PERFECTLY IMPERFECT MUSIC #2

New sh*t & old sh*t that Clarke Sondermann and I have been listening to.

This is the 2nd edition of a new music recommendation column where I (Tyler) will dive into what I’ve been listening to, sometimes with a friend or two. You can expect a mix of new tracks, music from the booming NYC scene (and beyond) that’s exciting me, and older favorites + deepish cuts.

Today we have a special guest, my good friend Clarke Sondermann. He makes music under the name Pleasure Systems (very special music coming soon) and does PR for a bunch of cool clients. Clarke is always tapped into the most under-the-radar and interesting stuff so I’m excited to share his recommendations with you guys. His best of 2023 playlist is also linked at the bottom.

I recently made a playlist of my favorite music of 2023 so far and Clarke was kind of enough to make one too. They’re both linked at the bottom of this post, let us know what we missed 🫶 🫶 🫶

Let’s dive in…

NEWER SH*T…

Tyler 👉 🎵 Soulpatch - Castle In The Sky

It’s no secret that I love the sugary sunkissed alt-rock of Sugar Ray (one of the greatest bands of all time…) so I’m always hungry for more like it. “Castle In The Sky” is a catchy windows-down track that even has some record scratches in the mix. I can’t get enough of it! I first met Matthew when he was playing bass in Sitcom, Jake Lazovick’s band that was also tapping into this sound on tracks like Answer.

Clarke 👉 🎵 a.s.o. – Love in the Darkness ❤️‍🔥

Ivan Berko showed me this song when we were finishing up the mix of my upcoming single with Melody English (wink wink) and I’ve been pretty glued to it since then. I love anything that can successfully walk the line between melancholy and romantic, but this track is really special – it’s expertly produced and would work just as well at a club as it would for a rainy, bittersweet night alone. Too much downtempo music leans solely into moodiness, so a.s.o.’s precision is super refreshing.