reLISTEN #1: Introduction
A curation of five sonic gems from the (not so) distant past.
I love sharing music. This passion, combined with my love for writing, led me to start the online magazine Negative White back in 2010. And forced me to bring back Weekly5 after the website folded after a decade.
You all know it: This newsletter brings you five new songs every Sunday. One of the curation’s criteria is timeliness. The featured tracks are only a couple of days old. The Weekly5 are a platform for fresh releases.
However, music discovery isn’t limited to new songs. Instead, I find myself falling in love with older material, releases that were released months and years ago but didn’t reach me in time. But: better late than never, right?
I feel an urge to write about these songs, share them with people, and shine a light on them in the hope they (still or again) find appreciation.
reLISTEN: A new format
That’s why I’m introducing «reLISTEN». Basically, it’s the same idea as the Weekly5, just with ‘old’ songs.
Obviously, the Sunday curation already takes a lot of time. So, reLISTEN will be less frequent, not weekly but monthly.
Most importantly: While today’s first edition is accessible to all subscribers, future ones will be exclusively available for members.
So if you like the idea of reLISTEN and discovered something you love in today’s selection, please consider becoming a member. For $55/year, you’re supporting this platform by keeping it ad-free and independent.
One aspect of reLISTEN I already love is giving the editions more of a theme. It’s some sort of a small-form playlisting with matching genres, topics, or atmospheres.
Today, you can detect a red threat in the prominence of guitar play, all in the realm of folk, Americana, and country-inspired songs. Five songs to dream, to contemplate, to despair in lovesickness, and to fill your soul with catharsis.
AVEC – Dead
I’m a sucker for songs that defy traditional structure and pacing. Specifically, songs that build up over time will always have a special place in my heart. Austrian artist AVEC’s single Dead, released in 2016, is one of these gems.
Black is the color for
The dead inside me
Dead starts innocently with its mourning acoustic guitar melody and AVEC’s smokey voice. For the second verse, an electric guitar adds more pressure. After a short moment of silence, the song opens up for the chorus but keeps building momentum. Marching drums enter. Synthesizers span across endless fields.
Dead constantly gains atmosphere and depth. It flees higher and higher into the sky. I cannot adequately describe the feeling inside my chest this masterpiece evokes. Something between longing, regret, pain, and love; something that tears your heart into pieces. And the only sad thing about Dead is its short runtime—it feels as if the song could spread infinitely further.
I usually don’t listen to country music—with a few exceptions. And Gregory Alan Isakov’s hauntingly beautiful If I Go, I’m Goin is one of these. It’s a sad, folky sound, filled with heartbreak. A slow-motion banjo strums in the background, the steel guitar adds this unique longing, pulling sound. And Isakov’s soothing voice is full of pain.
I will go if you ask me to
I will stay if you dare
And if I go, I'm goin' crazy
Let my darlin' take me there
Inspired by the likes of Cohen and Springsteen, Isakov’s music is rooted deep within North American music heritage. However, despite If I Go, I’m Goin having all the trademarks of country music, it doesn’t descend into the genre’s kitsch. It’s not perpetuating the stereotype of a trucker somewhere out on the road missing his love. The song remains pure, a hurting ballad whose sharpest knife is its softness.
Angie McMahon – Missing Me
Reduce to the max: That’s the theme of Angie McMahon’s Missing Me. The Australian musician waives any instrumental special effects aside focuses the spotlight on her sombre yet warm singing.
Loving you has thrown me
You have been my only rock on the ground
Now that I'm out of sight
Loving you is lonely
Released in 2018 as a teaser for her debut record, Salt (2019), this song is a raw diamond of bluesy rock music, as energetic as emotional. It’s the unfiltered processing of a lost relationship. “Missing Me is about releasing all that punchy sass and angst that bubbles under the surface when somebody isn’t listening to you, or they’re letting you down or breaking your heart,” she explained at the release.
Missing Me, even years later, still stands as loud and proud as an example of what rock music should be all about: not the flashiness, not the overindulged flamboyance, but the straightforward, unedited, unforgiving power.
must
I vividly remember my first encounter with Josh T. Pearson. In 2011, he was featured in the German Rolling Stone magazine, just releasing his incredible debut, Last of the Country Gentlemen. While on an exchange trip, I bought the album in a record store in Brighton, UK. Seven songs, full of unique takes on the Country genres. And yes, you guessed right, Josh T. Pearson is also one of the exceptions.
Country Dumb is a 10-minute-long, unbelievably weird song. The acoustic guitar jangling while Pearson’s storytelling often feels completely detached from the instrument’s sound. The fiddle then fills the gaps with some colour. It’s hard to describe; you must listen to it to understand the level of fantastic oddness.
However, there’s also an alternative piano version of Country Dumb. It’s shorter and less crazy, but it's also proof that the song is utterly brilliant—no matter which version you choose.
Warren Zevon – Keep Me in Your Heart
Whiskey, weed, and Warren Zevon. It’s the ritual of Hank Moody, the protagonist in Californication, after finishing a book. The series introduced me to Zevon, the cult artist who never received the recognition he deserved while still alive.
Zevon remained a one-hit-wonder for a wider audience with Werewolves of London (Yes, that’s the origin of the melody in Kid Rock’s Sweet Home Alabama). Then, in 2003, he passed away after battling lung cancer.
On his last record, The Wind, Zevon deals with his incoming death and his legacy, also following through with his reputation for black humour: He covers Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door. And as a heartbreaking ending of the album, Keep Me in Your Heart is like a final wish, a letter to the world and people he leaves behind. It’s a beautiful token, not depressing or in denial. Zevon sings with clarity and honesty in his voice. A song that gives consolation to the grieving.
