Hot Jam of the Day: Kommode, “Fight or Flight or Dance All Night”

Posted on May 19, 2017 by TP1.COM in Featured, Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Kommode
“Fight or Flight or Dance All Night”
Analog Dance Music (out June 2017 on Random Two Syllable Word)
Good things come to those who wait, and Kings of Convenience fans have been waiting for the debut from Eirik Glambek Bøe’s side project for more than 10 years. Since announcing this project all the way back in 2006, the group has released only two vaguely official singles, and it was starting to feel like the disc would only exist in KOC fanfic. However, earlier this month, the low-key Norwegian surprisingly announced that the quintet’s debut LP would be dropping in June.

Best of all, the news came with this phenomenal, buoyant first single, which conjures up memories of one of KOC’s finest tracks — the one that started my 10+ year love affair with the group — “I’d Rather Dance With You.” Bøe’s voice is calming and flexible, and it glides beautifully over a descending keyboard riff, nimble electric guitars, and swinging drums. Incredibly, not only is it as good as I’d hoped it would be all those years back, somehow it’s actually better.

Hot Jam of the Day: Jlin, “Holy Child”

Posted on May 18, 2017 by TP1.COM in Featured, Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Jlin
“Holy Child”
Black Origami (out 05.19 on Planet Mu)
Though there’s only one more day until the Gary, Indiana footwork innovator’s second LP drops, this brilliant and beguiling cut is more than worthy of standing on its own. Like her masterful debut, Dark Energy, this track features multiple, intricate polyrhythms that collide freely without ever tripping over themselves. It also features one of her strongest, most coherent melodies — thanks to operatic samples and undulating synths — which help elevate “Holy Child” to incredible heights.

Hot Jam of the Day: Dawn, “Break Me”

Posted on May 17, 2017 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Dawn
“Break Me”
Digital Single
For the better part of five years, Dawn Richard has been dutifully blessing us with a consistent stream of progressive, beautiful music that lurks in the grey area between R&B, dance music, pop, and a host of other micro-genres. “Break Me” is the second of her collaborations with promising bounce(ish) producer and fellow New Orleans-native Leonce. It highlights her affecting writing and vocals, as she spills tears all over Leonce’s spare synths and carefully crafted percussion.

Hot Jam of the Day: MoStack, “Ussy Ussy”

Posted on May 15, 2017 by TP1.COM in Images & Words | Comments Off

MoStack
“Ussy Ussy”
Digital Single
After dropping one of the songs of the year, the Londoner returns with another winning, Afrobeats-influenced cut. Like “Let it Ring,” the buoyant, undeniable “Ussy Ussy” features both memorable bars and hooky vocals that help cement MoStack in the class of rising stars like J Hus, Abra Cadabra, and Kojo Funds. If the summer sounds anything like this, we’re in for a great one.

Images & Words: Burna Boy, “Hallelujah”

Posted on May 12, 2017 by TP1.COM in Images & Words | Comments Off

Burna Boy
“Hallelujah”
Digital Single
Friday is always a great day to give thanks, and the 25 year-old’s new single is here to inspire you to do just that. Hailing from Nigeria’s poverty-stricken south coast, Burna Boy has spent the better part of seven years crafting electric afrobeat with touches of R&B and dancehall. Like many stateside, he first popped on my radar with his gorgeous, low-key 2016 EP, Redemption. Now, Burna has his sights set on world domination, and if he keeps dropping songs like this airy, lithe charmer, he’ll get there soon enough.

Hot Jam of The Day: Grizzly Bear, “Three Rings”

Posted on May 11, 2017 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Grizzly Bear
“Three Rings”
Digital Single
The sound of 2009 white guy indie rock is thriving in 2017. We aren’t even at the halfway point, and we’ve already heard new music from Fleet Foxes, the National, LCD Soundsystem, Dirty Projectors, Phoenix, and Animal Collective. And while it has basically ranged from -__- (see: Projectors, Dirty) to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, Ed Droste and co.’s first track in about five years is a gorgeous, haunting ballad. Droste’s voice floats beautifully here, but drummer Chris Bear steals the show here, as his off-kilter, busy drumming gives the track an syncopated touch and injects it with unexpected life. More than anything, “Three Rings” doesn’t fall into the same trap as many of their peers, as it is neither a rehash of old ideas nor an unnecessary stylistic u-turn. Rather, it’s the sound of a fantastic band evolving naturally and exploring new sonic space.

Hot Jam of the Day: J Hus, “Common Sense”

Posted on May 10, 2017 by TP1.COM in Featured, Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

J Hus
“Common Sense”
Common Sense (Black Butter)
The wait is almost over. Though the East Londoner’s highly-anticipated proper debut LP drops on Friday, he graced us with another taster to hold us over. Though the lush, soulful instrumentation and live drums are a different look for the MC, it proves to be another monster single that highlights his underrated versatility. The beat feels a little bit 90’s, but Hus’ delivery is purely modern. And he shifts from rapping to singing with ease and delivers sticky bars with melodic hooks for days. One of the biggest talents in music today.

Hot Jam of the Day: Sinjin Hawke, “Onset”

Posted on May 9, 2017 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Sinjin Hawke
“Onset”
First Opus (out 06.10 on Fractal Fantasy)
Though the Canadian producer/DJ has been crafting relentlessly progressive club music for more than five years, he’s just getting around to dropping his first LP this summer. Its lead single, “Onset,” highlights Hawke’s tuneful, yet club-ready sound, pairing hyperactive droplets with pounding kick drums and his signature, triumphant horns.

Hot Jam of the Day: Ryan Adams, “The Empty Bed” / “Broken Things”

Posted on May 4, 2017 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Ryan Adams
“The Empty Bed” / “Broken Things”
Prisoner B-Sides
In much of the press surrounding his excellent 16th studio LP, the ever-prolific songwriter talked about writing nearly 100 songs for the album and struggling to cut it down to just 12. Last Friday, he proved he wasn’t lying when he surprise dropped 17 of those b-sides. And though they don’t all shine, it makes you appreciate how difficult it must be to make these cuts.

Two of its early standouts are a pair of acoustic tearjerkers: its closer “The Empty Bed” and “Broken Things.” When I initially heard that the record would deal with Adams’ divorce, I assumed that it would sound a lot more like this, rather than the 70’s stomp and Tunnel of Love vibes that permeate the disc. I get why he decided not to go that route, but it’s great to hear a couple of stripped down moments from the sessions.

Listen to the whole thing on Spotify.

Images & Words: Rostam, “Gwan”

Posted on May 3, 2017 by TP1.COM in Images & Words | Comments Off

Rostam
“Gwan”
Digital Single
Anybody who has ever lived in New York knows the restorative power of an aimless stroll through the city. On the clip for his new string-driven, chamber pop single, the former Vampire Weekend man enjoys one of those long meanders, heading toward a destination that is unclear both for the viewer and the walker. Though we still don’t have details, it’s starting to feel like his long-awaited album is just around the corner, and if it sounds anything like the rest of the pre-release singles, it should be a classic.