Weekly5
Five new songs delivered every Sunday. 100% algorithm-free, hand-picked for you.
Edition #123
In today's edition, we recommend the new songs by Kaktus Einarsson, Raskolnikov, Kitty Solaris, Komodo, and CLÅRA.
We are soon approaching the summer break. Next week's edition will be the last for a while, but at least one special is already in the making. So, don't go anywhere—also because today's selection features some intriguing tunes.
Kaktus Einarsson – Be This Way (feat. Nanna)
Be This Way is a softly performed duet by the Islandic artists Kaktus Einarsson and Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, frontwoman of Of Monsters and Men. The playful, almost whimsical composition—together with their voices—radiates warmth, intrigue, and curiosity.
Raskolnikov – L'irréparable
Post-punk meets poetry in Raskolnikov's second teaser for their third album. The trio, spanning Switzerland, France, and Spain, sets the 1857 poem Les Fleurs du Mal by Charles Baudelaire to music. L'irréparable sounds haunting and demands attention.
Kitty Solaris – Follow The Beatniks
A laid-back, smooth groove welcomes you into Follow The Beatniks by Berlin-based Kitty Solaris. Drawing the line between the Beat Generation and today's social media craze, the song covers the relaxed surface with thoughtfulness. An invitation for reflection.
Komodo – Rat King
Tasty, groovy, and a bit dangerous: Dutch rock band Komodo unifies psychedelic influence, desert blues, surf-rock, and even Indian Raga into a captivating sound—danceable, irresistible. Rat King spreads a familiar vintage vibe with sprinkles of exotic sounds.
CLÅRA – alles/nichts
CLÅRA, a 19-year-old German newcomer, meanders between indie-pop and trip-hop. Her second single, alles/nichts, is a short affair—minimalistic yet somehow ethereal, like flickering lights in a foggy urban night. A sound and an artist worth watching.
You can listen to today's curation on selected streaming services:
Spotify • Apple Music • YouTube Music • Bandcamp
Edition #122
Today, we recommend the new songs by Mayflower Madame, Little Element, Palinstar, Baby Smith, and Vanarian. Discover here.
Mayflower Madame – Paint It All In Blue
In Paint It All In Blue, a teaser of their upcoming album, Norwegian duo Mayflower Madame roams the sombre field between psychedelic krautrock, hypnotic shoegaze and melancholic post-punk. But from this initial darkness, there shines a beautiful, melodic light.
Little Element – High Tide
As a sonic chameleon, Austrian artist Little Element effortlessly blends shades of colours and sounds. There is so much going on, so many elements adding to its unpredictability. High Tide is a fluffy, summery sound—irresistibly groovy spreading good vibes.
Palinstar – It's Time
It's Time for the debut single of acclaimed Swiss multi-instrumentalist Palinstar. Absolutely exquisite indie rock sound awaits you, flavoured with the heritage of previous decades yet dusted off by bold choices, fresh gimmicks, and heartfelt honesty. I can't wait for more.
Baby Smith – Dressing Gown
Two Australians who met in Berlin. Ray Sonder and Saxon Gable formed Baby Smith, and their new single, Dressing Gown, is a shining example of their emotive collaboration: A smooth but also expressive song, balancing quiet moments with loud explosions.
Vanarin – A fly on the wall
Vanarin is an Anglo-Italian band on a mission to explore the weird worlds of psych-pop. With A fly on the wall—the first single from their upcoming third record—they provide a stunning mix of unusual sounds that collide with a captivating, funky indie sound.
You can listen to today's curation on selected streaming services:
Spotify • Apple Music • YouTube Music • Bandcamp
The Weekly5 Anthology
After almost a decade of music curation, it is time to revisit Weekly5's history and gather an anthology playlist.
On September 11, 2015, the nucleus of what would eventually grow to become Weekly5 was published. It was a mere draft of a concept, somewhat unpredictable, if not to say amateurish.
How little thought—or, let's call it inspiration—went into the format is apparent by its title: «Songs of the Week». Never heard that before. It lacked clarity. There was no limitation on the number of songs. I vaguely remember it being a sort of desperate decision: So many songs were published that I needed a vessel to collect them in a reasonable way.
Revisiting the first edition is like travelling back in time to a moment shortly before the rise of music streaming and playlisting. Despite its absent focus, the «Songs of the Week» would survive for 126 editions—and even had its own internet radio show at one point at the now defunct «Radio Meltdown». The last edition was published on November 24, 2018.
Discoveries for Life
The «Songs of the Week» weren't only around at the changing of the tides regarding mainstream music consumption but also the predominant styles—just catching the fading glory of indie-rock.
Regardless of its random recommendations, there were first contacts with bands that remain dear until today: from the scrappy-snotty punk vibe of the Hinds or Dream Wife to the gloomy notes of Holy Esque or Lea Porcelain.
Attending the «Kaltern Pop» festival in October 2018 sealed the long-overdue fate of «Songs of the Week». It was music promoter Frank Lenggenhager, who inspired me to rethink the format.
