Hot Jam of the Day

Hot Jam of the Day: Dawn Richard, “Blow”

Posted on October 30, 2014 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Dawn Richard
“Blow”
Blackheart (out 01.15.15 on Our Dawn)

Let’s rewind to January of 2013. Things were really looking up for ex-Danity Kane vocalist Dawn Richard. Thanks two a pair of excellent, well-received projects — 2012’s Armor On EP and 2013’s fan-fucking-tastic Goldenheart — the 31 year-old looked to have uncovered the most elusive gift in pop music: a second chance. No longer a footnote in Bad Boy’s checkered post-Biggie history, Richard was part of an exhilarating new generation of R&B futurists, ready to drag the once conservative genre into the 21st century.

In the face of all the forward momentum, Richard took the surprising decision to look back, reuniting with her former Danity Kane bandmates (save, the oft-divisive D. Woods) and crafting their third LP. No matter how fire “Show Stopper” still is (believe me, it is), the world doesn’t seem to be too into the return of Aubrey O’Day, and the album dropped to minimal fanfare yesterday, a couple months after DK 2.0 called it quits.

Ever the survivor, today Richard announced a proper follow-up to Goldenheart and a new single, the deliciously slinky “Blow.” It’s hard to imagine the New Orleans native not questioning the decision to have spent the better part of last year looking back, especially considering how artists like Tinashe and FKA Twigs blew up this year. Whether or not she actually cleared space for either much younger artist, her sound certainly shares many of their aqueous, slow-burning hallmarks. Hopefully for her, Blackheart will also share their mainstream appeal.

Hot Jam of the Day: NZCA Lines, “New Atmosphere”

Posted on October 25, 2014 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

NZCA Lines
“New Atmosphere”
New Atmosphere 7″ (out 12.08 on Moshi Moshi)

Well, this is a nice surprise. After a few years away, NZCA Lines (né Michael Lovett) returns with a new single and a potential follow-up to his excellent 2012 self-titled debut. “New Atmosphere” features the same icy new wave/synth-pop sound of his debut, and Lovett’s lovelorn vocals remain some of the most pleasing in the genre today. He’s also someone who has always been able to employ new agey production and imagery without veering into tired irony or pastiche, and it’s great to have him releasing new music again.

Hot Jam of the Day: Dan Bodan, “A Soft Opening”

Posted on October 21, 2014 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Dan Bodan
“A Soft Opening”
Soft (out 10.28 on DFA)

The Berlin-based vocalist’s debut LP is the star of my forthcoming “Fall Albums to Watch (Part Two)” column, so I won’t say much else except that its gorgeous, 18+-produced opening number is a keeper. Over the last couple of years, Bodan has carefully constructed a sound all his own, weaving his dreamy, dramatic vocals over consistently progressive soundscapes. Though he continues to be hopelessly underrated by the American press, make no mistake, Soft will likely end up one of the year’s finest albums.

Hot Jam of the Day: Young Chop, “Valley” (f/ Chief Keef)

Posted on October 16, 2014 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Young Chop
“Valley” (f/ Chief Keef)
Still (out 10.28 on Chop Squad)

Back in 2012, nobody could have predicated that the duo behind the earth-shaking, propulsive “Don’t Like” would have grown into such sonic mad scientists this early in their career. Tyree “Young Chop” Pittman is widely credited with creating Chicago’s drill sound, but as soon as it broke nationwide, Chop turned his back on drill and focused on crafting evocative, layered melodies and developing his songwriting chops (buh dum pish). As his producer spread his wings, so did Keef. The 19 year-old has spent the last two years relentlessly messing with his vocals, and he has cemented his place in a new breed of rappers who are reimagining what “gangsta rappers” should sound like. While much has changed for both artists in the last two years, one thing hasn’t. They’re still great together, and long may it continue.

Hot Jam of the Day: Jessie Ware, “Sweetest Song”

Posted on October 11, 2014 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Jessie Ware
“Sweetest Song”
Tough Love (out 10.21 on PMR)

I wrote last week about my anxiety about the second LP from TP uber-fave Jessie Ware, but this lovelorn slow-burner certainly helps curb some of it. Much of the Londoner’s best work is her most restrained, when she forsakes the over the top, TV commercial chorus for the stifled and the subtle. “Sweetest Song” is good Jessie at her best, as she smears her expressive, low-register vocal over the kind of sparse, sultry arrangement that helped make her debut one of the best albums of that year. Let’s hope the rest of Tough Love follows suit.

