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Song of the Week : Untold Story - acoustic version by Kevin Rees & Raffaella Piccirillo (2016)
Hello {{firstname | Dear Friend }}!
Welcome to Mitxoda Weekly #41!
It’s week 41. Forty-one. Without missing a beat. And today, more than ever, I needed this Weekly to be softer. Not silent, but calmer. No teaser. No reminder. No rush. Just this quiet space, landing in your inbox like a breath after the storm.
We reached 300 subscribers before June 30. That was my only target. No fireworks, no viral tricks. Just word-of-mouth, curiosity, and a shared love for honest music and independent thinking. From here on out, I’m trusting you to keep that spark alive. If this media means something to you, share it. It’s built on trust, on voices.
This newsletter is unique. Not because of me, but because of us. It’s one of the very few free, inclusive, respectful spaces left where people can just… be. No gatekeepers. No pressure. A place to discover strange, wild, beautiful things, songs, people, ideas. A place where I answer every message. A place where music isn’t a product but a journey. Where collaborations grow, where friendships are born. And yes, maybe I don’t talk enough about myself. But in truth, Mitxoda is me. And each week, I try to leave a piece of my soul between the lines.
So this week is a little lighter. A little more human. But still rooted in everything we believe: creativity, kindness, freedom.
Stay with me. Forward it to someone who needs it. Whisper it in someone’s ear.
This flame only grows when passed along.
With warmth,
Le Salon Indie de Mitxoda is again ready to soundtrack your week this Friday. Stay tuned, 4PM Brussels time.
Enjoy the read!
Mitxoda
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Support Bruach on Their Way to Osaka!
Our indie pals Bruach hit 950 Facebook followers this week, and they’ve set their sights on 1000 before hitting the stage in Osaka! Let’s help them get there. Their energy, charm, and good vibes deserve a global audience. If you love backing true indie spirit, give them a follow and tell your pals too, because great music travels best with friends. Find them on Facebook and share the love!
No Long Read this week, I hit pause.
"Mitxoda is a one-man solo project, despite what some may think, there’s no team behind the curtain."
That doesn’t mean I’m done, far from it. It just means my energy needs to flow in a different direction right now.
You’ve been incredibly kind about what I share. Every week, I try to dig into indie news, keep the vibe welcoming, and give a voice to those who often go unheard, the ones who care deeply but don’t always speak up.
The Weekly will keep going all summer, just a bit lighter, and without interviews for now.
I already have some amazing ones lined up, and I’ll share them when I can give them the love and visibility they deserve.
So... would you mind waiting until September for the next round of interviews?
Tell me honestly, your feedback means the world. ❤️
The Summer Edition of the Weekly will be lighter.
The Disappearing Blue Links, Facebook and the Subtle War on Visibility
It started quietly, too quietly for most to notice. One morning, Deedra Patrick, like many independent artists sharing their work online, observed something odd. Her usual practice of dropping Spotify links into Facebook posts had changed: the once-reliable blue hyperlink, the lifeline that guided fans from social media to streaming platforms, had vanished. Not completely, but only in certain contexts. Her links only turned blue (and thus clickable) when posted from her own profile. When dropped into someone else's thread, they appeared as plain text. Dead ends. Silent walls.
This is no aesthetic glitch. It is a strategic shift.
In the world of indie music, every click counts. We all know that (even if we don’t “like the idea”). Every barrier to discovery, every friction point introduced by platforms, adds up. Deedra ran tests. She posted the same link, once in someone else’s thread, once on her own timeline. The result? One clickable. One not. She checked a dozen other posts that morning. Same pattern. If you weren’t the original poster, your link didn’t highlight.
A digital sleight of hand.
Let’s be clear: hyperlinks are the veins of the internet. Removing the color, the underline, the interactivity, is like cutting circulation. And when this only happens to external music links, especially those leading off Facebook to Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, or YouTube, the intent becomes harder to ignore.
Facebook is not new to this tactic. For years, the platform has prioritized in-app engagement. It doesn't want you leaving, yeah Money talks! Whether it's the notorious algorithm suppression of external links, the reduced reach of YouTube embeds, or now, the visual deadening of music links, the pattern is consistent: keep users inside the walled garden.
But for artists, we don’t talk about UX nuance. It’s total visibility theft.
What Deedra exposed is a deeper, subtler form of platform control. When links no longer stand out, they no longer get clicks. When they no longer get clicks, they no longer get reach. And when they no longer get reach, your music, your livelihood for some, sinks into silence.
The tools we rely on as creators are not neutral. They serve their owners first. No surprises, here, right?
So what do we do? We speak up, like Deedra did. We document. We test. We diversify. We build community beyond the algorithm, whether it's on Bandcamp, Discord, Subvert, MyIndiverse, newsletters, or even indie radio. And we keep an eye out for those disappearing blue links.
Don’t give up!
Crave indie discovery?
Step off the algorithm highway.
The Creator Spotlight is where handpicked brilliance shines, no fluff, just people who make things worth your time.
