Max's Music Mondays with Temme Scott and EARTH TO EMILY
I forgot it's the 4th Anniversary of MMM's, oops!
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 press that subscribe button! That would be meaningful to me!! Very, if I’m honest!!!
Tomorrow is the beginning of the NBA season. And boy oh boy am I excited. Basketball is my favorite sport, and yes I do like the way they dribble up and down the court. Sue me!!
It’s such an exciting moment of the season for me. Literally anything could happen. My friends and I make a bunch of crazy predictions every season (if you are these friends and are reading this, first off - hey, second - please finish your damn predictions!!!) and there’s something about that energy that’s so thrilling. Just imagining what could happen for some of my favorite players… it’s intoxicating. Jimmy Butler? World is his oyster. John Collins?!? Watch out!! Will Terrance Mann erupt with so much opportunity on his plate? Can Jordan Poole become the new splash brother everyone wants him to become?! Yes and yes IMO!!!! But it’s just the endless potential that’s so exciting. In a few weeks the storylines will settle in, favorites emerge and solidify and then it’s business as usual.
I think it’s the same allure that ~music discovery~ has for me. For so many of these artists and songs, there’s no expectation that’s more or less right. Any sound is possible, any level of success is possible too, who’s to say?! And it’s that energy and that excitement that keeps me here week after week after week (update: i am now realizing it is the 4th anniversary of MMM hahahahah i totally forgot about that but here we are, I already wrote all this gold I can’t just get rid of it now!!!)
Ok and now? Music!!!
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.
Shame - Temme Scott
Somehow I’ve never written about Temme Scott?? Now that is a dang shame!!! Haha yes now we are off to a really strong start. And so is this song! Ok I gotta chill out this is too much. Anyways, a groovy little moment down the hall welcomes us, the drums carrying us into the song. Temme Scott is so good, and wastes no time being just that on this one. Ripping off perfect lyric after perfect lyric with such an incredible tone, over a tumbling guitar and gorgeous piano. It feels intimate, quiet, personal. The drums come back, strong and sure. A little extra energy that pushes Scott on too, the melody starting to grow. This prechorus is absolutely nuts. Temme bearing her soul with nothing to hide behind. The moment is so gentle and generous, to herself and to us. It sends me reeling and us into the chorus, chugging along with Scott going certified wild - she sounds so good here. That intimate intro recast as a raw chorus, the full band coming together just right. A sneaky little guitar solo too, whew what a treat! The production starts to shine even more in this next section - chopping the piano line, some new drums painting the edges, and some stunning textured layers of vocals. And also the lyrics continue to be perfect here - focusing on the big and the small, emotion pouring through with that massive “put this all on me” moment. We get back to the chorus, that “shame” shout giving me chills. The song continuing to find small ways to evolve, just like us :) The bridge is so special… “you want what I’m have and I don’t even have it”, admitting that our looks can be deceiving, that we’re all out here, trying to figure it out (here = life). That omg is the perfect touch - the frustration, the pain, the eye-roll in lyric form. You feel it, you know it. Thankfully, the bass is there to catch us - warm and full as ever, powering through that riff to get us back to the band one last time. It’s a fun ride all the way out too, finally getting our invite to the party from the intro. I really love this one, taking a tough emotion head on, exploring it and sharing the result. It’s vulnerable and honest and generous and (maybe above all else) simply rocks. Temme is such a great songwriter with a one of a kind voice, so any single is cause for celebration. But this one is special, and I also really loved what she had to say about this one *tearing up emoji*
Follow Temme Scott on IG / Spotify
NO HALO - EARTH TO EMILY
EARTH TO EMILY IS REALLY GOOD (thought about doing this in all caps but felt like too much and I am backing off immediately…). Delivering some big ol’ pop dreams. Twinkling our way in, what feels like refracted light. But as the lyrics start flowing, it’s clear it’s caused by our watering eyes. EARTH TO EMILY getting us all caught up, there’s some unrequited love here and that is always sad to see. E2E delivering such soft and lush vocals. That flutter across “telling me how much you loooooooove” me at 0:15?? Good grief that’s stunning. But not stunning enough to make up for just how brutally devastating the next line is </3 </3 wow. Come on!!! Slowly the band forms around us, that bass, the pads, the background vocals. Slowly rising and finding clarity. This first verse is a sad one - one where E2E clearly feels bad for us, that we’ve been falling for them this whole time and they just aren’t on the same page. But as the chorus hits, perspective shifts just a little. The sadness, and soft anger, that comes through isn’t for us but for themselves. Not the angel we thought they were and maybe at fault for this not working. The chorus is big as heck but still sparse, really locking in for the second half. All the makings of a true bop: fun energy, great melody, I can’t help but dance through their shortcomings. That second verse is short and sweet, more and more heartbreaking with every lyric. That wave of harmonies a welcome addition as we start building back to the chorus. This time it hits at full strength from the first moment, and it’s just good!! Can’t help but singalong this time through too, leading on to some huge synths ringing out like Christmas bells (is that a thing because I don’t think they are but also feel like you probably know what I mean??). The last thirty seconds feel like one big montage, a little smile as we reflect. E2E is on a hot streak right now, their last release BABY TEETH is a wonderful inverse of this song thematically, and as delightful and catchy and well done and undeniable as this one. Can’t wait to see what’s next.
Follow EARTH TO EMILY on IG / Spotify
An anniversary is as good an excuse to once again thank you all for being here week after week, for sending this to friends, and for not unfollowing/blocking me on IG when I post about it every week. I am sincerely so grateful for this space and this community and DO NOT TAKE IT LIGHTLY. It’s hard not to look at the number of views each post gets and not feel a sense of competition/judgement but it’s also hard not to look at the number of views each post gets and not feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and shock. Like how tf is there this many people and also why??? But so so genuinely and earnestly grateful for each of you. One day we’ll get a proper celebration together (not really sure how you properly celebrate a newsletter..?) but until then, thank you <3
Yours,
Max