MMM - a MASSIVE October & November Recap
We got a lot to catch up on...
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, you can follow along on spotify and please be sure to absolute smash that dang subscribe button! tysm :) Your paid subscriptions go towards supporting the artists you read about here too!! That’s right(!!), the artists who made This Weeks Songs are getting paid!! <3
Been a couple of months since we’ve done any kind of recap, and I have A LOT of music for you to check out today. Scroll through, find your new fav song! I’ll be back soon with the usual picks and probably get our Spotty Wrapped recap too. But this one is fulllll of gems, I know you’ll enjoy.
LA friends - y’all wanna go to a Sofar show… ? You could try Sunday, dec 3rd in venice, an unforgettable start to December with three insaaaane vocalists. Or maybe dec 7th in West Adams featuring a MMM Fav… eye emojis!! Hope to see you there. If you’re based anywhere outside of LA but would want to see a Sofar show soon, let me know where you’re at and I’ll pick out a great show coming up.
You can get tickets here: Yes this is an ad! Yes, I will earn a little bit of cash if you buy tickets through my link!! But isn’t it cool that you’ll see a sick show and I’ll get some damn skrill??! Seems like it to me.
THE BIG RECAP: What I’ve Been Listening To This Month (and last month too)
Traveling to Ireland and London, traveling anywhere, gives me a chance to reset the music I’m listening to and give new context to music I love. I found a few new favorites + a lot of new releases to savor. Let’s dive tf in.
Mali Velasquez - I’m Green
I listened to this record on REPEAT the whole time I was in Ireland. It’s mesmerizing and heavy and gentle and beautiful. Velasquez quickly becoming one of my favorite voices and favorite writers.
Every listen leaves me with a new song to obsess over. Every song is gorgeous and the album feels like a true piece of work, one that’s lingering in my brain and my heart.
I’ve got a lot more to say about this record, and *wink wink* I will soon…. But the opening lyric of the album starts out at full strength. You’re older, older than me. Sucking on a sponge as your cancerous lungs tried to breathe. Brave writing, brave melodies, incredible performances, and incredible production. This record rules so much and I can’t stop talking about it.
Chartreuse - Never To Be Real
Another album to check out ASAP. Chartreuse has been a main stay for me (and this dang ‘sletter) this year. So if you’re still not familiar NOW IS THE TIME. This song was a highlight when I got to see them play here in LA - I don’t like the way you came and changed things repeated out with so much buried anger it’s a moving and haunting lyric. Verses with big bold band work, parting the seas for this mantra to hit harder and harder every time. Super dynamic song and just undeniable how much it rocks. Get hip!!!
June McDoom - The City - with Strings
My GOD!!! I closed 2022 writing about this fantastic song, I opened that writeup with some truly Max writing - A part of me just wants to enjoy this one. To ask you to hit play and just listen along with me. A whole write up that’s just timestamped reactions like “ooh woah” and “hahaha isn’t that sick”. Yeah I stand buy that 100%.
Somehow McDoom found a way to make the tune that much more special. And there’s a clue in the title…. that’s right sherlock, we got some darn strings!! Lush and refined with every moment of beauty drawn out that much more. This entire With Strings project is so special, but The City always sticks with me.
Wilby - Easy
GO SUPPORT WILBY’S GOFUNDME AND HELP THEM RECORD AN INCREDIBLE RECORD PLEASE!!
Wilby rocks sm. That chugging guitar, a little muted bell sound giving the drums so much texture. On and on and on and on / I replay what you said, Wilby’s voice erupting over these glistening guitars, the whole band dropping into a heartbreaking chorus.
The verses are almost stern, digging back to these hard moments in/in the wake of this relationship. Sad as they are, this is just some good rock n roll… hard not to love.
Cannonballing back to the chorus that you don’t wanna hurt me / but you make it look so easy. COME ON. Love this one a lot, and can’t wait for whatever is next with Wilby.
