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: Tory Lanez, “LA Confidential”

Posted on February 3, 2016 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jam of the Day: Tory Lanez, “LA Confidential”

Tory Lanez
“LA Confidential”
Digital Single
I know I just wrote about Tory last week, and *ughhhhhhhhhh you only write about the same ten people*, but if he keeps putting out great songs, I’m going to write about them. “LA Confidential” is a new look for the Toronto native with hi-gloss production from heavyweights Cashmere Cat, Benny Blanco, and Pop Wansel (of Pop & Oak) and a songwriting assist from Mr. Wildheart himself, Miguel. The latter’s fingerprints are all over this one. From the taut guitars to the soaring chorus (“I get lohhhhhh-nley”), “LA Confidential” is so reminiscent of his mega-smash, “Coffee.” While no new ground is broken here musically or lyrically (spoiler: he’s got a side-chick in LA), it certainly has the potential to be a big radio single and could be the follow-up to “Say It” that the 23 year-old has been desperately searching for.

Hot Jam of the Day: DAWN, “Not Above That”

Posted on January 30, 2016 by TP1.COM in Featured, Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jam of the Day: DAWN, “Not Above That”

D∆WN
“Not Above That”
RED*emp*tion (out soon on Our Dawn)

I’m consistently disappointed by the lack of Dawn Richard remixes lying around the Internet. That’s partially because she remains criminally underrated, but it’s also because few pop and R&B artists have embraced progressive dance music as fully as the New Orleanian. Many of the songs producers would be likely to rework — “Calypso,” “Billie Jean,” “Warriors,” “Dance” — are already packed with the kind of dance breaks, unique instrumentation, and vocal manipulation that remixers tend to employ.

The sweltering “Not Above That” is another example of this. Along with the ever-consistent Machinedrum, Richard crafts another banger that exists somewhere in that delicious nether zone between your duvet cover and the dancefloor. She has spoken about her desire to remove gender, color, and genre from her music, and lyrically, she challenges gender roles again on this record. “That’s why I call you up at 4 in the morning cause I’m not above that” could be a throwaway lyric from a Drake/Future/insert rap dude track. But when it comes out of Dawn Richard’s mouth, it is both a command and an invitation that carries disarming power. Last year’s Blackheart was a masterpiece, and RED*emp*tion is shaping up to be more than a worthy successor.

Hot Jam of the Day: AMTHST, “Thug Passion”

Posted on January 28, 2016 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jam of the Day: AMTHST, “Thug Passion”

AMTHST
“Thug Passion”
Euphoria (out 02.17 on Sick Wid It)

California natives and vowel haters, Ramona Gonzalez (Nite Jewel) and Droop-E, combine forces on a new EP. Gonzalez has been pretty quiet since 2012’s quality, One Second of Love, but it looks she’ll be busy this year, also dropping a long-awaited new NJ record this summer.

“Thug Passion” sounds a lot like a Nite Jewel track with languid synths and a slow-mo bassline that beautifully frames her graceful, alluring vocals. Droop-E — a talented producer and rapper — mostly chills behind the boards here, only using his voice for some Netflix and Chill ad-libs. It’s a strong start to what should be a tasty EP and a big year for Gonzalez.

Hot Jam of the Day: Father John Misty, “Maybe, Sweet One, You Won’t Have Nightmares Tonight”

Posted on January 28, 2016 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jam of the Day: Father John Misty, “Maybe, Sweet One, You Won’t Have Nightmares Tonight”

Father John Misty
“Maybe, Sweet One, You Won’t Have Nightmares Tonight”
Digital Single

The other morning, my girlfriend and I were talking about how weird it was that in dreams everything seems normal, no matter what. You might be taking a wildebeest on a Tinder date with earthworms for fingers, but while you’re dreaming, it all feels as normal as showing up for a morning meeting.

Josh Tillman explores this phenomenon on this lighthearted track, originally written for the Colbert Show. Like much of his recent songwriting purple patch, this song walks the line between silliness and sincerity. And the earnestess in his voice on lines like “and you realize your penis has become detached” keep this from veering into Weird Al territory. There’s a tenderness that gives it real heart and takes me to those bizarre early-morning conversations that we have with loved ones about the weird ass places our brain went while we were fast asleep.

Hot Jam of the Day: Tory Lanez, “Say It” (Shlohmo Remix)

Posted on January 28, 2016 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jam of the Day: Tory Lanez, “Say It” (Shlohmo Remix)

Tory Lanez
“Say It” (Shlohmo Remix)
Digital Single
Fresh off the release of a pair of mixtapes, the Toronto crooner gets a fresh coat of paint on his 2015 smash, courtesy of regular collaborator Shlohmo. You can tell that the two have worked together before by the way the Angelino treats Tory’s soaring vocal track. Shloh’ heaps mounds of foreboding sub-bass and layers of percussion into the mix before deftly pulling back and leaving us with delicate resolution. Hopefully, this is just another brick in the wall of a successful long-term partnership.

Hot Jam of the Day: LUH, “I&I”

Posted on January 27, 2016 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jam of the Day: LUH, “I&I”

LUH
“I&I”
Digital Single

Being a fan of ex-WU LYF frontman Ellery James Roberts is equal parts frustrating and exhilarating. His brooding, howling WU LYF burned out as quickly as they caught fire, leaving us with a pair of phenomenal singles and one unique, vital LP. Just as their buzz was reaching its apex in 2012, Roberts was out; “I’m Done,” he explained in a rambling post on YouTube. In the three years since, he’s released basically one song per year with precious little context or information about what he’s been up to.