Hot Jam of the Day: Yumi Zouma, “Alena”

Posted on October 9, 2014 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Yumi Zouma
“Alena”
Digital Single (Cascine)

The New Zealand post-chillwave (ugh) trio returns with a twinkling new single that features a surprisingly hearty dash of dancefloor-ready bass. The added heft is a pleasing compliment to their sleepy dream-pop vibes with Kim Pflaum’s playful, alluring vocal sounding more virile than in their previous work. Whether “Alena” remains a sonic outlier or marks a stylist shift for the group, it stands as one of the strongest statements of their young career.

Hot Jam of the Day: Sun Kil Moon, “War on Drugs: Suck My Cock”

Posted on October 8, 2014 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Sun Kil Moon
“War on Drugs: Suck My Cock”
Digital Single

Already the subject of some eye-rolling #thinkpieces (I’m lookin’ at you Stereogum), Mark Kozelek’s hilariously Kozelekian new single “War on Drugs: Suck My Cock” is just as delightful as it sounds. The Koz keeps his jabs benign in the extreme, with lines like “bridge and tunnel people ’em some War on Drugs.” Listening to a guy who sings finger-picked folk songs about heartbreak, death, and long drives up the coast call another band “the whitest band I’ve ever heard” is worth the price of admission alone. Often accused of being humorless, it’s ironic that Kozelek is taking heat for this, especially when this song is just a more flagrant expression of the gallows humor that runs through all of his albums. More like this please, Mark.

Hot Jam of the Day: Tinashe, “Bet” (f/ Devonte Hynes)

Posted on September 30, 2014 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Tinashe
“Bet” (f/ Devonté Hynes)
Aquarius (out October 7 on RCA)

Already the owner of one of the year’s most undeniable singles, the 21 year-old is set to take aim at interstellar pop domination with her debut LP. For the disc’s third single, the LA resident teamed with established (indie) hit maker, Devonté Hynes of Blood Orange, to craft this lurching new single. Much of Hynes’ most notable songwriting credits (Sky Ferreira’s “Everything is Embarrassing,” Solange’s “Losing You”) tread deftly between moody heartache and bouncy radio pop, but “Bet” is a darker, more opaque affair. It pairs a jilted, expressive powerhouse vocal performance with undulating synth layers and rolling hi-hats to devastating effect. More than anything, it highlights the young vocalist’s versatility and hints that there will be a lot more to Aquarius than radio-friendly fare.

Hot Jam of the Day: Ryan Hemsworth, “Snow in Newark” (f/ Dawn Golden)

Posted on September 25, 2014 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Ryan Hemsworth
“Snow in Newark” (f/ Dawn Golden)
From Forthcoming New LP

Everyone’s favorite DJ/Pokemon enthusiast, Ryan Hemsworth, returns with a feels-focused slow jam, blessed by Dexter “Dawn Golden” Tortoriello’s perma-bummed baritone. While Hemsworth is best known for his dancefloor filling remixes, much of his solo work has veered toward singer/songwriter world, and “Snow in Newark” is perhaps the strongest all-original composition he’s penned yet. Over a choppy bed of emotive percussion, Tortoriello pines for a loved one from the solitude of a hotel room. It’s a feeling that you’d imagine that Hemsworth knows well, as he adjusts to life as a touring musician, and you can feel the lonely days and nights all over this track.

Hot Jam of the Day: RL Grime, “Reminder” (f/ How to Dress Well)

Posted on September 24, 2014 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

RL Grime
“Reminder” (f/ How to Dress Well”)
VOID (out 11.18 on WeDidIt)

After three solid years of cranking out EPs, remixes, and singles, Henry “RL Grime” Steinway is finally ready to make a full-length statement. How to Dress Well’s expressive falsetto is the perfect partner for Stienway’s labyrinthine, emotive arrangement, and the artists combine to devastating effect here. While he is known much more for his club friendly cuts, the LA-based producer shows his chops as a songwriter, crafting a melodically lush canvas for Krell to glide over. It’s a new sound for Steinway, but it’s a welcome one.

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