Max's Music Mondays with Sadurn and Temptress
Plus new songs from Kathleen, Maggie Rogers, BEL, and Charley Crockett
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 absolute smash that dang subscribe button! tysm :)
It feels so good to be back!! Thank you everyone for reading and returning last week. Felt great to be supported and encouraged yet again.
This week I shook off the rust on another skill - writing about some actual MMM picks!!! I’ve been so so stoked to share these both and hope you enjoy them as much as I have. This is my bread and butter - songs I adore and know more people need to hear. So I’m grateful for your help in making that happen.
This week I’m melting in the Brooklyn humidity yet again, getting ready to pop home to visit family for a bit, a jarring contrast from city city to suburb suburb, but excited for something different and to just stay present and enjoy what’s in front of me. NY has been a dang whirlwind of joy and good meals that just won’t stop, but lucky for me, even if there were fewer moments to discover music, these songs found me all the same.
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!!
Sadurn - radiator
Ahhh. It feels good to be writing one of these again. Been a minute since the last, and been EAGER to get this one in the MMM family. I have been utterly obsessed with Sadurn from the moment I found out about them. They’re scratching that indie folk itch so darn well I can hardly stand it. That raw and acoustic strumming on the left, gentle compliments adding from the right, like a friend stepping in the room to say hello. Drums and bass dropping right in the middle. Heavy, steady, and grounding. It’s a beautiful intro, thirty seconds of breezy contentment. As the band comes around again, their lead singer, G, offers a stunning performance of their own. They’re instantly transfixing. The way they push and pull through the melody, sliding with ease, it has this wild effect - stretching out words and condensing them on each other. It forces me to be more present with each phrase, making sure I’m keeping up with the moment. The way they tie radiator with see you later is masterful, poetry landing gracefully just moments into the first verse. Already at this point I was fully sold on this song, this album, this band. That breathy finish to knife in my gut, such a simple move but intoxicating. And delivering that emotion with gorgeous texture. The verse ends, a brief moment of rest and reflection for G, while the guitar steps in again for an ear-catching solo, riffing around the same spaces as the vocals, loose notes creating small chords. Together, offering new shapes and feelings. The second verse picks up right where we left off, my favorite stuff - relatable specifics, told plainly and yet with a perfectly stunning twist to rip my dang heart out of my dang chest.
And you called to tell me that you had a terrible day So I'll come and pick you up outside of the Rite Aid With the lamplight on your face And you know I like you exactly that way
You know damn well I’d love to pick anyone up from outside the Rite Aid! That sucker punch of the last two lines just knocking me off my feet. Not to mention the subtle harmonies, little layers of love that bring the whole verse alive. The harmonies hang around, stepping into some oooh’s to really round out the third verse. The song more full than ever as a guitar bending like mad from note to note, the song breathing new life as it climaxes.
The song’s lyrics climaxing too - our narrator grappling with some really difficult questions. Some maybe’s that are so hard to pin down, so hard to really know. It’s as much a reckoning as it is a begging-the-world-for-answers. Is the good they see enough? Do they need to be totally honest? How do they know what’s really at the heart of what they feel? These are the q’s that get me going. The one’s that make me feel. That give color to life. Hard as they are to answer, the exploration is worthwhile enough. And Sadurn offers them here atop a really tremendous composition. One I’ll be savoring for some time to come. If you dig plz check out the rest of the album asap.
Follow Sadurn on IG / Spotify
Temptress - Catch 22
Wasting NO time, this might be the quickest song in the history of recorded music to say the title of the track. These first few seconds a swirling, elegant intro, a taste of the beauty and fun to come. The moment bottoms out, drums roll on, snapping out of a dream you didn’t want to leave. But what arrives instead are some chords, delivered via one of my favorite sounding synths of all time. Jockstrap meets Cashmere Cat? Everyone would be proud, and I am entirely satisfied. The sound is so damn good, if you don’t love it… well? I actually don’t believe you?? (jk i respect your opinions!!!) They sound like what I imagine clouds feel like? Soft and bouncy and spongey, caressing you and waving goodbye as you hop from one to the next. An unforgettable progression descends, and ends with a click. Now with two vocalists, Temptress brings a new feel to the moment. It has me swaying side to side, the two together sounding so dreamy. The rolling drums sneak back up on you, another dream snatched away too soon, but this one giving way to something even more special. The drums and bass make their entrance, irrefutably dance-y and just all around nice. I’m having a blast. Things settle a bit as the vocals separate themselves a bit, the second vocalist falling further in the mix but projecting stronger with each phrase. Creates a nice stretching effect. The band starts to drop out as we cross the 0:40 mark, reverb tacking on like we’re being sucked into a black hole. Then at 0:45 the drums and bass return, this time with those spacey string plucks that really rock.