But that’s just the frustrating part. The exhilarating part has been the sound coming of those sporadic singles. From 2013’s sky-scraping, “Kerou’s Lament” to last year’s surprisingly tender, “Unites,” Roberts has traded prolificacy for proficiency (a rarity these days), crafting the kind of expansive anthems that are made to blow out your speakers and tear out your vocal chords. Best of all, it looks we’re about to get a lot more from him in the form of his new project with Ebony Hoorn. “I&I” is the fourth track from the duo since October, and considering that they recently signed a deal with Mute, it feels like a full-length might be just around the corner. We may not have any details or have it any time soon, but if EJR’s career has been anything to go by so far, it’ll likely be worth the wait.

Images & Words: Wet, “Weak” (Live on the Tonight Show)

Posted on January 23, 2016 by TP1.COM in Columns, Featured, Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Images & Words: Wet, “Weak” (Live on the Tonight Show)

Wet
“Weak” (Live on the Tonight Show)
Don’t You (out 01.29 on Columbia)
I don’t normally write about live performances, but I was just so struck by how far the Massachusetts trio has come in the last two and a half years. I first wrote about Wet in September of 2013, after falling in love with their debut single, the crushing break-up ballad, “No Lie.” A few months later, I caught (what I think was) their first ever gig in Brooklyn. They seemed uncomfortable in the spotlight that night, but you couldn’t hear in the way they played. Vocalist Kelly Zutrau stood out, stoically pushing through her nerves to deliver a heartfelt, affecting performance. Guitarist Marty Sulkow added beautiful counter-melodies to the sparse arrangements, while Joe Valle, their most energetic performer, banged away at a skeletal electric drum-kit.

As good as they were that night, I never thought that in just two years, I would be seeing them perform on Network TV. Their performance on Fallon was assured and confident, like a band that has been doing TV shows for years. Again, Zutrau was especially impressive. Much of Wet’s magic comes from the amount of negative space in their arrangements. That space often leaves Zutrau’s voice totally exposed, maximizing its impact but also the pressure placed on it. On what must have been the most stressful performance of their career, she came up trumps, confidently staying in tune and adding an emotional wallop to one of the strongest songs of their glittering young career. The performance isn’t just a reminder of how far they’ve come; it’s an exciting indicator of just how far they can go.

Hot Jam of the Day: The Range, “Florida”

Posted on January 23, 2016 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jam of the Day: The Range, “Florida”

The Range
“Florida”
Potential (out 03.25 on Domino)
Florida is a strange but beautiful place, and so is James Hinton’s music. The first single from the Rhode Island producer’s second LP is an expansive cut that features rolling hi-hats, grimey sub-bass, tasty steel drums, and a spot-on vocal sample of Florida’s fave #babyangel, Ariana Grande. He’s never been a singles man, but this is probably the most streamlined work of his career. Whether there’s actual Purity Ring crossover potential here (as I’m sure his label wishes), it’s nice to hear Hinton explore a poppier sound, while maintaining his dancefloor roots.

Hot Jam of the Day: A$AP Rocky, “Yamborghini High” (f/ A$AP Ferg, A$AP Ant & A$AP Nast)

Posted on January 20, 2016 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jam of the Day: A$AP Rocky, “Yamborghini High” (f/ A$AP Ferg, A$AP Ant & A$AP Nast)

A$AP Rocky
“Yamborghini High” (f/ A$AP Ferg, A$AP Ant & A$AP Nast)
Digital Single

A year and a day ago, 26 year-old Steven “A$AP Yams” Rodriguez passed away at his home in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The much beloved Yams was somewhere between A&R and creative director for the A$AP Mob, and his influence on New York youth culture and hip-hop in general will be felt for years to come. To celebrate his life, his cohorts put on Yams Day at New York’s Terminal 5 last night. From all accounts, it was a joyous occasion that captured Yams’ buoyant, inclusive spirit. Those of us who couldn’t make it to the event can slip on their coziest slippers, pour a glass of something, and give this rapturous single a couple spins, which is a fitting tribute to one of the most colorful, influential behind-the-scenes guys in recent memory. RIP YAMS.

Hot Jams of the Day: CFCF, “Arto” / “Sate Padang”

Posted on January 14, 2016 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off on Hot Jams of the Day: CFCF, “Arto” / “Sate Padang”

CFCF
“Arto” / “Sate Padang”
On Vacation (out 02/19 on International Feel)
It’s the start of my second week of work in 2016. It’s raining. I’m tired. Never mind that I just took 10 days off, I need a damn vacation. Luckily for me, Montreal mastermind Michael Silver is throwing me a bone with a fertile, 8-song collection of chill vibes and soothing sounds, designed to chase the post-New Year’s malaise away.

Its two lead singles recall two very different destinations; “Arto” is a peaceful walk through a provincial European town, and “Sate Padang” recalls a lazy beach day on some beautiful Caribbean island. While I tend to favor the former, both seem an improvement on the heavy coats, morning commutes, and meeting invites of office life.

Listen to Sate Padang on International Feel’s Soundcloud.

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