemn hymn, fizzes out, then guns forward into a Tears for Fears-worthy powerballad. Who can resist a cascade of rubbery synths? On first listen, it reminded me of the 1984 poverty-porn hit “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” which, imperialist guilt aside, we all know pops OFF every time it comes on the speakers. “Sign” is a 4:20 cinematic, hypnotizing journey. I’ll remind you: “Sign” is the best song I’ve heard in 2017. Listen here

“In Blue” - Yumi Zouma | For those of you who read Day 1 of cmd+vent, Ana made a chic playlist full of tunes by New Zealand artists, including this particular tune “In Blue” by Yumi Zouma. The group already have a solid fan base with a few amount of streams on all their tunes. They’ve got a lush, neo-disco vibe akin to Phoenix, buffed over with velvety vocals. While Phoenix begs you to hop on a bike and head to the discotech, Yumi Zouma made that hazy bedroom pop. I’ve been listening to “In Blue” obsessively for a couple weeks now, and nearly resisted including it in the letter this week simply because Ana had thrown them in her playlist. Nay, “In Blue” needs its own spotlight. Listen here

“Guilty Party” -  Thunder Jackson | What exactly is a Thunder Jackson???? While everyone is trying to figure this out, the secretive alleged pop duo shared their debut single “Guilty Party” last month, and it’s fucking massive. Allegedly the two met in a taxi in West Hollywood - one a songwriter from the South, the other a producer from Wales. To start, the song rides on a brilliantly sped up sample of the opening notes to Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’s “Enola Gay.” It’s a scrapbook of nostalgic sounds that end up feeling so utterly contemporary. Also, the song is so blatantly about having a really fucked up hangover after going to a party in The Valley, so, 10/10 can relate.  Listen here

“This Is For You” - Bleach Baby | House music is my first love. It’s been a minute since I’ve heard a house tune that’s excited me. Bleach Baby’s “This Is For You” is a fantastic pop house tune, stabbing piano keys and massive drops included. Listen here

“No Angels” -  Catholic Action | I’m ending my five tracks this week with a Christmas tune! I’ve been listening to this particular track all month long amongst my Christmas list tunes, and “No Angels” cracks me up every time. With the opening lyrics, “You can’t have sex at Christmas / You can’t make love or screw / Celebrate as he intended / With television and food” it instantly became a favorite. Catholic Action are a rowdy bunch of Glaswegian’s who dropped their debut album In Memory Of in October this year, and it’s fantastic. But first, listen to “No Angels” Listen here

BONUS

• Merry! Fuckin! Christmas! We’ve been blessed with Cardi B’s new single “Bartier Cardi” featuring 21 Savage. Hook is fiiiiire  Listen here
• Mat Kearney has a new self-titled EP, and the New Years Eve breakup ballad “Don’t Cry For Me” is rather good Listen here
• cmd+f fav BETSY has shared an acoustic mini-album Listen here
• Cassie out here whispering her ass off in her new single “Don’t Play It Safe” Listen here
• It was announced this week that Liam Payne and Rita Ora are releasing their duet single for the Fifty Shades Freed film. Some reactions to the news has been “Who?” or “they don’t even have fans,” but I am here to tell you: I know who they are, and I am their fan. I am their lone fan who is psyched as hell for this duet recorded exclusively for a hellfire film franchise that was made specifically for horny soccer moms.
• Pale Waves, aka the future biggest new music act of 2018 (take notes!!! If you haven’t been listening to me ALL YEAR LONG!), have shared a very aesthetically aesthetic (haha) music video for their latest single “My Obsession.” Dear Heather goes full on Lars and the Real Girl with her “dream boy” and… anyway, I need to speak to whomever is doing their color direction because their videos are always a feast to watch Watch here
• Last but certainly not least, I’m including a link to my own Christmas music playlist I will have on loop all weekend long. It includes a host of non-traditional classics from the likes of WHAM!, The Waitresses, and Paul McCartney, covers of “classics,” a few original Christmas tunes, and of course, no Christmas music list is complete without a host of Sufjan Stevens. If you’re about to pull your hair out listening to “Jingle Bell Rock” one more time, I promise you, this one is like, a really cool Christmas playlist. Mix things up a bit: Listen here
• P.S. A new cmd+vent calendar letter drops tomorrow!

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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 December 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.

December 15, 2017

This week has flown by, hasn’t it?

This is technically day 3 of the cmd+vent calendar. Nothing new from your typical Friday cmd+f letter, but altogether still very special. I’ve had some wonderful feedback on the first two days, so shout out to Ana and Christina for sharing their 2017 music experiences! A brand new letter by another reader drops tomorrow–be sure to tell your friends.

The five songs I’ve plucked for you this week all vary in genres/moods/tones, and I can assure you they’re all excellent.

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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“Elton John” - LIL PHAG feat. Hoodie Allen and Dr. Woke | I could have never foreseen bumping a gag tune by an internet sensation, but, here we are. Internet’s golden gay and former mayor of Hell, Elijah Daniel, has thrown the towel on his stint as a politician, a religious leader, and has now moved on to be the next best thing: a rapper. When I heard about his latest evolution as an internet personality, I figured “Lil Phag” would be a complete wash. His first single “Elton John” slaps down an irresistible, drowsy hook that inspires an interest piqued for the most PopArt-esque, slice of cultural relevance. The tune is laced with Weezy-worthy puns (“Flyer than Harry Potter/JK, I’m rollin’ harder”) over a Soundcloud trap beat. Give this a few spins and soon y’all be boppin' with your “clout goggles on” and “feel like Elton John (Elton John).” Listen here

“Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby” -  Cara Salimando | I’ve been sitting on this song for a few weeks, just sinking further into the cinematic, heart-stopping drums and twinkling guitars. “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby” sounds like a false promise, a deep apology scrambling to make up for sorrow inflicted. The retro vibe teeters on the verge of sounding purely like a Lana Del Rey worthy tear-jerker. As the song pulls up into its own  strength toward the end, it stands tall on its own two feet. Listen here

“I Love LA” - Starcrawler | Armed with the devil-may-care attitude of Cherie Currie’s vocals for The Runaways, LA band Starcrawler are chugging out REAL hardass rock n’ roll tunes. I stumbled across their hilariously glampy music video for “I Love LA” on YouTube a couple weeks ago. It’s always refreshing to see that side of LA that looks and feels so distinctively LA for those who live here– a bit of a dump that’s crawling with crusty 24-hour Chinese Food/Donut shops that haven’t closed their doors for 40 years (and they definitely look like it). It’s a side most non-natives or transplants ever anticipate associating with Los Angeles when they’re so used to the veneers of reality TV that’s all filmed in the same 5 mile radius of Beverly Hills. As for Starcrawler’s musical integrity, they’re really know how to fuckin’ shred. Listen here

“tokyo” -  joan | Pop duo joan dropped their debut single “take me on” earlier this year and managed to slide onto the fifth cmd+f letter. They’ve evolved on the teen-lusty vibe I noted in February, pushing a graceful 90s R&B vocal overlaid across an enormous 80s pop instrumental. “tokyo” sounds like a The 1975 b-side (with much clearer vocals [soz, Matty]). The more I listen to this, the more I find it fresh. I’m so excited to hear where joan are going next. Listen here

“BIG BAD BITTER” - Adelén | Now I present to you my Scandinavian Pop Tune of the Month: “BIG BAD BITTER” has been my Big Mood of the week. Opening with “Don’t mean to be a buzzkill/Should have stayed home” and devolving into a brutally honest declaration of social anxiety in the middle of a club. The lyrics layout a night from hell: “Stepping on my shoes now/Invasion of my space/Asking where I come from/”Do I come here often?” No I don’t, so do one!” The pre-chorus heeds warning: “So before I start drinking too much, get me out of this club!/These people talking too much!” The delicious irony is I cannot NOT dance for my LIFE when this turns on. Listen here

BONUS

• The latest evolution of pop music has arrived: Charli XCX’s Pop 2 dropped today, and the Carly Rae Jepsen collab is even more wild than I could have imagined.  Listen here

• Tove Stykre has covered Lorde’s “Liability” and it is [chef’s kiss] Listen here

• The new G-Eazy album The Beautiful & Damned is stacked with hits and complete misses. Be sure to tune in on the hits, because they’re really fucking good: “No Less” feat. SG Lewis and Louis Mattrs, “No Limit” feat. Cardi B and A$AP Rocky, “Pick Me Up” feat. Anna of the North Listen here

• N.E.R.D. have a new album today and it’s got a bzillion high profile collabs on it including two Kendrick Lamar features, an Ed Sheeran drop, and appearance by Andre 3000 Listen here

• Niall Horan has released a Spotify Singles recording of the 1D-hit-that-was-never-given-its-due-diligence, “Fools Gold,” and I am so proud of Niall showing some potential. He's doing this solo thing, stepping out here with adequate vocal rest and showing off what his (likely better and more qualified than whomever was with him while in 1D) vocal coach has gotten out of him. Listen here

• MGMT have released a new 60s rock-washed neo-goth tune, “When You Die,” and it’s incredible. MORE OF THIS! PLEASE! Listen here

• The new The Neighbourhood single “Stuck with Me” sounds like it’d fit in well in the Season 2 Stranger Things score Listen here

• New Lily Allen song “Trigger Bang” featuring Giggs is highly listenable. Grateful we all made it through her Sheezus phase in one piece. Back to bops, Lily! 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 December 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!

cmd+vent calendar day 1: Ana

Welcome to the first letter of the cmd+f advent calendar–or should I say, the cmd+vent calendar?

You may be scratching your head thinking, "what? It isn't Friday now, is it?" (more likely in far simpler terms floating about your head). Fear not: it is indeed the middle of the week. Hanukkah has already kicked off, and we are only (approximately) 12 days until Christmas.

As a special thank you to all the faithful readers of cmd+f (and to avoid having to compose a very cliche list of my favorite songs released in the past 12 months), I've reached out to a handful of dear friends to write about how and what particular music has impacted their time living through 2017. Consider this project an extension of the bonus section that lingers at the bottom of the cmd+f letter each week.

For Day 1 of the cmd+vent calendar I'd like to introduce Ana. She currently resides in the southern Hemisphere and was likely sweating her ass off in front of a volcano writing this up. I'll leave her to the rest of this letter.

