Hi Everyone!
We're up to 53 music lovers and 24 weeks. I just realized that we'll even barely make it to
half of a year of 4TF before the new decade.
I did something interesting this week, putting about twenty songs on a playlist as I found them
and you sent them in before sending them to Rachel for her to pick. It made my job this morning a lot
easier! I'm also excited to say that Rachel will be fully hosting next week with Joe following just a
few short weeks after her. If you're interested in hosting, let me know!
For our news this week, something special came out yesterday.
Tycho released a music video for No Stress,
which is a track I sent out for the second episode of four track almost six months ago. It's a beautiful video, mainly made up of
shots in the studio or performing live. Along with this, they also released
the first instrumental re-imagining of a song from Weather, called Stress.
As a huge fan, it's a joy
to get so much new music this year. And if this only whets your appetite, also check out
when KEXP recorded a full live performance in their downtown Seattle studio.
This week we have two tracks from the community. Let's get to 'em.
Dream pop - Six Feet Under by Billie Eilish
Billie released a new track this week, called "everything i wanted." The 17-year-old's latest is a truly beautiful track,
dealing with fame's formidable weight and how Finneas, her brother and producer, helps her through it.
The track's simplicity, its use of ghostly echos, and the oh-so-genuine lyrics are what make her this and the rest of her music some of my favorite.
That being said, I highly doubt there are any of you who won't hear this track on your own. What you might not have heard, however,
is Billie's 2016 follow-up to her breakout debut, "ocean eyes."
I first heard the BLU J remix of "Six Feet Under,"
just like how I first heard the Astronomyy remix of "Ocean Eyes."
I still prefer the originals, though.
It's incredible that a 14-year-old songwriter could create a song this deep, thoughtful, and polished, which explores the despair and sick hope that can surround a romance's end.
If you can't get enough, check out this live performance
of the track from the Sofar Sounds show I'm most sad I missed.
Indie pop - Coat by Almond Soy
Now for something from an act I'm sure you've never heard before: a band that began as a bedroom project in 2017. This band, which is named
after alternative choices for milk in your latte (I made this up), has less than 7,000 listeners and almost exclusively Australian fan-base.
The fluttering keyboard, bright guitar, and weighty bass line give this track's romantic consideration of change a sound that's easy to sink into.
Jazz rock - Falling by The Cat Empire
I recently rediscovered The Cat Empire, four years after originally finding them at a German music festival.
They are a band made up of six core members even though they usually play live with eight or more. I remember them
absolutely cramming the stage full of band members and instruments.
This song's bright horns, dancing keys, and vibrant percussion show off just how playful this band can sound.
Whether it's in person or in the privacy of your own headphones, it's easy to get lost in it.
Having released eight studio albums since their first in 2003, there's plenty more for you to get lost in should you crave more.
Soul-pop - Love Me Right by Sister
This one is another sent in by Sam C., who's been filling my inbox with hidden gems ever since
he started with Nujabes just a couple weeks ago.
In an uncompromising ode to self-love and refusal to settle for the sub par, Hannah Anderson
pulls together a soulful experience on this one.
Just getting started this year, we have a lot to look forward to from Sister.
As always, this week’s tracks are added to the collectors for all weeks' tracks, also on
Spotify
and
Apple Music.
Of course, don’t forget to reply with
what you liked, didn’t like, and what you’ve been listening to.
Cheers,
Tanner