Edition #50 recommends new songs by Anna Erhard, Love A, Hannes, BSÍ, and Northern Lite to you.
Let's celebrate a small achievement: This is the 50th regular edition of Weekly5. After more than a year, I can't help myself but be a little proud.
Nevertheless, I also realized that I have sometimes struggled with the project. There were times when motivation was low and creating the curation gave me no joy. The reason is as simple as stupid: I began to set the same standards as in the workplace. I thought that I need more and more subscribers, more and more members.
So I have to remind myself from time to time that the Weekly5 is a passion project. Something I do mainly for myself because I love sharing music. And I'm incredibly grateful that you and more than 170 people are willing to trust my recommendations. And that some of you even support it financially as members. Thank you very, very much!
In today's edition, we discover some peculiar but great rhythms by Anna Erhard, jump around until we sweat to Love A's comeback single, or dream to Hannes and waterbaby. Enjoy!
Best,
Anna Erhard – Horoscope
After releasing her debut Short Cut in 2021, Berlin-based artist Anna Erhard doesn't think about slowing down. Her latest single, Horoscope, is a bold take on indie pop.
Erhard, together with producer Poly Roy, created a song that sounds incredibly odd; mixing spoken word, daring synths, and sunny guitars. But it's Horoscope's unpredictable rhythm that makes for a truly great track. Ever winding and subverting expectations, Anna Erhard's single is but proof that pop music is capable of artistic depth.
Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 30, 2022
Love A – Will und kann nicht mehr
Finally, Love A are back! It's been five long years since their last record, Nichts ist neu, featuring captivating songs like Nachbarn II or Unkraut. Since 2010, the Trier-based Love A play their distinct raw post-punk sound, driven by Jörkk Mechenbier's intense voice.
Will und kann nicht mehr is as Love A as it gets, deeply rooted in the dark 80s. The pressing bass and straight-forward drums transport urgency. The guitar keeps its melodic potential restrained. It's once again Mechenbier's signature singing that gives Will und kann nicht mehr melody and melancholy. Never sounded exhaustion so seductive.
Hannes – Stockholmsvy (feat. waterbaby)
"It's kind of a mix between prairie country, double bass, funk piano and RnB," Hannes explains. The Swedish alt-RnB artist collaborated with 24-year-old Kendra Egerblath, aka waterbaby, whom he met while travelling in Gambia. The result is called Stockholmsvy, and an as surprising as refreshing track.
Stockholmsvy starts unsuspicious; a warm sound bedded on a lush bass line. It feels more like a classic singer-songwriter piece, but when you listen closely, it's the rhythm that hints at the RnB roots. But as soon as waterbaby comes into play, the Stockholmsvy transforms. Just sprinkles of autotune give the otherwise folky sonic outfit a contemporary feeling. Hannes' track is RnB for people who don't like RnB.
BSÍ – Jelly Belly
Ever since the release of their debut album, Sometimes depressed…but always antifascist, in May last year, Icelandic duo BSÍ are on the way to the top of the indie-rock Olymp—playing at prestigious events like the Reeperbahnfestival, Icelandic Airwaves, and Eurosonic.
On Friday, BSÍ released the mini-EP Relax blabla, featuring two tracks, one of them is Jelly Belly. It's a boisterous song, restless ploughing on with 157 bpm, setting the course for the collision of its breathless driven sound and its theme of toxic relationships.
Bandcamp Album of the Day Apr 25, 2022
Northern Lite – One Two Three
Northern Lite have been around for quite some time now. Founded in 1997 by Andreas Kubat and Sebastian Bohn, Northern Lite have grown into a trio that set out to have a modern approach to rock, pop, and electronic music.
One Two Three is their latest work, and a stunning one, to say the least. It starts with a groovy, chopped up guitar hook, nodding at electro swing. But the beat is just a bit too violent. And Kubat's deep, mystical voice is just a bit too sinister. One Two Three's melody wants to sound happy and optimistic but is constantly interrupted by the brute sound. And in the end, Northern Lite escalate completely. Amazing!