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Hey, I’m Ana–a 20 year old community radio host in New Zealand.
No, I don’t know Lorde. Yes, like every other New Zealander, she is a friend of a friend of a friend. I thought this cmd+f advent calendar was such a cool idea from B, and when she said she wanted people to share how music helped them find joy in 2017, I knew exactly what to write about.
I’ve been trying to make my way into radio for a couple years now, but it wasn’t until this year I solidified myself a proper announcing job. Sure, it’s a small community radio station based inside a record store, but it’s a radio station nonetheless. Thanks to this job, I’ve grown a new passion for New Zealand music because one of our goals is to try enlarge the focus on local acts. From playing ‘70s Kiwi bands (Dragon) to the newest voices in soul (Ria Hall), we try to cover as many bases as possible.

In this letter, I thought I’d highlight some of the NZ artists and songs that have come to my attention in 2017, and maybe you’ll learn about someone new!

Matthew Young

I’m starting with Matthew Young because he’s the one who really got this ball rolling. A few months ago I was looking at what new music had been added to our rotation, and his song "Collect" popped up. I was immediately obsessed, and added it to my own Spotify playlist. A few weeks later he released "Hey," which (at the time of writing this), has now racked up almost a million streams! Both of these songs have a really cool, chilled out vibe, paired with relevant lyrics and his pleasing voice. He has some other songs available from a 2015 EP, but personally I’m waiting to see what his next project delivers us.

TEEKS

Listen to his voice. That’s all I really need to say. TEEKS (or, Te Karehana) came out with his debut EP ‘The Grapefruit Skies’ this year and it’s a 6 track mix of his deep and soulful voice alongside some emotive storytelling. He’s also not forgetting his roots, accepting his recent VNZMA Best Māori Artist award with a speech fully in te reo Māori. In a country where we are currently having debates on whether or not te reo should be compulsory in schools, I’m glad artists like TEEKS are keeping it in the forefront. "If Only" is one of his singles from the EP, detailing the perspective of a person who is apologising for not being in love with someone who is in love with them. I’d recommend checking out the music video while you’re there, to catch him in a very handsome orange turtleneck.

The Miltones

The Miltones are an Americana/blues group who released their self-titled debut album this year. They’ve taken on a genre which some people (e.g. my pop trash-loving self) will easily dismiss out of concern for it sounding dated and boring… but it’s anything but that. The quintet bring a lot of life and relevance to each song. My personal favourite is "Glory," which starts off a bit eerie, then ventures into the psychedelic realm. I’m gutted because they actually performed at a tiny intimate venue in my town this year–but it was a couple of weeks before their music had even been introduced to me! I won’t be missing it if they return, that’s for sure. 

Montell2099

Okay, honestly? I’m not even a fan of Montell’s music. He’s a trap/hip-hop producer who found his success through Soundcloud, which isn’t generally what I gravitate to. I’m still *so proud* of how far he’s gotten and am following his every step. Montell comes from a small town near me with a 4.6k population, so it’s really impressive that he’s managed to break away from those restrictions and end up with a 21 Savage collaboration; "Hunnid On The Drop." Fingers crossed he manages to connect with other big names in the music industry and 2018 brings him more success!

SACHI

SACHI!!! These two guys have been at it for a couple years now, but they only came onto my radar in 2017 with their hit "Shelter." Looking at my Shazam, I can actually say I discovered that song on the 5th of June! It’s fair to say they’re the most successful out of the acts I’ve covered, but I still wanted to mention them because they’ve been releasing consistently quality tracks over the past few months, and it’s always a highlight when I check New Music Friday/Release Radar and I see they have a brand new song out.

(bonus playlist of these songs and MORE because I had a lot of fun curating this!)

- Ana

You can find Ana on the net via Twitter: @anadayviez

Stay tuned for Day 2 of the cmd+vent calendar dropping tomorrow!

December 8, 2017

Mercury in Retrograde of 2017. Not to be an extremely stereotypical millennial Angeleno by getting deep with astrology references, but with the retrograde coinciding and ending just before the end of the year, and the year-end kinda feeling sparking a sense of reflection… now is the best time to that thinking about all the things that got us through this dumpster fire we’ve survived called 2017:

Personally, I started listening to audiobooks and podcasts at double speed at my very boring day job for 8 hours (which kept me sane before I was honored with a career offer), acquired a taste for binge-watching TV (thanks to my wonderful friend who kindly gave me their streaming account passwords), and spent my Thursday nights typically not sleeping to put up a music newsletter about new and under the radar artists I want to share with the world. I’ve amassed over 230 songs that each have a detailed caption as to why it’s worth your time.

As if cmd+f isn’t a large enough project in and of itself, I’ve been working on giving you readers even MORE music goodness before the end of the year.

Rather than compiling yet another playlist containing my top 50 pop tracks of 2017 (I really couldn't help myself, please forgive me), I’ve reached out to a handful of select readers to write about their musical journey throughout 2017. Keep an eye out over the next couple weeks for more music recommendations, personal essays, and other delightful discoveries in music from 2017, all written by readers like you!

The cmd+f advent calendar will commence starting next 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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“Untitled in D” - Spector | Spector, your favorite feel-good-tune-making band you’ve likely never heard before if you live outside Europe, returned with a witty, infectious single. Mocking a densely superficial culture that’s ironically consuming at astonishing rates only to have nothing to show for it, it’s a sad and deliciously humorous homage to the hopelessness millennials are trying to shake amidst a global employment and financial crisis. If the song is honestly not this deep, accept my apologies, but know this chorus fucking slaps. Listen here

“Fake Satan” -  Demob Happy | What are your demons? Demob Happy are here to tell you the simple pleasures of love and sex in life may have a bad PR rap, but that’s all [2017’s word of the year] FAKE. You’ll feel extra inspired by this scuzzy, juicy glam-rock  bassline and sharp drums chugging along throughout. You heard it here, folks: indulge in these flesh bags before we all rot under the sun. Listen here

“GRRRLS” - AViVA | I’ve been sitting on this track for weeks, trying my darnedest to express which elements of this song sparked a hint of nostalgia. Did you ever wonder what Avril Lavigne would have sounded like if she did an original song for a Tim Burton film? Now I must explain myself, and I mean this with the utmost respect for AViVA and Avril’s tunes–”GRRRLS” sounds precisely like it's been plucked off a Tim Burton soundtrack as interpreted by Avril Lavigne, down to the biting, insatiable chorus piling over an eerie, wavering piano hook. The chorus dives into an unsettling choir of “la la la’s” and shadowed with warped voices.. Listen here

“Human Age” -  FEHM | I can never resist a bit of dark wave. For those looking for a heavy synth and the relentless crushing weight of existential dread, may I recommend post-punk goodness from FEHM? Listen here

“Into Me” - Strange Names | Now a complete 180 from the previous track, I present the bubbly mid-Western turned Moved to the Big Apple to Make It Big trio Strange Names. The band claims the track is about people not acting out and reflecting their true feelings, but rather putting on a facade. All that fudgery turns into a very twisted mind game. Then you get LOVESICK. Blegh! “Into Me” pans out like a film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice directed by John Hughes (could you IMAGINE if this were a real thing?!). “I heard you are so ordinarily, extra into me,” the chorus chimes, “and your camouflage is just a mirage.” I am all the way extra into this song. Listen here

BONUS

• It’s that time of year again where Spotify users can check out stats on their listening habits throughout the year! This year my most listened tune was “Xtal” by Aphex Twin simply because I no joke listened to it on repeat for 5 hours at a time when working at my last job to help me focus. Spotify generates a handy playlist of your Top 100 most listened tracks of the year, along with a 30-track music discovery playlist. Check it all out here

• Although it’s been out for a minute, it’s just come to my attention MUNA have covered Paul McCartney’s “Pipes of Peace” for a holiday compilation Listen here

• [CUE CHARLI XCX IS COMING OUT WITH A NEW MIXTAPE NEXT WEEK AIRHORN] Yeah! You heard right! Charli XCX is pulling out all the stops on her new mixtape [making it theeee biggest pop event to end 2017, let’s be real] that’s dropping NEXT Friday, featuring future hitbangers with Brooke Candy, cupcakKe, MØ, Kim Petras, Mykki Blanco, CARLY RAE JEPSEN, and many more. Listen to the first track off the project “Out of My Head” featuring Tove Lo and ALMA Listen here

• There’s a new Quality Control compilation out featuring new tracks with Migos, Gucci Mane, Lil Yachty, Cardi B, and a billion other emcees. Available exclusively on Apple Music here

• 2018’s next big breakout pop act Billie Eilish shared her Soundtrack of her Life with Teen Vogue, and it’s pretty dope Watch here

• Sufjan Stevens wrote, recorded, and pitched a song for the new Tonya Harding biopic (it was rejected), and just a fair warning: it’s gonna break your heart. “Of course it is, it’s Sufjan,” you say. Somehow Brother Suf has outdone himself. Listen here

• Enjoy an ongoing playlist of covers I’ve been compiling over the past 3 years consisting of nothing but covers of Wham!’s classic “Last Christmas” 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 December 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!

December 1, 2017

It’s a major week. We’re finally starting the last month of this hell-fire of a year, the holiday season is officially in full swing. I am having ginger and peppermint chocolate flavored anything I can get my hands on, and I’m even somewhat excited at the idea of wrapping gifts and drinking a modestly filled  glass of wine by the crackle of the TV simulated log fire.

Now, let’s tune in to five hand selected pristine tracks by rising artists to get you through this 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!