Ava McCoy - Grow
I’ve been falling back into McCoy’s EP, Closer to the Bugs. The whole thing is beautiful and feels so unique in it’s arrangements/production. McCoy’s voice is incredible throughout, I really this one in particular. So so beautiful.
Mk.gee - Are You Looking Up
It’s fucked. He’s just making… perfect?? songs???? how????
The guitar tones are insane, the groove finding it’s way SO deep into my soul. Really loving these releases and can’t wait for more.
Mal Not Bad - AP
I got to see Mal play live recently, opening for Al Menne’s album release show. And besides the whole show featuring live puppeteering, thanks to the heros/legends at Bob Baker Marionette Theater, another major highlight was seeing the beginning of the new Mal Not Bad era.
I saw Mal a while back, and instantly fell for their song Mtns off of their 2021 record, In Free Fall. Another record in ‘22 that feels a step further, more experiment/instrumental, finding a sound that fits. But I was not expecting this set from Mal - effect heavy, gorgeous textures building up, and beautiful guitar atop it all. I flipped when they used heavy padlocks to weigh down their keyboard, holding crazy arpeggios through the whole song while they played guitar. Love shit like that.
This first single is SICK as hell. The guitar tone is so insane, it’s got so much movement and momentum, a lovely little groove, and Mal’s vocals really shine.
Jordan Ward - FAMJAM4000
Everyone has been talking about this Jordan Ward record since it came out in March. I remember listening when it dropped, but nothing stuck for me and I lost it in the deluge. But watched Ward’s tiny desk and it REALLY stuck. Especially FAMJAM4000 - such a catchy melody my goodness.
He’s incredibly charming and the band sounds good as hell. The kind of song that just wants me to dance, to get outside. Love this one, so warm, so great.
Brainstory - Nobody But You
Random SoundCloud discovery, these guys rock.
Fabiana Palladino ft. Jai Paul - I Care
They played this during the Jai Paul show and I was mesmerized. These two play so well off each other. The production, obviously, is entirely of the Paul Institute universe, and it’s just a good ass song. Those descending chords walking us into 0:45, it’s heavy and beautiful.
Barrie - Hard Candy
Less than two minutes but PACKED with mystery and beauty. I love Barrie’s voice, seeming to really shine on these minimalist produced songs. Minimalist in a sense, but after that first verse, the song is flooded with layers of vocals speaking truths with a little feedback. It’s an eye catching moment, and by the time Barrie steps back to sing, we’re over halfway through.
Their melodies have such a one of one shape and feel, it’s music only Barrie is making. The writing is simple but specific and pulls me in deep. What’s wrong with maybe? rings out as the song takes a right turn, suddenly the keys braving towards the storm on their own. And it’s over before you know it.
Paramore / Domi & JD Beck / Bartees Strange - Re: This Is Why
The whole Re: This Is Why remix record is SICK as hell. It’s a hit list of the best and the future of music. The Linda Lindas, Zane Lowe, Wet Leg, Remi, Claud. But the stand outs for me are Domi & JD Beck doing their Domi & JD Beck thing on Big Man, Little Dignity. Astonishing drums top to bottom. The groove impossible to predict but impossible to shake, I’m glued to this one from the second it starts. Second, I love Bartees Strange’s Figure 8. Giving the song a dark, nasty feel, building to this big beautiful chorus.
Then when Bartees breaks in for his own little bridge, I lost it. I love his voice so so much and this little moment is stunning and perfect and I just fucking love it. Sorry!!!
Yussef Dayes - Black Classical Music
With the end of the year approaching, so are the End Of Year lists and boy I am already so overwhelmed…. Dayes’ BCM missed me when it dropped in September, but I’ve been living in it for the last few days and can’t get enough. A really great album, opening with some ridiculous jazz numbers but adventuring well beyond that, taking on features/collaborators throughout the record that pull us into edges of genres, blurry lines that are hard to name. The thing just dances and shines and I love it.
Dora Jar - Puppet
SHE DOESN’T MISS. Another weird fun exciting stunner of a tune from Dora Jar.
Ok that’s all I’ll see you again next week <3
With love,
Max