July 28, 2017

July 28, 2017 in Newsletter, Music

I’ve spent approximately 7 hours of my week chin-handsing it on my desk watching Charli XCX’s “Boys” music video. When I first heard about this entire concept of a seemingly endless list of male celebs and models doing soft, swoon-worthy things, nothing could have prepared me for it. It’s a 2 minutes and 47 second choose-your-own-internet-boyfriend ad, flipping the Male Gaze in on its head. It’s got Diplo doing bicep curls with puppies, Joe Jonas seductively licking at a milk mustache, Vance Joy savoring a donut, Chromeo having a pillow fight, Riz Ahmed cuddling a gigantic plush teddy bear…. And about thirty other pure, divine clips of “guys doing all the sexy things that girls usually do in videos.”

The video’s gone viral, you’ve most likely watched it 70+ times by now, but since then, people have been pitching their own personal “Boys” dream-casting. My top 5 personal favorites I’ve seen mentioned are:

1. Tom Holland testing lipstick swatches on his arm

2. Oscar Isaac watering ferns

3. Tom Hardy blowing bubbles

4. Chris Pratt doing long division in his head

5. Sufjan Stevens trimming a lawn with a pair of scissors

Who are and what would your top 3 ideal “Boys” dream-cast scenarios? Hit me up on Twitter!

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!

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“Mattress” - Leland | If you’ve never heard OF Leland, you’ve definitely heard Leland in some capacity – he’s a hit-making songwriter who’s responsible for Daya’s runaway hit “Hideaway,” half of the tracks on Troye Sivan’s debut album Blue Neighbourhood, a bulk of Allie X’s catalogue, and most recently the mastermind behind Selena Gomez’s newest single “Fetish.” What’s special about Leland’s lyrical content is how vivid the descriptions are – even if they can be a tad corny. Successful pop has a bit of nonsense tucked into it. In “Mattress,” Leland takes the mic this time to lament about letting a lover go and wanting nothing more in the freakin’ world than to have his body on their mattress. Listen here

“Sunny Days” - Bel Heir | This song sounds like it belongs on an advert between breaks during an episode of The OC or even the background of a house party in a late 90s teen movie. Not sure if it’s the record scratches and bouncy guitars that give it a tinge of nostalgia for summer evenings on the beach, but I’ve been digging this tune all week. It’s been nagging at the back of my mind with a sense of familiarity and delight. Listen here

“Fire Dancing” - Holy Oysters | Holy Oysters! Don’t think I can recall any Parisian psychedelic pop artists off the top of my head, and these dudes are killing the game. They sound like Kevin Parker produced a track for Arcade Fire - which we know would sound like swishing pop rocks and Coke in your mouth after snacking on some mushrooms. “Fire Dancing” is vibrant, electrifying, and so much fun to listen to. Listen here

“Celebration of the Disease” - Cabbage | Cabbage are one of the most exciting new punk acts coming out of Manchester at the moment. Serving up classic, anarchist punk titles like “Uber Capitalist Death Trade” and “A Network Betrayal,” and lending their sound to stirring guitars and relentless chants. “Celebration of the Disease” sounds similar to early The Horrors tunes – a bit sinister, yet liberating. Listen here

“Midnight” - Jessie Ware | G I R L ! My mind is clear, my soul is cleansed, my world is aligned. For all the years I’ve been following Jessie’s career, I’ve immersed myself in the overall essence of her music from her debut album Devotion – a touch cool, mostly soothing – but home girl came to COLLECT on this comeback single. As soon Jessie starts to belt out the chorus as it bursts through an Elton John-esque piano step, I. Am. Bald. Listen here

BONUS

RIP to the iPod Nano and Shuffle
Arcade Fire’s FIFTH studio album Everything Now is out and does not disappoint Listen here
Hallelujah! BØRNS is back! New single is titled “Faded Heart” Listen here
Cardi B has jumped on a remix of DRAM’s “Cute” and it’s delightful Listen here
From one cooky ass producer to another, PC Music founder AG Cook covered Aphex Twin’s IDM classic tune “Windowlicker” note-for-note and it’s a sugary, demented hyperfantasy 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 July 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!

July 21, 2017

July 21, 2017 in Newsletter, Music

I was really looking forward to talking to y’all about how I'm not going to FYF Fest this weekend and Raf Simons’ new collection he showed this week, but there I feel there is nothing else I could open this week’s letter with other than the news that Chester Bennington of Linkin Park is dead. Reports state he died by suicide in his Los Angeles home this week.

A friend sent me a text asking if I had heard about Chester, and my first thought was he had been in an accident or diagnosed with a disease - but nothing could have prepared me for this. It’s all still fresh and doesn’t feel real.

So, I took a few breaths before I started to silently grieve at my desk. The loss of Prince and Bowie felt much different - they were legends of another space and time. Chester’s impact hit me so much harder as he was a huge presence in my life during my tween years.

Linkin Park’s debut album Hybrid Theory came out when I was just 10 years old. When my best friend in 6th grade introduced me to “In the End,” as corny as it sounds, I felt I had listened to music that ‘spoke’ to me for the first time ever. Being 11 years old in middle school with vicious bullies who verbally abused you wasn’t easy, but like most angsty teens who turn to music to find meaning for their existence, I found a way to cope by obsessively listening to Hybrid Theory and scribbling down a lot of poetry in my locked diaries from Claire’s.

As I matured through middle school, my love for Linkin Park never waned. My identity became synonymous with Linkin Park - I talked about them all the time, purchased all of their CDs and DVD sets, ordered my first book online through Barnes & Noble for their coffee table book. I tuned into every damn interview or Making the Video they had scheduled on MTV or FUSE. These dudes shaped my worldview at such an impressionable age: Linkin Park, particularly Chester and Mike Shinoda (who are inarguably the mouthpieces of the band), introduced me to loads of new music, and showed compassion through their extensive charity work.

Young, anxious teen me cared so much about Linkin Park because Linkin Park’s music became a reflection of myself. Their sound reflected my feelings, their lyrical content resonated with my own dark thoughts - Linkin Park truly were a revolutionary and game-changing sound for music at the turn of the millennium. I know it’s become a mockery in retrospect within the last few years - that entire “nu metal” genre of gritty rap rock with overproduced bionic beats. Laugh all you want: Linkin Park were a cornerstone for a major shift in the sound of mainstream rock.

I’m so grateful to have grown up with Linkin Park. I’m so grateful to have admired Chester for being open about his own depression and personal traumas.

Rest easy, man.

If you or someone close to you are experiencing suicidal thoughts and feel like there is nobody you can turn to, please reach out to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. Lines are open 24/7.

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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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“Virtue” - Kllo | What a breath of fresh air. “Virtue” is Kllo’s first single off their forthcoming debut album, and it’s a blissful, euphoric UK garage bop. Sounds very much like candy floss, and that feeling you get when you’re sipping a ginormous margarita whilst floating down a lazy river. Listen here

“That’s The Way It Is (Survival of the Sickest)” - Rude GRL | BRAT POP CONTINUES TO THRIVE! Rude GRL are Ben Langmaid (formerly????) of La Roux and the very talented MC Jenna Dickens. They’re absolutely killing it on their DEBUT single with this Run-D.M.C. sample on a hyperloop smeared in Vaseline. That lo-fi charm sounds a bit like a long lost J.J. Fad demo tape unearthed from a dusty attic in Wales. It’s the first release off RAT BOY’s new label SCUM RECS. What a damn bar to set. Listen here

“Real Thing” (Jim-E Stack Remix) - Lower Dens | Imagine: Ra Ra Riot singing a sad-ballad with a Prince twist. Lower Dens typically sound much more like a dreamy-pop The Walkmen, but this Jim-E Stack remix has “Real Thing” emerge as a strong contender for a Drive sequel soundtrack. Listen here

“Frontier” - Queue | Love me some dreamy, 90s indie rock inspired tunes with a female lead vocalists. “Frontier” is a brash, frenetic whirlwind of a song. Best bit: when the subtle tambourine jumps in the chorus. While rattled with layers upon layers of noise, it’s a tightly crafted instrumental with no second wasted between each wavering guitar string. It’s a good amount of busy, like a beaded Alexander McQueen gown. Quality tunage, y’all. Listen here

“TTYN” - vivienxo | Sometimes I wish Carly Rae Jepsen could just spit it out and casually slip a grandiose “fuck you” into one of her seemingly endless catalogue of bops. Instead, Jepsus remains the Queen of Keeping Things PG, but I can’t complain since she never misses the mark on crafting a pop hit. Since Jespsus has yet to deliver it so blatantly, cue vivienxo dishing up one fantastic anti-fuckboi anthem we were WAITING to hear on the EMOTION B-sides album. Listen here

BONUS

DECLAN MCKENNA’S DEBUT ALBUM WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE CAR? IS OUT AND YOU SHOULD REALLY PRIORITIZE LISTENING TO IT Listen here
Lana Del Rey’s Lust for Life album is out now. She has two songs with A$AP Rocky and one song with Stevie Nicks. Twitter is buzzing about this, so if you wanna but up on The Culture... Listen here
Louis Tomlinson (of One Direction, because I have a moral obligation to always report their wearabouts in solo careers [Speaking of; Harry Styles’ acting debut opens this weekend in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, and appaz Hazza does surprisingly well in his role, and you should see it on IMAX but definitely take a Xanax beforehand - this is all hearsay]) has a new solo single with Bebe Rexha called “Back To You.” Was really hyped because the promo aesthetic and the instrumentals are DOPE. Ultimate verdict: it’s a country folk ballad dressed in Ventements Listen here
Tyler, The Creator’s album Flower Boy dropped today. Standout track is “I Ain’t Got Time!” feat. A+ sampling of “Groove is in the Heart” Listen here
GO ANALOGUE, BABY!!! Sabrina Carpenter continues to follow in Selena Gomez’s Disney-star-to-pop-star footsteps with her newest banger “Why” (which I’m high key in love with). She shared the music video for it on Wednesday starring her and Casey Cott (aka, Kevin Keller from the hit TV show ~Riverdalé~), and my favorite bit in the video is them eating Chinese in candlelight. Watch here

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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!

July 14, 2017

July 14, 2017 in Music, Newsletter

Happy Friday, y’all! Overall, it’s been an uplifting week. I’ve been thinking about Spider-Man: Homecoming since I saw it last Saturday (please go see it ASAP if you haven’t yet), Raf Simons dropped a Blade Runner meets Joy Division/New Order inspired collection (which, if you know me, it's the most high key on brand fashion collection practically made for me of all time), and I finally booked my trip to Portland for my friend’s wedding next month! It’s been two years since I’ve been in the Pacific Northwest – looking forward to having Marionberry flavored everything the entire weekend, and hopefully I’ll get through a few rolls of film while I’m there.

