Hot Jam of the Day (10.22.12): Local Natives, “Breakers”

Posted on October 23, 2012 by TP1.COM in Featured, Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

ED NOTE: I started a new job and moved house last week, and I have obviously fallen desperatley behind on my Hot Jams. Instead of going back and filling days, I’ll just pull double duty this week. Thanks! TP Local Natives “Breakers” Hummingbird (out 01/29/13 on Frenchkiss) Simply put, the Silver Lake-based quartet’s debut album, Gorilla Manor, was one of my favorite albums of 2009. Nowadays, it’s rare to see young bands allow more than 18 months or so to go … →

Hot Jam of the Day (10.10.12): Various Artists, “West Coast Cypher ’12” from the BET Hip-Hop Awards

Posted on October 11, 2012 by TP1.COM in Columns, Featured | Comments Off

(In Order) Xzibit, YG, Kurupt, E-40, DJ Quik, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg/Lion/Baby Cat “West Coast Cypher ’12” BET Hip-Hop Awards There are ten things that I really enjoy/think about about this performance. 1. Everything about Kendrick Lamar’s flow is captivating. One of the best rappers on the planet right now. No doubt. 2. Besides his hair, DJ Quik’s commitment to percussion is truly exceptional (even though he couldn’t keep up). Didn’t know a plastic fork could count as an instrument. 3. I … →

Hot Jam of the Day (10.09.12): Jessie Ware x Wild Beasts, “Night Light”

Posted on October 9, 2012 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Jessie Ware x Wild Beasts “Night Light” (Wild Beasts Rework) Original on Devotion (out now on PMR) For a bunch of art/indie rockers, provincial Brits Wild Beasts have crafted some damn good remixes down the years. However, I’d hesitate to call their take on Jessie Ware’s blazing new single just a remix. The group intertwines their signature dramatique vocals with Ware’s sultry original to create a totally new track, which is more cover than remix. Whatever you want to call it, it’s … →

Hot Jam of the Day (10.08.12): How To Destroy Angels, “Keep It Together”

Posted on October 8, 2012 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

How to Destroy Angels “Keep It Together” An Omen EP (due out 11/13 on Columbia) “Keeping it together” and Trent Reznor haven’t always gone hand-in-hand over the years, and on his new single, when Reznor and his wife Mariqueen Maandig whisper the mantra “I can keep it together,” it sounds more of a hope than a belief. Musically, it has all the hallmarks of a Reznorian track: a minimalistic arraignment, a throbbing bass, and an ever-present feeling of tension. That tension exists in all … →

Images & Words: This Week’s Video Round-Up

Posted on October 7, 2012 by TP1.COM in Featured, Images & Words | Comments Off

When MTV stopped playing music videos, many prognosticators claimed that the music video would go the way of the dodo. How wrong they were. Nowadays, music videos are better than they’ve ever been, and every weekend, I’m going to round up the best music videos released that week. Note: Please read all of the blurbs in a sultry, Daisy Fuentes accent. 5. Sky Ferriera: “Everything is Embarrassing” I know that I just claimed that this was a round-up of the … →

Hot Jam of the Day (10.05.12): araabMUZIK, “Runaway Bass”

Posted on October 5, 2012 by TP1.COM in Featured, Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

araabMUZIK “Runaway Bass” Unreleased I used to be annoyed by the “you are now listening to araabMUZIK” sample that the young Rhode Islander dropped in every song, but now I’m starting to think that it’s just totally unnecessary. The producer (né Abraham Orellana) has created a sound all his own, and this single exhibits all the hallmarks of an Araab-banger: impossibly overworked MPC percussion, maximalist arraignments, and impressive melodic dynamism. Unlike many of his biggest tracks — “Feelin’ So Hood,” “Streetz Tonight,” “I Remember” — … →

Hot Jam of the Day (10.04.12): Alexis Taylor, “Under A Cancer Sky”

Posted on October 5, 2012 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Alexis Taylor “Under A Cancer Sky” Under A Cancer Sky Single (out 10/7 on DFA) Berlin-based singer/producer Dan Bodan has been one of my favorite new artists of the year, and evidently I’m not the only one with that view. On the b-side of Bodan’s shadowy new single, “Under A Cancer Sky,” Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor provides his own lovely version. One of the few men on earth with a voice that’s as smooth as Bodan, Taylor’s puts his own mellifluous, better-produced … →

Hot Jam of the Day (10.03.12): Solange, “Losing You”

Posted on October 5, 2012 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Solange “Losing You” Losing You Single (out 11/06 on Terrible) Everybody’s doing it, so why can’t she? In the last 12 months, we’ve had stunning singles from models (Sky Ferreira), failed models (Lana Del Cray), and whatever the fuck Kreayshawn was doing before she was Kreayshawn, so why wouldn’t the alt sister of the biggest pop star on the planet get into the act? Penned by Dev Hynes of Blood Orange and Lightspeed Champion — he’s also the guy who did Ferreira’s knock-you-the-fuck-out … →

Hot Jam of the Day (10.02.12): Darkstar, “Timeaway”

Posted on October 4, 2012 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Darkstar “Timeaway” News #1-10 (out 11/13 on Warp) After jumping from one critically-acclaimed, progressive dance label (Hyperdub) to another (Warp), we appear to be inching closer to a proper follow-up to the group’s magisterial debut, North (2010). “Timeaway” is the first single to be unleashed from it, and it’s a characteristically meticulous, reflective number that drifts into a subtle conclusion. Darkstar is never a singles band, and it’s not going to tear up any charts, but it’s a nice to welcome such a talented outfit back into our … →

The Hot Jam Round-Up: End of September Edition

Posted on October 1, 2012 by TP1.COM in Featured, Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Well, as you probably noticed, Thunder Penguin has taken a few weeks off. Something about going the Patagonia’s wireless connection, no doubt. But never fear, the little manbird has returned to round up the end of the month’s hottest jams. Dig in… Aaliyah: “Rock the Boat” (Tony Quattro Refix), digital release The NY-based DJ crafts an airy, engulfing new take on one of the ultimate classics of modern R&B. More than ten years since its release, “Rock the Boat” continues … →

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