June Sweatdown 2K24

The June Sweatdown 2K24 is here, over an hour of music new or nearly new as you start your summer right.

I do these Spotify Playlists every month and try to feature mostly new music. I’ve been doing it since April of 2018. I’m proud of the fact it’s one of the few consistent things I do every month. I might not work out as much as I’d like to. I might not write as much as I’d like to. But I absolutely do these playlists every month.

Here’s some thoughts on some of the artists and songs on this month’s playlist:

Culture Wars is a band I have absolutely loved since I heard Lies back in 2018 as I had it on the August Sweatdown 2K18. I think most of their singles have made my Sweatdown’s because I consider them one of the best rock bands of the 2010s. They still haven’t released an album! According to their social media the debut album is coming soon with “Heaven” as the start. You can read what I said about the song on Twitter. Everything is earned with Culture Wars and I can’t wait to hear the album when complete.

I saw Hotel Mira back in February in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and they were fantastic live. Their album I Am Not Myself was my favourite album of 2023. Apparently “Waste Away” came out in April and I only found out now? Spotify really slipping up there. Great song, not sure if it was left off I Am Not Myself or new material.

Good to see Moonbeau back. I think they had a lineup change. “All Summer” was on November Sweatdown 2K20 and slipped in at the end of the year as one of my favourite songs of 2020. Just wonderful modern synth pop.

I thought about putting the new song by the Arkells in “Big Feelings” but I just liked the cover of “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel they did better. Honestly their Disco Loadup album is my favourite album by Arkells in years.

Speaking of covers, Smallpools cover of “Photograph” is a lot of fun. The Def Leppard song always felt more like it should have been done by someone like The Cars or Duran Duran and Smallpools nails that.

“Gonna Find Out” by Kate Hudson was a surprise for me. I found out on social media she had a song out and I was like, really? Kate Hudson? The actress? And sure enough. I saw her sing “Voices Carry” on Howard Stern and it made me fall in love with her all over again. If she had the Til Tuesday cover on Spotify I would have probably put that here but honestly? “Gonna Find Out” is a fantastic song. Kate’s 1970s influence is strong at play and for some it might feel like imitation but I think she nails it perfectly. The drums in the song are great and the chorus is the right kind of slick. I’m sure she would have toured with Stillwater in 1975.

“M.R.M.L” stands for “Music Ruined My Life” which is a funny title for a song for someone to write. Good song though. I believe “The Shy” is the name of Olivver The Kid and La Bouquet’s project and not a third artist. Pretty sure!

As always you can find the playlist on Spotify. Be sure to follow all of the bands you enjoy listening to and add them to your like lists so they come up on your future Spotify plays. Many of these bands are barely struggling to get any money from Spotify, especially due to their new stupid rules, so every spin helps.

June Sweatdown 2K24 Features:

Culture Wars – Heaven
Hotel Mira – Waste Away
Kate Hudson – Gonna Find Out
Fionn – Your Type
DEVORA – Dangerous Life
lovelytheband – feel like summer
Moobeau – Turn the Page
GiiRL – Inner Wasteland
Social Order – Sometimes
Torus, The Blue Stones – Avalanche
Dear Rouge – Not Afraid to Dance
Arkells – Sledgehammer
Smallpools – Photograph
Olivver the Kid, La Bouquet, The Shy – M.R.M.L.
Georgia Webster, Nightly – This Ain’t a Breakup

Thank you for listening. Photo by me from my trip last year on a Amtrak from Seattle to Oakland. I don’t know the significance of the quote but I like it. “Obsession is a Virtue” is probably true. In some circumstances. Just not people. See you in July. Go outside this month!