Max's Music Mondays with Kyle Stockman and Chinwe
Two stunners plus recent releases from Caroline Polachek, corook and more.
Welcome to Max’s Music Mondays. My ~music discovery newsletter~ where I get too excited about songs I love. I hope you love them too. If you do, follow along on spotify and please be sure to absolutely smash that dang subscribe button! tysm :)
Ok ok ok elephant in the room - incredible art, thank you thank you i knowwww - it’s been a minute…………… to say the least. It feels like a lifetime, but a lifetime I’ve needed. I felt tired, I felt uninspired, but the second I started getting back into this (been finding songs and adding to the playlist for a month now) I fell right back in love with this thing. And am so happy to be clicking send once again!
Coming into the new year there’s gonna be some exciting new stuff here, continuing to grow this thing (newsletter/playlist/etc.) into an even more impactful/supportive place for all these musicians that I am so excited about and know y’all need to hear. Renewed motivation, renewed passion, folks, MMM is back with a dang vengeance. But like a really kind vengeance I swear.
Hope everyone has been well, enjoy these two songs because they are both incredible. And be sure to scrub through the last 10 songs on the playlist too - just because i couldn’t drum up the brain power to write about them doesn’t mean they didn’t deserve the love. I love every dang song that goes on this playlist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This Week’s Songs
Please please follow along here ^^ for this week’s and every week’s songs. They’re all really good I swear!!! <3 Please like and enjoy and send to someone you like and enjoy!!
Kyle Stockman - Petrified
Sometimes, these songs just fall out of the sky and I know it’s meant to be. In this case, I went from never having heard of Stockman to being a massive fan in the span of 5mins. First, a friend sent this song my way, thinking I might like it. Then halfway through my first listen, because I have no attention span I guess, I flipped open world famous mobile phone app, TikTok, and the first post on the damn timeline was Kyle Stockman himself. Yeah I’m sure there’s a good internet/cookies/something explanation for it but I’m not smart enough to know, so instead I chalk it up to good old fashioned music gods fate. Fate I’m grateful for because I love this song so much.
Fingers grazing over strings, this acoustic guitar trudging along while that bluesy electric dances along the edges. A beautiful combo, and one I could sunbathe in for a while. But the band breaks me of that dream quickly, the bass, drums, and guitar hammering home on that downbeat, as Stockman steps to the mic. A powerful opening moment, fading to leave space for his gentle delivery. I love this voice, comfortable and smooth here to start, so rich as he reaches down for the glue and prove. Just the right bit of texture pouring out right after, the way he offers awhile opens the door for more energy. The vocals seeming to bounce with the beat, striding toward the cliff, petrified seeing him leap out towards the water, the big ol ocean of love. It’s a really interesting voice and one that seems to found its perfect home in a song like this. Equal parts indie folk and alt r&b. Equal parts Perfume Genius and Dijon and Bon Iver and Francis and the Lights and Zach Villere. It lands in that undefinable zone that just feels. So much emotion and humanity dripping off each lyric.
Meanwhile, before we hear the splash from that last moment, the band pulls back - guitars running right and left, softly catching us and letting us back down to the ground easy. Stockman admitting to his fear once we’re grounded again. The second verse simplifies the arrangement as it moves. Stockman offering his heart, vulnerable, as he’s scared and unsure if he even deserves this powerful love.
And I tried all that I could
Do all that I can
The two voices really doing a number on me here. Fucking gorgeous tbh!!! Asking his lover if they still have love to give, asking almost like he expects it to be a no. The fear is honest and big and lands powerfully as the song seems to fall apart, that synth radiating and opening up the track. A couple dusty old pianos rain down off in the distance, warm heavy chords dropping right in front of us, as Stockman affirms his fear a few more times, petrified such a perfect word. It makes it feel prehistoric, like thousands, millions of years old worry. Deep down to his core. The way these vocals spread out, you can hear the yearning, the softness, the fear, the one little glimmer of hope.
This song is over three minutes, but it whirls by, over before I know it and well before I’m ready. I’ve been smashing replay for a few days now, and no signs of slowing down. It’s such a special song, I’m so happy it found its way to me and I hope you feel the same. Take a ride with the whole EP, some exciting stuff in there…
Follow Kyle Stockman on IG / Spotify
Chinwe - Paranoia
Click play and tell me that bass doesn’t move you immediately. Warm, massive, grooving so effortlessly. Those percussion hits helping set the mood. It’s all very red-wine-by-the-fireplace. That reversed synth and it’s rising chords, such a dreamy choice, it all feels like a warm, crackling memory. Maybe that’s because I’m watching a loop of a winter cabin on youtube while I write this, but no I feel confident in the comparison. Chinwe’s voice is the perfect addition to this scene. Her vocals bring the first signs of grit and texture, beautiful obviously, and a stellar contrast to the otherwise smooth and mesmerizing production. She sings with a confidence and assuredness, each line delivered like Chinwe is staring straight into your eyes. It’s irresistible, pulling me deeper and deeper into the song. When she says Don’t look behind I trust her entirely.