👉 Jump in, weekly, quietly brilliant.
Quick Indie News
Music Shouldn’t Fund War inspired by Deerhoof’s decision to leave Spotify.
Storm-Kingdom just hit 5k streams in under 5 weeks for their standout single Raindrops Fall on Stained Glass Petals.
Big shoutout too to Gengvej, whose latest remix album has been picked up by tons of radios across the globe, and in just one week, most tracks are already close to 1k streams each!
If you'd like to introduce your latest release, just click here to submit all the details. I’d love to hear about it! 😇 Submit your track here.
Bloody Indifference by Soul Reborn – Metal (Italy), 26 June 2025. A visceral death metal assault drenched in venom and poetic horror, demanding listeners wake from emotional numbness. 🔥 Brace yourself for the fury
Addict by Loud George – Alternative (United Kingdom), 27 June 2025. Unfiltered and relentless, this alt-rock banger dives into obsession and emotional chaos with searing intensity. ⚡ Plug in and let it hit
Friends In Balck by Riiver Brukes – Alternative (Canada), 28 June 2025. A haunting, heartfelt tribute that turns grief into beauty with cinematic grace and raw vulnerability. 🌙 Let it move you
Barbelo Blues by MDK FLA – Rock (USA), 9 May 2025. Instrumental blues rock that echoes with dusty memories and soulful grit. 🎸 Drift into the past
Tomorrow by Romeopathy – Alternative (Ireland), 29 June 2025. Emotional and thunderous, this alt-rock anthem wrestles with silence and self-realization. 🎧 Break free with every note
Mean Ole Woman by Cul De Sac Kings – Rock (USA), 1 June 2025. A funky blues rocker that grooves hard and swaggers with sass. 🕺 Kick back and crank it up
Crimson Hallows by Screams Of Tranquility – Metal (Austria), 1 July 2025. Mythic, blood-soaked metal storytelling that spirals into a dark reckoning of divine ruin. 👹 Descend into the void
Dunkelgrau by Mindistry – Metal (Sweden), 3 July 2025. Industrial metal warfare that rolls like thunder through smoke and steel, a brutal war hymn for the modern age. ⚙️ Enter the sonic battlefield
Hold On by Sinead – Rock (France), 27 June 2025. A brooding rock confession charged with gritty riffs, heavy rhythm, and the burning tension of secrets left unsaid. 🎤 Feel the weight of silence
Historical Fact: Björk’s Bold Beginning
On July 5 1993, Icelandic icon Björk released her first solo album, aptly titled Debut. It was anything but a quiet entrance. Blending house, jazz, pop, trip-hop, and electronica, Debut broke genre barriers and introduced the world to Björk’s fearless artistry beyond her days with The Sugarcubes.
Working alongside producer Nellee Hooper (famed for his work with Soul II Soul and Massive Attack), Björk crafted an album that was experimental yet intimate. Tracks like "Human Behaviour", "Venus as a Boy", and "Big Time Sensuality" were sonic worlds, each with its own mood and mystery.
Debut didn’t just launch her solo career, it also redefined what pop music could be in the '90s. It sold over 4.7 million copies worldwide and cemented Björk as an avant-garde visionary who would shape alternative music for decades to come.
And yes, Debut still sounds like it’s from the future. (Am I in love with Björk? Probably, but don’t tell her, she does not like that!)
Keep the Historical Fact?
Nadine's Indie Treasures: Adder's Fork
Selected with love by Nadine de Macedo
When Nadine de Macedo speaks about music, it’s always with depth and instinct. Among the rare few whose work she treasures in physical form, Adder’s Fork holds a special place. As a longtime enthusiast of melodic metal and gothic rock, Nadine finds in Adder’s Fork the perfect blend of haunting atmosphere and powerful emotion.
What surprises her most is that this richly layered sound comes from a one-man project, something almost impossible to believe when listening. She’s particularly drawn to the cinematic force of These Mountains Cast Great Shadows, the intensity of Mourning’s Temptress, and the depth of older gems like Trails.
💬 Introducing Nadine’s Indie Treasures a new chapter where Nadine de Macedo handpicks and spotlights exceptional artists. Subscribe to her Bandcamp to support her work, enjoy exclusive singles, and be part of her evolving story!
Until Next Week: Lighter, Stronger. Always Together.
Sometimes, the softest notes echo the farthest.
This week was about breathing. About not chasing noise, but choosing presence. I needed to slow down, maybe you did too. And still, we’re here. Together. Sharing space, sharing songs, sharing stories that matter.
Mitxoda Weekly was never meant to go viral. It was meant to be true. To hold space for those walking a different path, those who create not for fame but because something inside them needs to be expressed.
So if this resonated, even a little, let it ripple. Forward it. Post it. Talk about it. Or simply keep it with you, like a secret lighthouse when the waters get rough.
Thanks for letting me show up, even in quieter form.
See you next week,
🖤 Mitxoda
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END 😆