Max's Music Mondays with Mette and Radio Ahlee
To get two new favorite songs, on a Monday?? What a way to start the week.
This is the blurb of the email where I say something goofy about you following the playlist and smashing the dang subscribe button. And now I wrap up and transition to the newsletter. Have a great week!!
Last night was the NBA All-Star game, and, aside from the necessary suspension of disbelief (serious writer vibes! using big terms, ok!) about the true intention of the event ($) and the obvious health risk each of these players took on for the league, it was a fun night.
Genuinely thrilling to see the best of a profession get the chance to have fun together. To shed the need to win/succeed/lead, to be themselves and just play. Only in this non-competitive environment do the smiles start to shine, players galloping up and down the court after making plays normally outside their skillset. It’s fun to think about how this would work for other professions. Obviously some (most) would be corny as could be and much less fun for (non-existent) fans - catch me repping Tropicana at the 2017 brand management all-star game where we would’ve just made good commercials(??) but not be accountable for driving sales or held to our budget(??) ok it doesn’t quite work here either I guess, but we could’ve added a dunk contest too.
But for a profession that features performance in some way, it is such an exciting moment. Bonnaroo has a taste of this. Their late night Superjams take over a stage, hosted by one artist, filled with a rotating cast of others. Friends and peers popping on stage for a song or two. Getting the chance to play with others, given that same release: no need to play their usual role, their usual songs, just free to do the things they wish the could do more often on stage. Supported by all the other all-stars, there’s really no better situation to take a risk. It’s always a special moment and one I wish we could witness more often (here’s Chance leading an insane band in Hey Ya). What a pleasure to see the best at their craft just doing their thing, for fun, with the people that challenge them to get better every day, compete alongside them, now just all hanging out, smiling, throwing full-court lobs and taking half-court jumpers.
In Case You Missed It -
Yeah that’s right, usually? This is at the end. But now? It’s at the beginning. Just seeing how it feels. plz send thoughts.
Rostam’s new single has me looking like the emoji with hearts for eyes
St. Vincent continues to be the coolest possible person?? A funky, weird, undeniable return single
Japanese Breakfast! Disco-y and oh so sweet. That chorus!!!
Another Soft Streak single, another absolute smash, what’s new. Tender and beautiful, I love this one
Remi Wolf x Dominic Fike, what a combo, what a remix, what a good excuse for me to listen to this song another hundred times. Also Remi’s merch just dropped and it’s perfect.
Tasha with a stunner. The intro reminds me of Perfume Genius, their voice just so rich and gentle. Grows into something really special
Angelo Mota!!! An early days MMM artist still holding my attention, something about his voice just hooks me in every time
I’m back in Wild Honey Pie once again hehe Just loved Bartees Strange’s take on Samia’s Pool.
Ok!! It’s officially time!!! Buckle up for two truly fantastic songs.
Petrified - Mette
Warbling old guitars bouncing around your ears, straightening themselves out just in time for Mette to go off. These vocals so tender and warm, grounding me as the percussion falls around the rest of the track. (Dua Lipa voice) *One clap is all it takes* and we’re moving moving now. Mette finding a new flow, effortlessly sliding like a flag in the wind. And like a steady, mild wind, no gusts or anything. Picturesque flag flying. The change up offers a sense of momentum too, the calm before the storm (too much weather already, I am sorry). But, MY OH MY WHAT A STORM IT IS. Massive massive pianos hitting right on the kick, Mette with a show-stopping melody with a perfect twisted layer, expansive moments of emptiness that suck you in, drum fills to (as their name would suggest) fill the space that’s been created. It’s a beautiful moment that feels like the perfect soundtrack to any club night. Then the rest of the band shakes out of this awe and remembers their parts too. Namely a harpist appears, and colors the song with a tasteful swirl. Gently handing us back to the verse. Mette feels a bit more restrained now, handling the intimacy of their lyrics with care. “Hard to say quiet with these memories loud” a beautiful thought and one that does help recast that chorus as the release of all of it. The emotions and the fears, breaking through, letting the intense production betray Mette’s composure, calm on the surface, a fucking explosion of four on the floor beauty and passion just underneath. In a very thoughtful gesture, Mette reads my mind and offers a spacious bridge, with plenty of time and energy to dance and dance. Another chorus and this has officially earned its place on my running playlist, tysm Mette.
But that’s not all… if you have 3 minutes, please watch the music video. You’ll NEED the full three minutes, because you will not be able to look away.
This still frame alone is devastating. For the first 40 seconds Mette is staring into your soul whether you like it or not. There’s no looking away. As the chorus hits, I mean... Just watch. I could never do it justice, it’s beautiful and terrifying and you have no choice but to feel exactly what Mette wants you to feel. Enjoy.
Soundtrack to 808 - Radio Ahlee
The bass line is, well, sick as hell. A second sub layer sitting way down there, it’s gravity keeping a darkness over everything else. Drums that cut through with their own edge. The ‘oooo’ to ‘aye!’ handoff is a delightful contrast. If the whole thing has a darkness, the sparkle of a synth through the verse stand out like stars in the dang sky. The verse feels personal with the “hi hey hello” to open it up, Radio Ahlee delivering these thoughts right to you directly. And how generous! It’s a quick verse, just a taste of what Radio Ahlee can bring. The chorus stretches the skillset even further, a bit sing-songy in a loving way, with adlibs popping out as far as the eye can see. The second verse adds this snyth that sounds like fucked up vocal/choir samples? It gives me Rugrats vibes, a wonky and playful tone that makes this verse hit even harder, the intensity and immensity of the content standing out against the production. And Radio Ahlee holding nothing back, thoughts and experiences that twist the grit in his voice from ‘a cool tone’ to deeply personal and passionate. The drums and synths keep pushing on through as the chorus comes back around. The bounce is infectious and just feels good, it’s all so irresistible, and the adlibs, my goodness, the perfect compliment. This rolls us into the bridge, the first real moment of relief. Waves of gentle chords rolling across the mix, Radio Ahlee showing off the pipes, a very rich, almost wise(?) sound for these first couple lines. Reaching down for the warmth. The pitched up layer the perfect switch up, and unexpectedly the perfect layer for when Radio Ahlee returns. A pretty bold play but one that brings a new sound and more weird fun to the song. And honestly? More people should do this!! How exciting to hear their voice in a completely new way, and then double down and use it alongside his own to shed a new light on it all. I’ll tell ya what, it works for me. Pops us over to one last quick chorus before the Rugrat synth wraps everything up. Over too soon, but has me excited for more (songs yes, but also plays of this one, let’s not get too greedy).
I’ll catch you all next week. And as a treat if you made it down here, I also love this song so much and didn’t know where else to share it. Enjoy, a gift from Zilo to me and now to you.
Dribble dribble,
Max