________________________________________

“Disappear” - Silk Cinema | Going to dip into this week’s letter with the wavy “Disappear” by London duo Silk Cinema. They describe their sound as “Sade in space” which, this is 1000% what the world has been needing for the past 15 years. The harmonies on the hook are as radiant as the kirakira+ app, gently cradled over the suave layers of wavering instrumentals. I caught myself snapping my fingers and doing some fancy footwork while flipping quesadillas on the stove this week. Truly a bop. Listen here

“You’re Somebody Else” -  flora cash | The only explanation for my affection toward this song is the copious amounts of Sufjan Stevens my ears have been ingesting over the past two months. “You’re Somebody Else” opens as a simple, acoustic guitar sad song, but rapidly evolves into an inorganic, artificially assembled guitar chop instrumental beat that builds and builds and builds, eventually swallowing down that facade and fading out as naked at the start. Listen here

“Paranoia” - Liza Anne | Are you also a basketcase? Have I got the song for you! Liza Anne’s “Paranoia” builds on the nagging anxieties and insecurities you face, like, 24/7.The Nashville-based singer’s got a twinge of that country-pop twang in her vocal delivery, served frantically over a pop-driven melody chorused by a an ocean of fizzling guitars. This song is a blessing. Listen here

“Why Can’t We Be Friends?” -  The Academic | Irish rock outfit The Academic are already causing quite the buzz in their home country (allegedly and rightfully). With their debut album dropping in the new year, I’ve got a funny little feeling it’s going to be stacked with hits and ping a lot of hungry music lover’s radars. “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” is a punchy, insatiable earworm. Backed on a steady drumbeat and flourished with airy guitars, the melody is pure heat. Listen here

“Acid Rain” - Lxury | “Acid Rain” is composed by Lxury, a producer I’m 90% sure you’ve heard at one point in your life in the last five years (he’s got credits for Years & Years’ sultry 2014 single “Real”). He’s back to producing his own beats, and this one? A total facemelter. Listen here

BONUS

• ‘Tis the season of good tidings and a time to give generously to charity organizations. Here’s Beyonce hopping on a duet of Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect:” Listen here

• Jokes aside, Graham Coxon, aka my personal favorite member of Blur, has released a charity single titled “Falling.” Proceeds go to CALM, Campaign Against Living Miserably, a UK-based suicide prevention organization. The song was written by Coxon’s friend Luke Daniel who died by suicide last year. A swanky vinyl pressing for “Falling” is dropping December 15 via Rough Trade, but you can listen to it right now

• Flume has been promoting the hell out of his upcoming live shows in Japan, and he’s linked up with some talented creatives to throw down delicious visuals to accompany what I can only image as teasers for a new music project he’s been working on. The tunes are on another plane, dense with vibrant layers of sound. Check out “Road To: Tokyo” here

• Louis Tomlinson has a new song called “Miss You” and can genuinely admit I enjoyed taking the time to listen to it Listen here

• The new Halsey and G-Eazy song will hands down be a hot topic on the next episode of the Who? Weekly podcast Listen here

• Godfather of trap Juicy J has linked up Queen Cardi B to drop the 21st century “You Can Do It” we deserve. Aptly titled “Kamasutra,” J and Cardi dip into raunchy af details between the infectious hook: “you better fuck me all night.” Best bit? The faint homage to Three-6 classic “Slob on My Knob” that closes out the track Listen here

• Miguel has an album out Listen here

• Ending the bonus section with another round of holiday singles released today, courtesy of the Spotify Singles Holiday Edition: George Ezra, my bellowing cherub, has covered “White Christmas,” Wolf Alice covered “Santa Baby,” Rostam’s covered “Fairytale of New York,” and DMX has covered “Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer.” Check out the full list 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 December 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!

November 24, 2017

While a handful of you reading this are likely nursing a hangover from a few too many glasses of wine and slices of pie over Thanksgiving last night, I’m here, prying my eyes open after living in front of an oven door for the past two days, trying to feast my ears on as much New Music Friday content as possible. It’s a daunting task as I wade through the faint chimes of sweet carol bells looming in the background, beckoning me to usher in the Christmas season. So far the tempting Black Friday sales have benefited nobody but the company wallets I’m filling, my personal wardrobe and skincare routine.

This week I’ve got SIX crazy good tracks, and a grip of bonus content because it’s Black Friday and some artists are doing the abso-fucking-lute MOST.

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!

________________________________________

“Bom Bom” - Tkay Maidza x Danny L. Harle | I’m already kicking my own ass for even bringing this up, but I know this thought is lingering in the back of many people’s minds: you ever think about what we could have had in music if Azealia Banks had her shit together??? Tkay has her own flow and sound, but this was my first thought when I heard the opening notes on this FIRE collab. Azealia fucked with this head-spinning, heavy 90s house vibe. Throw in  PC Music producer Danny L. Harle to wonk things up a bit and you got a monster track. “Bom Bom” sounds like that threat of nausea and the rush of adrenaline after a rollercoaster ride on a full stomach. Big, big tune this one Listen here

“Feel the Same” -  Bully | Sounding straight up like a long-lost Hole track, “Feel the Same” is a jittery, frantic ode to lethargy – or rather the anxieties of struggling to maintain relationships with people, fearing those friendships are crumbling, all the while dealing with the fact you feel nothing and everything all at once. And it fucking slaps. Go figure. I’ve declared it the depressives club anthem. Listen here

“Stonewall Frank” - Nelson Can | Nelson Can have adopted the “no guitars but still gonna belt out a chooooon” approach to their music, a la The White Stripes’ claim to fame. Armed with nothing but a drum kit, a juicy bassline, and killer vocals, “Stonewall Frank” is a bop, banger, AND a jam all at once. What an honor, to be honest. I wouldn’t use such strong qualifiers if it wasn’t true Listen here

“Get These Things Out of My Head” -  Pale Honey | Swedish duo Pale Honey dropped their sophomore album Devotion last month. Diving into the 10-track album completely submerged me into a liminal space, hovering over this sense of unease in the lyrics mixed with an unexplainable tension of nostalgia. “Get These Things Out of My Head” sounds exactly like a song I’ve heard a million times before I heard it for the first time last week. It felt I had listened to it many a times walking through a ghostly supermarket at midnight Listen here

“Big Girls Cry” -  Mimoza | I had to slip this monster tune in this week because I couldn’t have you wait another week for it. Mimoza is another case of a hit making songwriter testing the waters as a solo artist. While the instrumentals echo some Kygo-esque vibes, the vocals punch through a Sia-grade pre-chorus. Quality pop tune. Listen here

“Collect” -  Matthew Young | Huge thanks to my pal Ana who provided me with a couple rising artists in her homeland of New Zealand. The world currently only knows New Zealand for three things: kiwis, Lord of the Rings, and Lorde. The rest of the world has slept on the fact that the Oceanic plate, particularly New Zealand, is a hotbed of fresh talent. The entire region is churning out perhaps (actually clearly) the best left-of-center pop music in the world right now. While that may be a bold ass statement, I’d advise you to sit down and have a moment with this week’s pick Matthew Young. RnB pop may be oversaturated with male solo artists, but Matthew’s got the gravely yet velvety smooth vocals and wicked clever lyrics to set him apart. “Collect” is an earworm. Listen here

BONUS

• Top album to dive into this weekend is Sufjan Stevens’ The Greatest Gift—Outtakes, Remixes, & Demos from Carrie & Lowell. Stacked with unreleased tracks, remixes, and raw demos for tracks on 2015’s Carrie & Lowell, I must admit Sufjan has bestowed the greatest gift of the week upon us Listen here

• Sleigh bells ring, deck the halls, fa-la-la-la-la, et cetera, et cetera, it’s Black Friday, bitches, AKA the first official day of The Holiday Season. Every kind of person has dropped a damn Christmas album/EP/song today. We have your garden variety artists, Gwen Stefani and People’s “”“Sexiest Man of the Year””” Blake Shelton, who’ve have unleashed their joint Christmas music revue, from Why Don’t We’s classic Christmas boyband ballads, to yet another fucking Glee-tastic cover of “Last Christmas” by Stanaj that nobody asked for, in contrast with Phoebe Bridgers’ tender cover of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” we don’t deserve, to DRAM throwing down a bit of holiday cheer with the help of BigBabyMom. Between this and the cobwebs collecting in my wallet, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

• Beyonce got the best Christmas-themed merch I ever seen. This holiday season, she’s got Beyonce ornaments, onesies, and WRAPPING PAPER. SHOP HERE

• Meanwhile Frank Ocean’s out here selling ugly ass hoodies to throw approximately five hundred Hypebeast’s off their game as they queue up to cop the new Nike Air Max 97s on Black Friday

• Rihanna, Queen of Selling Me Anything and I Will Actually Buy It Because Yes Of Course, has developed a UNIVERSAL red liquid lipstick that allegedly matches with any skin tone for Fenty Beauty, and while that sounds fake, if you do end up copping one, let me know how it works out for you

• Little Mix have re-released a platinum edition of their latest album Glory Days which includes (I believe) four unreleased new tracks and a few acoustic versions of original tracks. The greatest crime of this album is allowing the “feat. Kid Ink” version of “Touch” on there Listen here

• Bjork has a new album out today, and I’m shocked as hell. Fans of her work are familiar with the extremely long hours and attention to detail she pours into her craft, so frankly I’m stunned she has managed to crank out an entire new album two years after her last. During those two years since her last album, she’s managed to tour VR experiences/art installations across the globe in support of the previous album on top of recording Utopia Listen here

• It’s a surprisingly quiet day for new music releases, so please enjoy yourself to a helping of this mid-80s soaked Initial Talk remix of Dua Lipa’s “New Rules” Listen here

• Can’t forget to tell you Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds have a new album too Listen here

• My personal fav pop acts of the year, Rae Morris, has dropped “Atletico,” yet another incredible, frantic, fresh pop tune I am going to be spinning for months and months on end Listen here

________________________________________

If you’re interested in hearing what else I’ve been rinsing this month (aside from the tracks listed above), peep my personal November 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!

November 17, 2017

Back to our regularly scheduled programming, folks!

It’s indeed Friday, and aren’t you so lucky to have your week bookended by two issues of cmd+f? Very special.

Since next week is a Pretty Big Holiday here in the States (Thanksgiving), all notations on colonization and genocide aside, I want to take a moment to thank all of the artists I’ve featured over the past 11 months (can you believe it’s been that long already?!). There are over 216 songs on the cmd+f 2017 playlist at the time I’m writing this, with a few repeat artists jumbled in. It’s been a real pleasure finding your tunes, living in your songs, and sharing them to the world.

Thanks are needed for you too, dear reader. Knowing this letter hasn’t been going out into the void and has steadily become a growing “thing” recognized by people beyond my friend circle is exciting. Thank you for reading, sharing, and (hopefully) enjoying these tunes. There’s so much more to cmd+f waiting to happen, so please make way and keep your ears ready for 2018!

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!