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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“Summer Sound” - ROMES | This right here: the content we truly deserve. This is the second time ROMES have made an appearance on cmd+f – this week, I’ve been OBSESSED with their new single “Summer Sound.” Absolute BOP! When their self-directed music video for the tune dropped Monday, I had this song on repeat for hours at work. The day coasted by much more quickly as I started singing along with the chorus at my desk [cue me bopping along to “Say ‘Oooh, I’m good!’ The rhythm is here to stay!!!!!!” like, YES IT DAMN WELL IS]. Ultimate result: my spirits were lifted, crops were watered, skin cleared, etc. Listen here / Watch here

“We Dance” - Crush Club | As a staunch disco never died advocate, Crush Club are giving me LIFE. “We Dance” is a classic disco tune, loaded with an easy to groove 4/4 fiesta, bursting with smooth piano stabs and liberating vocals. I almost guarantee you’ll want to rip your clothes off and bathe in glitter on a dancefloor by the second chorus. Listen here

“I Wish I Was A Bird” - Luke Rathborne | This tune came my way through a press email, and I was delightfully surprised. “Don’t Call Me Baby” is one of two new releases from Luke this week after the new announcement of his signing to Ribbon Music. Full well knowing Ribbon Music’s roster of artists (most notably John Maus, whom I’m still low key obsessed with), I instantly knew Luke’d be a special addition. From the first note of “Don’t Call Me Baby,” I was warmed by the jovial nature of the tune, but the real star is the 8 and a half minute monster ballad “I WIsh I Was A Bird.” Don’t let anyone fool you that long songs are a waste of your time – I’m here to tell you that this one is very special. Listen here

“anemona” - slenderbodies | If Glass Animals whispered over a Foals instrumental with Alt-J levels of harmonizing, then you’d get something sounding very close to “anemona.” The guitar picking and sonic flourishes are insane, to the point I’m convinced the song is actually 3-dimensional. It builds on so many layers compressed down onto the same notes at about five separate angles. What I’m describing make me sound insane, but once you give it a spin, you’ll hear exactly what I mean. Listen here

“Rush” - Lauren Faith | My first thought when I heard “Rush” was that JLo’s team would have snatched this song up in a heartbeat if it was written during her prime reign in the era of velour track suits. Trop-house lite production at the start of “Rush” aside, once the drums kick in 30 seconds in, the grooving only goes up from there. While I haven’t found much info about Lauren Faith, and only seeing this is her second official single, I can get behind this sound. Listen here

BONUS

cmd+f alumna San Mei has released her debut EP, and it’s top notch hazy rock goodness Listen here
The new Arcade Fire track “Electric Blue” is a hypnotic masterpiece Listen here
Mura Masa’s debut album is FINALLY HERE!!! Listen here
Rising pop darling Billie Eilish dropped “COPYCAT” - vibes are reminiscent of early, early Lana Del Rey Listen here
Speaking of Lana Del Rey: Listen here
More evidence 2017 has been a fever dream: Coldplay have a new EP and Big Sean is one on of their tracks. Listen here
With Soundcloud being on its DEATHBED, there’s an even more horrific story looming in the background: one of my favorite sites I visited religiously throughout high school, Hype Machine, is facing a rough patch in this stream-heavy culture. If you’re unfamiliar with HypeM, it’s a website that helped track and prioritize the most “hyped” about tracks during the height of the independent music blogging era circa 2007-2012. I would spend hours scrolling through HypeM discovering new artists, glistening disco-fied remixes, and tricked out bootlegs from all over the net. It was my number one new music source for a solid 5 years, all through Uni, up until, erm, Spotify came around. HypeM runs on humanized data, not computerized algorithms, and it’s one of the last honest places in music to offer such a service. They keep the opinions of little guys (like me!!) at the forefront. Unfortunately, the three-person independent team is asking for our help to keep them afloat. Think of HypeM as your local indie bookstore - they’re helping curate honest opinions of music consumption without influence of a PR team. HypeM is formative to my personal music tastes, and helped blossom me into the tastemaker I am today. If HypeM has touched you and your love for music over the years, please consider pledging your support to help keep the future of HypeM up and running. Support here

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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!

July 7, 2017

July 07, 2017 in Music, Newsletter

I don’t mean to be that boring person who talks of the weather, but when it’s so hot you can hardly breathe, it’s difficult to think about anything else. The fact I sweat out a liter of water trekking across the parking lot by the time I step foot inside my work office or into Target is NOT OKAY. As I prepare to melt into the asphalt the moment I even consider stepping outside this weekend, I present to you five tracks I’m 100% you’ll take a chance on and listen to this week.

Please reach out to me via the handy dandy contact page on the cmd+f website, or on the cmd+f Twitter at @cmdf_me with your thoughts about any of the tracks I’ve selected this week. I love chatting about music. Let me in on your new favorite band; they’re looking for new fans, too.

P.S. If you would like to have this letter sent to your email every Friday, please head over to this link right here to subscribe and never miss a weekly music roundup!

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“Film Club” - Childcare | What a breath of fresh air “Film Club” is - churning guitars, giddy lyrics, insatiable hooks. The guitar licks peppered throughout the chorus are the star of this jam - or are they audio recordings of someone screaming “AaaAAAaAAAH!” ?? Whatever that sound is, it’s the GOAT. Go forth and marinate in this tune. Sonics aside, lyrics are high key relatable: “Film Club” is about attending a film club mostly to see/meet with someone they admire (or are secretly obsessed with????) more than the films. I recall considering taking up some unusual hobbies once upon a time around high school and my early college years in hopes to get close to someone. Is it safe to say we’ve all been there, or did I just read way too much YA lit in my formative teen years? Listen here

“overbehind” - Flor | LA-based Flor have racked up several million streams across the net from their latest album come out. you’re hiding. A perfect blend of those last-era pop punk instrumentals flourished with a bit of BØRNS-esque infectious hooks and vocals, “overbehind” was a song I was trying my darndest to resist loving it the first time I heard it. After spinning it endlessly and never skipping it once this week whenever it came on, I knew it was a keeper for this week’s letter. Listen here

“We Stayed Up All Night” - Tourist feat. Ardyn | I am LIVID this slipped past my radar the day it dropped! How on earth did this get lost in the sauce??? (It was released on a Wednesday….) We’re so lucky I didn’t go another week without hearing this song, or you’d hear me screaming from over 10,000 miles away. Tourist hangs up the synth-heavy house productions for a surprising, dreamy little pop number with Ardyn. If The OC was still on air, this song would fit PERFECTLY onto their iconic soundtrack mixes. Listen here

“Someone” - Anna of the North | Anna of the North is no stranger to cmd+f - I featured the Norwegian/Kiwi duo’s single “Oslo” in the very first letter. “Someone” is a shimmery synth-pop JAM. I am so, so in love. Listen here

“Durbaan Ka Ii Tuma” - Waayaha Cusub feat. Desiigner | Guess what Spotify did this week? In a bold as fuck political move TWO DAYS after Independence Day, Spotify launched their “I’m with the Banned” music movement. The initiative links six American artists with six artists from the Muslim-majority countries listed in 45*’s (attempted and continually ruled unconstitutional) travel ban. Oh, yes. Spotify pulled a Degrassi: they SO went there. Of all six tunes, I picked this BOP by Somalia’s Waayaha Cusub featuring Desiigner. Listen here

BONUS

Zedd and Liam Payne have a song out - “Get Low.” At first I wasn’t sure about it, and then I spent approximately 5 hours of my day yesterday listening to it on repeat (this is not a hyperbole). As a proud militant Liam stan, I have to be completely honest: I still feel like the song needs some more flourishes (i.e. Liam belting out some crazy ass runs in the final two bridges), but I really cannot complain when I’ve been gifted 3:22 continuous minutes of nothing but Liam Payne singing over an entire instrumental. Very pleased with this sound/direction. More this and less Sheeran, Payno. Listen here
Whole new HAIM album is out Listen here
Brian freakin Eno produced the new Coldplay track “A L I E N S” Listen here
I completely missed Liam Gallagher sharing another new solo single?????? It is of course incredibly listenable and enjoyable and what a time to be ALIVE for the return of Liam f*cking Gallagher, amirite? Listen here
The two new Rhye songs are A+ Watch here
For your entertainment, I started a playlist composed of Halsey imposters to document the growing trend of Halsey-esque vocalists cropping up in pop music as of late 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 July 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!

June 30, 2017

June 30, 2017 in Music, Newsletter

It’s Independence Day next Tuesday here in America, and global affairs and chaos aside, I’m very much looking forward to enjoying a four day weekend. Part of me thinks a beach may or may not be involved, but for sure fireworks, my camera(s), and a whole lot of crazy food from local vendors and barbecues will be gobbled up across these days. Bring on all the Korean dumplings, short ribs, and mangonadas, y’all.

This week I’ve hand-picked six tracks to help you shimmy your way into the long weekend.

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“Try to Fight” - Cathedrals | Oh. My. God. Remember Alphabeat???? Cathedrals are filling the void Alphabeat has left in my heart. “Try to Fight” straight up sounds like Keisza singing over a Years & Years instrumental. With a relentless bass looming beneath a bubbly synth and infectious hook, “Try to Fight” is “King” at half-speed, but still gets full marks on the campy electro beats. High key suprised this hasn’t made it onto the H&M In Store Music playlist, to be quite honest. Listen here

“Body Bounce” - Lao Ra feat. Konshens | This is the second time I’ve thrown Lao Ra down in the cmd+f letter (here is the first), and she’s thrown down yet another fine “pineapple pop” dancefloor banger. “Body Bounce” features Jamaican artist Konshens, fusing a delicious blend of Lao Ra’s Colombian roots with tropical and dancehall beats. Get ready to pop-pop-pop-pop. Listen here

“Flash” - The Belligerents | Damn: The Belligerents’ new single “Flash” is better than good. Underneath all that psychedelic flare, this song is undoubtedly bigger than it was likely intending to be. This song deserves to be performed in a damn stadium. I want to hear this at full volume, amps screeching. “Flash” is the first single off The Belligerents’ upcoming debut album (!!!), and I honestly can’t WAIT to hear what they pull off. Listen here

“Lonely Now” - Lover | Who on earth is Lover? I’m surprised there hasn’t been an artist already named Lover by this point, but here we are. UPDATE: he actually goes by LØVER, but he’s on Spotify as just Lover. Anyway, LØVER is an R&B-lite artist from Norway. “Lonely Now” sounds like a long lost Michael Bolton track in a 1980s teen movie, meaning it’s essentially perfect. Listen here

“Trampoline” (Saint Etienne Remix) - Kero Kero Bonito | Sickly sweet J-pop (in English) reworked over a ska beat - sounds like it’d be a mess, but I assure you it’s BRILLIANT. Kero Kero Bonito have been around for a minute, churning out ironic, blissfully bonkers pop music on speed. Saint Etienne have kicked “Trampoline” down a few notches and rubbed the tune down into a beachy-keen day dream. Listen here

