Four Track Friday

Hi there!

Mirko here.

First off, I'd like to thank Tanner for his project. I discovered some great tracks in this diversified and sublime playlist. Today I'd like to add some myself!

Psych-Soul | Old Man by Black Pumas

These big cats are bursting through the charts right now. With their hit "Colors", they made over 24 million views on YouTube - and not without good reason. The awesome and versatile voice of Eric Burton did not fail to impress me. He is accompanied by his band-mate Adrian Quesada, who already produced for multiple artists and won a Grammy-Award with his band Grupo Fantasma. They formed not so long ago in 2017 in Austin, TX. The duo plays some energizing basslines yet the voice of Burton flows right above your imagination.

Rumba-Hip Hop | Pili Pili Sur Un Croissant Au Beurre by Gaël Faye

This Franco-Rwandan artist and author builds amazing arcs between two cultures. Born in Burundi from a Rwandan mother and a French father, the family moved to France after the Rwandan genocide. Through his songs, he describes his abeyance between the two countries. He is also author of the book "Small Country", in which he describes his childhood before and during the crisis in Burundi. Give it a try!

As the song is in french, I'd like to give a quick interpretation: In this song, Faye describes how his French father (croissant) drove with his bike to escape his everyday life. Pedalling through multiple countries and wars, he ends up in Burundi. Meanwhile, his mother (chili pepper / pili pili) is a refugee from Rwanda. They get to know each other and so forms the "Pili Pili Sur Un Croissant Au Beurre". Truly a beautiful story and so very lyrical!

Voice & Cello | La Marelle / Amarelinha by Birds on a Wire

I did not find a matching genre description here. Dom La Nena and Rosemary Standley form the duo Birds on a Wire, combining cello and voice to reinterpret known songs or covers from Lennon or Leonard Cohen. They really create they own genre, combining folk, baroque, music from all over the world and mixing up every imaginable language. Switching between French and Portuguese, this song is a tribute to the surrealist novel "Hopscotch" by Julio Cortázar, performed with both of their magnificent voices.

Alt Rock | Mantra by The Prussians

From the island of Majorca, the indie-alt-rock band lets their guitar riffs flare up. I discovered the band by hearing their song "Soul" in some fun night out with friends. Hearing their songs, it reminds me of how our minds are able to link emotions to the songs that we hear. That's why I was really happy to discover that they already released two singles this year, one of which is "Mantra".

Of course, don’t forget to reply with what you liked, didn’t like, and what you’ve been listening to.

And, as always, this week’s tracks are added to the collectors for all weeks' tracks on Spotify and Apple Music.

Greetings from Germany,
Mirko