________________________________________

“Good Together” -  SHY Martin | Move over, Max – there’s a NEW Martin in Stockholm. The genius behind this stickysweet BOP, Sara Hallstrom, has penned some grooves for pop sirens Bebe Rexha and Astrid S, and has successfully claimed this infectious, lovestruck single for HERSELF. The chorus has been gnawing away at my skull for the past week. Listen here

“July 13th” - Cina Polada | Finnish dreampop five-piece Cina Polada released their promising self-titled debut EP in September, and it all sounds like the last dregs of summer you’re trying to sip out of a bottle. That’s the level of nostalgia and longing I’m yearning for from of a dreampop tune. Listen here

“Glass Jar” -  Tristen | My pal Agnes tends to text me links to songs throughout the week, and this one in particular piqued my interests enough to check out Tristen’s entire album – three whole times in a row. I found myself tapping my foot in the kitchen while preparing for and making dinner, humming the songs the second spin around while taste-testing the spice levels in my chili, then full on clapping along with the hooks by the third round. The hearty little number “Glass Jar” is easily the most pop and accessible track off Sneaker Waves. Listen here

“#1 Dad” -  Jonathan Something | I present to you my most pleasant surprise of the week: Jonathan Something. With the cadence of Bob Dylan and the wit of Father John Misty (though I’d hope far less sarcastic and knowingly pretentious), Jonathan Something’s album Art so Small You Can Hardly See It is a fresh exploration on 60s rock tones with (somewhat) absurd storytelling lyrics. The entire album is a joy from start to finish, so I’ve included “#1 Dad” as your little intro to Jonathan Something. Listen here

“Lady Powers” -  Vera Blue | Really feeling the strength of women in the world this month. “Lady Powers” is an anthemic dark pop WARNING. You heard that – women are waking up in numbers realizing they can (and very much should) be respected without having to activate any sense of fragility or charm. To make a long story short and avoid this turning into a 9-page think piece, women are magical and won’t be taken for granted. Listen here

BONUS

• The biggest news of the week is THERE WAS A JAI AND A.K. PAUL SIGHTING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER A YEAR!! The reclusive, wickedly talented producer bros were appaz getting ready to break ground on fixing up a property to form their very own Paul Institute in West London, which, WHAT? You reckon this’ll become the Paisley Park of really dope dance tunes??? Anyhow, to add more to this wild as hell PR campaign hoopla surrounding the Paul Bros, the Paul Institute has dropped two tracks from newcomers Fabiana Palladino (“Mystery”) and Ruthven (“Evil”)

• ‘Tis the season, y’all – The xx have released a limited edition holiday sweater designed by Romy’s aunt – check it here

• Tove Lo’s new album BLUE LIPS has arrived – and this week was so chill that I nearly forgot this celebratory event was happening. Still praying for “disco tits” to have its BIG moment Listen here

• Good ol’ uncle Moz has finally released his new album Low in High School, an epic, operatic body of work outlining the realities of living with depression in a politically savage world Listen here

• Y’all… Stefflon Don has dropped this ridiculous ass track “Ding-A-Ling” which the chorus, you guessed it, invites you to play with a ding-a-ling. Sampling a 9 second clip from the Simpsons, it’s annoying, grating, cringey, but frankly hysterical because girl, I totally get it: bottom line is fuccbois runnin up in your DMs are embarrassing and childish. Listen here

• LA-based producer Will Weissenfeld’s eccentric pop project Baths’ new album Romaplasm is out – recommended listening for when you’re having a hard time justifying getting out of bed in the morning (don’t bother), so just put this album on, stay under the covers (treat yo’self), and let Romaplasm transport you to that level of feeling at peace with everything at your core Listen here

• The wisest in all the land, Jaden Smith, has dropped his monstrous, 17-track debut album Syre – too many songs to attest to that I have definitely not listened to all the way thru, but it’s got a song with A$AP Rocky and one with Raury in there, so you know the production is going to be sliiiiiiick Listen here

• SIA HAS A CHRISTMAS ALBUM Listen here

• Charlotte Gainsbourg has a new album, too, that sounds very on brand for her if you’re familiar with her brand Listen here

________________________________________

If you’re interested in hearing what else I’ve been rinsing this month (aside from the tracks listed above), peep my personal November 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!

November 13, 2017

Must keep this brief: I might asleep writing this,,,klloiiiiioi;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

…. Well… good morning….. crap.

Let me explain myself: I had my first major event at my job Thursday night, drank some [erm, fair amount] wine, and despite the cup of extra strong black tea I brewed to stay up and write this, I woke up in a pile of my own drool around 11pm, admitted defeat, and took my ass to bed.

It feels weird sending this out on a Monday, as I presume you’ve already listened to most if not all of the Bonus tracks/albums I’m throwing down at the bottom of the letter. Fear not: I am unfathomably stoked to present five sick tracks from emerging artists I’m almost certain you’ve not heard. They’re all super top notch.

Enjoy, and happy Monday.

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!

________________________________________

“Love You So Bad” -  Ezra Furman | How bad have you ever loved someone in your life? Like, really really bad? “Like the kid in the back of the classroom who can’t do the math ‘cause he can’t see the blackboard, so bad” croons the Newest Ezra I Have Admitted Into My Life. When you’re at a loss for words to describe how smitten you are with the love of your life, take a page out of Ezra’s book and I’m nearly positive you’ll get many a kudos. Cannot wait for their album Transangelic Exodus Listen here

“Blind” - FEVA | I...got a fever...and the only prescription….is….mo….. FEVA [I low key wonder how many times they’ve heard this joke] - Jokes aside, I am 97% sure after you listen to “Blind” you will agree with me. The relentless, churning guitars, massive chorus, it’s all fucking incredible. Listen here

“Bring You Down” -  Pinact | Imagine: a melodically inclined grunge band, aka what every early 00s neo punk band i.e. Saves the Day et. al tried to do, but I must say Pinact have carried that torch best on their joint “Bring You Down.” With the scratchy vocals layered over a chorus fit for an mid-90s teen flick, “Bring You Down” SLAPS. Listen here

“Liberty Belle” -  Fontaines | It’s been several years since I’ve stumbled across straightforward, carefree sounding rock n’ roll jams (see: The Drums’s 2010 self-titled album). Though it came out in the early weeks of summer this year, Ireland’s very own Fontaines have shelled out a slick, cool, and infectious debut single with “Liberty Belle.” I typically have one song a week that sounds great on an endless loop for a good chunk of my week, and this one takes the cake. Listen here

“Sonora” -  Spendtime Palace | I was driving home the other night through the Hollywood Hills listening to this tune, and immediately started outlining an entire dissertation on what could potentially “sound” like Southern California, and how Spendtime Palace’s “Sonora” is a journey through those vibrations. “Sonora” opens with a slumbering guitars, cranking up for sunrise, then coil into a twang over a crispy rattle under the desert sun. The vocals unfold over a backdrop of a wild frontier, swaying through sinister piano chords chopping their way up up up, then licks out to a Blue Oyster Cult-esque, cowbell-infused surf rock chorus. Not to mention, the opening lines are in Spanish, the song blossoms through so many sounds that remind me of growing up in Los Angeles, all of the little bands I’ve seen in dingy, low ceiling clubs with sweat dripping down the walls, in backyards under fairy lights around palm trees mingling with powerlines, on blacktops under the blazing sun. Spendtime Palace are indeed a SoCal band, from Orange County’s own Costa Mesa (I believe), and I can’t even front: I found out about them through Finn Wolfhard’s Instagram, and noticed Finn co-directed and starred in the music video for “Sonora.” The more I listened to “Sonora” and the rest of Spendtime Palace’s tunes, the more I sunk back into the sounds of Southern California. Listen here

BONUS

• Apparently someone we should all know released an album (exclusive streaming on Apple Music) but I am not addressing it any further than saying what I’ve already said

• Australian outfit Pnau has pumped out the best pop house album I’ve heard in a long ass time. As you work your way down the disc, each song slaps hard than the last, and I cannot get enough of it. Changa was the album I needed to keep my sleepy head away from a pillow Thursday night Listen here

• I feel like I would be accused of being a fake pop music stan if I didn’t include Sigrid’s new tune “Strangers” so here is my obligatory Sigrid-has-a-new-song notification Listen here

• cmd+f alumnae Ten Fé takes us on a sweeping voyage in their new track “Single, No Return” Listen here

• Say what you want about JLo, but it better not be anything negative or neutral when I am in earshot. Listen to her latest Latin smash “Amor, Amor, Amor” feat. Wisin Listen here

• Nothing negative or neutral about MY President, Mr. Worldwide, PITBULL’s new single “Jungle” either!! Uhm, it’s got E-40!!! Listen here

• Raunchy rapper cupcakKe is one of those artists you either really love or can’t gel with. Her new single “Cartoons” is a damn treat Listen here

• Since The 1975 have been teasing us about a new EP for months and finally came forward to say it won’t drop until the new year, have a listen to Backup The 1975, aka Pale Waves, on their new single “New Year’s Eve” Listen here

• Jidenna has blessed us with his surprise release Boomerang EP Listen here

• Empire of the Sun are back with their dreamy new single “On Our Way Home” Listen here

________________________________________

If you’re interested in hearing what else I’ve been rinsing this month (aside from the tracks listed above), peep my personal November 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!

November 3, 2017

I swear I am no longer jet lagged, but I’ve been going to bed extra early (errr, ~10pm), and sleeping a sound 10 hours… on top of “napping” when I get home from work… so this whole “extensive restfulness” has me feeling like a human all day, but also waking up with very vivid dreams. Dream me has opened a corgi farm, taken part in a film role with an on screen torrid affair with Tom Hiddleston (subliminal Thor advertising???), and crafted a Steve Harrington sitcom Stranger Things spin-off TV show. Hiddleston’s pale butt aside, dream me has been doing very well. As for awake-world me? I have marathoned all of Stranger Things season 2, celebrated Halloween to the fullest extent, and started a new job since returning stateside Sunday afternoon. It hasn’t left me much time to listen to new music, but I’ve managed to scrape by with a few tunes as per usual.

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!