“Call Me Out” - Sea Girls | I leave you with one last big tune: Sea Girls have come out the gate at breakneck speed with “Call Me Out” - it’s an unrelenting, contagious tune. What a freaking debut single, my friends. I’ve sent this off to two people this week, and both of their reactions were variations of “into it.” If you’re a fan of British indie pop (a la The Kooks, et al), BUMP THIS. Listen here

BONUS

JAY-Z dropped his 13th studio album 4:44 on TIDAL. Literally everyone who has a TIDAL subscription confirms it’s incredible (likely to justify the fact the have a TIDAL subscription). And if you’re curious and don’t have a Sprint phone plan, seems like you’re “never” going to hear this album as it’s not only a TIDAL exclusive, but it’s now a TIDAL with Sprint exclusive. It’s like this man thinks he’s Beyoncé or something...
Astrid S is ready to take on the globe!! The Norwegian pop princess has dropped her new Party’s Over EP Listen here
The only album you’re gonna need with you by the pool this weekend: Calvin Harris - Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 Listen here
EVERYTHING I DREAMT UP ONCE UPON CAME INTO REALITY IN A MUSIC VIDEO!!! The xx’s new video for “I Dare You” was styled AND DIRECTED by Raf Simons and Alasdair McLellan, filmed in Los Angeles at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Sowden House and John Lautner’s Rainbow House, starring Millie Bobby Brown from Stranger Things, and Ashton Sanders in a crisp ass turtleneck. WHEW! Watch here
Mura Masa has dropped two new tunes: one with Christine and the Queens, the other with the legendary Damon Albarn. 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 June 2017 playlist. You can dive into the cmd+f archive to hear what I’ve been listening to in previous months this year.

A(lmost a)ll of the tracks I’ve shared this week and past cmd+f newsletters are archived into a single playlist on Spotify for you to follow here. You’re welcome.

See you next week!

June 23, 2017

June 23, 2017 in Music, Newsletter

The summer solstice has already eclipsed here in the northern hemisphere. I officially have to check if the tires of my care haven’t melted into the asphalt before I start my car, have taken to liberally applying sun cream on my face every 2 hours, and still haven’t increased my water intake. If this heat continues to press on like this, you’ll be receiving music recommendations from a golden raisin starting next week.

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“Times We Had” - SG Lewis feat. Toulouse | Let me start off by apologizing for holding out on you. I was initially going to drop this tune in last week’s letter, but it was very late and I wanted to have enough clarity and peace of mind to completely GUSH about “Times We Had.” UK producer SG Lewis has once again blown my mind. The mysterious Toulouse (who’s dropped a handful of tunes over the past year) offers up some soulful vocals over the kicks and snares. I swear me talking about it do it justice, so I’ll stop talking and let you go have a listen. Listen here

“As If It’s Your Last” - BLACKPINK | If you’re a K-pop music fan, without a doubt you’ve already seen/heard this BOP. At the time I’m writing up this newsletter, the video has been up for 20 hours and has already amassed over 11 MILLION views on Youtube. Gah damn!! I saw a lot of friends screaming about this on Twitter when I came home from work last night, and so I turned it on and got my damn life. This is the gummiest, bubbliest, sweetest chorus. The melody will burrow its way into to your ear, and you’ll be sashaying your way through the day. Listen/watch here

“Desolately Devoted” - Denai Moore | From the first note I heard come out of Denai Moore, I was moved. My entire core was soothed, I just clocked with her music instantly. Her new album We Used to Bloom is a seamless, glorious 37 minute journey. The first time I ran through it, I felt like i was covered in aloe after a day in the sun. I was sold on “Desolately Devoted” as soon as the choir came in toward the end. Listen here

“Will You Dive” - Hot Dreams | This tune is a ghost of an early 90s Madchester daydream. Stuffed with delicious reverb, the tune starts out begging for a bit of shoegazing, all until it goes all balls out in the last minute and a half. It balls itself up before all crashing down on a loud, vicious jam session. Rock out, my friends. Listen here

“Reborn” - Rae Morris | For those who do check out/listen to my monthly playlists, you’ll likely have heard this little joint already. It’s been placed in my June 17 playlist for the past two weeks. What made me put it in the letter this week happened this week after listening to Switched on Pop, a music podcast that breaks down and dissects pop music theory. Their latest episode broke down a few contemporary examples of songs riding on the “rule of 3s” in which the song can be split between three different distinctive layers in order to gain our maximum level of attention. While a seemingly simple formula, the listener can focus more on the content of the song. Using less also leaves open for more, while I be extra flourishes here or there. Well, what would you know: “Reborn” fits right on in with that rule of 3s. Listen here

BONUS

If you’d like to listen to the full episode by the Switched on Pop podcast I mentioned above, the link is here. I can’t recommend their podcast enough; Nate and Charlie break down pop music in a way that’s interesting, and exciting. They’ve actually helped explain the appeal of so many hits on the charts I could not wrap my head around!
VINCE STAPLES’ BIG FISH THEORY IS THE MOST WELL PRODUCED AOTY. THE HD BASS?? I SWEAR YOU HAVE LITERALLY NEVER HEARD ANYTHING LIKE THIS. KEY TUNE: “Yeah Right” Listen here
Rita Ora’s video for “Your Song” is out, and I want names for this corporate affair she’s “working” at that allowed her to stroll in wearing a fishnet Comme des Garcons piratesque two piece suit and ballet flats because I wanna drop them my CV Watch here
The xx have dropped a deluxe edition of their new album I See You. The star bonus track is “Seasons Run” - very much the seasonal affective disorder cousin of Lana’s “Summertime Sadness.” Go give that baby a few spins Listen here
Go give ASAHD a pat on the back for all his hard work: DJ Khaled’s Grateful LP is out today (fav tune is “I Love You So Much” with Chance the Rapper) Listen here

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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!

June 16, 2017

June 16, 2017 in Music, Newsletter

Feeling very strongly about the tunes I’ve picked out this week! I’ve dabbled across several genres this week, really digging for some sonic surprises. Enjoy!

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“Not Enough” - Lido feat. THEY. | Hold onto your ass: “Not Enough” is gonna be the best song you’ve heard all year so far. Not to set the bar so high, but you’ve got to trust me on this. Frankly, I’m shocked Lido had it in him to crack out this tight, funky new jack swing beat. Oh, and he got THEY. singing on the track giving me whiplash: I thought I was listening to some Bell Biv DeVoe bootleg deep cut. Bet you can’t listen to this without the urge to get up and cabbage patch your way through the rest of the day. Listen here

“Aura” - Bicep | This one is very special this week, y’all. To start, Bicep are legends in the dance music community. The Belfast duo started up their website Feel My Bicep where they’d dust off and upload long lost dance tracks. I’m talking serious ass Italo Disco deep cuts, Detroit techno mastery, beats spanning from the birth of Chicago house. Eventually they formed the DJ duo now known as Bicep where they put together these sick ass mixes AND produce their own tunes. After years of dropping one of singles and EPs, yesterday they announced they’ll be dropping their debut self-titled album (congrats!) in September. Needless to say, I’m really stoked. Listen to their spanking new cut “Aura” for a taste of new Bicep. Listen here

“Fizzy” - Rosa Nutty | Kicking it down a few notches with Irish singer songwriter Rosa Nutty and her tender ode to being depressed in Dublin. Well, the themes can apply in any city, but I’ve been to Dublin and it can get a bit bleak. Everyone knows everyone; how do you even try to get out of your block and people out of your business? “Pick yourself off the floor, you don’t hurt,” she assures over a melancholic, echoing loop of her vocals. A high key #mood “Fizzy” is. Listen here

“Because” - Smerz | MOCA recently announced a summer music series and I noticed Smerz was on the bill under Zola Jesus. Plucking “Because” back on here, as the tune fucking bangs. Phil Taggart rinsed this one pretty hard last year every chance he could. The constant, choppy hi-hat looming under wonky, wet synths are lush, I just wanna bite into this song. Reminds me of a bit of Sally Shapiro meets FKA Twigs meets Little Dragon. Listen here

“Humongous” - Declan McKenna | You remember the first time you heard Arctic Monkeys? I got gooseflesh up my arms and on the back of my neck within the first seconds of “I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor” while sitting on the couch listening to satellite radio on a Saturday afternoon back in high school. It’s moments like that you know an artist has something really special going on, and that’s how I feel about each song Declan McKenna has dropped. If you followed my song recs in the pre-cmd+f days, you may recall Chris giving a shout out to young Declan. For those who’re new here and haven’t heard a single note of a Declan McKenna song, you’re in for a real treat. Hailed as THE new face of indie pop in the UK, and only having turned 18 last December, “Humongous” is a HUGE track. He really has no business making tunes this incredible so early in his career. Watch the video here. Listen here

BONUS

Yes, Lorde! Melodrama has arrived. Listen here
If you’re in the mood for sexy, churning guitars, new Royal Blood album is waiting for you to give it a spin. Listen here
King of getting outside and turning off your phone and soaking up the sun: George Ezra is back with an ode to tuning everything out, and I can say it’s made this week much brighter Listen here
New The Killers is pretty incredible, isn’t it? Brandon Flowers is morphing into David Byrne and I am HFT. Listen here

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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!

June 9, 2017

June 09, 2017 in Music, Newsletter

What an emotionally charged week. Can ya feel it in the air? In ya bones?

I’ve spent about 18 hours of my week at my day job listening solely to podcasts about government conspiracy theories and serial killers to take the edge off the Comey public hearing and UK snap election results that happened yesterday, and oddly enough it helped! Feeling pretty good about my Friday now, though I could go for a pitcher of sangria.

Please reach out to me via the handy dandy contact page on the cmd+f website, or at the brand new cmd+f Twitter at @cmdf_me 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.

