Max's Music Mondays with SomaDina and slimdan
This week it's only artists with two-part names that start with S and D, a popular theme.
Welcome to Max’s Music Mondays - a ~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 :)
That’s right, the kid is off to the big city, New York here I come!!! Yes this is a thinly/not veiled offer/ask to ~link & build~ with all of my friends, readers, colleagues, etc. (all of whom do fall into the friends category too but it felt more official to add the other two).
It’s somehow been three years since the last time I stepped foot in Times Square (heaven on earth, we all know this). I went back to look at pictures of that last trip and wow, another world, another life. Ok I’m writing this sentence about 30 minutes after the last and have spent the entire time in between nostalg-ing about just how much has changed since the last time I was there. For starters, I was just starting to begrudgingly give up my apple music habits for spotify. Was there only an apple music playlist when I started this?? I think so?? Wow, things have changed.
Anyways, I’m excited to be somewhere different for a minute. To try and lean into my routines in new places. Just shake things up and reset. Unsurprisingly, the music I’m most excited about often scratches some greater itch in my life. This week as you’ll see I really was after something new and think we found just that.
This Week’s Songs
Please please follow along here ^^ for this week’s and every week’s songs. Scientists agree that all of these songs are incredible on their own and even better as a playlist.
SUPERSOMA - SomaDina
MMMMM this is the good stuff. I’ve been craving something new, and when that’s what I’m after, the chase becomes incredibly grueling. But when something hits, it hits. And SomaDina has me completely mesmerized. That sad guitar loop, heavy synth bass, and that snare - hitting like one of those drinking bird toys except instead of a little sip of water it’s punching you in the face. An undeniable energy, it’s sinister and hot. The intro vocals are intoxicating, so calm with the adlibs going certified wild. The verse feels like it starts a bar early. It’s a surprise that catches me getting comfortable and SomaDina just keeps reeling me in from there. The verse is a lot, maximalist in the best way possible. The production is strong, in quality and in sound. We get SomaDina continuing to impress across the melody, a couple layers of harmonies coming and going, middle and right, with those adlibs continuing the certified wild energy. A moment with so much happening, you better buckle up because it’s hard to hold on, impossible to catch up. The songwriting is a true joy, “I just love myself, and all the girls / That play me on their speakers” the whole verse rocks, not taking itself too seriously but completely serious. It flips so quickly and seamlessly into the pre-chorus(?), SomaDina floating into the upper register. Where the verse feels angry and punishing, this moment is the angel on the other shoulder. It breaks free just beyond the minute mark (yeah only a minute in, a humbling reminder of how jam-packed this gem is). The break offers some live drums beneath it all. Miles Teller in the room next door. But the song never stops. Hard to resist this next verse, SomaDina at full strength. When someone yells “POWERFUL” three times like that, they are not messing around. Wait rewind, right before the powerful’s, a beautiful line “I am indestructible, I play my chords” shows off both sides of SomaDina’s delivery, brutal and angelic all in one. We repeat the “quick to call for backup” section, off the tail of some fun autotune, and I love it. There’s something so confident about the whole thing. These wow’s are a delight, so so smooth and the perfect conclusion. We see more drums, more wild adlibs, and this whirlwind finally comes to a close. But I’m certainly not ready for it to be done. SomaDina is a powerhouse and I want more!!!
Follow SomaDina on IG / Spotify
MVP - slimdan
TV static rustling on, gentle keys, that acoustic guitar rolling from chord to chord. It all swirls together and feels like a childhood home. Nostalgic and warm. We cut the static as slimdan joins in, live from the outfield. It’s a charming choice for the metaphor to begin there. The loneliness of an outfield can’t be understated, but that feeling of being alone, out on an island, even with worlds of action happening around you is a touching one. The guitar chugging on, percussion steady as could be. Slowly, bits and pieces begin to sprout up and shine. Not clouding the moment but helping it swell into something more. Something more? Or something less??!! We ditch the band, just stacked vocals and a simple guitar. HOLD ON STOP THE PRESSES. 1:01, the do-do-do-do of the year!! Completely unexpected, especially in this intimate moment. Sounding just out of reach, just puts a smile on my face thinking about it! A little choir hands things off to an organ, a quick but incredibly vulnerable and sweet chorus. Another verse, restrained and shy to match the words it brings. And as someone whose preferred form of communication is written (who would’ve thought), I’m gonna go ahead and say, it hits. When we return to the questions and more questions we get some delightful harmonies, working their way down giving the moment even more shape. The chorus arrives again, some ooo’s and organs getting in early this time. Another round of do-do-do-do’s too so you know we’re all going crazy. A little bonus line this time around, feels like a touching way to end the song. But oh boy we are just getting started. This bridge… beautiful!!! Those flute-y synths(?) pulsing through, the broadcast samples, slimdan’s own vocals sampled every which way, chimes running through, it’s just all so wonderfully orchestrated. So much heart as slimdan’s “try my best to make my hometown proud” sneak through. It’s a lovely one.
Follow slimdan on IG / Spotify
Now that this is done, I can focus on the important things. What snack do I get on the plane?
As always, so grateful to each of you for being here, for reading, for listening. Feels like we’ve got some momentum behind this thing right now and I am very appreciative of that.
If you know someone else who likes music, please send this their way. It’d mean a lot to them and to me.
Queue Fergie’s Glamorous,
Max