Song of the Week Roundup: May - June 2022

ICYMI: A roundup of our song of the week features from the month of May and June.

​"SAKURA" - ROSALÍA

T&E writer ronny says, "Three years ago this month, I submitted 'Con Altura' as my song of the week. Now the Catalan flamenco hip hop weirdo pop reggaeton sensation Rosalía is back with a full-length album, MOTOMAMI—and so my full-on obsession is back too. 'SAKURA' is the album's final track and it's one of my favorites, featuring faint crowd sounds and extremely minimal instrumentation underneath the artist's most unique and stupefying strength: her voice. Named after the cherry blossom, a symbol of youth and the fleeting nature of beauty and life, it's the perfect symbol for Rosalía to meditate on what it feels like to be at the apex of stardom."
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"Mary Turner Mary Turner" - Xiu Xiu 

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T&E writer Parisa says, "There's a lot to be said about the state of the world right now, but I'll just let these lyrics from Xiu Xiu do the talking: 'Fuck your guns. Fuck your wars. Fuck your truck. Fuck your flag'."
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"Jealous Guy" - Charmaine's Names

T&E writer A. Iwasa says, "Charmaine's Names is a solo act playing noisy synth pop. Is meta the appropriate way to label a cover of Roxy Music covering John Lennon?! I'm going with it."
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"We Are" - Freestyle Fellowship

​T&E writer Brandon Biallas says, "Among other criminally obscure hip hop groups, L.A. natives Freestyle Fellowship began cutting their teeth in the early 90's hip hop scene during a time when G-Funk reigned supreme. In hindsight, this group should have been regarded within the higher echelons of west coast hip hop stardom however that would never come to pass. Despite this, the group has held remarkably steady and churned out some of the most wickedly complex rhymes to ever grace my eardrums. Their musical output is highly prolific, frequently mixing biting humor, social commentary, and rapid-fire wordplay. This song serves as not only an incredible return to form for the group after a long hiatus but an equally excellent intro to the group's vibe as a whole."

 "Same Old" - Lokella

T&E writer Chelsea Whitaker says, "Lokella is a genre-bending rock band out of Grand Rapids, MI. Mixing eerily haunting tones, evocative lyrics, and a hard hitting percussive backbone, 'Same Old' hails from they're latest, and first full-length album, As We Unravel. The chuggy bass line and atmospheric and airy tones of the guitar are reminiscent of 'Tears Don't Fall' by Bullet For My Valentine. Don't sleep on these guys! And be sure to check out the rest of the album anywhere you stream. Some personal favorites from the album include 'Hold Me Under', 'Just Nineteen (ft. Emilee Petersmark)', and 'Bleed For You.'"
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