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“Not About You” - Haiku Hands | Y E S. YES. YEEEEES. Fuck me up!! Melbourne’s Haiku Hands have come out of left field with this bratty banger I’ve been blasting in my car all damn week. This is their first single, and I’m hooked. The production takes me back to those halcyon days when I’d pirate episodes of Skins in high school and rinse Klaxons and Hadouken! records for hours on end afterward (I thought I was really, really cool). “Not About You” has purely addictive, cheeky lyrics and brazen bursts of energy. I can’t wait for more from Haiku Hands. Listen here

“Until You Feel Good” - San Mei | I bring yet another tune from Down Under, this time from Gold Coast’s San Mei. This hazy, post-beach come down with lush vocals and fuzzed-out guitars is intoxicating. The melodies cradle you with a sense of comfort whilst San Mei croons about being sure to take care and go easy on ourselves. Listen here

“Glory” - Dermot Kennedy | Dermot is on his way to be THE next male singer songwriter, mark my damn words, y’all!! Most of you may already be thinking, “not another one,” or “don’t we have enough of those?” Can’t argue with you there, but Dermot, like those who’ve garnered a steady fan base over the years, has that something special factor, all bundled up in his vocals and songwriting. I initially had his new single “Boston” up for this week, but I fell back on his track “Glory” to really grab you by the balls. Strap in: the conviction and strength in his vocals will knock out of your seat. Oh, and did I mention he’s Irish? If you live in LA, be sure to RSVP for School Night and see Dermot for FREE at the Bardot in Hollywood (and let me know if you’re going)! Listen here

“It’s All Good” - Superorganism | This is the shit I live for right here! Part Architecture in Helsinki, part early Gorillaz met with cut n’ paste production a la The Avalanches, “It’s All Good” is a demented piece of audible mastery. Appaz Superorganism is a trans-continental supergroup of 7 musicians from London scratching up beats for a 17-year-old vocalist name Orano who lives in Maine. Or at least that’s what they’ve said… their first song got taken down for an unauthorized sample clearance (despite Frank Ocean playing it on his Beats1 blondeRADIO show). When “It’s All Good” was polished and ready for released, they somehow nabbed a premiere on Beats1. Kooky origin story aside, “It’s All Good” bangs. Listen here

“Lose My Cool” - Amber Mark | I’m excited as hell for Amber Mark - girl has got some serious pipes and a true gift for songwriting on all levels. Her production is smooth and heavily influenced by her nomadic life of growing up around the globe. You can hear traces of Samba and classic R&B. In one of her interviews, Mark says her sister best described her sound as ‘tribal soul.’ It’s a breath of fresh air, and each track on her 3:33am EP has a life of its own. Listen here

BONUS

Again - Dermot Kennedy is performing Monday June 12 at the Bardot Hollywood for FREE for the weekly It’s a School Night showcase. Former cmd+f pick Ten Fe will also be making an appearance that night! Hit me up if you’re going and say hi! Click here to RSVP
Exit Kid (Emre of Years & Years and their touring drummer Dylan’s music project) have their debut EP out today! D O P E Listen here
Ten Tonnes has dropped his Born to Lose EP today Listen here
Best new Lorde release has arrived - “Sober” Listen here
About damn time: SZA coming through with a new album! Listen here
Only gonna mention Katy Perry has a new album out (listen to Allie X’s CollXtion II album instead Listen here)
Need to feel like you’re living inside a romanticized summer on the InterRail across Europe, riding rented bikes around cities all day, getting drunk on 2€ bottles of wine every night and reckless heavy petting on park benches and cobblestone streets? #bigmood - Phoenix have an album for that. Listen here

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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!

June 2, 2017

June 02, 2017 in Music, Newsletter

Welcome to the midway mark of 2017!… Can you believe we’re starting the second half of the year already? Summer festival season is in full swing. A boatload of major albums are about to drop over the next few months or be announced for quarter 4 (praying Years & Years has some answers for us soon). On the other hand, summertime approaching here in the Northern Hemisphere means I’m crippled with embarrassment to go out in public in sandals because I need a post Spring pedicure.

While the earth is going up in flames, do know I’ve got a nice selection of five songs this week for you to enjoy, and an armada of bonus content this week. Take your mind off some things, kick your feet up - enjoy!

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“Jinx” - IDA KUDO | I have to admit: when this song first came on, I almost switched it. I was trying to focus on a project at work, and luckily for the song, I couldn’t touch my phone in that moment and had to ride the song out. Good rule of thumb is to give a song at least 30 seconds– and if you’re patient, give it the whole damn song.It was worth sitting through because this chorus BANGS. For fans of Grimes and Little Dragon, “Jinx” is by far my most exciting song I’ve dug up this week. Not much literature floating around about IDA KUDO, but what I have found out she’s a Denmark-based Danish/Japanese artist making incredible experimental electropop pretty consistently over the last few years. Listen here

“Techno Parties” - Lustgas | The Swedes strike AGAIN! Even LESS information out there about this artist. This is the only song I’ve found by Lustgas (though to be honest I haven’t tried too hard). “Techno Parties” sounds a bit like a cross between Peter Bjorn and John at their campiest meets The Von Bondies (aaah, remember them?) forged together during the rise of peak early 80s Blondie. Sounds like a lot happening? Well, it’s ultimately a bangin pop tune. Listen here

“Further” - TOPS | Every music journalism outlet is losing their minds over the new TOPS tunes. I’ve fallen for it, too. Pitchfork describes their sound as “honey-dipped guitars and twinkling keyboards,” and “paint a picture as stark as heartbreak” with this track “Further.” When you hear the track, these descriptions will make a whole lotta sense. Listen here

“Fire Sign” - Sensible J feat. REMI and Sampa the Great | Australia got bars. Like, serious ass – Iggy Azelea has managed to make herself the face of Australian hip-hop, meanwhile they’re down there hiding REMI, Sensible J, and Sampa the Great!!! “Fire Sign” is fucking dope. Honest, groovy, funky, free. This got that pure 90s New York vibe. Listen here

“Theresa May (Bullshit)” - Cherryade | My babes Cherryade have bust out an anti-Conservative club ANTHEM. Never in my life did I think I’d want to shake my ass to “hide your shit like Theresa May.” The production on this is crazy as hell, and would go the hell AWF in a club. Speaking of Theresa May: the UK election is next week. I’m here to remind y’all if you are reading this and live in the UK, please remember to cast a vote for your local PM!! Listen here

BONUS

Those who are close to me know one of my faaaavorite genre’s of music to listen to is house music. NPR’s podcast Code Switch, which explores race and identity in American (and sometimes global) culture, have released an incredible episode on house and techno music. The episode highlight its origins in black/Latinx/queer communities in Chicago and Detroit in the early 80s, and explore dance music has devolved into yet another music culture imperialised and dominated by white male musicians in Europe. For music nerds like yours truly, those who aren’t familiar with the origins of dance music, or if you’ve got 20 minutes to spare, it’s imperative you give this a listen (and share with your friends). Listen here
LOTS OF NEW MUSIC THIS FRIDAY- BEAR WITH ME, BUT WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS
Feeling stressed about the state of the world? Arcade Fire will make it sound slightly more optimistic for at least 5:03 consecutive minutes. Listen here
Dua Lipa’s debut album is finally here! Don’t get too worked up though as half of the tracks have been released as singles……………………………………………. Nevertheless, I assure you’re still gonna bop till you drop. Listen here
NEW! BETSY! SECOND COMING OF CHER IS TOO REAL!! Listen here
Haven’t listened yet, but Halsey’s hopeless fountain kingdom dropped today. I can assure you it’s more a pop album than an alternative album. “Strangers” is the best song on it. Yep, I have determined “Strangers” is peak Halsey. Can't tell me otherwise Listen here
Liam Gallagher has gone solo. Like, purely solo - no Beady Eye bullshit. Still not as good as anything Noel’s written for him to sing, but it’s still a fucking belter. 9/10. Listen here
Oh, and have you had the chance to follow the official cmd+f Twitter and Instagram?
Once more, with feeling: IF YOU LIVE IN THE UK, PLEASE VOTE NEXT THURSDAY, 8 JUNE!!! REMIND YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY!

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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!

May 26, 2017

May 26, 2017 in Music, Newsletter

Holy bananas, y’all. Today is today. It’s here, you and I are breathing, and I want to take a moment to thank you once again for indulging me and reading this little letter.

I’ve been subtly hyping this up for a couple weeks now, but I am very pleased to share with you the official cmd+f website.

Yup–you heard correctly: a real ass website! Wahoo! I’ve archived all of the past letters onto the site, including a nice little gallery viewing area of the 35mm film headers that link you to the letters. I also wanted to have all the content aggregate onto a tidier looking page with the potential to expand content without having to link you to ten different social media pages. From here on out, you can visit cmdf.me and (hopefully) find everything you need.

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“Dynabeat” - Jain | If you’re looking for a new song to wild out to at the gym, let Jain’s “Dynabeat” be your new anthem. The purest, feelgoodiest funky beats remind me of a handful of funky one hit wonders from the early 80s. So good, it’s made it onto my (slowly) growing Poolside Jammery playlist. Anyone else feel like causing a traffic jam with an improvised dance routine in the middle of your block after listening to this? Just me? Listen here

“Hold on to Me” - Tsörf | Don’t let the “ö” fool you – Tsörf is actually from New Zealand, forging gorgeous and somber pop. “Hold on to Me” is an ode to making your way out of darkness. I can practically hear her fingers slipping up her grip, yet there’s a current of grounded-ness wavering beneath it. This song is pure love. Listen here

“Merv” - The Hubbards | This tune comes courtesy of BBC Introducing in Humberside. I haven’t listened to a lick of radio for at least two months at this point, and this was one of the first things I heard. Completely obsessed with unpacking that opening bass line that burns into your brain from the jump. After listening to their EP this week for a few hours, I can attest The Hubbards have a knack for crafting a tune. “Merv” is their standout track, and one of my favorite tunes I've stumbled across this month. Listen here

“Life of the Party” - Chelsea Jade | Can you believe I’ve got another Kiwi on the letter this week?! Well, New Zealand’s cranking out some fantastic pop tunes. “Life of the Party” is a Broods song on Benadryl. Now that I’ve said that, it sounds completely offensive and implying it’s boring. On the contrary; I mean it more in the sense Chelsea Jade’s vocals are softer, relaxed, and dreamy. Listen here

“Carry On” (Dubbel Dutch Remix) - Tkay Maidza feat. Killer Mike | Australia’s Tkay Maidza’s debut album dropped last year, but a handful of remixes breathed new life into her track “Carry On.” I first heard Tkay on a feature for a Troye Sivan song a couple years ago. She cropped up on stage for a guest performance at Troye’s teeny tiny show in a 200 person capacity venue I saw him perform at before Blue Neighbourhood came out. She’s got a lot of elements that remind me of Santogold in her music. Of all the remixes of “Carry On,” Dubbel Dutch plays on the whimsical flare laced in the original song, strapping on some pseudo-island vibes. The bubbly synth upgraded this to straight up “certified bop” status. Listen here

BONUS

Once you’ve moseyed around the cmd+f site, shared the link with a few friends (thanks in advance), please follow cmd+f on Twitter and Instagram!
Big day in pop music for the gays: Carly Rae Jepsen, Troye Sivan, Sia, Little Mix all have new singles out today, and Lana Del Rey has confirmed a release date for her album Lust for Life (“July 21 fam”).
Bisexuals unite! Halsey and Lauren Jauregui of Fifth Harmony have dropped a synth-heavy lady loving anthem. Sounds like a bionic Stevie Nicks song. Taking bets on how long for MUNA to Tweet about it. Very much looking forward to this music video. Listen here
Lil Yachty got an album, y’all!! He’s even serving up some island vibes on a track with UK rapper and cmd+f alumna Stefflon Don. Listen here
Rita Ora’s taken a break from hosting TV shows, red carpet events, landing on the front page of The Daily Mail, and hung up the phone with Nick Grimshaw to remind you that, yes, she is indeed a career musician. Excuse me while I go bop to “Your Song.” Listen here
Today is too much. Too many single releases. I am both wired and tired.

