5 Hours of Madness
You know. I really try. I do. It takes a lot of work and I make a lot of sacrifices, but I do my damnedest to keep this playlist manageable and listenable every week. Three to four hours of new music is honestly all that anyone should ever be asked to consume. It's a huge commitment and I respect every one of you who actually listens through and opens yourself to learning about new music this way.
One of the problems with doing this playlist every week is that it's introduced me to a lot of music that I never would have found otherwise, and in broadening my musical awareness it's also expanded what I want to feature each week. I'm going to have to learn the skill of being discerning when it comes to building these, or maybe even start building two lists each week where one is only my absolute top picks, limited to two hours.
I dunno. What do you think? You can just hit reply on this email and let me know. I'm genuinely curious as to what y'all would want going forward, as I don't see this length problem solving itself without my intervention.
Anyway, here's a nearly five hour long playlist with 77 incredble songs.
The Playlist
This week sees the release of OKnice's sophomore record. I asked him to pick out a track and introduce for the playlist this week and he graciously agreed. This track also features Gabe Reasoner, who's previously appeared on this playlist as the vocalist for Minnesota bands Careful Gaze and Wringer.
One of my favorite tracks on the record is Voicemail featuring Gabe Reasoner. Not only does it open with a voicemail from my Granny (my favorite person ever) but it captures some hard topics that I haven’t quite been able to voice succinctly before. One is this idea of morality in small Christian towns and the unwiring that took and how the lasting effects of that lead to a lot of self loathing. It also holds space that's not totally defeated “yeah I’m still alive so I’m callin that my best life” like I’m still here, despite days I don’t want to be and that’s something.
One of my favorite releases from last year was ROSIE's EP 20mg Of Happiness, which documented a hard breakup that reflected my divorce in many ways. It was a truly perfect record at the perfect time for me to latch onto hard and if you skipped it when it came out, I highly recommend going back and giving it a spin. Today we get a new single from her in the form on Next Life, opening with the line "Maybe in my next life I can live my best life." Looks like she's still interested in cutting me to my core.
There's a chunk of ska on the playlist, which always makes me happy. Nothing more than seeing Bruce Lee Band (Mike Park, Jeff Rosenstock) team up with Fishbone's Angelo Moore and Skatune Network. What a lineup.
Dolly Parton's full soundtrack to her new novel is out today, including collaborations with Ben Haggard, Joe Nichols, and Richard Dennison. Can't wait to dive into this one as everyone's favorite member of country music royalty refuses to slow down.
Post-rockers El Ten Eleven have their new album out today on Joyful Noise. It's only six tracks, but it truly makes the most of every one of them. Highly recommend this for anyone who loves soaringly interesting post-rock. Also, isn't the hi-hat mixed super crisp on Isn't Everything Enough?? I dunno why, but I'm really enjoying that.
I'm a sucker for Euphoria, so I've included both new tracks featuring Zendaya from this season's finale. One of them is a collab with the show's music director, producer and pop artist Labrinth and the other is with Dominic Fike who plays Elliot on the show. I really can't get over the way that Labrinth produces his own vocals. It's ethereal and massive while being calming and constantly feeling like you're falling off a ledge into a dream that you'll never be able to wake up from. I'm Tired is truly a successor to last season's signature track All For Us, including a reprise of the choral vocals that stood as the signature sound of Zendaya's character Rue repeatedly falling back into the grip of addiction.
Pump Organ Song by Emma Ruth Rundle is truly the Dead Dove: Do Not Eat of this week's playlist.
Indie rock band Cloud Cult has their eleventh album out today. That's a lot of fucking music. I've always held these guys as a live artist more than a studio artist and I don't expect that to change, but I'm still excited to see what's new on this record and getting to think about how that'll translate to the stage. That said, I really appreciate getting to just sit with the story in tracks like The Firefly and the Snake while listening to the studio versions of these songs.
Hard to listen to the new Red Hot Chili Peppers singles as they come out without being reminded of why I fell in love with this band in the first place. This feels really good. Can't wait for the record. Ex-Vöid's (former members of Joanna Gruesome) new single is loud aggressive rock that feels like home. A new favorite here.
Band of Horses have their first new record since 2016 out today and it's an attempt to get back to the "raw ethos that lies at the heart of Band of Horses", per a press release that the band put out when they announced the record back in October. Largely self-produced, this album is certainly a shift for the band and I'm optimistic that it'll be viewed as a shift in the right direction and a return to form that matches their stated goal.
In exciting news, Bartees Strange just announced that he's signing to 4AD! I first learned about Strange when he put out an EP of The National covers back in 2020 and have followed along as he's released original music and remixes while collaborating with everyone from Pheobe Bridgers to Illumninati Hotties and Glass Beach. Super stoked to hear what comes from this new signing, especially as he's announced that he's supporting Car Seat Headrest on their upcoming tour. Oh, did I mention that Conor Murphy of Foxing is a cowriter on this new track?
Power metal legends Sabaton have a new concept album today about World War I and EDM band Krewella is back with their third studio record. Indie pop band Peach Pit has finally released their third record, which I know some of y'all have been looking forward to.
I'm such a sucker for good pop music. This new Camila Cabello and Ed Sheeran collab is pure magic to my ears. It's the sugar cereal of music, but goddamn if I don't love some sugar cereal. This 5 Seconds of Summer track falls into that exact same category.
I've got to wrap up writing for the day, so here are a few last quick highlights:
The Color Fred (Taking Back Sunday, Breaking Pangaea) have released a single from what will be their first album in 15 years!
Annie Jump Cannon just released their debut LP over on No Sleep Records.
Gewgawly I and Thou just released a soundtrack for the video game NORCO.
Queer collective COMMANDO just dropped an album on Kill Rock Stars!
Have a great weekend and I'll see you for an abridged version of the newsletter next week as I race to get it written before going into surgery.