________________________________________

“90’s Kids” -  Shamir | To quote my dear Scorpio twin, Agnes, “This ultimate late millennial anthem goes too hard.” It’s a truly on brand tune with the opening lyrics “we talk with vocal fry, we watch our futures die,” and, yes, absolutely 12/10 highly relatable song. Be sure to listen to Shamir’s new 9-track album Revelations sometime this weekend Listen here

“Half life” - Smerz | Okay, WERQ @ this Robyn Body Talk realness. Norweigan duo Smerz continue to shock and amaze me, forging truly left of center pop that’s dark and fresh. Listen here

“Glu” -  Fieh | This soulful, laid back bop comes from the Norwegian band Fieh. Say “Fieh” a few times out loud and you can feel the difference between a roaring, crackling fire vs. a fireside chat with a little whisky in a jazz club. With their debut official single “Glu,”  they’re obvs the second choice: cool, slick, and sizzling. What the hell else could they have up their sleeve if this is what they deliver for a debut single? Damn. Listen here

“I Wanna Dance With You Again” -  Band of Gold | The Norwegians are at it again this week. I am a sucker for any Fleetwood Mac-lite (circa Stevie, of course), and “I Wanna Dance With You Again” ticks all the boxes. Listen here

“Loving Is Easy” -  Rex Orange County and Benny Sings | Rex Orange County has made a huge splash in the past year and a half. His easy, feel-good track “Loving Is Easy” has already racked up over 1 million spins on Spotify since its release last month. Can recommend this tune is paired well with many activities, including but not limited to driving on a sunny afternoon with your convertible top down, sipping wine in candlelight, and when you’re generally having a good day. It’s Friday, so you’ve got at least that going for you. Listen here

BONUS

• First and foremost, I managed to catch a screening of Call Me By Your Name just before I departed London, and let me say: it lives up to the hype. I can’t believe I have to wait nearly a month to see it again in theaters Stateside. The music for the film was directed by none other than Sufjan Stevens, king of being pensive, sad, and gay at Jesus camp, and included two new Sufjan tracks, along with a gut-wrenching remix of his very own “Futile Devices.” As I type this, half the Call Me By Your Name is not available to stream on Spotify, including the new Sufjan cuts, but do save the album and keep it on your radar for future listens Listen here

• God bless us all: N.E.R.D. reunite to drops new track “Lemon” featuring the baddest bitch of them all, RIHANNA Listen here

• Emeli Sande’s released a new 6 track EP, Kingdom Come, which includes tracks featuring Dave East, Giggs, and Wretch 32  Listen here

• “Sugar kills” takes a whole new meaning in the new Exit Kid (Emre and Dylan of Years & Years’ side project) music video Watch here

• Not even two months since Bicep have released their debut album and they’ve already dropped the Glue EP. It features the track “Glue,” taken from the self-titled debut, and two unreleased tracks. Me thinks it’s their latest single, and a single isn’t technically a single if it has more than one extra song differing from the single…. Anywho, “DLR” is sick Listen here

• The Ride revival keeps on waving in, and it’s honestly making 2017 more bearable. Ride’s latest release “Pulsar” is a melodic delight Listen here

• Sam Smith’s new album The Thrill Of It All is out and apparently it was composed in hopes for listeners to “have sex with [our] sadness” and, okay… #deep Listen here

________________________________________

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 November 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!

October 27, 2017

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!

________________________________________

“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

________________________________________

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!

October 20, 2017

Greetings from my teeny little bedroom in East London! I’m nursing a pair of very sore ankles after trekking around Chelsea all day and ending my night at The Jazz Cafe in Camden Town to see Wolf Alice. For those who haven’t been to this venue, it’s slightly larger than a dive bar and holds about 300 people. Nice and cozy, though the cider was genuinely a diabetic’s sugary piss. Crappy cider aside, I’d like to give a huge thanks to Richard for getting us into the show! It was absolutely insanely cool for a first show experience in London.

Another musical highlight of my week in London so far included a nice lunchtime performance by former cmd+f pick Phoebe Bridgers at Rough Trade Record’s Brick Lane store on Tuesday. Phoebe blew through an intimate 30 minute set to promote her debut album Stranger in the Alps, and was overall an absolute delight. Her set drew in a sizable crowd at Rough Trade, including the marvelous Shura.

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!

________________________________________

“Downfall” - Kllo | Kllo are one of those groups who spark nostalgia and newness at the same time. Their single “Virtue” has cropped up on cmd+f before, swirled in that blissful, low key UK Garage pop. If you’ve been craving more, you’re in luck: their debut album Backwater has officially dropped today, and it’s 45 minutes of euphoric bops. Give the opening track “Downfall” a spin. Listen here

“Love You Like That” -  Dagny | Norwegian pop ANGEL Dagny needs to be a THING on pop radio over here (in the States) – even if it’s satellite radio. She drops nothing but bop after bop after bop, and her latest “Love You Like That” has a monster of a chorus that hasn’t left my head all week. Listen here

“Zacharia” -  Bad Sounds | Spoiler alert: they’re actually not really bad, and are pretty good. Saw them open last night for Annie Mac Presents’ showcase with Wolf Alice, and I told Richard a few of their songs reminded me of early Spoon, but now I’m hearing studio recordings and they’re much more early Of Montreal-esque, but very English sounding and all that. They’ve gotta the wonky, ear-biting hooks DOWN. Listen here

“Seth and Summer Forever” -  Babygirl | Will start this rec with a huge shout out to my pal Agnes for bringing it to my attention. Only after she sent it did I check my discover Weekly playlist to see a tune from this band tucked in waiting for me to hear, and honestly, is Agnes putting my Discover Weekly playlist together? Anyway, between and IRL human and an algorithm telling me that I would enjoy this track, it further proves machines are becoming more human and will one day ultimately fulfill my heart’s desires. And I do love Babygirl. I’m sharing their single “Seth and Summer Forever” because I have a pang in my chest remembering the excitement of watching The OC every week for 4 years in my youth, and Babygirl sound like an unplugged The Raveonettes. How on brand for Seth Cohen, to be honest. Listen here

“Rushing Guy” -  L I M | The instrumentals on “Rushing Guy” are mental, complete with running whispers and a well placed door hinge creak snare. The music video is as mesmerizing, comprised of male models seamlessly blending into each other. Watch here and Listen here

BONUS

• MGMT have released their first new tune in 4 years and it sounds basically like an ultra-gothique lo-fi John Maus track. Very into this less colorful/mournful pre-Berlin Wall Tear Down sounding MGMT Listen here

• Not really new AT ALL, but I have officially seen Blade Runner 2049 twice since the last letter has been released, and let me tell y’all I am still wigging out over Hans Zimmer’s score. You have to listen to this soundtrack Listen here

• Liam god damn Payne has released his second solo single (well, third? Does Zedd’s “Get Low” count, or is it just a feature??) “Bedroom Floor.” It was written by Charlie Puth, is a falsetto fest, sounds very much like a Nick Jonas lite tune, meaning it’s a recipe for my ultimate satisfaction for a pop tune. I enjoy it, but will you? Listen here

• New Rita Ora  - again, only alerting you because I’m not ashamed to admit I thoroughly like her tunes. “Anywhere” is def a filler track, but the distorted nonsensical, punchy chorus is a groove Listen here

• FEVER RAY ARE BACK?!?!! Listen here

• The lord has blessed us with a new Jessie Ware album today. Listen to Glasshouse here

• Niall Horan is the second (official) member of (the current lineup of) 1D to release his debut album. Going to be honest, since I am 5,500 miles away from home, haven’t had the chance to listen to all of Flicker, but I am hoping more of it is like “Slow Hands” more than anything. Regardless, well done Niall Listen here

________________________________________

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!

October 13, 2017

Phew! Today is quite the day, eh? It’s the most frightening day of the decade - Friday the 13th, in the blessed patron month of all things creepy, October.

On this special day, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross have gifted us with a re-working of John Carpenter’s iconic Halloween theme, more houses in my neighborhood are starting to slap up their decorations, and I have approximately 40 pounds of candy corn I somehow need to import into England by Monday. In the coming weeks, I’ll be putting together a proper Halloween-themed playlist in hopes to make the rest of your month spooktacular. To tide you over, here’s a link to a list I made in 2012 titled oooOooOOOOoo – it’s still rather good.

In the meantime, hang tight and make sure you have everything you need for your costume (because everyone should always dress up).

Pals in London reading this: cmd+f is coming to London! I would be grateful for any leads about exciting gigs happening in London between 16-28 October. If your band is playing, I’d love to come see/hear you and shoot your show, too. Give me a tweet, and maybe we can “have a cheeky one” (did I do that right?)

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!

________________________________________

“Body” - LÉON | Hands down one of my favorite artists to watch right now. I would have said this before Monday night, but it was definitely solidified by Tuesday morning. On Monday night, I witnessed this song with my own ears at the El Rey Theatre, and it was far bouncier and groovier compared to most of LÉON’s discography. While the Swedish singer knows how to lay it down thick and made you sniffle up buckets of snot with her gut wrenching ballads about regret and heartbreak, “Body” is a lighter introduction. Also: the pseudo-distorted harpsichord in the pre-chorus is top notch – gives it the barest Fleetwood Mac vibe. Listen here

“Are You Down” -  Oddnesse | The levels of this song are charming as heck: lyrically, it’s a straightforward song about asking someone if they’re down with hookin’ up with you, possibly more. What’s delicious are the instrumentals, as they literally drag along cautiously in bits, all the while sounding like a seductive candle flickering in the moonlight. The tone gets a bit bashful in the chorus as Rebeca Arango sings “Do you want go slow? / Are you feeling heavy? / Would you ever get high? / Would you ever make out?” and ultimately, “Do you think it’s possible? / Are you down?” The closer swirls out on a confident, hypnotic flare, and by the end of it I too am drunk at the thought of being down for anything. What a fucking brilliant, intoxicating track. I’m OBSESSED. Listen here

“I’ll Be There” -  King Henry feat. Sasha Sloan | This song immediately got dumped into my Halsey Imposters playlist, then proceeded to get stuck in my head all week. Spotify is really pushing this King Henry bop as I’ve heard the song crop up in at least three separate Pop playlists I skimmed through at work this week. As for King Henry’s credentials, he’s worked under Diplo for the past few years, making tracks for artists like Beyonce, Justin Bieber, and most notably Major Lazer’s “Cold Water.” Meanwhile Sasha Sloan, aka our buttered down Halsey-lite vocalist, is a rising songwriter who helped write Louis Tomlinson’s debut solo single “Just Hold On” with Steve Aoki. “I’ll Be There” is an earworm buffed with the smoothest production. Love the subtle UK Garage energy flowing through the track. Listen here