I don’t think I could name another dance track like this that incorporates such a big sound so well. Plus choosing this sound in particular, that feels like it barely has its grip on reality. Messy and weird, especially with the effects, but its staccato delivery makes it work so well here. Smash cut to vocals over those heartwarming chords again, and I’m loving it, a peaceful moment after leaving my heart on the dance floor. But as soon as the full production returns, I’m just as happy to hear it, ready to keep dancing. A too-short 2:18 long song, we gotta enjoy each moment before it’s gone. The vocals keep shining, the whole thing a perfect blend, each sound not too much not too little. A symphony. The breakdown at 1:45 is a treat, some sneaky falsettos and bold melodies. All before the bass comes back with a vengeance, all a little bigger and badder than before. Leaving us with 15 seconds to dance the night away and boy am I trying my best. I can barely type this because I’m having a hard time staying at my computer and not sliding back into the living room to give this track everything I’ve got. A thrill of a song that I just neeeeeed everyone to hear. Perfect Summer song for any moment, from the light and breezy to the thick and sweaty this one can do it all.
Follow Temptress on IG / Spotify
Here’s what else I’ve been listening to.
(click this ^^ for the full playlist lol)
Kathleen - Fever Dream
A top artist of mine year after year, Kathleen continues to push her own limits, growing and evolving in such stunning ways each time. Her messages consistent, her performances breathtaking. Fever Dream home to all the above. A wild chop repeats to start the song, as entrancing as it is jarring. It kicks off, the drums big and bold, that bass sparing but making its presence felt. Meanwhile Kathleen grabs the mic and starts shining. Her voice pushing on, matching the production’s urgency, but still able to maximize each moment, each note. The tiny vibrato sneaking through on “past few years” is astonishing. How do you squeeze that in there? It happens frequently, tiny moments of jaw-dropping beauty, but a clear and determined beat that is doing all it can to rip you, pull you, drag you into the next moment. The verse is bleak, and so is this moment in time that we’re all experiencing, Kathleen able to catch that energy and tension well here. I have so much more to say but we’re only 20 seconds in so let’s keep moving, eh? The song certainly is. This first fever dream section is wild. Some crisp vocal stabs making their presence felt in the background while Kathleen slows it down, her voice so soft as it drapes over cracking percussion. ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED with this once once once section. So nasty and punishing and beautiful. The perfect punctuation as we run into the next verse. Wouldn’t you know it, it’s another brilliant one, this time Kathleen’s vocals hanging onto reality by the skin of their teeth. As the layers arrive, the moment begins to feel more and more surreal. It launches back to the chorus, a new synth pulsing, more vocals finding a new melody to run along side the vocals. The once once once section is back, evil and delightful as ever. The contrast of Kathleen’s gentle melody right after is so good, ugh. The bridge hits, a whisper-to-scream crescendo, a visceral release of the anger and pain so many have earned over the past however long. And as it explodes, we find relief in this chorus. Big and fun and dark and exasperated and controlled. It’s a masterful moment, dancing at an underground club hoping for a better tomorrow. Video is amazing too, cannot stop listening to this one. If you couldn’t tell… I stan!!!!!!!
Maggie Rogers - Horses
TALK ABOUT STANNING. If you know me you know Maggie Rogers has been a big influence on me in countless ways. And you can probably guess I am absolutely losing my mind with this new album around the corner. The latest single, Horses, is so dang good, I’m in heaven. It’s one of my favorite versions of Rogers, the vocals on full display, feelings impossible not to feel, all over a timeless/great band ready to meet the emotional heft of the song. As has been the case with the previous singles, the writing is personal, sensual, and poetic. Beautiful imagery that feels so intimate. This whole first verse is a massive success in those ways. A pre-chorus to slowly build some steam, Rogers pushing into more eye-catching melodies, you can feel it all swelling beneath your feet. The chorus is a natural step forward, the song elevating in every way. Rogers coming alive, the guitars really dialing into this horses-running-in-an-open-field energy, the drums rocking cleanly too. Easy as the moment feels, when it pulls back to the second verse you can really feel how much we were pushing. Riding the edge. This second verse feeling like a relief. But only for a moment, because Maggie Rogers refuses that instinct, instead sharing a gorgeous bit of wisdom to get me holding my heart once again. We ride back into the chorus, the song still growing and growing from moment to moment. And after another full-hearted chorus, it grows some more, climaxing onwards, Rogers reaching out for ambitious run after ambitious run, all while asserting herself clearly. She’s moving forward, regardless of what we do. We settle back for a stripped version of the chorus, mesmerizing, before one last grand finale. Another single another hit, I can’t get enough.
