Weekly Report No. 7 🫡🎶
Bunch of music discoveries from this week - A. CHAL, MEUTE, STRFKR, boygenius, IAN SWEET | MC #69
Happy New Year, folks!
Woo-hoo, we made it to 2024! 🎉 I hope you entered this New Year in good health and mood. This week I've got a lot swirling in my thoughts. I've been pondering every angle of my life, just reflecting on whether I really dig it and if it brings me joy, you know? Probably a vibe many of you can relate to at the moment. No specific resolution on my end, just sticking to my usual mission of constantly trying to "be better" and spreading good vibes around ✨✨✨
All right, let’s dive into Weekly Report No. 7 🫡🎶*!
*If you’d like to skip reading go ahead and check out the updated Weekly Report Playlist, which you can follow / hit ♡ button (Save to Your Library) on Spotify:
▶️ A. CHAL - "Walk On Everything"
It totally conquered my heart from the very first listen 🫶. For me, it’s the perfect blend of strong rhythm, mellow vocals, mantra-like refrain, nostalgic melody, and a punk-ish vibe. This will definitely be on heavy rotation, looped in my headphones this year 🔁
This is how Peruvian-American singer-songwriter Alejandro Chal Salazar describes his "Walk On Everything":
“Shot this Trujillo, Peru & Corona, Queens - the 2 homes that molded me. Migrating to New York as a child I remember that feeling of hope. Corona, Queens felt like an extension of Peru alongside all the other South American immigrants that came. I fell in love with the intensity of this concrete jungle, and everything that came with it. “Walk On Everything” is a song that channels that experience to a modern day me, as I tread new territory.”
▶️ MEUTE - "Aurora"
MEUTE describes themselves as a Techno Marching Band. Watching how they make electronic music with real physical acoustic instruments feels so nice. There’s not even one synthesizer in sight! Using brass instruments and drums they create unique soundscapes that never disappoint.
“MEUTE detaches electronic music from the dj desk and evolves the thrust of energy on stage or directly in the crowd. Be it on the streets or in the club, with or without electricity – MEUTE runs!”
— meute.eu
These 11 capital M Musicians from Hamburg, Germany sure know how to keep the audience warmed up 🔥.
If this is your first time with MEUTE, be sure to listen also to their last year’s banger "Peace" and their version of Flume’s hit "You & Me". You won’t be disappointed, I promise!
▶️ STRFKR - "Armatron"
I have loved this indie electro band from Portland since 2013 from the very first moment I heard "Golden Light". The nostalgic, retro vibe and the unique mixture of danceable tunes with thought-provoking lyrics that they put into each of their songs are incomparable to me. They have something about them that makes it easy for me to recognize whether a given piece is theirs or someone else's.
"Armatron”, their newest single, sounds like new and old STRFKR at the same time. Something changed here, and I would say that for the better. Feels more modern, and sonically refreshing, yet it still takes you on a stroll down memory lane. What’s more, this one is also a feast for the eyes with animations deliciously satisfying to watch. See for yourself 👀🎨🎶
▶️ boygenius - "You’re Still The One"
boygenius is an indie supergroup that probably needs no introduction. These gals dominated the rock scene in 2023 with their debut album "the record". But that’s not what I want to talk about right now. The thing that has really struck me this week was boygenius’s cover of Shania’s Twain hit - "You’re Still The One". I still enjoy the original, but it doesn’t move me as much as this adaptation, which feels like a soothing balm for the soul. These angelic voices excellently harmonize with the soft sounds of guitar and mandolin. I cannot lie, I get chills down my spine every time listening to this ✨
▶️ IAN SWEET - "Sucker"
I stumbled across this one thanks to Natalie Myrick from Noots Letter when I was catching up on her truly awesome Noots Letter Top 50 of 2023 playlist. This captivating blend of sadness in Jillian Medford's (aka IAN SWEET) voice and lyrics, mellow melody with out-of-tune piano noises… damn it clicked with me so much!
“The disorienting sensation of falling in love and staying in love appears throughout SUCKER, but this isn’t a break up album so much as it is a reclamation album. “I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself over the years, and with this record I think the intention was to let go and put more trust in myself,” Medford states while discussing how this splendid album represents where she’s at as an artist—and SUCKER feels like the culmination of her personal and professional accomplishments so far, as well as the first step in a bold and exciting new future for IAN SWEET as a whole.”
Now, there’s one more thing to do… Let’s vote!
Thanks for taking the time to read and listen to today’s Weekly Report. I hope you’ve enjoyed the ride 🎡. Let me know what you think. Maybe you have made some music discoveries yourself this week and wanna share them too?
Have a marvelous weekend!
Yours,
Another batch of awesome tracks! I was a little too late to the party to vote in the poll, but Walk On Everything would’ve been my pick. That boygenius cover is a thing of beauty too!
Oh wow, I couldn't choose a favorite between Walk On Everything and Aurora! 🎶🎶