Max's Music Mondays with Ayra Starr and Calabashed
Super Bowl Champs? More like Super Bright Lamps because these songs are HOT.
Welcome to Max’s Music Mondays, tysm for coming! Please please please if you’ve ever thought to subscribe or share NOW IS THE TIME. We’ve got some special stuff lined up for the coming weeks… So, follow the playlist on Spotify and share the songs and words with anyone you think might enjoy. You won’t regret it! And if you do? Hmm let me get back to you on that.
Wow what a Big Game(TM) that was, huh!? I am definitely not writing this on Sunday morning before the game has happened! Good points to be scored, ads to be watched, and food to be eaten, and boy oh boy we did all of those, didn’t we!?! *everyone doing high fives* Anyways all this sports talk seems like the perfect opportunity to talk about trading cards. Maybe it’s just in my friend circle or NBA Twitter bubble, but it feels like trading cards are making a resurgence.
Cards seem to make sense for sports, collecting artifacts of players, hoping their “value” increases over time as their careers grow, develop, change. Interesting, that there doesn’t seem to be a clear analog for music (which is probably great news for my wallet, shelling out so much cash, just stockpiling every Teezo Touchdown rookie card I can get my hands on, hunting for a signed Lianne La Havas NPR Tiny Desk card). I do wonder why though… I guess the closest thing we have with is merch? Show/tour merch, or something from early releases? Some memento to signal “I’ve been a fan”. But that’s why it doesn’t connect quite right for me. An athlete’s card feels like a way to invest in a player’s potential, in their existence almost? You root for them, but it’s from a distance. With music it feels more like an admission of impact, not only do you want to see their career’s blossom, but you saying right now - this music means something to me. Meant enough to me that I went out and I experienced it. So while I can’t pick up a Priya Ragu card just yet, I hope this playlist can say the same thing ~virtually~. That this music is valuable now and lucky for us we get to enjoy it forever. And who knows, maybe we’ll put a little limited run MMM x Topps collab together someday… which even as a silly little thought was something I absolutely could not resist working on, so here’s a taste I whipped together:
Oh you KNOW I got that ultra rare 2019 Remi Wolf rookie card!!! plz, I hope you enjoyed that, I really pushed my keynote skills to their limits… Ok, yeah, yeah, yeah, I got songs to talk about too, don’t worry.
Ija - Ayra Starr
Keen observers of the Max’s Music All The Other Days playlist (my day-to-day playlist if you greedy mf’ers need more than two new songs a week) (I’m sorry for calling you greedy mf’ers I didn’t mean either part, I swear I think you’re actually really cool and nice and NOT greedy) will already know this tune. I have been unable to stop playing this song. Over and over and over. Ayra Starr cracked the code on this one. That rise seems like a Bloodpop remix in my head, so already I’m stoked. It’s not a Bloodpop remix of course, but the energy is enough to get me fired up. Rolling chords working their way up. That snare feels like an EDM snare, and if nothing else, a clue of just how big this song will get. Let’s all take a second to appreciate the bass line at 0:19…beautiful. The groove really sets in from there, and it’s true elbows-out-snaps-firing hours for me. The “witchaaah” kung fu adlib is so amazing. The song not taking itself too seriously, enjoying the fun vibe it’s created. Not to mention doing so while supporting the writing - someone Starr just can’t get out of their head, as they continue fighting some urge, choosing not to embrace her love. Starr stays focused though, smooth vocals delivered patiently. Her tone is just so stellar, easy and warm with its own unique texture. A familiar melody pops through as the guitar comes back in. Those hits of horns add so much life and emotion. Ghostly vocals growing underneath and doing the same. After the minute mark, the vocals start to splinter adding layers of riffs and harmonies, I can’t help but smile. It’s all so bright. Starr is Nigerian, and her ability to weave Yoruba into these verses feels so effortless. Laying it alongside the English lyrics with ease and efficiency. It comes across as being so natural and clearly must be. It’s a choice she’s made across her entire debut EP and it works, flat out. After that first chorus, Starr flips the rhythm, bouncing in a way that makes such a consistent groove feel fresh. And I’m still dancing, don’t worry. Another pass through the chorus and this time it’s the guitarist cooking that really catches my ear. Off to the side, they quietly deliver at an incredible level. Everything continues on, still fun, still honest, and still yearning. There’s a beautiful little moment still here - around 2:44. First the lead vocals follow the bass and guitar, descending alongside each other at the end of the line before climbing back up with the horns on the next lyric. It’s subtle, but feels like such a perfect use of the production, A+ stuff. And then we can just kick back and relax, just enjoy these last few moments, a true vibe. Excited to see what else Ayra Starr has in store, because this first taste feels special.
Still Want More - Calabashed
Fading in from a dream, the band finds their feet. So much fluttering sound, it’s hard to know what’s real. Lead vocalist, Joshua Idehen, sneaks in a phrase or two. It feels like a static blur until that saxophone waves in the wind, calling the army that is the rest of this song. And they come marching right on in. That piano and bass is so deliberate and consistent. You can feel that energy pulsing through to the saxophone, with the harp keeping us calm in response. Idehen returns with a directness and a passion. Did it knock you off your seat? Because it nearly did for me. “Can’t complain” he sings, giving us the lowdown on where he is today. Hasn’t been pretty the whole way, but that fridge is full and that is a BEAUTIFUL thing. Ayy! The band blooms as the chorus hits, truly cinematic in both size and elegance. The chorus touches on the titular wanting more, taking stock of all his blessings and wondering if it’s ok to keep striving. As he hits that “can I ask for more”, I feel the first sign of doubt. Truly asking if it’s ok. Are we being greedy, shouldn’t this be enough? But also knowing we’re closer now to so much more, the ever-moving goalposts of success and happiness. I find it hard not to relate, now more than ever, and so if the insanely talented band wasn’t enough - now the songwriting has got me hooked too. The verse returns to that reassuring voice, confident in the good. The bills are paid, we’re sleeping well, Mom saw us on TV?? Okay life is gravy! But the song doesn’t seem willing to celebrate that. This darkness hanging over everything, the army still marching onwards. Slow and steady is the mantra, is the way, is what got us this far. Will it keep taking us on if we let it?
New segment - it’s time for a line by line emotional breakdown of this final moment:
But I still want more - Hungry and hopeful
Yeah I still want more - Fragile and scared
But I still want more - Curious and uncertain
Yeah I still want more - Soft and human
But I still want more - This dark ambition and also guilt for that craving
Yeah I still want - OOoooo man oh man did I need that flute to catch me
The band continues on, beautiful and spacious, it feels warm and the slightest bit hopeful and I hope it’s enough to carry them on for more. Because I want more of these songs. Their EP Behold a Black Wave is a pretty stunning and adventurous listen.
In case you missed it - Hahaha the Vampire Weekend 20:21 long versions of 2021 absolutely rule. Speaking of, the new Rostam single is also very good and also very cool. Remi Wolf with the Wallows reimagined? Rocks of course. The new Sun June album delivers(!!!) and I’m really enjoying it. Van Jess x Channel Tres in any context is a gift for me.
Happy early Valentines Day, be mine!!!
XOXO,
Max