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If you’re interested in hearing what else I’ve been rinsing this month (aside from the tracks listed above), peep my personal May 2017 playlist. You can dive into the cmd+f archive to hear what I’ve been listening to in previous months this year.

A(lmost a)ll of the tracks I’ve shared this week and past cmd+f newsletters are archived into a single playlist on Spotify for you to follow here. You’re welcome.

See you next week!

May 19, 2017

May 19, 2017 in Music, Newsletter

This is an archived post originally sent out via the cmd+f weekly newsletter

Before I start this week’s letter, I need to address a very obvious elephant in the room: for those who are unaware, there has been an incredible revelation regarding PWR BTTM, one of the five artists I featured in last week’s cmd+f. Allegations of sexual assault from one half of the group have come forward, and since PWR BTTM have been dropped from their label, had their album pulled from streaming services, and their tour canceled.The backlash has been swift and ruthless, as it should be against sexual predators. But the backlash has left others shocked how quickly PWR BTTM’s relevancy has been crumbled whilst other aggressors in the music industry continue to maintain careers.

While there are a lot of thinkpiece-y Twitter threads on this that floated around last weekend, I would ask you to take a moment to read about the situation filtered through the POV of a friend of mine who is actively involved in the queer DIY music scene. Please note the article contains themes revolving around sexual assault and emotional abuse.

Click here to read “It’s Bigger Than PWR BTTM” by Reed DeLuca

With that, SCHOOL’S OUT!!! I’ve got some great track up my sleeve that I’ve been excited to share with you.

P.S. School does not very much suck. I kinda miss it.

Got any questions? Tips? Please reach out to me via Twitter at @hellogoodbritt (or any other way you may know how to contact me) with your thoughts about any of the tracks I’ve selected this week. I love chatting about music. Let me know what you’re listening to that everyone else should be listening to, too.

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“Feel OK” - GIRLI feat. Lethal Bizzle | GIRLI has returned in all her hot pink glory to serve us the most electric one night stand anthem we've heard in years. I’ve dropped GIRLI into cmd+f a few months ago, and that tune was vastly different from “Fuck Right Off Back to LA.” Whilst that was more a novelty jam, “Feel OK” is a serious ass pop jam. I love GIRLI, and I’m ELATED to know she had this mulling inside of her. Could honestly listen to this on loop all day. Listen here

“April Flowers ” - Jesse Jo Stark | Got a new sad girl jam for y’all: this one's got me feeling like I'm back at my windowsill in Seattle watching the rain patter outside while looping Hole for hours on end avoiding my Victorian Lit dissertation and how things could have been if I didn't let me crippling anxiety keep me from going to another part the night before. Yeah; one of those kinda sad girl jams. Listen here

“Awake and Pretty Much Sober” - Violents, Monica Martin | This track is my own personal surprise of the week. For those of you who haven’t checked out the podcast Switched On Pop, they have an episode where they break down The Chainsmokers. I hope you’re still reading this, and as much as I personally have never vibed with a single The Chainsmokers song, the hosts break down their song formulas and why they work so good, and it’s because they tease the chorus right from the start. In “Awake and Pretty Much Sober,” we get the instrumentals for the chorus straight away too, establishing that melody and ultimately some emotional intimacy with the song. It’s a damn nice chorus, the entire song sprinkled with cinematic qualities (including a brilliant strings interlude 3 minutes into the song before a bridge breaks through). It’s easily one of the most gorgeous songs I’ve listened to in a long time. Listen here

“Dead for seconds” - Moto Boy, Nina Persson | I have been sitting on this one for a week now after going down a Scandinavian music hole. Moto Boy’s latest album is surprisingly enough titled New music, and it got me through a tumultuous week clogged with over time and exhaustion. The morbid romanticism of being “dead for seconds when you look at your object of affection. Let's be real: high key relatable theme as I know feeling very well whilst watching Tom Hardy on screen. Listen here

“World of Wonders” - Buddy | If you listen to the lyrics too closely, I am like, “you’re really gonna push this, you cocky MF.” With lyrics like, “gonna make you love me long time,” and “what you got on underneath that? I wanna know,” it warrants some serious eyerolling, but honestly I think Kaytranada’s smooth production on the instrumentals brings down the cringey . I can’t help but groove to this, and I made it through the whole song a few times, and it gets better with each listen. Listen here

BONUS

For the past five years, I have harrowed through a tumultuous journey, traveling across the country for three consecutive summers, wept, screamed, clawed, yearned, and prayed for this day. For this moment. To hold onto the meaning of this feeling. The feeling of Liam goddamn Payne as, finally and rightfully, a solo artist. Listen here
To follow up my previous bullet point, my well thought out takes on “Strip That Down:” lyrics are very Ed Sheeran (who wrote it, and when you hear it, you can’t help but agree), also they’re so simple and not too raunchy so Midwestern moms are gonna love this. Beat is good, bangs in the car better than on my computer, wish they could have pushed the chorus to go a little harder. iHeartRadio producers/DJs are loving it and tbh those are the only people who matter when it comes to churning out a hit. Fun bop, and I’m glad it happened.
Excuse the fuck out of Katy Perry! I have whiplash! I nearly turned my back on her after “Bon Apetit,” because I have no time for cunnalingus elevator music featuring verses from rappers who’ve never been eyelevel with a vag since birth, but she Did the Thing. “Swish Swish” is a god damn bop. Listen here
Selena Gomez samples Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” for her new song “Bad Liar,” and I felt a whole lot of emotions about it. Listen to “Bad Liar” and then “Psycho Killer”

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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!

May 12, 2017

May 12, 2017 in Newsletter, Music

This is an archived post originally sent out via the cmd+f weekly newsletter

HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I’M CURRENTLY WRITING THIS ON MY PHONE AT A CONCERT WHILE I WAIT OUTSIDE OF THE PHOTO PIT BETWEEN SETS. IT’S A BIT LOUD IN HERE, BUT I AM FULLY COMMITTED TO GETTING SOME NEW MUSIC TO YOUR EARS FOR THE NEXT WEEK. YOU READY?

Before we roll, let me keep my usual bit tucked in here: Got any questions? Tips? Please reach out to me via Twitter at @hellogoodbritt (or any other way you may know how to contact me) with your thoughts about any of the tracks I’ve selected this week. I love chatting about music. Let me know what you’re listening to that everyone else should be listening to, too.

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“Who’s the Madman” - Louise Burns | If Morrissey wrote for The Go-Go’s, I reckon it’d sound a bit like Louise Burns. “Who’s the Madman” is a the opening track to her latest album Young Mopes. Give that a spin if you’re into this track and you won’t be disappointed. Listen here

“Principle” - Ronika | Ronika girl serves up some Kylie (Minogue, this should go without saying) REALNESS in this funk-driven bop. LOVE IT! Listen here

“On My Mind” - Disciples | While we can't all be Pete Tong on a beach in Ibiza, we can sure try and feel like we are. I know Disciples are huge in the EDM community, rightfully so, especially after their smash single “How Deep Is Your Love?” with Calvin Harris, but I'm sure they've for the most part slipped from the general public’s ears since.”On My Mind” is a perfect dance track that I promise will have you feeling like you maybe are Pete Tong on a beach in Ibiza. Listen here

“Real Ting” (Remix) - Stefflon Don feat. Giggs | Y’all: UK rap is no longer fucking around. Between Skepta and Stormzy pushing through Stateside, the whole gang is hungry. The last female UK rapper I name dropped in cmd+f was Lady Leshurr, but make sure you keep your eyes on Stefflon Don. Channeling nearly everything down to image and biting flow, she’s the UK’s very own Lil Kim, throwing down the hardest bars in the highest heels. Keep your ears on her. Big things are brewing in Stefflin Don’s camp this year. Listen here

“Big Beautiful Day” - PWR BTTM | The absolutely fabulous glitterbomb punk band PWR BTTM’s sophomore album Pageant officially dropped today. If you haven’t listened to it yet (which if you have, you likely streamed it via NPR this week), know you’re in for a treat. I think “Big Beautiful Day” was their lead single for this album, and it’s glistening punk goodness. Listen here

BONUS

Harry Styles officially has a solo album under his belt! And it’s so good. How would I know? I listened to it on the way home from the show I was shooting last night. Listen here
It took a lot of strength to not share Tove Styrke’s “Say My Name” five times in a row this week. With dignity, I am just gonna slap down a link to the official music video for that dropped yesterday. This song is a ridiculously good earworm, and the visuals are pretty mesmerizing. Watch here
Disclaimer: get ready for me to be so extra next Friday. Just. You. Wait.

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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!

May 5, 2017

May 05, 2017 in Newsletter, Music

This is an archived post originally sent out via the cmd+f weekly newsletter

Hello. Let me make this brief: six songs for this fantastic Friday. Some exciting bonus content is in the works! Stay tuned. Thanks for allowing me to share music with you every week. I genuinely look forward to it, and thank you for indulging me.

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“I’m Dead” [Pretty Edit] - DUCKWRTH feat. Sabrina Claudio & Sad Money | This appears to be the latest single from Duckwrth’s I’M UUGLY album - a bouncy “Pretty” edit of the track featuring an added appearance by Sad Money. Kaytranada fans will love the shit out of this. Highly recommended to throw this on next time you bump in the car. Listen here

“Second Chance” - Mating Ritual | I feel so blindsided. Mating Ritual has a very strong and dedicated fanbase, and I tried SO desperately to immerse myself in the music. And you can’t do that! If you can’t ride the wave, don’t force it. “Second Chance” ironically popped up in a radio playlist this week, and I was astonished to see if was by Mating Ritual. It’s a complete bop paired with Ryan Marshall Lawhon’s gravelly vocals. The hook is begging for you to sing along. I'd imagine this garners massive audience participation points at Mating Ritual shows. Listen here

“Love Me Better” - Love Thy Brother feat. Ariel Beesley | Y’all: I faced a massive conundrum this week. I stumbled across the remix of this song first… remixed by none other than Love Thy Brother themselves. In said remix, the Brethren added a few wavy flourishes, well-placed reverb, and guitar licks under Ariel Beesley’s vocals, and the result is exactly what we’d expect from sky Ferreira's long lost Masochism album we’ve been waiting on for nine million years. In the end, I couldn’t settle on including the original recording or the reimagined remix, so for your convenience, I’ve linked both. Hit me up on Twitter and let me know if you prefer one over the other. Listen here (and the remix here)

“Say My Name” - Tove Styrke | Tove! Styrke! TOVE! STYRKE! I hear you, girl! “Say My Name” has been stuck in my head all damn week. I’m beyond excited Tove Styrke is back, and I’m so ready for a fresh crop of ear worms from her. Listen here

“Stay For Real” - Young Galaxy | Dropping this in here to go a little more left on the pop vein. “Stay For Real” is a stunning, gauzy day dream. Listen here

“My Nature” - Little Cub | Been looking forward to Little Cub’s debut album Still Life for a minute! It finally dropped last week and I’ve had the week to really let it marinate. The London trip has listed LCD Soundsystem and New Order as major influences on their music, but I’ll have you know they sound a bit more like Depeche Mode on opiates. I’m a sucker for a glorious synth, and “My Nature” has a few woven throughout, pushing and pulling at a pulsing thrum. If you like “My Nature,” give all of Still Life a spin. Listen here

BONUS

One of my favorite bands of all time, shoegaze legends Slowdive, has dropped their first album in 20 years. Based on the singles released prior to the album drop, it’s incredible. They can do no wrong. Listen here
New Flume track “Hyperreal.” Honestly lost my mind the first time I heard this all the way through-it lives up to the name. It’s insane, and can’t believe the level of quality production that’s in this. Flume has yet to make a song that’s disappointed me. Listen here
Might as well make a habit of mentioning someone from 1D in this letter every week: so far, Niall’s dropped the most exciting and compelling solo release. “Slow Hands” is going to be a summer hit. Still disappointed it’s not an Interpol cover. Listen here

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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!