“Boomerang” -  Why Don’t We | Now that all members of 1D have released their own solo efforts and we approach nearly two years since 1D’s last performance together, new boy bands are starting to crop up. With the rise of popularity in K-Pop outside of East Asia, purely pop-driven Western boy bands are giving it a shot. Luckily for them, TRL is back on MTV (without Carson Daly, so, like???? The point, y’all??). Anyway, I’d heard there are about four boy new American boy bands on the market, and it appears Why Don’t We are the first to pique my interest. To be blunt, the reason I enjoy “Boomerang” so much is it high key sounds like a Majid Jordan track, although I feel Majid Jordan would flourish it a bit more and chop up the song to not be as repetitive. It falls just under 3 minutes, meaning I had it on repeat for seven hours straight this week to really get a feel for it. I sent some of their tracks to some friends this week, and while some enjoyed it and others found it a bit too “Early Bieber,” I think I hear the beginnings of a group who could push some boundaries. Listen here

“I’ll Never Want a BF” -  Bec Sandridge | Werq @ artists smashing heteronormativity one song at a time! This one goes out to all my single ladies and gents who are okay with being single – and of course, a shout out to lesbians who definitely will not want a boyfriend. OUT magazine notes it as a “relatable anthem rejecting social pressures to be in relationships altogether,” which, finally??? That aside, Australia is currently having a massive public vote to decide if the country should acknowledge same sex marriages (Bec's an Australian artist!). The video for “I’ll Never Want a BF” features two women shamelessly kissing each other despite being surveillanced. The tune has a very campy 80s vibe - Bec could easily be described as a silver-haired Siouxsie Sioux. Listen here

BONUS

• Ready to get extra funky with Beck’s new album Colors this weekend Listen here

• About damn time: King Krule’s dropped his latest album The OOZ Listen here

• The family of the late Chester Bennington, lead singer of Linkin Park who died by suicide this summer, have gifted us with an episode of Apple Music’s “Carpool Karaoke” that was recorded 6 days before his death. I made it through about 1/3rd of the episode before I couldn’t stop sobbing… proceed with caution and a box of Kleenex Watch here

• What a time to be alive: one week after Liam Gallagher dropped his debut solo album, Noel’s gone and dropped a new song. The brothers are back to publicly feuding each other, and like that, suddenly we’re reminded who really was the sound and soul of Oasis. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ “Holy Mountain” is a jam Listen here

• Louis Tomlinson keeps releasing solo music. This time he reminds the listener he is human; lyrical content v. fitting for an audience of Alternative Press readers circa 2010. Listen here

• A teaser clip from the upcoming film Call Me By Your Name dropped this week featuring Armie Hammer dancing to The Psychedelic Furs. Within minutes of the clip dropping, a Twitter account was set up and began to upload clips of Armie dancing to virtually every song. Personal favorites are “What’s Up?” - 4 Non Blondes, “Gasolina” - Daddy Yankee, then for ultra-pain factor/[SPOILER]Marissa dying on The OC levels of dramatic, “Futile Devices” - Sufjan Stevens. For more, follow @armiedancingto on Twitter.

________________________________________

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!

October 6, 2017

A lot has happened in the past week: the best month of the year started on Sunday, I called out sick for the first time ever for the sole purpose of resting my body and not ditching work for a press event or Disneyland, decompressed binge-watching all five seasons of Merlin, booked flights to London for the entire second half of October, and landed & accepted an offer for the start of my dream career. To boot, Blade Runner 2049 opens tonight and my friend got tickets to see Coldplay at the Rose Bowl tonight, so I can officially report back to you about experiencing Tove Lo perform “Disco Tits” live.

Pals in London reading this: my schedule’s open for taking my Chevrolegs around to as many art galleries and museums I can fit in during my stay. I would be grateful for leads on any exciting gigs happening in London between 16-28 October. Give me a tweet, and allow me to buy you a drink for your troubles.

Between all that excitement, can you believe I have managed to dig up five exciting artists this week? Brace yourself – they’ll blow your socks off.

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!

________________________________________

“Last Time We Danced” - BETSY | Though I included BETSY’s entire debut album as a recommendation in the Bonus section in last week’s letter, I felt compelled to include a track in the letter this today. Sounding like the second coming of Cher aside, “Last Time We Danced” is a bizarre, enchanting burst of feel-goodness basking in the memory of the most perfect moment. Those moments are little beacons to hold onto and keep you going, aren’t they? Perfectly fitting as we eclipse into a new season and the final quarter of the year, yeah? Listen here

“Hands Up Head Down” -  Sure Sure | Abso-fucking-lutely put down everything you’re doing right this moment and LISTEN TO THIS TUNE. Listen to this on full volume, quietly with the window open, with noise-canceling headphones, with the shower rumbling in the background – and each experience will uncover a new delectable sonic layer. “Hands Up Head Down” rocks to its own beat, swirled with fuzzy guitars, tinny drums, and snappy melodies. Oh, and it’s got its own dance move: “put your hands up, keep your head down, and then bob to the beat like a zombie.” Happy freakin’ October, y’all. Listen here

“Bubblegum” -  YONAKA | Some may say rock has lost its raw spirit, but I say those who say that are likely just boring dudes only listening to other boring dudes singing dull rock music. YONAKA are the wave. Fronted with theeeee realest female vocalist, the group teeter the line of piercing through the rock-mosphere with a pop sensibility. Their sound is hungry, ambitious, and raw AF. All that is best showcased on their new track “Bubblegum.” How fitting their debut EP is titled HEAVY. Listen here

“Pinball” -  Luwten | Dutch outfit Luwten’s debut album is dropping next Friday, and I cannot wait for it to become my new spooky non-Halloween-but-absolutely-fitting-for-October album to go alongside Agnes Obel’s Aventine and iamamiwhoami’s kin records. “Pinball” is a chilling, achey, heartbreaking echo of a love that’s not quite right. Listen here

“Míol Mór Mara” -  Outsider |  I think I’ve stumbled across the Irish Bruce Springsteen??? “Míol Mór Mara” is a blissful indie pop joint that I cannot take off repeat. Listen here

BONUS

• Last known living rockstar on planet earth Liam Gallagher has released his debut solo album As You Were. Should he ever read this letter, he’d most definitely make a comment about how nobody actually listens to “music” anymore, and streaming’s ruined everything. That aside, it’s a fuckin’ great rock record Stream here

• As I linked/alluded in the intro, Tove Lo has a new music video for her single “Disco Tits.” It’s NSFW, and wild as hell. How wild? Includes number clips of a Jim Henson-esque puppet giving head to Tove Lo in a top-down convertible and in a seedy roadside motel room. Ch’yeah, buddy. Watch here

• Kelela has DELIVERT! Her new album Take Me Apart is finally out! Listen here

• Need more sultry, sexy R&B tunes, spin Sabrina Claudio’s debut album About Time. Standout track: “Used To” Listen here

• Someone collect Craig David, please Listen here

• Feeling soft? An entire Blue Hawaii album titled Tenderness is here to swaddle you Listen here

• cmd+f favorites ROMES have finally dropped their self-titled debut album. Congrats, gents Listen here

________________________________________

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 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!

September 29, 2017

Going to keep the opening notes very short and sweet this week, as so much has happened (personally, globally, etc) - but before anything else, I reckon if you haven’t already, though you most likely have (if you haven’t, you must be just logging onto the internet for the first time today, I suppose), but J Balvin has released a remix of his global smash (in Latin countries. Trust me, the song is massive as f*ck, and you’re going to have to believe me if you’re not from a Latin country) hit “Mi Gente” with none other than MFing BEYONCE. J Balvin’s impact - he’s got Bey signing in Spanish, too! Naturally, the internet lost its mind over it.

100% of proceeds made from the release of this remix will go toward helping victims from the recent natural disasters in Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Get on streaming the tune here, and maybe consider purchasing the track off iTunes/your preferred digital music retailer if you dig. It's for a good cause 'n all that.

Now, onto five fantastic tracks I want to share with y’all this 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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“Tommy” - Tommy Genesis | Those who follow the underground rap scene likely are already familiar with Vancouver emcee Tommy Genesis. Hailed as the “most rebellious underground rap queen,” her new joint “Tommy” is a sinister, biting track. The beat is dope, definitely borderline unnerving in an-axe-murderer-is-lurking-behind-your-shower-curtain kind of way. Warning: highly addictive. Listen here

“Big One” -  Madeline Kenney | Music to listen to when you’re freaking the hell out because every single element of your life has lead up to this moment of time and everything feels more wholesome and real and worthwhile than it ever did leading up to that moment in time. “Big One” is a lyrically grand tune, each cry out a beam of excitement about figuring out your life and discovering you’ve found the one person you want to share the rest of your life with. Madeline’s entire album Night Night at the First Landing also has this cozy, dreamworld vibe if you’re looking to channel this mood over the weekend. Listen here

“Angel Fire” -  Hollie Cook | I know most of us are prepared to launch into super-goth mode and burrow under nine layers of blankets then sink into the mattress over a cup of steaming hot cocoa listening to Transatlantacism on repeat, right? Well, for those who AREN’T seeking that our/live in the SOUTHERN hemisphere (yeah, guys - they’re about to plow through Springtime down there), I present to you the groovy, island vibey “Angel Fire.” Hollie’s voice is as smooth as whipped buttercream. Listen here

“Needing U” -  Desta French | That Tribe “Electric Relaxation” sample is fine as hell. Desta French’s got the chops with this old school mid-90s R&B pop job, I can’t wait to hear more from Desta. Listen here

“Why Didn’t You Say That?” -  The Lemon Twigs |  The Lemon Twigs are truly from another time. Their entire vibe is plucked straight out of that kooky, 60s Baroque rock. It’s hokey, but it works, and it sonically sounds like a day kissed by the California sun. Listen here

BONUS

• Harry Styles, covering a song about a girl wanting to be a girlfriend of a boy they have a crush on so they can be close to the boy. [cue rainbow flag] Listen to Harry Styles cover “Girl Crush” here

• Legends stacked on legends stacked on legends! Listen to what we go at stake: Little Dragon feat. Faith Evans “Peace Of Mind” produced by Raphael Saadiq. Raphael Saadiq!! Listen here

• For my shoegaze babes, go listen to Wolf Alice’s new album Vision of a Life. Personal favorite is the CAN-inspired minimal bass “Formidable Cool.” Listen here

• New Four Tet album New Energy Listen here AND new Miley Cyrus album Younger Now Listen here

• Former cmd+f mentionable BETSY has finally released her self-titled debut album! Hurray! Listen here

• If you’re doing for a bit of a laugh, please check out Lizzo’s new track and video for “Truth Hurts” Watch here

• So, Spotify thinks they can guestimate what music you listened to during formative teenage years based off their nifty algorithm. Granted my list neglected to include music from my later high school years, it was on the nose with its selections for tunes I listened to primarily from my days of middle school and early high school. Selections included primarily early pop punk and emo tunes, with a big of gangster rap peppered in between all of those bits. Click here if you’d like to peep my own Time Capsule playlist. Discover your own Time Capsule 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!

