This Week's Playlist #151 - The Spring 2025 edition
10 tracks I listened a lot this spring
Hello everyone!
This Week's Playlist - Season 4, Episode 3.
Hello everyone!
It’s been a moment since my last newsletter. 2 months more precisely.
Life took over. I said goodbye to my grandfather with a quick trip back to Lebanon, baked maamouls (traditional Lebanese cookies) for Easter, working a lot and watching more football than usual with PSG Champions’ League run and my local non-league football team winning another silverware this season.
On top of that, I’m getting ready for the arrival of the little one in early June. I might drop a sleepless dad survival playlist at some point in July.
Here are 10 songs for your ears with notes about each pick. I. And before that, some interesting links.
Hope you enjoy them, and see you next month.
Links
Arte released the Paris gig of Nick Cave from the 2024 European tour. On the same tour, I went to see him in Leeds.
Max Romeo was a great social commentator, railing against inequality and discord. I didn’t know much about him besides his famous sample (cf last pick)
There is a YouTube link for each of the songs on the cover, and here are the playlists for each streaming platform:
1. Charif Megarbane - Hanadi
Honour where honour is due, with one of my favourite Lebanese (but not only) artists. I wrote about him multiple times already.
The stackhanovist multi-instrumental wizard is back with a new masterpiece, very picturesque psychedelic / blues jazz.
He’s playing in London tomorrow and I’m really hyped to see him.
2. ETAF - Bad Influence
I discovered ETAF live this March. Came to shoot their gig for and I knew nothing about their music but the bio. I didn’t regret.
“Etaf is a Kuwaiti singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in London. Genre-defying and unapologetically iconic, Etaf has carved out a distinct musical identity that is daring and innovative”
I wasn’t ready for such a high level of energy and mix of so many influences from Middle East pop, hiphop, and other crossover genres.
If you are interested, there’s a really good live recording available on YouTube.
3. Postcards - Dust Bunnies
One more Lebanese band and I’ll stop.
An absolute banger from one of the most exciting Lebanese indie bands from the last 10/15 years.
4. Moderat - Sick With It
I’m claiming once a week the control of the office speakers. So I have to play some more chilled electronic music otherwise my colleages are a bit annoyed at too much blasting heavy metal.
5. Tunde Adebimpbe - Magnetic
The voice of TV on the Radio (the 2000s 20-Another multi-instrumentalist I’ve been following since her first album, paving her way from Dirty Projectors.
Angel Deradoorian's new album “has subsumed a heady brew of sonic eclecticism across experimental chamber pop, jazz-spiked post-punk and minimal synth” - Far Out magazine.Another multi-instrumentalist I’ve been following since her first album, paving her way from Dirty Projectors.
Angel Deradoorian's new album “has subsumed a heady brew of sonic eclecticism across experimental chamber pop, jazz-spiked post-punk and minimal synth” - Far Out magazine.year-old Thomas listened a lot to TV on the Radio) is back with a new single, slightly more groovy and experimental. He released his first solo album earlier in April.
6. Nina Simone - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
I finished Warren Ellis book “Nina Simone's Gum”, and rediscovered a lot of her work.
7. Deradoorian - Set Me Free
Another multi-instrumentalist I’ve been following since her first album, paving her way from Dirty Projectors.
Angel Deradoorian's new album “has subsumed a heady brew of sonic eclecticism across experimental chamber pop, jazz-spiked post-punk and minimal synth” - Far Out magazine.
8. The Bambir - Lose Yourself
The Armenian rock stars are back with a new single and a much more electric and punchy sound than their previous records. It took me a couple of spins to get into it, but I really enjoy it now.
9. Blood Incantation - The Message [Tablet II]
Blood Incantation released one of the most praised albums of 2024 in the metal sphere (which, for whatever reason, I forgot to cover in this newsletter).
Needless to say, I was waiting for their gig with high expectations, very curious to see how they would translate their psychedelic death metal on stage.
I saw them at the Roundhouse earlier this month and I’ve been completely blown away. They played their album its entirety, from the growling parts to the more atmospheric and progressive melodies.
This is one of the chilliest tunes.
10. The Prodigy - Out Of Space
An homage to Max Romeo, who left us in April with one of his most iconic songs sampled :-)
Until the next time, Godspeed!
Thomas
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