Young Thug “Stoner” (Evian Christ Remix) Digital Single The rising Liverpudlian producer’s having a pretty awesome year so far. He recently confirmed that he will be a part of Kanye’s new project, and his 4-song EP, Waterfall, got excellent reviews across the board. He laces his industrial-tinged touch to Thugga Thugga’s ubiquitous original to devastating effect. The resulting is a sparse, imposing three-minute sonic roller coaster.
Quite a few of my friends have asked me for new music, which is kind of insane, considering this has been an incomprehensibly strong year of music so far. We’ve seen a handful of brilliant LPs and some absolutely breathtaking singles. Here’s a super quick round-up of about 25 absolutely essential songs that came out this year. How to Dress Well: “Repeat Pleasure” // “Words I Don’t Remember” Longtime TP-favorite, Tom Krell, continues to make arresting pop(ish) jams that sound like nobody else. What is … →
Future x Kanye West “I Won” Honest (out 04.22 on Freebandz/Epic) Considering the number of words I’ve devoted to these two, it’s no surprise that I fucking love this. I’m as excited about Honest as any album in the last few years, and tracks like this are indicative of the main reason why. On his brilliant debut, Pluto (2012), Future (né Nayvadius Wilburn) flashed the potential of a true crossover superstar, hinting that he might be able to grow from a thrilling, risiung MC into … →
Young Thug “Treasure” (f/ Zuse) Digital Single If you’re still not sold on Atlanta’s Jeffrey “Young Thug” Williams, I don’t know what to tell you. Since the release of 2013’s brilliant, 1017 Thug mixtape, Williams has cranked out envelope-pushing, breathtaking deconstructionist trap anthems, crafting tracks as unpredictable and fractured as his public persona. In classic Internet fashion, the narrative has focused on the least interesting facets of the 21 year-old (who he’s sleeping with, what he’s wearing) rather than his revelatory music. Simply put, Williams has the … →
How to Dress Well “Repeat Pleasure” What is This Heart? (out 06.24 on Weird World) On Thursday, St. Tom Krell blessed us with the second single from his upcoming third LP — my most anticipated album of 2014. Though Krell has been lumped with the rest of the progressive R&B scene, that has always seemed an awkward, superficial marriage. In reality, the Chicago resident has always operated outside the boundaries of any genre — crafting a sound and aesthetic that … →
S. Carey, Range of Light (April 1, JagJaguWar) What: Bon Iver member/multi-instrumentalist/classically trained folky Sean Carey’s 2nd LP Where: Eau Claire, WI Sounds Like: Sensitive bros sitting around a lake, reflecting on life, sipping PBR’s, and shit. Giddy-O-Meter: 8/10 Four years since his ornate, orchestral-folk debut, All We Grow, Carey returns with a gorgeous, reflective follow-up. Gucci Mane & Young Thug, Young Thugga Mane La Flare (April 1, Brick Squad) What: Atlanta iconoclast/trap poet laureate vs. the City’s most fascinating, … →
IYES “Breathe” Digital Single Fresh off their ear-bending leading single, “‘Til Infinity,” and Antony-channeling Bey/Jay cover (not the one you think), the Brighton sexy-time duo return with another on-point single. Their alluring emotionalism and XX-ish boy/girl vocals are in full-effect here, and the duo’s use of pitch-shifted vocals continues to work a trick. The swirling, hypnotic arraignment beautifully surrounds Melis Soyaslanová and Josh Christopher simultaneously vulnerable and confident vocals, and it all culminates with a remarkable, engulfing climax.
EMA “3Jane” The Future’s Void (out 04.08 on Matador) Cathartic post-rocker, Erika M. Anderson’s follow-up to 2011’s emotional suckerpunch, Past Life Martyred Saints, is just around the corner. Its third single shows what makes her open-hearted, dear-diary style so arresting. “3Jane” deals with the harrowing fall-out from releasing an album as personal and honest as Past Life Martyred Saints. She articulately deals with the disassociation and anxiety that rose from feeling like she “blew her soul out across the Interwebs.” She candidly admits that the … →
August Alsina “Kissin’ on My Tattoos” Testimony (out 04.15 on Radio Killa/Def Jam) If you had forgotten that the New Orleans native is a protégé of The-Dream, this song will remind you. The 21 year-old sensation’s most recent single is some straight up St. Terius shit, as Alsina weaves his easy tenor over a romantic, classic soul ballad. Reminiscent of the CLASSIC “Purple Kisses,” August crafts a believable, heartfelt devotional without losing his playful spirit and individuality. The production is lush, and the … →
Yung Lean “Gatorade” (Lido Remix) Disclosure “Latch” (Lido Remix) Last week, I went to see Cashmere Cat and Trippy Turtle at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, and while Cash Cat is always a great show, I was completely floored by the still-anonymous opening act. While Trippy Turtle is best-known for his ravenous Jersey Club remixes, it was these two remixes from Norweigan producer, Lido (who is possibly one of Trippy Turtle’s pseudonyms, it’s complicated), that really brought the house down. He opened with the … →