September 22, 2017

The energy of last month’s solar eclipse has come down like the morning after being at Warped Tour - just an amalgamation of intensely surprising, surreal events cropped up one after the other. I’ll let this out of the way first: Harry Styles and MUNA lived up to my expectations at the Greek Theatre on Wednesday night. What an experience.

Now, for the fact that I use this letter as a bit like a weekly diary entry, it’d be silly of me to not mention this happening Monday night, and it showed no signs of slowing down thru Wednesday afternoon. Was a bit surreal linking my mother to a Teen Vogue article and having to explain how Twitter works. Also, it’d be too soon if I ever see another Malfoy joke.

As you might have noticed, this week’s been a doozy going onto Twitter. Please excuse me if I haven’t replied to some of your tweets sent my way; I’ve had my mentions restricted greatly… because, well, duh. How can you feasibly sort through 50k+ notifications?!

In this economy, you’ve gotta strike while the iron’s hot. This is the first time I’ve been awarded the opportunity to be an opportunist, so I seized it, and now dear readers, we have a whole new extension to the cmd+f family. Hello to the new subscribers, and thanks for finding cmd+f!

It’s time to roll up your sleeves and get ready to dig into new music.

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 [note: my notifications are just now starting to peeter out… so…. I’ll see ya on the flip side]. 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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“Not Done” - Bloody Knees | Honestly, it’s been ages since I’ve heard a grungy tune and fell in love with it. Blood Knees reignite the spirit of early 90s rock that swamped out of the Pacific Northwest (with the most notable comparison being, you guessed it, Nirvana) - but also a tad of the heavy bits of early 90s shoegaze. Whilst “Not Done” is riddled with wavering, grainy guitars, it’s got an invigorating, melodic chorus you cannot help headbanging away to and screaming out the lyrics. I stumbled across this tune listening to Dork magazine’s new radio stream and could only find a music video for the tune online. Head over to YouTube to watch and keep your eyes out for Bloody Knees’ new EP dropping next month. Watch here

“Long Time Coming” -  TOMI | What a breath of fresh air. “Long Time Coming” is a song that builds on layers of itself, twisting and slapping on more reverb, harmonies, and bits of instrumentals that ultimately explode in the final chorus and fizzle out as quickly as it built up. If you dig this, check out the rest of TOMI’s new Used To EP. Listen here

“Versus Game” -  Blue Hawaii | From the first note of “Versus Game,” I had the wind knocked out of me. I immediately scrambled to send the song to my pal Agnes to see if it wasn’t weird to be having such a visceral reaction to a song, and it turns out it was completely warranted. Fused with pop sensibilities of low key late 90s trip hop (re: Olive’s “You’re Not Alone”) and dreamy vocals by Raphaelle Standell-Preston of the hazy art rock band BRAIDS, “Versus Game” is an mellow, seductive sugar high. I’d give anything to find a way to live in this song. Listen here

“French Becky” -  Grace Mitchell | For a solid month I held Grace’s single “Capital Letters” in my secret cmd+f arsenal, but never shared it - but here’s “French Becky,” an upbeat, brazen, hilarious tune about those pesky butterflies fluttering around your stomach over a TOTAL LOSER. I honestly snorted the first time I looked up the lyrics. If you’re in Los Angeles, you can check out Grace opening for MUNA (who opened for Harry freakin’ Styles at the Greek Theatre!) next month at the Fonda. Listen here

“Play God” -  Sam Fender |  Whilst Sam’s new single he dropped today, “Millennial,” is the sonic equivalent of scrolling through an endless Instagram feed of photos of avocado toast – a massive “fuck you” to the media portraying hard working youths as “young and dumb” lazy free loaders – I have to step back and introduce you “Play God.” It’s a sexy, soulful tune about a heavily surveillanced society. Nothing like swaying your hips to a little Foucault theory, innit? Listen here

BONUS

• New The Killers album Wonderful Wonderful is inspiring as hell. Personal fav off this one is “Out Of My Mind” Listen here

• In the mood for a bit of New Order-esque vibes? Australian’s finest neo-disco indie rockers Cut Copy have released their new album Haiku From Zero – and that should tide you over. Listen here

• I’d like to thank the universe for delivering an entire new The Horrors album today, too Listen here

• Good ol’ Morrissey is back making bops for depressed queers. His comeback single “Spent the Day in Bed” discusses the harms of over consuming news and to remember to take care of your damn self. High key relatable. Cheers, Moz Listen here

• My bellowing cherub George Ezra’s gone and done another BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge. Mans too good, y’all. He performed his new single “Don’t Matter Now,” but also covered Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy” to keep with the whole ‘you’re gonna love life a lot more if you just chill the eff out’ vibe Watch here

• Calling all emos: CIRCA SURVIVE HAVE AN ENTIRE ALBUM OUT TODAY - and I had no idea until I was putting this letter together. I’ve been listening to the CS/Anthony Green catalogue a lot the past month, so maybe the universe was inadvertently reminding me to not forget about them. Listen here

• Fergie is really and truly back, y’all - Double Duchess is out (and includes singles she dropped in 2015 and 2016??? How long y’all be sitting on this album?) Listen here

________________________________________

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!

September 15, 2017

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!

________________________________________

 “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

________________________________________

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!

September 8, 2017

Very grateful to be writing this letter at the moment rather than waiting in a virtual queue on Sephora.com preparing to max out my credit card in an attempt to swipe up a few pieces of the new Fenty Beauty collection. With October only weeks away, I have 7 family birthdays and Christmas Time to consider. “Treat yoself” is not an option unless it’s a dry gin martini with two onions and an olive with Tom Hardy’s butt in full view on my TV on a Tuesday night (and yes, I speak of this as if I've lived it because I have and you should join me sometime).

Well then.

Got six tracks by emerging artists that you likely let slip under your radar. If you have heard of these artists/songs, please give me a bell – you and I should talk. It could be the start of something great.

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!

________________________________________

“Satan, Luella & I” - HMLTD | Let’s start this week’s letter with a MOOD. HMLTD’s entire essence is a mood. It’s dark, theatrical, flamboyant, and fun. Aesthetically, they look very much straight out of Rocky Horror Picture Show, and musically parallel Adam and the Ants (who somewhat also aesthetically looked fresh out of Rocky Horror Picture Show… in a way). HMLTD’s latest single “Satan, Luella & I” is a rollercoaster ride, marked with piano stabs, boisterous horns, and a healthy dash of vibrato. It’s a lot coming at you, and the radio edit cuts off about 2 minutes gets right to the point. You’ll be singing along in no time. Listen here (radio version is here)

“You and I” -  Maika Loubté | It is an absolutely crime I’ve only just stumbled across this song. Taken from Maika’s Le Zip EP that dropped in August 2016, I found myself spinning “You and I” a disgusting amount this week. While her tune “Le Gong” is also fantastic, I wanted to introduce you to Maika’s catalogue with this gem. It builds on itself so delicately and unfolds rather beautifully. Listen here

“Say It to My Face” -  Maty Noyes | Maty’s had her share of success being a featured vocalist on a Kygo track a couple years ago, which, good on her, and her last EP racked up quite a bit of spins on streaming services, but “Say It to My Face,” a full blow pop bop, is something to write home about. Please come mutually scream with me about how good this song is. Listen here

“Drink Too Much” -  Geowulf | A truly successful sad girl anthem utilizes painfully honest, sing-songy lyrics (such as “I get myself in trouble when I drink too much”) over lo-fi twee instrumentals. Geowulf have nailed that on the head here. Listen here

“Hotspice” -  Paper Son & Halima | Big up my girl Agnes for pointing out our Discover Weekly playlists are finally starting to sync. I actually stumbled this across her own personal playlist for September 2017 and fell in head first –then I noticed it showed up in my Discover Weekly playlist, too! “Hotspice” is a delightful mish-mash of Caribbean drums, dancehall, and upbeat electronic delights. Definitely a summer fresh jam that’s guaranteed to spark a bit of sunshine into your day. Listen here

“Live Like Animals” -  Nothing But Thieves | Cannot tell you how many times my friend Chris has told me about Nothing But Thieves, and finally this week I caught wind of the release of their new album Broken Machine after hearing a few previewed tracks on Radio 1. “Live Like Animals” is INSANE!! The guitars go berserk, the drums skitter along, the vocals are all over the place. Listen here

BONUS

• An artist from the very first issue of cmd+f has dropped their debut album today! Three cheers to Anna of the North - give their new album Lovers a few spins and then tell them how much you love it. It’s absolutely magical. Listen here

• “No Limit” - G-Eazy, A$AP Rocky and Cardi B. You heard: Rocky and Cardi on the same TRACK. Fuegooooo Listen here

• If you told me a year ago that one of my favorite pop songs of 2017 would have the lyric “nipples are hard,” I wouldn’t have believed you. Considering the state of the world, it’s no surprise that Tove Lo has done the damn thing and unleashed her new single “Disco Tits” unto the world, and it’s a Grade A banger. Obvs NSFW, FYI. Listen here

• 11/10 would want to live inside this new Mount Kimbie album, Love What Survives Listen here

• If you’re looking for something a bit more intense, intentional, industrial, and high key powerful, I advise you listen to Zola Jesus’ new album Okovi. It spares no limits on theatrics. Production is astounding. Listen here

• Sam Smith is back and I am SCALPT. I wasn’t expecting much out of “Too Good at Goodbyes” after the most boring Bond song of all time won a freakin’ Oscar…. But this is very much in his lane, it’s catchy, but these lyrics are SCALDING. Way to come back with a “f*ck you, I’m good” anthem, Sammy Boy. Listen here (and watch the little video he did for Spotify on your mobile if you have a moment here)

• NEW SZA AND JORJA SMITH ON HBO’S INSECURE SEASON 2 OST!!!!!! Listen here

• New York’s rising Afro-Puertorican hip-hop star Princess Nokia has finally dropped her highly anticipated album 1992 Deluxe. Twisted with some classic New York hip-hop flavor, album is DOPE. Listen here

• Nadine Coyle, the only member left of Girls Aloud (who never signed the contract to formalize her split from the group), has released a new single titled “Go To Work” but it’s only available on iTunes and Apple Music… not in the States. Glad she’s back, but can I at least get some label clearance/distribution deals for me to have a reunion with Nadine here? Not asking for much. If I can’t have this, then I’d like to formally request for Nadine to move back to California and reopen her pub because that was the best pint of Guinness I’ve ever had outside of Ireland.

