MMM with Jahna Amani & Qbanaa
Two stunning songs & everything that's helped me stay sane this last week.
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. Your subscriptions go such a long way. Free subscribers help these artists get the audience they deserve, paid subscriptions help keep this thing running and also PAY THE ARTISTS!!! 2/3 of every subscription goes right back to the artists I write about. Please consider supporting independent music and music journalism(?) here today <3
Well… obviously a much scarier world we find ourselves in this week. A moment to build closer relationships, to care for the people around you in material ways, and to continue fighting even harder for a more just, more loving world.
Here’s a couple of the ways I’ve found helpful over the years (and this week especially):
Join a union, and contribute towards a better future together! I’m sure many of you would qualify for United Musicians & Allied Workers. If you’re a renter, your local tenants union (LATU for those in LA). Major short-term and long-term impact.
Find/contribute to a local mutual aid group!! This has been a mainstay for me since the pandemic started. I was lucky to watch LA groups (and one fund raised out of a twitch stream) truly save lives and offer relief when people needed it most. Not only are you helping your community, there was always a sense of relief knowing these folks would have your back all the same should you need the help. There’s an awesome new LA directory that just launched here but surely plenty of options in your area too!
Seeing live music in independent spaces - tell me what city you live in and I’ll send you something great :) Tonight, I’m off to my 4th (and 5th?? lol) show in the last week. The music always grounds me, and I’m bound to see a familiar face there too. A chance to smile, to find a new favorite song, to meet a new friend. Beautiful all around.
Reminding the people you love that you love them. An important one that is way too easy to forget <3
None of this is novel, and even writing it in my ~music discovery newsletter~ feels trite. More than anything, these are reminders for myself. It’s easy to isolate but every time I do any of these things, I come out the other side happier, more hopeful, and more alive.
I hope you’re doing well <3
Also… I was going to say shameless plug, but actually it’s a prideful plug!! Grab your redbrd cassette today! The first release on Mendel - it’d mean the world to have your support and I think you’ll love the music <3 <3
Jahna Amani - Older
Underneath the faintest filter, the band makes their entrance. A tight kit, an electric guitar that has the Arctic Monkeys jealous, with a bass line to match. The two going for an absolute stroll. Seconds in and the song already has a little edge, a little smirk on its face.
Jahna Amani steps in with a lyric to match. Oh how mature / you think / that I’ve been keeping score. The vocals and their ‘what-are-you-talking-about’ feel, rip the filter right off and let the band come to life. Amani’s voice is amazing on its own, like she’s singing right at us, eye contact in its directness. And then we get harmonies too?? You tell me all the time taking shape in a really exciting twist. The whole track just has so much texture and energy, it’s a delight already and we’re only 19 seconds in. The verse is a great one, Amani clear in her feelings, whoever this person is, they’re on their way out of Amani’s life. The band keeps being sick, the harmonies float all over, it’s just good stuff.
We flip easily into the chorus, the voices working together as they make their way down this stellar melody. It’s all so damn groovy, just easy and fun. The band holding it down as the drums open up just enough to give it some more life. Amani disappointed in, what is now safe to assume, this childish ex.
The guitar works out a few notes as a synth sparkles through, everyone needing a moment to breath and come back down. Once we’re all ready, we find ourselves dropped back into that verse. Familiar, locked in. The writing is so good I’m just cheesing over here. Closing out with the brutal, Oh now you think you’re a man? I’ll wait and watch you navigate without holding my hand. FOLKS!!!!! A dagger.
The second chorus lets these bells ring down over the top of everything. It’s a tasteful addition, a nice bit of elegance thrown over these resolute lyrics. That little flare over the final oOooOoOolder? Come on, love that!!
We see it all through again, the lyrics phasing in and out, with the guitar back on its adventure. Before it all peels away and leaves us with one last guitar. It’s over way too soon, guess we gotta play it again.
It’s a great song, the first I’d heard from Amani. A few clicks deep and we find it’s produce by Isaiah Jose - a familiar name around MMM-land. We’ve heard him here before thanks to his amazing work with Oranje Space. It’s so much fun to keep connecting dots like this. Can’t wait to hear what’s next for them both.
Follow Jahna Amani on Instagram // on Spotify
Qbanaa - Demons In The Liffey
Mmmm. Just listen to that first ten seconds and breathe. Settle in and enjoy the beauty and the ease. Damn.
The whole intro keeps that feeling, like a sunrise, the world slowly coming awake as we sit patiently. It’d be easy to get lost in this moment, and I’m sure there’s a twenty-minute meditation on this progression out there on some hard drive, but Qbanaa steps to the mic with a voice and lyric that’ll wake you right up.