BEL - Lights
I’ve been WAITING for this one. BEL teased it on tiktok a while back and I was so into it I listened to it over and over and learned it on guitar immediately and I am NOT ASHAMED OF THAT. This thing is magnetic. The drums are so bright and strong, the grungy chords spilling out as we move back and forth. BEL’s delivery in the first verse is juicy - casual and personal, yet distant and mysterious, striking such a great tone. The chord progression switches up, and the song starts to build, this first version of the chorus just welcoming us in. The writing is so good throughout, a situation that feels so familiar, connecting (or something like that) with the strangers around us.
Did you think that you could live without sayin' goodbye?
How you look so good under fluorescent lights?
Really getting me good with that one. You can feel this volcano begging to erupt, the final lyric a perfect launching point, pulling me forward in my seat ready to be pushed right back!!!!! But BEL holds off… this moment of massive tension sliding on by like nothing happened. Right back into the second verse. It’s a magical deception. But while we look around wondering what happened, BEL keeps crushing. Those harmonies make for a special moment early in the next verse. Before you know it, the chorus is back, begging us to fall for its build yet again. But this time, we’re rewarded handsomely. An eruption that feels so fucking massive and so good I just adore it. IT FUCKING ROCKS. BEL doesn’t wanna lose this feeling and neither do I, good god.
Charley Crockett - I’m Just a Clown
Whooooooo what a tune. Under the golden hour southern sun, Charley Crockett shines with such a cheeky grin of a song. I’ve been loving Crockett since his devastatingly charming performance with Sofar a couple years back. Someone who knows what he’s doing and is doing it undeniably well. But this new tune delivers him in a different light. It’s still full of cowboy twang, cowboy heart, but now with a soulful little horn section and swelling strings carrying some of the weight. The arrangement is sick, I know I say it a lot, but this feels truly timeless. His songwriting is so great, his voice is something else. One of one and so meant for a song like this. The circus metaphors are short and sweet, helping drive home this ‘I’m a clown’ feeling, doing a great job of keeping the song light and fun but still hold the authenticity in the pain. As we cruise towards two minutes, the guitar solo is a ripper, a moment that really channels the sunset feeling. It all feels so much bigger with this band. Everyone takes a moment to shine again a minute later, after another chorus. Horns, strings, keys, guitar, drums, and then Charley once again. Each passing so generously to the next. Crockett comes alive in this final chorus, a clear star with this great supporting cast. As we enjoy a tasteful fadeout, the band pushes on, dancing and grooving on into the horizon.
Lizzo - 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)
Sheesh! This one is just pure joy. Bouncing from beat to beat, those classic drums setting the stage. Lizzo opening so strong I did the work, it didn’t work. Grappling with the ups and downs of dating and seeking the love we deserve. Exploding into the chorus, almost out of thin air, this vintage sound made new again. The chorus is big and delightful, even as Lizzo asks seeks some hard truths. The second verse is modern and real. The production and performance is so sick, and Lizzo really leans into these questions, it feels honest and human as she tries to figure out how to love herself too. The embarrassment in that verse is so specific yet somehow familiar and painful for me too, learning to love ourselves in every way, scared of being hurt for opening up. So the launch into the second chorus feels so even grander, more important, and so powerful to me. I’m rocking tf out and dancing. I love the bridge that breaks down, such a human moment in the midst of a major hit. Then, whoop!, key change lfg!!!! The shift feels like a pop of urgency, needing to push herself now now now. It’s a hit and I love it so much.
Well that was a joy. Hope you dug something here and have a new favorite song of all time. That doesn’t seem like too big of a dream. Regardless, if you enjoyed plz subscribe, plz follow the playlists, plz share the music, and plz share the playlist and dang substack!! It means so much and goes a long way to growing this community :)
With love and respect and joy and also a friendly wave,
Max