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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.

September 1, 2017

Wahoo! We’ve made it to another month this year. Today marks my second favorite month of the year, Pre-tober, as it is the month before October, and I spend all of it making numerous trips to World Market collecting Halloween party supplies, checking out creepy audiobooks from the library to listen to at my desk, and willing the weather to cool down enough for me to shake out my heavy knits from storage. Pumpkin spice flavor/scented EVERYTHING rolls up in Pre-tober, too, and that just makes waking up every morning a teeny bit more rewarding, doesn’t it? Whilst i know the only reason leaves are falling from trees is because the trees are so thirsty for water, they can’t sustain them, I still like to pretend they’re trying to tell us autumn is around the corner and not happening as late as November here in Los Angeles.

In the the letter this week, it brings me great pleasure to introduce five truly fantastic songs. Each artist noted below is wildly unique, and I’m so excited for you to hear them (if you haven’t already)!

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!

________________________________________

“Chocolate” - Shy FX feat. Breakage, Ghetts, and Roses Gabor | BRUUUUUUUUH. This beat is insane. It’s dirty, thick, and smooth as hell all at once. What a fusion of textures wrapped up in this sweet little diddy - from Roses Gabor’s silky verses and a chock full of witty bars by the one and only Grime god Ghetts, “Chocolate” is quite the treat. Listen here

“You’ve Got The Heat” -  Luster | Throwback to the summer of ‘81: I wasn’t born yet, but the spirit of Luster’s sun-drenched tune “You’ve For The Heat” was definitely a-brewing. With an insatiable hook comparable to Tommy Tutone’s evergreen hit “867-5309 (Jenny),” “You’ve Got The Heat” could easily be slipped onto a bootleg copy of the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack and we’d be none the wiser. It’s a vivacious, upbeat summery tune I’ve been sitting on for the past few weeks. Still fresh as ever with each spin. Listen here

“SGL” - Now, Now | My first memory of Now, Now was in a dingy little venue located under an overpass in Seattle. They were still called Now, Now Every Children, and were opening for Hellogoodbye. Today, they’ve dropped the Every Children, and picked up a few more hooks & pop cues along the way. As their first release in three years, the duo have primed their return to music with a potential sleeper hit. Expect to hear “SGL” (short for “shotgun lover”) on some future shopping trips at the mall and scattered across various playlists over the coming months. Can’t deny we’re all sleeping on a low key bop. Listen here and watch the music video here

“Sophomore” -  Honey Lung | My heart is always craving more gut churning reverb, and thank goodness I’ve stumbled across Honey Lung recently. The London group’s only track I can see listed on Spotify here in the States is a dreamy, head banging, soul ripper that’s soaked in 90s rock nostalgia. While some shoegaze can turn a little sleepy, Honey Lung’s guitar work gets tighter and more impressive as the song crests upward, gains speed, and keeps your ears guessing even as the instrumentals peter out toward the end. Listen here

“Love in Bad Company” -  Gotts Street Park feat. Dielle | Last but certainly not least, “Love in Bad Company” is going to put you into a puddle of feelings. Produced by the UK collective Gotts Street Park, the group landed vocals by Leeds-based vocalist Dielle after hearing her perform at an open-mic night. Her soulful, velvety tones folded over the smooth jazz instrumentals is divine. You can hear the heartache bursting at the seams, and frankly, this is one of the most beautiful tunes I’ve heard to come out of 2017. If you're looking for a mood-de-booster to enhance your own Pre-tober moods, look no further. Listen here

BONUS

• Before everything else, stop what you are doing and watch the music video for Jessie Ware’s new single “Selfish Love.” I want to live in this twisted, seductive, Italian art house MASTERPIECE. Watch here

• Young chap Ten Tonnes has shared a new single, “Cracks Between.” Spiked with one last dose of energy as we fizzle away from eternal summertime sunshine. Listen here

• Calling all dance music fans: the new Hercules & Love Affair album is here!!! Whilst this time they’ve deviated more away from a classic disco vibe, the spirit of being bathed in glitter lives on. Listen here

• Like 7 years ago, LCD Soundsystem made a big to-do about disbanding and never ever making music together or performing live ever again. I remember watching a livestream of their final show in New York, and sobbed into a Big Gulp filled with rum and Coke during the closing notes of “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down.” Last summer, LCD Soundsystem rebanded (hell yes, in this economy!), I saw them perform at FYF Fest, and today they have a new album - american dream. As they say, your whole life trajectory can and likely will be completely different in 6 months time… and here we are. Listen here

• Skott’s newest single “Remain” has got me deep in my Pre-tober mood. Listen here

• Charlie Puth, the mastermind behind “Attention,” one of the most undeniable pop gems to drop this year, had reformulated this into a multi-format hit with a new remix featuring rapper Kyle. TBH, does Kyle add much more life to this song? If it’ll help it rise up the charts…. Listen here

• You are what you stream: send me your personalized Spotify.me playlists after heading over to the site and checking out some cool data on your music streaming habits. According to my statistics, “Xtal” by Aphex Twin is my most streamed song in my library, 59% of the songs I listen to are energetic, and I stream like I’m god damn Ina Garten (aka a cooking enthusiast). At the end of the fun little stats round up, they generate a playlist customized with artists you may and may not be familiar with. Here is mine: 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 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!

August 25, 2017

Back to reality - summer is over for most of y’all. Classes are starting to shuffle back in session, the sun is starting to set a little earlier (if you squint… you can totally tell), and my 6 day sabbatical away from my work and a computer has come to an end. Escaping to Portland for a few days did the trick (re: helped me freakin' RELAX).  While I’m up to my ears trying to catch up on my tasks at work, I can’t help but daydream about the next time we’ll get to experience rain and I can appropriately crawl back into a chunky knit sweater. Who’s with me?

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.

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“It Changes” -  Amber Arcades | I want to curl up to Amber Arcades’ latest EP Cannonball. Every single track on it sounds like a lazy day at the beach with the sun kissing at the tip of your nose - although “It Changes” in particular toes the line with an off-kilter edge. I dug around the net to find out a bit more about Amber Arcades and discovered she’s a Dutch war crimes expert named Annelotte who scrounged up her savings to fund her first album. Her tunes sound a bit like a hi-fi recording of Broadcast (RIP Trish) meets Warpaint. Listen here

“Only In A Dream” - Doug Tuttle | As I stated in the opening notes: I am so desperate for summer to be over, y’all! I sound like a brat, but the sunshine and need for aircon will not quit! “Only In A Dream” sounds precisely like the last sips of summer - like nursing a scraped knee with your skateboard beside you as you’re say on a hilltop watching the sunset. Listen here

“Submersible” -  Sivu | Speaking of wanting summer to be OVER: last week, Brand New’s Science Fiction put me in a MOOD. I’ve been starving for autumn after walking through the suburbs of Portland wearing a denim jacket as soon as the temperatures dipped below 60F after sunset. Sivu’s haunting opening track “Submersible” off his latest LP Sweet Sweet Silent is a theatrical, languid, and deeply personal tune that will lull you into a crisp, cloudy October morning. Listen here

“On My Mind” -  Jorja Smith x Preditah | I don’t usually take a liking to UK Garage (with the exception of the king Craig David), but Jorja Smith can sell absolutely anything. While I don’t think “On My Mind” will be the crossover hit to make Jorja’s mark Stateside, it truly is a BOP. Get ready to bounce. Listen here

“Lost in the Mystery” - Shock Machine | One of my favorite bands in high school was Klaxons. I rinsed a dodgy rip of Myths of the Near Future for months before I was able to snag an import copy at a record shop. Ten years later, Klaxons are no more, but James Righton is (thankfully) still putting out new music. His latest project is Shock Machine, a sound forged in colorful psychedelic rock with a twist of bubbly 1960s pop riffs. The debut Shock Machine album came out today, and I present to you the fizzy, sweet “Lost in the Mystery” in hopes it’ll inspire you to give the full album a spin. Listen here

BONUS

• If there is one album you consciously listen to this week, please make time for The War On Drugs’ A Deeper Understanding - absolute masterpiece Listen here

• LOL

• Katy Perry has a video out for “Swish Swish” - a clear call to Pop Art, the visuals are a desperate display of modern meme-itry (whoa @ my literary agency) and a time capsule of contemporary internet culture. Song still BANGS Watch here

• Fergie still got it! Girl dropped two singles tonight - “You Already Know” feat. Nicki Minaj and “Hungry” feat. Rick Ross. The beat on “Hungry” is dope - it’s actually got me looking forward to her forthcoming album Double Dutchess. Go AWF, Gothtrap Stacy!!

• Fifth Harmony have dropped their first album sans-Camila…. Album is smooth as hell. Highlight for me is “Sauced Up.” These girls did the damn thing. Bravo, ladies! Listen here

• Lady Gaga is releasing a documentary on Netflix next month and I am very, very, very excited

• Lil Uzi Vert album Luv Is Rage 2 Listen here

• Buddy’s new EP Magnolia Listen here

• A$AP Mob mixtape Cozy Tapes Vol. 2: Too Cozy Listen here

• Last but certainly not least, DNCE have linked up with Rod Stewart to re-record Rod’s 1978 hit “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” and tbh it could have been way, way funkier 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!