I wish you / wouldn’t call at all, no / Cause maybe then I’d miss you / instead I’m running so far away.
It’s a jarring break from the feel of the song. But what might read as anger on paper comes across as genuine love here. A true feeling of like “it sucks this is how it is, but I really do believe in our relationship”. Qbanaa’s voice is fantastic. Soft and light, but full of tiny bits of magic. Each note drawing you in closer, letting you see the beauty in every word. As the verse continues, the production builds on this guitar. Layers of atmosphere, made of both synths and clips of voices, slowly seeing the song grow and take shape. More vocal layers drop in, and they really rock…
The bass finds its entrance too, Qbanaa vocalizing and landing each phrase with such grace. 1:39 is a stellar switch up, But you know sucking the wind of the song, changing course for the first time, looking at us dead in the eyes, no distractions. You’ll always have a place in my heart hitting me in the gut, and in my daze, Qbanaa’s effortless move into Spanish is an inspiring one. It all feels so right, and I’m lost in the track thinking about my own mom’s love and how it really is something you can’t forget. Draped with those angelic keys, it’s so tender.
It seems to unlock something in Qbanaa too, as the song turns sharply and forges a whole new path. Suddenly more sure and clear minded, it’s a deep-breath-ok-I’m-ready of a lyric, that propels the song and Qbanaa towards progress and out of this song’s daydream.
We pick up momentum from that bass, a really thrilling use of autotune giving an incredible voice a whole new feel. I’d fight all your demons in the Liffey… Even if you think that demon is me. This kind of unfettered love is so beautiful, and I’m beyond thrilled to have a few moments to savor it. As old and new mix, synths and strings bridging sounds and generations and people. The whole moment a swaying embrace.
Qbanaa returns to that opening lyric, showing off that voice and that desire for a better relationship one last time. Whew what a ride. Loving this one and ready to hear whatever is to come.
Follow Qbanaa on Instagram // on Spotify
Last Week on All The Other Days:
Soft Spot - JMSN
It’s a hit, but it’s also a mystifying, mesmerizing music video.
It’s been going viral on twitter, the tweet i saw touting the determination and confidence in the song finally catching fire after it has been out a year. And thank god. Because I am obsessed and dancing like this at all times of day.
Love90 - Quiet Light
No one is doing it quite like Quiet Light. Unique, rich production running alongside her stunning voice. Does it kill you that I can’t get it right is one hell of a lyric. The songs feel intimate, feel personal, and feel like releasing all these feelings. And we get to join in that release.
The vocal stacks over found samples is so beautiful. Quiet Light continues to stun and create special music.
Flames shards goo - ML Buch
Came back to this year-old track this week too. I think a lot of the music I’ve been listening to lately has been infused with this feel and had to get back to the source. Elegant, weird, transportive, cinematic, it’s just a wonderful wave to savor as it washes over you.
Friend - Alex Ivy
They’re back again - Alex Ivy is unstoppable and so damn good. Gentle vocals over this great acoustic guitar. The first minute feeling small and mighty, the canvas shows someone sulking in the shower and you feel it here. But as we break past the minute mark the light starts to sneak in, more to the picture than we knew. At 1:23 the vocals rejoin with strength, the lush force of the band making the moment epic.
The song moves from this walk to a jog in the ensuing moment, everything really taking off from there. The production is amazing, it is so well made, such a distinct sound they’re creating here.
Another massive force at the 3min mark that sends me soaring. In the wreckage we find a new piano, a pleading narrator, and a gorgeous melody. The way his voice breaks over “we’ll always be okay-” an awesome performance, an awesome song.
Shitty Heaven - Ally Evanson
Ok what the hell this is nuts (complimentary). A three act play, each stunning, each thrilling. This intro is undeniable. Creating chords of vocals, big enough to shake the earth, soft enough to touch your heart. Am I who I’m growing into? Like… come on. The song shifts gears, the tension rising. But before it breaks we settle back for another round. Past 1:35 and things start to ramp up even more, and right there, when we’re all expecting a massive crescendo, Evanson opens the door to something entirely different.
A break from our conversation, we turn on the TV, this band slowly coming into focus. Offering a hazy, human rendition of these now familiar chords. And they give me some calm, slowly wrapping up at 2:20. But hold on… there’s more?? Surely Evanson is back for a simple little conclu- PSYCH LET THAT SHIT RIP LETS GO. THE CLIMAX WE WERE WAITING FOR. Whew. Tune.
Loving You - Jorja Smith ft. Maverick Sabre
These two really work so well together. What else is there two say. Two of the smoothest doing it and doing it together. Bless <3
Cheers my friends,
Max