April 28, 2017

April 28, 2017 in Music, Newsletter

This is an archived post originally sent out via the cmd+f weekly newsletter

Harry Styles announced a world tour this morning and I ceremoniously apologized to my credit card nearly ten times this morning between my wiping the sleep crust out of my eyes. I’m so used to 1D pulling that kind of shit, I figured the tickets would go on sale at 10am this morning, but it turns out I have a week to mentally prepare for this bloodbath for tickets to The Greek.

This isn’t the reason cmd+f was sent out late today; it’s just there was TOO MUCH NEW MUSIC unleashed today that I couldn’t keep my brain together. Well, I managed to wiggle the list for today down to SIX tracks and a bounty of bonus content.

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“Nights With You” - MØ | Nights With You,” a so conspicuously obvious sapphic proposal to ditch the D for a weekend of lady love was so BLATANTLY dusted over by a number of music outlets when it dropped last week, and, well, it’s the most important part of this damn song. So I’m including it in cmd+f this week because it’s a culturally important song!! When’s the last time you’ve hear a female pop singer propose getting down with some lady love? Huh? Also, the track was produced by Cashmere Cat (who has a highly anticipated [by like inter-label standards and general hype] debut album that dropped today if you feel like listening), and PC Music affiliate SOPHIE, who’s dabbled in a few of Charli XCX’s recent projects to help map out a demented pop landscape I yearn to hear more of in the coming years. Give me all the wonky, saw-seared synth cuts. I also wanted to throw this bop in here for my lady loving friends in lieu of lesbian visibility day that happened this week. Listen here

“Thinking of a Place” - The War On Drugs | I know it’s considered pretentious as hell these days to make a song longer than 5 minutes. With our brains hardwired to twiddle between Instagram, Twitter, Whatsapp, Snapchat, and out email apps every two minutes, it’s kind of hard to get a grip on how to focus our attention for longer than a handful of minutes. The War on Drugs consistently recall on the days when rock gave zero fucks, took up a whole B-side on one track. “Thinking of a Place” is a song that you actually want to never end from the second it starts, and it travels so many moods, it’s four songs in one, all oozing with the essence of the Golden Hour at sunset. If you can handle a song over 10 minutes, please take sometime and plug in for “Thinking of a Place.” Listen here

“Regrets” - Zipper Club | Lissy Trullie has a side project! And gosh, is “Regrets” insanely good. I’m in love with this composition, starting out as a bumbling, shy track that swoops and sways between the hesitant verses, and then eventually sputters out to an aggressive, punked out headbanger. Listen here

“Up All Night” - David Archuleta | Yes, that David Archuleta from American Idol. For those who refuse to get down from your high horse, may I remind you this whole newsletter is about digging up songs that may have flown under your radar or you may have likely glossed over. This track came to me last week whilst listening to the New Music Friday Latin music list, and I was confused because it was the only song that popped up not in Spanish. I then noticed it was none other than David Archuleta. Serious, serious shock, y’all. “Up All Night” is a great, beautifully crafted pop song that could easily get lost on the current trop-house saturated radio market, but what really did it for me was the cinematic quality to the track. It sounds ripe and ready to score a film trailer. David’s got a new EP coming out in a few weeks, and this song has definitely piqued my interests. Listen here

“Lover’s Letdown” - Goldmyth | I wasn’t sure about this song until I got at least 30 seconds into it. And that may happen to you, too, so just wait for it to really juice up and kick in, because the payoff is delicious. What a fantastic hook. Listen here

“Your Love” - HAERTS | Calling all my Stevie Knicks loving sad girls (and boys): this one is especially for you. Go forth and prosper. Listen here

BONUS

Hailee! Steinfeld’s! New! Single! “Most Girls” !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Listen here
Wale dropped his album a week early and he made sure to tuck in a rip roaring summertime banger called “My Love” featuring none other than Major Lazer (requisite for establishing summerygoodness, duh), WizKid, and Dua Lipa Listen here
Lady Leshurr dropped an entire EP yesterday, and it is fiiiiire. Listen here
Will link you to Ryan Tedder’s Newsweek interview for posteriority in which he gloriously reveals Liam Payne is ready to eat my soul and churn out a pop career. Read 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 April 2017 playlist. You can dive into the cmd+f archive to hear what I’ve been listening to in previous months this year.

A(lmost a)ll of the tracks I’ve shared this week and past cmd+f newsletters are archived into a single playlist on Spotify for you to follow here. You’re welcome.

See you next week!

April 21, 2017

April 21, 2017 in Newsletter, Music

This is an archived post originally sent out via the cmd+f weekly newsletter

This is where I usually write a quirky intro about what’s happening in music while vaguely referencing my week in music exploration, but my brain has turned to oatmeal. I will note: remember how last week I had 12 songs stashed in my cmd+f arsenal? Well, I sat on the tunes that didn’t make it into the letter last week, and they’re not so fresh anymore. Only one of the five songs listed this week survived the lot of leftovers from last week.

As for the Anchor recordings, those are definitely on hiatus indefinitely. I’m working on adding new features to take cmd+f to a whole ‘nother level. It’s all under wraps, but it’ll roll out soon enough.

Got any questions? Tips? Please reach out to me via Twitter at @hellogoodbritt (or any other way you may know how to contact me) with your thoughts about any of the tracks I’ve selected this week. I love chatting about music – it's why I started this letter! Let me know what you’re listening to so that I can let everyone else know they should be listening to that too.

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“Shell” - Charlotte OC | “Shell” is stacked with melodic surprises: opening as a thrumming, melancholic power ballad, the pensive verse bursts through as a hopeful, dazzling chorus. It literally echoes the emotions of gently basking in the freedom that comes with letting go of a bad past relationship, and recognizing that void inside you is left behind for you to fill up with something fresh. I could honestly listen to the transition from the verse to chorus on loop for hours on end; it’s just that perfect. If you can get out of looping “Shell” endlessly, please do give a listen to Charlotte’s new album Careless People. Listen here

“Mo(u)rning” - Anne Dereaux | “Mo(u)rning” is Anne Dereaux’s debut single, and consider me scalpt. I can tell you right now, she’s destined to be a music journo’s DREAM to gas up. She’s got sick production, incredible vocals and tone, an entire look to go with her vibe. The journo’s are already foaming at the mouth, lurking in the shadows awaiting her debut Book of Lolita EP to drop. And to continue to blatantly hyping her up so more, Rick fucking Rubin emailed her the day after this song dropped, so needless to say her career trajectory is only going exponentially upward. Consider this your notice: all aboard the Anne Dereaux train. While I’ve seen a few write ups dub her sound similar to BANKS and FKA Twigs, I’d say Anne sounds much more like Kelela, Jorja Smith, and Tinashe when she's on her slow jam R&B tip. Listen here

“Minimum” - Charlie Cunningham | Before I even get into the music: if you stare at Charlie’s profile picture on Spotify long enough, your brain will start to confuse him for Chris Martin. I wonder how often he’s told this…. As for the music, “Minimum” has racked up a whopping 8+ million spins on Spotify. Most places with comment sections enabled that claim the song’s cropped up on a lot of people’s Spotify playlists and it's moved them. The song certainly stopped me in my tracks the first time I heard it, leaving me slack-jawed and immediately filing it away into my cmd+f playlist queue. With the airy production overlaid in moving Cathedral-level reverb, “Minimum” is haunting, soothing, and absolutely stunning. It almost makes you wonder what the song would sound like performed in a church (definitely click that previous link to satisfy your curiosity; it’s as good as the studio version). Listen here

“Drum Machine” - Lao Ra | While I initially had Lao Ra’s new Pablo Escobar inspired track “Bala,” I found myself looping her bop “Drum Machine,” and it was only fair to share it with you, too. Early interviews with the Colombian-born London-based artist labeled her music as “pineapple pop,” dubbing her a Latinx M.I.A. The comparisons are fair when you see her boldly colored and collaged album covers – but the sound is still so clearly deeply rooted in Latin American musical influences. “Drum Machine” dropped last July, and I can assure you my ass will still be dancing to it this coming July. Listen here (and listen to it in Spanish here)

“It’s Cool” - Exit Kid | Emre Turkmen of Years & Years launched a new music project with Years & Years’ tour drummer Dylan Bell this week called Exit Kid. I never thought I’d see the day when Emre’d get behind the mic, but it is here, and it’s… fucking great. After spending months of obsessively scrubbing every inch of YouTube to watch every Years & Years live performance and interview ever recorded, I recall Emre living in a battered Elastica tee for approximately 78% of them whilst continuously listing Radiohead as a major musical influence. “It’s Cool” is dripping in Brit Pop vibes, but then again the Brit Pop "genre" was so nuanced and varied over the years that it was more a movement in rock music than a true sound. That history lesson can be saved for another day. Anywho, Emre and Dylan absolutely crush it with their first song for this project. Exit Kid’s debut EP drops next month on May 25. Listen here

BONUS

Pop’s current darling without a debut album Dua Lipa dropped a new single with Miguel and it’s rather good. Listen here
Pop’s other current darling Sigrid officially has a second single to her name for people to gas up. Listen here
While not exactly music, this is very much sound-oriented: stress is inevitable, but for those who have a difficult time falling asleep or trying to calm/sooth your brain, ambient/white noise simulations may help you tune out and relax. I use myNoise.net, and my personal favorite is the fireplace noise. You can calibrate the volume levels to your own liking so your ears can hear the noise even at a low volume.

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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!