It’s interesting lyrically - Chinwe hinting at failed love, begging us all (and I think even herself) not to romanticize bad things in the past, or not to think too fondly of current situations that might not be suiting us. Lost in the arms of reckless people / craving love but creating evil. The way she sings with sweetness and care towards all of us, it really feels like this is coming from experience, coming from reflection and newfound knowledge. We’ll grow wiser with time. Chinwe certainly has. It’s a generous message, trying to share this insight with us all and you can hear she’s able to share with a smile on her face. Which feels novel given the pain that must’ve existed long ago - the pain we’re not looking back at now. You’d expect a song called Paranoia to feel eerie and uncomfortable but Chinwe flips the script and reminds us that it’ll all be ok.
Musically, the groove stays strong from top to bottom. The song adding small touches that really bring things to life. The second chorus fueled by the that tight tambourine. Subtle saxophones (or maybe synths??), slightly muted, bobbing off below the song. A new twist on the vocals, two passes stacked, acting as this delayed response that feels independent at the same time. Bits of added production gives an extra bump to the rhythm too. It’s alive and swirling and easy to lose yourself in, but still made of these simple pieces. Getting the most out of each of them. All just done so well.
A third verse flies bye, the band backing off and giving us one moment of peace before the chorus takes off again, this time finding an electric guitar to noodle on as we roll into the outro. What a nice hang, could live in a song like this for a while.
Follow Chinwe on IG / Spotify
Here’s what else I’ve been listening to.
(click this ^^ for the full playlist lol)
Caroline Polachek - Welcome To My Island
I mean, what even needs to be said. Polachek is entirely one of one, even as her influence starts to become more and more felt among other artists, she finds ways to evolve - this one more her than ever, more weird than ever. It’s big and flashy, this chorus erupting on arena stages, spotlight ON! Her pristine tone offering moments of nasty screams. The spoken pre-chorus with it’s entrancing stare, holding you captive, holding you steady.
A ride start to finish, Polacheck rules so gd much and continues to redefine what pop music can be.
Medium Build - Rabbit
I saw Medium Build twice this week. It made me cry. It made me whole. He’s doing something special with these songs and these performances, and you can really feel it in the room. Music that comes alive in ways you can’t predict. There’s a lot of life packed inside, and they get released however they need to on stage. Different every time, incredible every time. If you have the chance to see him, please do. I’ll buy ur damn ticket, plz just trust me.
I’ve been obsessed with Rage and comeonback already, every new single slowly taking over my life, but Rabbit was the one from these shows that stuck with me. Beautiful imagery, and a damn blast to scream in the car. Mellow on paper, but these songs give me that same Dijon/Many Times banging on my chest, erupting with emotion feeling. Oh baby this one hits.
corook - realistic
I had seen corook a few times on tiktok - she’s good!! But wasn’t until a friend mentioned her as his favorite artist right now, someone whose live show was next level already. So I gave it a listen then and I’ve been hooked ever since. One of the recent singles, realistic, is a beautiful and loving and playful smash hit. This bit of heartbreak lingering in her love, hoping it can continue to be as good and special and amazing as it has been but knowing there’s a chance that might not happen. It’s a love song we don’t often hear, and one that feels so vulnerable and tender and loving all the same. And what a voice. If you have a few, here’s the delightful video.
Nilüfer Yanya - midnight sun - sampha remix
Few artists have such a signature sound, signature feel the way Sampha does. This middle of the night, snowfall, darkness. It swirls with mystery and gets punctuated with crisp and bold percussion. A sound that that lends itself so well to this remix. The original, built with an unforgettable guitar pattern, grows and grows, exploding of this glorious and stilly pretty nasty fuzz. It feels so proud and accomplish as it climaxes. But Sampha colors it all new. Mellow and devious, it never reaches that massive moment, instead moving side to side and letting this ever-changing production swell. It’s a sick one and such a fun new approach to a great song.
Thanks for being here, ramping back up into the new year with so much exciting stuff to share. I just listened to this episode of Object of Sound -
And the way Hanif and Sam Stephens talk about the year, about music, about artists, about how they listen, just has me so inspired and excited to make more space for music and more time to go deep and think bigger on what I hear. I hope you’ll join me on the ride.
Hope you have a great week,
Max