Happier Than Ever 💫
Happier Than Ever 💫
Shuffle Sundays #32 • The Maine, Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, Foster the People, Matt W Moore, & more!
Hello and welcome to Shuffle Sundays, a weekly newsletter with music recommendations to help you find your next obsession.
This week we’re listening to a catchy album that will stick on you, watching a cathartic music video, learning about the harms of the streaming services, getting excited about upcoming releases, feeling inspired by some abstract, bold, and graphic aesthetic illustrations, checking out some new music released this past week, and more. Enjoy the read!
🎧 Soundtrack: Max Richter - Exiles
💽 » The Maine - XOXO: From Love & Anxiety In Real Time
“Everything is exactly as it should be”, sings vocalist John O'Callaghan at the end of the last track of ‘XOXO: From Love & Anxiety In Real Time’, and that’s exactly how I felt after listening to the album for the first time. Even though The Maine have been together for 15 years as a band and had previously released 7 albums, none of them got me interested as much as this new one, right at the first time I listened to the first single ‘Sticky’, a super catchy song that serves as a perfect opening to the rest of the record. 10 songs across a little over 30 minutes that will put a smile on your face. A perfect companion for the summer, that has been on repeat during my walk and bike rides through the city. It’s pop-rock-indie perfection from beginning to end, without ever sounding too silly or overly ambitious, which happened to The 1975 and their disastrous 2020 release. My favorites tracks (so far) are the delicious ‘Lips’, the energetic ‘Pretender’ and the atmospheric ‘Face Towards The Sun’.
Listen on Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
📺 » Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
‘Happier Than Ever’ may be the best and most different song on Billie Eilish's career to date, and it makes perfect sense that the song also names her sophomore record, released last week, which I also can’t stop listening to. The song is a perfect blend of different genres, something that Eilish is becoming famous for, and the video is the perfect companion, going from peaceful to cathartic, just like the song.
Watch the music video on YouTube
🔀 » Shuffle News:
• Another great episode of the podcast Musically Cogitating, where Ciyadh discusses the book ‘Why to Resist Streaming Music & How’. I know that the streaming services are here to stay, but I had no idea how harmful it could be for some industries and the environment:
• The Weeknd announced that he has a new album, titled The Dawn, coming out soon, and released its great first single ‘Take My Breath’, accompanied by a music video, showing that he’s even deeper into the 80s nostalgia:
• Foster the People is releasing a deluxe 10th-anniversary edition of their iconic debut ‘Torches’, expected to be released in November.
⚡️ » Something to Inspire
Matt W. Moore is a Portland-based artist whose bold, graphic aesthetic work can be seen in murals all over the world. Check out his website or Instagram for more. Here are some favorites:
🎶 » New Music
This week’s new albums I'm particularly interested in checking out:
Also, new singles from Saudade, Don Broco, Yann Tiersen, Woodkid, Finneas, and many more. If you’re curious to hear some of these songs and more, make sure to follow my 2021 playlist on Spotify, updated weekly with new releases:
👋🏼 See you next Sunday!
My name is Leo Mascaro and you are receiving this email because you signed up for Shuffle Sundays, a weekly publication that aims to bring music recommendations for people who feel overwhelmed with so much content out there, helping you find your next favorite artist, album, genre, and more. If this email was forwarded to you, subscribe using the box below:
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