April 14, 2017

April 14, 2017 in Music, Newsletter

This is an archived post originally sent out via the cmd+f weekly newsletter

I know it’s going to be really hard to focus on anything else today between the release of DAMN. and mentally preparing oneself for Harry Styles’ first live performance as a solo artist ever broadcasted live coast to coast on Saturday Night Live tomorrow. From the bottom of my heart: thank you for taking time out of your day to pause Kendrick Lamar’s new album to have a gander at my little letter.

This week I scaled back on my compulsive podcast marathoning while at work and decided to focus more on music. Like. Way more. Like, I spent over 8 hours a day listening and finding a shit ton of cool playlists to dig into whilst sat at my desk. With all that audible heavy lifting, my eardrums are flexed and I ended up “””””finding””””” 16 songs! An Easter/Passover miracle!

Unfortunately for you, I only have five of those sixteen songs in the letter today. Those included this week were the first five I found, and I still feel very passionate to share them with y’all. Don’t fret: the others are stacked in my arsenal for a future week. You’ll hear them soon enough!

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“Kryptonite” - George Maple | if you enjoy club music, odds are you’ve heard George Maple a time or two. Dear George made her grande entrance as a vocalist for a song on Flume’s debut album a few years back, and has since gone on to lend vocals for Goldroom and DJ Snake. My girl (yes, George is officially one of my girls) is rightfully making strides to set a name for her damn self, and her latest single “Kryptonite” is a smoldering, silky R&B-fused bop. Fans of Jessie Ware and Kelela are definitely going to love “Kryptonite.” Listen here

“Physical” - The Aces | Well, well, well, it was only just yesterday the HAIM sisters decided to come out of hiding from the last four years. And the day before yesterday, I settled in on including this The Aces track. Now, to connect these two sentences, The Aces share a lot of elements of HAIM-esque pop-driven guitars in their music. These girls are stirring up a lot of buzz, and 2017 is definitely their launching pad – and they know it. Head over to their website, and they introduce themselves as “FOUR GIRLS ABOUT TO RULE THE WORLD.” Hell yeah. Well, prepare to have “Physical” on repeat all week. If you live in LA, catch them at the upcoming School Night! at the Bardot in Hollywood (and maaaaybe you’ll run into me there, too….) Listen here

“I’m Easy” - Merk | Shout out to Coup de Main Magazine for keeping me posted with what’s coming out of the Kiwi music scene. “I’m Easy” dropped at the start of a sizzling summertime in the Other Hemisphere, and only recently dropped an official music video for the track that caught my attention. Merk’s not only got sunny-side-up egg glasses, but he’s got some really groovy tunes. “I’m Easy” passed my “windows down and driving 80mph in the fast lane at night” test. His debut album Swordfish is going to be rinsed heavily these coming summer months. Listen here

“Rodeo” - Pssy Pwr | WOOOOOOO!!!! Scream hallelujah! Pssy Pwr come through with a fucking BOP. I had to do some digging to figure out who the hell crafted this MASTERPIECE, and it turns out Pssy Pwr are a duo formed by none other than songwriting genius’ Anjulie and Oren Yoel, who both have an impressive roster of hits under their belts (Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Icona Pop?! And so many more?!). Good on them, as “Rodeo” has been stuck in my head ALL week. I washed my dishes humming the hook, yodeled “hallelujah” in my dog’s face when scratching his ears, had the song on repeat as I pecked out documents all day at work, and even couldn’t help but dance to it in the middle of my room a few times. Give it a spin - do note the song is best enjoyed at a high volume. Listen here

“To Swim” - Petrie | Embarrassment be damned; Petrie is the Level of Cool I drag my ass through the tumultuous desert of discovering damn good music every week in search of. “To Swim” initially dropped last November, but Petrie did include it on his new Slurs EP that came out a few weeks ago. It’s still a stand out track dripping in absolute quality, sexy alt-pop. Listen here

BONUS

Little Dragon’s new album Season High is out and you should definitely listen to it sometime ASAP. Listen here
Michelle Branch is back with a FULL ALBUM and you should DEFINITELY pencil in an hour of listening time for this comeback. Listen here
I never thought I’d be typing this… but Linkin Park, Pusha T, and STORMZY dropped a single. Listen to it to believe it actually happened, tbh. For those who are fans of Grime: do you think Stormzy is going to break into the US mainstream before Skepta?

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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!

April 7, 2017

April 07, 2017 in Music, Newsletter

This is an archived post originally sent out via the cmd+f weekly newsletter

Today is pretty historic. In a way. Kinda. I mean, I guess.

I had a bit of deja vu: I stayed up until Midnight to tune into BBC Radio 1’s Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw to tune in to hear Harry Styles’ solo debut. As a recovering 1D superstan, the dormant moonlit jitters in anticipation for a new damn song has not been at this level since 1D premiered a song and announced an album circa 2013. At that time, I was unemployed and suffering from insomnia, so the level of euphoria was rather different this round. Waking up this morning is terrible. Awful. God, help me. Please excuse any (possible but most likely very much scattered throughout this newsletter) gross spelling and grammatical errors.

With that: it’s another week of no audio recordings for cmd+f. I sincerely apologize for this, but look at the bright side: this is in your inbox on time, and I’ve committed to giving you five sick tracks to enjoy this week!

Got any questions? Tips? Please reach out to me via Twitter at @hellogoodbritt (or any other form you may know how to contact me) with your thoughts about any of the tracks I’ve selected this week. I love chatting about music. Let me know what you’re listening to that everyone else should be listening to, too.

As always, you know the drill: if you like what you hear, spread the cheer. Tell your friends about the songs you liked in this letter, but most importantly, let the artists know. There’s a good chance they’ll see your comments, and from recent encounters, I know it’ll really make their day.

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“Give It All Up” - RÉN | Yes girl! Make it RÉN! Seamless! Pop! Perfection! RÉN has been teasing us with some incredible tracks for a few years now with absolutely no debut project in sight (c’mon, girl! Tell us what we can do to scrounge up an EP?) The Brooklyn vixen dropped “Give It All Up” at the end of 2016, a minty-fresh power-pop jam serving up some serious MUNA-esque vibes. The song is laced with lush, silky-soft vocals, and bursts through with a spectacular hook. Listen here

“Grifting - Timber Timbre | My god, what a TUNE. Straddling on some seriously funky 1970s Bowie vibes, “Grifting” is captivating and totally addicting. This came on shuffle while I was cruising through West Hollywood circling the block for a parking spot. I had my windows down, cranked this up, and felt cool as hell. Listen here

“Lucid” - Kelly Lee Owens | Tapping into my inner love for the more cerebral with this Kelly Lee Owens track. The SmalltownSupersound signee joins the ranks of electronic music Scandinavian royalty (Lindstrøm, Neneh Cherry to name a couple), and has been receiving a shit load of rave reviews for her debut self-titled album. If you enjoy experimental, ambient electronic music, you’re going to fall in love with Kelly Lee Owens. Listen here

“Someone” - ROMES | Who the heck are ROMES? They surprisingly have a wikipedia page that tells me they formed after meeting in Wicklow, Ireland (which, after having a brief stint living in Ireland, OF ALL PLACES) in 2015, and are now based out of Toronto. 2015!! Only two years old as a band and they got this alt-pop down pat. Oh, and allegedly our favorite honorary lesbian Hozier loves the heck out of them, too. Then again, everyone in Ireland knows everyone in Ireland. This is a well known fact. I’m willing to put money down that Niall Horan’s foaming at the mouth over ROMES, too. In fact, Niall and Hozier talked ROMES on a golf course in Dingle. In all seriousness, pop “Someone” on to help marinate into those springtime vibes (or as your chase away the last dregs of warmth as autumn fades in if you’re in the lower hemisphere). Listen here

“Heathen” - Colouring | Let’s take it down a notch with Colouring’s newest single. Sounding very much like an ironed out Radiohead, the band are still full force in their blue period, visually (as seen on all of their cover art released so far), and sonically. They’re honing in on a more personalized and accessible sound – I’m very into this direction they’re taking with “Heathen.” Listen here

BONUS

I need to give a special shout out and wish my girl Bridget a fabulous birthday. I’m going to immortalize this day in a cmd+f newsletter. For those reading who do not know who Bridget is, well, I’m sorry for hiding her from you. She and her friend Brooke host a fab AF podcast called SPLAT! Each week they dissect an episode of Sex and the City from the perspective of twenty-somethings living in New York 20 years after the revolutionary TV aired. Get familiar (and wish Bridget a happy birthday!) – SPLAT! Online: Twitter | Instagram | iTunes

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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!

March 31, 2017

March 31, 2017 in Newsletter, Music

This is an archived post originally sent out via the cmd+f weekly newsletter

Do I have some music for you! Of course I do; it’s Friday… and this is cmd+f.

Unfortunately there is no recording on Anchor this week. I went to a Throwback Thursday screening of Blade Runner last night, and, oh my god??? Can you believe movies were recorded on film reels once upon a time? I’m sure most of it was retouched/remastered for a contemporary screening, but then again, there are times when I drop into galleries and stare at photographs from 50+ years ago that look like they were taken yesterday. The camera lens is so incredible. The whole concept of capturing a moment in time and having the power to replicate it…. I’m starting to dive into some stoner philosophy TED Talk, and nobody asked for that. Onto the musique!

Please reach out to me via Twitter at @hellogoodbritt (or any other form you may know how to contact me) with your thoughts about any of the tracks I’ve selected this week.

As always, you know the drill: if you like what you hear, spread the cheer. Tell your friends about the songs you liked in this letter, but most importantly, let the artists know. There’s a veeeeery good chance they’ll see your comments, and from past experience, I know it’ll really make their day.

