Lana Del Rey, "Doin' Time"


Lana Del Rey"Doin' Time"Sublime OST (out soon on Universal)If you grew up in California in the early 2000's, it was just about impossible to get in someone's car or go to a party that wasn't playing one of those two Sublime albums. Evidently, the same was true in wherever Read more

Images & Words: Stormzy, "Vossi Bop"


Stormzy"Vossi Bop"Digital SingleAfter a little while away, the London kingpin looks to be getting back in the game. "Vossi Bop" is a perfect comeback track because it is such a pure distillation of what makes Stormzy a true-one off. Over a tasty, yet simple beat, Big Mike goes in Read more

The Round-Up: The Best Songs of 2019 (1st Quarter)


Even though we're a solid week into the second quarter, better late than never right? Here's a quick round-up of some of my favorite songs of the last three months. To keep numbers manageable, I didn't include anything from any of my favorite albums list and prioritized songs I Read more

The Round-Up: The Best Albums of 2019 (First Quarter)


Gah, I can't believe we're already 25% through 2019. That said, Spring is in the air, and we've enjoyed an excellent, diverse crop of music during these first three months. Have a look at some of my favorite LPs of the year so far in no particular order. Dawn Richard
 “New Read more

Chief Keef, "Ain't Gonna Happen"


Chief Keef "Ain't Gonna Happen" GloToven (Glo Gang / RBC) The Chicago stalwart's new project with the legendary Zaytoven is unsurprisingly full of weird and wacky sounds, moving in innumerable unexpected and exciting ways. Its most powerful moment is its starkest, as a heartbroken Keef floats freely over Zay's gorgeous piano. "Face dried Read more

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Hot Jam of the Day

Hot Jam of the Day: Mr. Mitch, “Priority” (f/ P Money)

Posted on February 15, 2017 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jam of the Day: Mr. Mitch, “Priority” (f/ P Money)

Mr-MitchMr. Mitch
“Priority” (f/ P Money)
Devout (out 04.21 on Planet Mu)
Today, the London grime-ish producer announced his second LP, the follow-up to 2014’s excellent Parallel Memories. Lead single, “Priority,” is a contemplative, mid-tempo cut that features the twinkling, emotional synth melodies that he’s known for. And Lewisham veteran P Money comes through with some reflective, low-key verses that touch on parenthood, sobriety, and growing up. Mitch is that rare artist who has crafted a signature sound without being beholden to it, constantly looking for new ways to branch out while staying true to his sound. Can’t wait to hear the whole project.

Hot Jam of the Day: Kingdom, “What Is Love” (f/ SZA)

Posted on February 14, 2017 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jam of the Day: Kingdom, “What Is Love” (f/ SZA)

Screen Shot 2017-02-14 at 6.32.43 PMKingdom
“What Is Love” (f/ SZA)
Tears in the Club (out 02.24 on Fade to Mind)
The third track from the Fade To Mind honcho’s debut LP is the perfect soundtrack for your Valentine’s Day. Kingdom (né Ezra Rubin) has a sparkling track record of crafting forward-thinking slow jams, and “What is Love” is another notch on his musical bedpost. His seductive synths and choppy percussion sets the mood, and SZA knocks it out of the park, never raising her voice but still pushing all the right buttons.

Hot Jam of the Day: The XX, “Performance”

Posted on February 1, 2017 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jam of the Day: The XX, “Performance”

Screen Shot 2017-02-01 at 3.27.32 PMThe xx
“Performance”
I See You (out now on Young Turks)
Unlike most, I am an xx classicist. Jamie xx seems like a talented guy, but I tend to prefer Romy and Oliver-centric, hyper intimate tracks like this (see also: “Night Time,” “Fiction,” “Stars,”), my favorite moment on their very good third LP. “Performance” ranks right up there with Romy Madley Croft most affecting compositions. Never one to spill her guts, Croft would rather pull you in and whisper in your ear, achieving the sweetest, most delicate catharsis possible.

Hot Jam of The Day: Mount Eerie, “Real Death”

Posted on January 25, 2017 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jam of The Day: Mount Eerie, “Real Death”

Screen Shot 2017-01-25 at 11.54.02 AMMount Eerie
“Real Death”
A Crow Looked At Me (out 03.24 on P.W. Elverum & Sun)
I don’t have much to say about Phil Elverum’s gorgeous elegy to his late wife except that it is the rare song sucked all the wind out of me. Adjectives fail to capture the depth and heft of “Real Death,” so I won’t try. I will just thank Elverum for his honesty and empathy, which reminds us that no matter how hard you try to wrap your head around real loss, you cannot. You can only decide to keep going and do your god-damndest to never lose sight of the grace and love that person brought into your life while they were still with you.