And on January 12, 2019, the first edition of Weekly5 saw the light of day with a clear promise proudly proclaimed in its title. Compared to the first «Songs of the Week», this selection—featuring the White Lies with Tokyo and Ten Fé's Coasting—holds up world's better.
While the cap in songs every week created more predictability, the genres featured remained an, at times, intentionally wild mix. Weekly5 was and still is designed for the curious minds open for experimentation and true discovery. Less algorithmic «More like artist xyz…» but a human «hey, I think you should listen to this».
But it wouldn't last for as long—initially, at least.
In May 2020, I felt burnt out. Amidst the pandemic, life and music stopped happening and demanding work left me with little time to push a volunteer-run project like Negative White. And so, one day before the magazine shut down after a decade, the 53rd edition was published on June 6th, 2020.
Six months later. I spent New Year's with friends in the Swiss alpes. One of these friends, Elia, said to me that he really misses Weekly5—and unknowingly nurished a feeling: I too missed curating music.
And with little doubts, I headed on. Weekly5 made a return in January 2021—for something you might call a second season.
So here we are, about nine years and a combined 300 editions of «Songs of the Week» and «Weekly5» later. Maybe it is a random moment to create an anthology, but who really cares?
For each year, I chose ten songs that would make it to the «Anthology», resulting in a 100-track playlist that celebrates years of curation, but mostly highlights some of the great artistic works I had the honour to recommend.
Enjoy on Apple Music or on Spotify.
Edition #121
In today’s Weekly5, we recommend the new songs by EMPIRICAL, British Murder Boys, Potochkine, Gurriers, and Kraków Loves Adana.
EMPIRICAL – LETZ GET IT
A flickering flow of synthesisers awaits you in LETZ GET IT by Julien Bracht, aka EMPIRICAL. It is not your traditional dance track but an atmospheric stream of electronic consciousness, emphasising the melody and details over hard-hitting, danceable beats. A dreamlike summer vibe.
Potochkine – Endorphines
The sirens wail through the night, whipped on by dangerous beats. Welcome to the world of Potochkine, a French EBM duo. The all-encompassing beats almost distract from the dark abyss that opens up underneath. Endorphines sounds uncompromisingly hellish and dangerous.
British Murder Boys – Killer I Said
Birmingham’s British Murder Boys are at the forefront of the UK’s avant-garde techno acts. In Killer I Said and—by extension—their album Active Agents and House Boys, the duo demonstrates an enticing approach to electronic music—weird, unexpected, yet constantly captivating anew.
Gurriers – Approachable
Rock is dead? Dublin’s Gurriers beg to differ. They remastered their 2023 single Approachable without killing the song’s essence: a raw, punkish track reminiscent of bands like the IDLES. The shouted lyrics pogo-dance with the relentless jackhammering rhythm. And the guitars cut like knives.
Kraków Loves Adana – Break My Own Heart
Announcing their new album, I Saw You I Saw Myself, Kraków Loves Adana deliver Break My Own Heart as a first glimpse. The Hamburg-based outfit presents a sparse composition, highlighting an 80s-inspired synth hook accompanying Deniz Çiçek’s vocals. R&B meets synth-pop.
You can listen to today's curation on selected streaming services:
Spotify • Apple Music • YouTube Music • Bandcamp
Edition #120
Today, we recommend the new songs by nothhingspecial, Spell Trouble, Jake Isaac, Violence, and Rikas.
nothhingspecial – catacombs
Taken from the utterly brilliant sophomore EP, Where Do You Wanna Go?, the song catacombs displays German artist nothhingspecial's velvety, sombre voice. Accompanied by an addictive and anticipating rhythm, the track beautifully amalgamates melancholy and a euphoric indie-rock spark.
Spell Trouble – Thorn Armor
In his first of a series of single releases, Maximilian Seifert, aka Spell Trouble, lets gloomy post-punk collide with a filter of electronic post-modernism. As a result, Thorn Armor feels like the despairing soundtrack to a cyberpunk goth movie—dramatic in its shift of tempo, colourful in its darkness.
Jake Isaac – Black Or White
Black Or White by London's soul upstart Jake Isaac spreads a warm and tender vibe. The authentic communication at the heart of the song's message is mirrored by the composition: a human effort, composed with touching passion and created with sophistication at the fingertips. Exquisite.
Violence – Colour Decay (feat. T A K E R)
After their captivating debut record, Area Sub Rosa, Copenhagen's Violence went from a 5-piece band to a duo. Their sound became more experimental as also their collaboration with T A K E R demonstrates: Colour Decay welds together post-punk and euro-trance elements. It works surprisingly well.
Rikas – Barcelona (Learning to Love Myself)
New beginnings, a new path in life at its core, Barcelona (Learning to Love Myself) is Rikas' latest dance-provoking single. The German quartet delivers a catchy track tailored for a verified summer hit without letting cheap allegory take over. This song drips like the condensation on your chilled drink.
You can listen to today's curation on selected streaming services:
Spotify • Apple Music • YouTube Music • Bandcamp
