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It’s been a hell of a week at work for me. So I was immensely grateful for the first Crewlist with songs to unwind. Lying on the sofa, eyes closed, listening to these relaxing tracks – there’s no better way for me to calm down.
Now, it’s Saturday. Late evening, 11 pm. I’m going through all submissions to present five interesting releases. And I think I’ve found something that might excite you.
This week, we’re wandering through electronic forests, going crazy on surf-rock beaches, cuddling in front of a warm R&B fireplace, crossing a language barrier, and plunging into an obscure abyss.
Obviously, you can also do this in the Spotify playlist.
Let’s start the journey.
FINE. – Beware
Switzerland “celebrates” the fact that women can vote for 50 years. The perfect timing for 21-year-old FINE. to release Beware. Wrapped in a captivating, synth-driven package, the artist denounces patriarchy.
Beware features a somewhat exotic melody reminiscent of far eastern music. It elevates the otherwise darker ambience to a more playful level – an angry song without sounding like it.
La Femme – Foutre Le Bordel
Let’s imagine messing up the high society in Saint Tropez: What soundtrack would be the perfect match? It has to be Foutre Le Bordel by the French surf-rock outfit La Femme.
Their song reminds me of Ça plane pour moi by Belgian artist Plastic Bertrand but rather pivoting to a psychedelic note than classic punk and new wave. Nevertheless, Foutre Le Bordel is a sweaty blast.
Taylor Klara – Fade Away
Taylor Klara is just starting her career as a singer. Fade Away is the first song by the 21-year-old Swiss with British and Caribbean roots. However, this bittersweet song demonstrates her potential.
Balancing the fine line between kitsch and authenticity, Fade Away is a soul-infused R&B track that tips the hat to genre heroines without losing independence.
Chuckamuck – サヨナラ
サヨナラ (sayonara) means goodbye. Sayonara was originally released back in 2016 by Chuckamuck. The German garage-rock band’s energetic sound has been compared to legends like the Libertines.
Their latest album, Language Barrier, revisits older songs in a new language. Sayonara became サヨナラ – sung in Japanese instead of German and rearranged into a more sophisticated sound. Great!
Boundaries – Harness
Copenhagen is the heart of darkness when Boundaries begin to roam the streets. Harness tells about imprisonment by self-destructing actions, musically represented by disharmony and an overwhelming wall of sound.
The most intriguing aspect of this apocalyptic track remains the baseline. Unusually created with slide tubes to sound like a double bass, the melody is an hommage at Phantom of the Opera.
Pool Song by Lea Porcelain
It’s time for another instalment of B-Side, the occasional format that features an older song worth listening to.
I’ve to admit: I’m a huge fan of the Berlin-based duo Lea Porcelain. I love their sound since I first heard Warsaw Street back in 2016, and attended their first show in Zurich a year later.
There’s a sense of eternity in Lea Porcelain’s sound I rarely came across in my 13 years as a music journalist. And no song catches the timelessness better than Pool Song, released last September. Starting off quite shallow, the track quickly dives into ever greater depths. It swells like a wave, a tsunami of sound, pushing you down, surrounding you. For me, Pool Song lives on forever.
Thanks for bearing with me until the end. I hope you’ve found something you liked and maybe even found the way into your personal heavy rotation.
Also, we’re heading towards 150 subscribers. Once Weekly5 reaches that number, you can expect a first special edition. 🥳
All the best,