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“Justify” - Tei Shi | Over one year after seeing her open for Years & Years, my girl finally has an album! “Justify” dropped last week and cropped up in a playlist, and I stopped in my tracks as I was smearing eyeshadow across my lids. As “Justify” cooed softly out of my computer in another room, I thought it was a Britney Spears deep cut, then for a moment maybe a chop and screw of Prince – and then, the full song was Realized, and I felt whole. Brace yourself for this sexy jam. Listen here

“The Poet” - Wyldest | If Warpaint went by Warpastel, they’d sound like Wyldest; they’re much softer sonically than Warpaint’s tunes, but still all the vibrant and memorable. “The Poet” is cerebral, serene, and divine. Listen here

“Silver Lined Clouds” - ZiG, Nic Hanson | I am here to set you up with some poolside jammery. It’s time to create a new playlist if you haven’t yet to stuff full of tracks best served whilst reclined on a chaise and a rum punch in a tiki cup (umbrella optional but definitely encouraged). When you’ve successfully created the playlist and dropped Calvin Harris’ undoubtedly Song of the Summer semi-disco bop “Slide” in there, go ahead and drop “Silver Lined Clouds” in there too. Listen here

“Workin’s Too Hard” - Rayna Gellert | My heyday of holing up in my dorm room listening to Fleet Foxes is long since behind me. I haven’t been able to really connect with much folk music since leaving Seattle. I reckon it’s an environmental think, as most of it is slow and well, a bit dull. Every once in a while there is one that captivates you. I stumbled upon this track on Soundcloud of all places, and while it’s on the slower side, it’s simple and gorgeous. Listen here

“Oh” - Mt. Si | This track has been out for a minute! “Oh” cropped up in a randomized radio station playlist this week as I was driving with my windows down, sun setting, on my way to grab some Thai food with some good company, and it was blissful. I tested this song out for a night drive (one of my favorite things to do in LA is hitting the roads after dark) and it too held up quite a mood. I’m all about crafting a mood to get me in a headspace before I go out. Listen here

BONUS

If you failed to take my advice to create your own playlist of Poolside Jammery as noted in our third track this week, I’ve got you covered and gone ahead and made one because I love you. I know you aren't done reading this new letter yet, but this is music honey; you gotta be three steps ahead in this game. Keep the party going, always. Feel free to follow/save the playlist, and use it to crank up at your galas this summer. More tunes will be dumped in there as the months start to heat up and the jams roll in.
Hold onto your wigs: cupcakKe dropped her new album Queen ElizaBITCH today!! One of the flyest, most confident rappers I’ve heard in a minute, she’s made the rounds on social media for being extremely generous to her fans. I first heard of her about a year ago after she helped set up an underage fan with a hotel room after the fan was kicked out of their house, and then helped the fan get on their feet. When I followed her, I was in for a damn treat: she ain’t even shy about talking about enjoying sex in the most explicit way - same goes for her bars. cupcakKe is a real one. I love her, and she’s gonna prosper. Queen ElizaBITCH is most definitely NSFW, but it’s got some truly incredible jams and raw heat. Listen here
This time next week we will all be listening to the new Harry Styles single. Oh. My. God.

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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 March 2017 playlist. You can dive into the cmd+f archive to hear what I’ve been listening to in previous months.

A(lmost a)ll of the tracks I’ve shared this week and past cmd+f newsletters are archived into a single playlist on Spotify for you to follow here. You’re welcome.

See you next week!

March 24, 2017

March 24, 2017 in Music, Newsletter

This is an archived post originally sent out via the cmd+f weekly newsletter

This week on cmd+f, strap in for some extremely talented lady vox and killer guitars. I’ve got five tracks and artists that may have flown under your radar.

Like last week, I’ve recorded another ‘radio show’ on the Anchor app as a companion to this week’s newsletter. Tune in via the link below to hear me talk about the tracks I’ve picked out this week, padded with a little extra information I didn't mention in the letter.

If you’re wondering what Anchor is, it’s a new-ish app that’s essentially a Snapchat for radio - the recordings are only up for 24 hours, so listen to this station as soon as you open this email! (Note: you DON’T have to download the Anchor app if you’re accessing this link on your desktop!)

Click here to visit the cmd+f Anchor station

I absolutely love the fact Anchor has a “Call In” feature. Please take advantage of this wonderful feature and pop on over to drop me a voice note. Has this newsletter helped you discover new artists? I’d love to hear from you, and my readers would love to hear from you, too. We’re all in this new music discovery journey together, y’all.

You can also always get in touch with me on Twitter at @hellogoodbritt with your thoughts about any of the tracks I’ve selected this week, too.

As always, you know the drill: if you like what you hear, spread the cheer. Tell your friends about the songs you liked in this letter, but most importantly, let the artists know. There’s a veeeeery good chance they’ll see your comments, and from past experience, I know it’ll really make their day.

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“The Cure” - Rotana | If you follow me on the ‘Gram, you may have noticed I posted a handful of videos on my Instagram Story at the Hotel Cafe. I was there for this gal right here, making her debut live performance. Her first single “Daddy” made an appearance in the second cmd+f letter - and after hearing her perform live, I am HOOKED. “The Cure” is her second single, and I can’t express how excited I am to hear more from her. All of her tracks she performed at Hotel Cafe were incredible. If you’ve watch Mozart in the Jungle, you know how Rodrigo is constantly reminding Hailey she plays the oboe with “the blood?” That’s Rotana - she sings with “the blood.” It’s pure, strong, and hits you right in the gut. Listen here

“All the Rage” - Allie X | So... “All the Rage” isn’t a new song at all. Allie X is well loved in the circles of pop-enthusiasts, but I’ll admit I’m a bit late on this train. I’ve been throwing her jams on playlists more and more, especially after news of her new LP COLLXTION II dropping in June. “All the Rage” was birthed from the guts of Annie meets St. Vincent meets good ol’ Charli XCX. Dear Alexxxxxandra crafts an incredible pop track. Can’t wait for COLLXTION II! Listen here

“Silver Heat” - Ten Tonnes | This guy is going to be EVERYWHERE by the end of this year, mark my words. BBC Radio 1’s been gassing him up, and rightfully so. “Silver Heat” is a wall-to-wall high energy track, oozing with vibrant youth. Keep your eyes out for his new EP out in June! Listen here

“Lit the Fire” - Ralph | “Lit the Fire” is a long lost teen fantasy diary entry. Glistening with smooth confessions of holding onto love, the song simmers with a weighty sting of desperation to cling onto them by any means necessary. This is the sadpop we deserve. Also, check our Ralph’s self-titled EP. Listen here

“Edge of Town” - Middle Kids | I fucking love finding a song I know I’m going to like from the first note. “Edge of Town” fell into my lap by way of an email exchange with a couple PR people. I paid no mind to it at first, but for some reason I kept opening the email up, and eventually opened the video link for this track, and it’s absolutely brilliant. The Sydney trio have been making the rounds with this track for nearly a year now (shame on me), and got a huge boost after Sir Elton John played this track on his Beats 1 show, too. Middle Kids have a full EP up on Spotify - so I’m mostly sharing this track as an appetizer to help guide you to the full EP. Give that a full listen or three after hearing “Edge of Town,” then let me know what you think. Listen here

BONUS

CUE: AN AESTHETICALLY AESTHETIC-ESQUE 8 MINUTE MINI FILM MUSIC VIDEO YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY TAKE THE TIME TO WATCH THIS WEEK

“Samaritan” - ionnalee | Last week, I was thinking, “wow, I haven’t heard from iamamiwhoami in a while - I wonder if they’ve been teasing new music.” It’s like a piece of my soul has parsed itself within the pixels and bytes of their YouTube channel, because when I did mosey on over I was greeted with a full on 8 minute mini film. For those unfamiliar with iamamiwhoami, it’s an avant-garde pop music project that’s produced and filmed 3 full visual albums (literally every song they’ve released has a music video for it) since 2009. Their initial cryptic, creepy, and cerebral videos sparked a lot of buzz around who the hell was behind the project. When it was revealed Swedish singer-songwriter Jonna Lee decided to overhaul all of her standard pop songs and reinvent herself, the shroud of mystery and awe of the incredible artistry behind iamamwhoami remained. Anyhow, looks like she’s reinvented herself again, channeling the same creepy Bjork au naturale aesthetic, but now goes by ionnalee. For my fashion geeks, dear Jonna is draped in some incredible Comme des Garçons. Feast your eyes on that. Watch here

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If you’re interested in hearing what else I’ve been rinsing this month (aside from the tracks listed above), peep my March 2017 playlist. You can dive into the cmd+f archive to hear what I’ve been listening to in previous months.

A(lmost a)ll of the tracks I’ve shared this week and past cmd+f newsletters are archived into a single playlist on Spotify for you to follow here. You’re welcome.

See you next week!

March 17, 2017

March 17, 2017 in Music, Newsletter

This is an archived post originally sent out via the cmd+f weekly newsletter

Welcome to another exciting week of cmd+f! Not only do I have five incredible new tracks all by duos (except one) waiting for you to dig through, but I’d also like to introduce a whole new component to the newsletter: audio! You heard correctly: this week marks the first time I’ll be tipping off the best new songs/artists of the week through recordings of my very own voice.

Each week, not only will you have a neatly typed newsletter nestled in your inbox, but you can now head over to the cmd+f station via Anchor and hear me gab on about the songs I’ve chosen for the week, and the songs in full. Anchor is a new-ish app that’s essentially a Snapchat for radio - the content is fleeting and disappears after 24 hours, so act fast!

Click here to visit the cmd+f Anchor station

Another great feature is the “Call In” feature in which you can drop me a voice memo either gushing about how great a particular song is, or even send me song/musician recommendations through the app.

Hit me up on Twitter at @hellogoodbritt with your thoughts about any of the tracks we’ve got for this week, and please do send me any finds of your own – let me know what you’re listening to these days.

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“Falling 4 U” - Superbody | Superbody are the cool kind of weird. Like, Wes Anderson weird, not rule 32 weird. Like an acid-dipped Mark Mothersbaugh track found on a long lost, jelly-filled cassette tape, “Falling 4 U” has been looped in my head for days. Listen here

“The City Don’t Care” - Leon Else feat. Oliver | Holy hell. Shout out to my girl Jess for dropping this one into my lap. This jam builds so effortlessly, is so finely tuned and self-aware. I am OBSESSED with this damn song. The marriage between Leon’s buttery smooth falsetto in the verses and pre-chorus and Oliver’s neon fused synths woven throughout the track. I think my favorite instrumental bits are the bells echoing their way through the chorus. This is a level of pop I fuck with heavily. Listen here

“Heavy” - POWERS | Once again, my favorite music-based radio show/podcast Popchops come through with another wicked recommendation. As Dan and Andy pointed out, it’s so easy to imagine this as the avenue Gwen Stefani should have walked down for her solo comeback album, but let’s not undercut POWERS. They’re a songwriting duo now based out of LA who’ve penned a handful of hits and racked up millions of spins of their tracks. I promise “Heavy” is going to be rinsing on every party list you compile this year. Listen here

“Burning Echoes” - Storme | Oh my god?? It’s so hard not to draw comparisons to other artists to describe what you’re experiencing, but without a doubt “Burning Echoes” was struck with the same bolt of energy handed over to Kate Bush while she recorded her album Hounds of Love. Balanced in equal parts surreal and wildly, universally appealing, “Burning Echoes” is very much like Bush’s catalogue: it’s a song you can feel rooted in your gut. Fueled with a melodramatic, explosive chorus, Storme’s track came as the biggest surprise of my week. Listen here

“Countryside” - Shadowgraphs | Ever since I went to the Desert Daze show a couple weeks ago and caught Temples live, I’ve been digging 60s rock vibes more and more. Shadowgraphs channel early Pink Floyd vibes, diving into a sound much like a blurred out The Kinks with a knack for throwing down a catchy hook. While the song doesn’t even reach the 2:30 minutes mark, the song still carries a sick guitar solo to melt out over the final minute of the track. 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 March 2017 playlist.

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!