Hot Jam of the Day: Teen Daze, “First Rain” (f/ S. Carey)

Posted on January 18, 2017 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jam of the Day: Teen Daze, “First Rain” (f/ S. Carey)

Screen Shot 2017-01-18 at 12.25.49 PMTeen Daze
“First Rain” (f/ S. Carey)
Themes For Dying Earth (out 02.10)
Though it’s been unseasonably warm in New York, we’ve had a steady stream of rain, which has been an excellent backdrop for the placid new single from Vancouver-based musician Jamison Isaak. Though neither Isaak nor Bon Iver member Sean Carey have ever been strong singers, they are unarguably adept at crafting lush, soothing instrumentals. Built around a descending keyboard melody, “First Rain” is built to soundtrack staring aimlessly out windows, finishing puzzles, laying around, and doing whatever the hell else you like doing when it rains.

Hot Jam of the Day: Sampha, “(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano”

Posted on January 13, 2017 by TP1.COM in Featured, Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jam of the Day: Sampha, “(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano”

Sampha-Noisey-1-7Sampha
“(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano”
Process (out 02.03 on Young Turks)
The soft-spoken Londoner’s delicate piano ballad feels like the first truly great song of 2017. Over his nimble, mantric piano melody, Sampha bares his soul, expounding on the way music can allow you to be yourself beyond the constraints of your everyday life. The song conjures up the image of a young, shy kid, running his fingers across the keys, slowly growing into the instrument as he grows into himself. It might not have been a piano for you — maybe it was a basketball hoop, a tree you used to climb, or (like me) your father’s guitar — but the experience is just about universal and illustrated beautifully by Sampha here.

Hot Jam of the Day: Julie Byrne, “I Live Now As A Singer”

Posted on January 12, 2017 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jam of the Day: Julie Byrne, “I Live Now As A Singer”

4321767Julie Byrne
“I Live Now as a Singer”
Not Even Happiness (out 01.13.17)
The Buffalo native’s sophomore album is one of the albums I’m most looking forward to in this young year. Its third single, “I Live Now as a Singer,” is another perfect demonstration of the warming, gentle power of her sound and the evocative timbre of her voice. Though much of her excellent debut featured dusty, fingerpicked guitars, this track is built on lush, cinematic synth chords that actually remind me of Enya, which, frankly, couldn’t be a more exciting development.

Hot Jam of The Day: MUNA, “I Know A Place”

Posted on December 6, 2016 by TP1.COM in Featured, Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jam of The Day: MUNA, “I Know A Place”

muna3MUNA
“I Know A Place”
About U (02.03.17)
The fact that this emotional, heartfelt single dropped the same week as the tragic Ghost Ship fire in Oakland is the cruelest irony. This gorgeous single champions the kind of special, inclusive space that Ghost Ship purported to be — places where people can safely lose themselves under neon lights and loud music. As a Bay Area native who has spent many nights in such places, it breaks my heart to know that more than 30 people lost their lives, simply looking for that feeling. Though anthemic at its core, “I Know a Place” feels elegiac to me now — both as tribute to those we lost that night and to the people who are fighting provide safe, enriching spaces that are driven by love and respect, not profit.

Hot Jam of the Day: Julien Baker, “Decorated Lawns”

Posted on December 1, 2016 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jam of the Day: Julien Baker, “Decorated Lawns”

screen-shot-2016-12-01-at-11-55-03-amJulien Baker
“Decorated Lawns”
Jingle Yay! (out now on Punk Talks)
When you are in your late teens and early twenties, coming home for the holidays is always strange. You find yourself in cars, on porches, and at bars with people you used to make out with, sleep with, or even love. Of course, these people are mostly just mini-diversions from your actual life, exciting glimpses of what could be but almost definitely won’t be. The 21 year-old bottles up those confusing feelings beautifully on this strummed confessional. Baker returns to her native Memphis and struggles to reconnect with her surroundings before running into someone from her past. There’s no hint to whether it will last or be substantive, but that’s really not the point.

Hot Jams of the Day: Burial, “Young Death” / “Nightmarket”

Posted on November 28, 2016 by TP1.COM in Featured, Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jams of the Day: Burial, “Young Death” / “Nightmarket”

screen-shot-2016-11-28-at-2-34-09-pmBurial
“Young Death” / “Nightmarket”
Young Death / Nightmarket (out now on Hyperdub)
Just in time for the holidays, the legendary South London producer (né William Bevan) returns with two tracks that help make 2016 suck just that little bit less. The emotional former jives nicely with his incredible 2014 EP, Rival Dealer, matching a hopeful, comforting vocal sample with spare keyboards and percussion. The latter is built around a snake-like keyboard riff that slowly builds to an overwhelming, yet gorgeous crescendo. Both cuts are reminders of what a special talent Bevan is and the unique sonic space that he inhabits.

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