Shadows are fallin’ and I'm runnin’ out of breath
Keep me in your heart for a while
If I leave you it doesn't mean I love you any less
Keep me in your heart for a while
Bursts
Edition #37 • Pablo Nouvelle, Joy Wellboy, Zeal & Ardor, ANGER MGMT., Hanreti
It’s been a difficult week: After an overdose of amazing releases last week, intense digging was necessary until I had assembled a selection of songs that I could present in good conscience.
Weirdly, I somehow feel better about today’s curation. Maybe because I didn’t have to kill darlings, maybe because it took more effort than usual.
The result of this week’s harvest is a colourful bouquet. It’s one of these episodes I could refer people to when they ask me what kind of music I listen to. There’s ecstatic electronic music, driven indie sound, hammering metal, raw rock, and fantastic composition.
Today’s songs all burst in their own regards.
Enjoy,
Pablo Nouvelle – La Sensación Es Real
It’s not a secret that Swiss producer Pablo Nouvelle is capable of creating veritable banger songs—even when he just remixes an existing track like Audio Dope’s Absence of Gravity. So obviously, it’s no surprise that his latest release, La Sensación Es Real, is an exciting beast.
In his songs, Pablo Nouvelle features this odd mix of glimmer and addictive catchiness of pop, the ecstatic nature of electronic dance music, and yet, it never feels cheap or plastic. La Sensación Es Real is a sensational burst, a sunny explosion, synchronising hearts with its deep bass, pushing drops of sweat out of the skin with its joyful synthesizers.
Cinematic
Edition #36 • Mattiu, White Lies, ZUSTRA, NOTI x Sensu, East Sister
🕒 This newsletter is 895 words, a 7-minute read.
First, a big thank you to everyone who decided that Weekly5 is worth supporting and chose to become a member. You made 2022 already an excellent year for me!
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’ve probably missed the announcement.
A couple of days, I stumbled across this exceptional song by French pop-rock outfit Poni Hoax. The Music Never Dies deals with the dualistic nature of being a musician. “Play your cello, little girl/ You give your body to the world,” sings Nicolas Ker, the band’s singer who passed away last year.
However, the song’s chorus is a passionate love letter to music—despite all the business hassle.
I know the music never dies
It breaks against the wall of sound
Its pieces rain down upon our faces
They slice up like a knife
Through our minds and through our thighs
The song, especially its chorus, embodies my deep desire for great music. I’m hungry and excited about what 2022 holds in store for us. And now, finally, we can delve into five new songs. It’s going to be quite cinematic.
Enjoy this year’s first official edition,
Mattiu – Forza
The clouds disappear with each epochal swelling of the string orchestra. It’s almost cinematic, how Forza starts and almost tragic how the grand opening collapses to reveal a singer-songwriter tune. But then, this contrast is an allegory of the Alps—big, majestic, but also quiet and beautiful.
Mattiu Defuns, a 22-year-old singer, presents himself with his first single, Forza. It’s an atmospheric, visually stunning song that embraces pathos and—yes—kitsch with self-confidence. Forza drips of longing and a feeling of home but still sounds somehow exotic with its lyrics in Rumansh, Switzerland’s fourth official language.
Launching Weekly5 Membership
Help to keep Weekly5 ad-free and independent.
Good morning,
Honestly, I’ve never been so nervous about sending out a newsletter.
Weekly5 is all about sharing great music. I started this newsletter one year ago to have a vessel for my passion. And gratefully, you and many others deemed it worthy of their time. So, after twelve months, I want to bring Weekly5 to the next level—together with you.
Today, I’ll launch the Weekly5 membership.
Now, you might ask: What’s that? Let me explain.
What are the expenses of Weekly5?
Weekly5 isn’t free to run. Costs for server, domain and licencing fees for tools add up to $400 per year. And of course, the newsletter requires at least 8 hours of work each week.
Going into the second year, I looked into different options to cover the costs. But I felt that clustering the newsletter with random advertising would annoy you and me alike.
At the same time, I didn’t want to hide the Weekly5 behind a paywall.
How does the membership work?
That’s why the regular Weekly5 editions will stay free. The membership is voluntary. Maybe occasional special editions will be only available to members, but I don’t have any concrete plans for exclusive content.
My goal for the membership is to cover the basic costs. If you and 14 others become annual supporters, the basic expenses and costs for rewards are covered, estimated at around $800.
What are the member rewards?
Rewards? Yes, of course, there are some giveaways for everyone who becomes a member. Here’s the breakdown of your benefits:
Member ($5/month or $55/year)
- Good conscience: You’re keeping Weekly5 ad-free and independent.
- Full access: Read the whole archive and get exclusive curations!
- Personal curator: You need a playlist? Claim one from me!
- Sticky love: You’ll get cool Weekly5 stickers.
Okay, I think that covers the most important questions. If you still have any questions or feedback, please reach out to me.
In celebration of today’s launch, you can get 20% off for an annual membership. It’s valid until the 31st of January. Click on the button below to benefit from this special offer.
I thank you already very much for considering the membership and support of Weekly5. Next week, we’ll kick it off with the first regular (and still free) episode of 2022.
All the best,
How many female artists were featured in 2021?
Here's the answer.
I hope you had a great start to 2022. I’m excited about the upcoming months and looking forward to hearing what artists all around the globe have in store for us.
But before Weekly5 returns to its usual curation, I want to share some statistics with you quickly. And I also wish to (partly) answer the question: Did I uphold the values I set for myself last year?
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2021 Repeat: Beats/Pop
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