Hot Jam of the Day: DJDS, “Stand Up and Speak”

Posted on November 3, 2015 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

DJDS
“Stand Up and Speak”
Stand Up and Speak (out 01.29 on Body High)

Samo Sound Boy is already responsible for one of the best dance albums of this year, and it looks like he has his eyes set on making one of the best of next year, as well. Along with bandmate, Jerome LOL, DJDS might have a monster on their hands, judging from its three exquisite pre-release singles. The most recent, “Stand Up and Speak,” matches soulful vocals with the group’s signature rolling percussion and spiraling songwriting. Unlike much of their sample-heavy back catalog, TheFader reports that the Angelinos employed a variety of live vocalists this time around. That shift is apparent here, and regardless of whether it is a sample, the vocals have a vitality that is a welcome addition to their always potent sonic stew.

Images & Words: Lontalius, “All I Wanna Say”

Posted on October 30, 2015 by TP1.COM in Featured, Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Lontalius
“All I Wanna Say”
Digital Single

The young New Zealander began his burgeoning career on Soundcloud and Bandcamp by uploading affecting, spare covers of popular rap and R&B songs, armed with only a Casio keyboard and a little bit of autotune. In the last year or so, the 18 year-old (né Eddie Johnston) has focused on original material, and new single, “All I Wanna Say,” is the best of it so far. Like in his covers, Johnston’s solo work is disarmingly direct and poignant, thanks mostly to its simplicity. A mantra like “all I have to offer is my love” would seem trite and cliché coming from most artists, but the innocent timbre of Johnston’s voice makes it feel like he really means it. Like, he believes that literally the only thing he can offer someone is his undying devotion. And that is a feeling that nearly anybody who has ever been a awkward, self-doubting, lovestruck teenager can relate to.

Hot Jam of the Day: Matt Kivel, “Janus”

Posted on October 29, 2015 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Matt Kivel
“Janus”
Digital Single

In the last five years, I’ve written quite a bit about prolific LA-based crooner Jesse Kivel’s music, but surprisingly, I’ve neglected his lesser-known brother Matt and his reflective solo work. Following last year’s underrated Days of Being Wild, the Santa Monica native recorded his third LP in Glasgow with Drag City head honcho, Alasdair Roberts. Its lead single, “Janus,” is a gorgeous, delicate folk number that sees Kivel’s soft voice paired beautifully with fingerpicked guitar and a touching, step-wise piano melody. It’s a heartening glimpse into what will hopefully be the record that will get him the recognition he deserves.

Images & Words: Wet, “Weak”

Posted on October 23, 2015 by TP1.COM in Featured, Images & Words | Comments Off

Wet
“Weak”
Don’t You (out 01.29 on Columbia)

During a week where Bachata Papi grabbed most of the headlines for his phenomenal drunk Uncle swag, another of TP’s favorite vocalists also broke out some heartfelt moves on a new clip. For four spellbinding minutes, vocalist/songwriter Kelly Zutrau pours her heart out in front of a crowd of zero, pining for a lover to reconsider walking away. Director/choreographer Holly Blakey beautifully captures the evocative performance, highlighting the raw, exorcismic (not a real word) power of dance in one of the strongest music videos of the year.

And, if somehow you haven’t seen it yet, check out Aubrey’s “Hotline Bling.” It’s also great.

Hot Jam of the Day: Memoryhouse, “Dream Shake”

Posted on October 21, 2015 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Memoryhouse
“Dream Shake”
Soft Hate (release date: TBD)

Many of my favorite tracks from the Toronto-area duo evoke feelings (and music writer tropes) of warm blankets, crackling fires, lazy Sundays, and the like. However, the lead single from their long awaited second LP, “Dream Shake,” bristles with an energy that they rarely exhibited throughout their excellent debut LP and 2012’s The Slideshow Effect, save its lead single “The Kids Were Wrong.” This new cut beautifully balances this newfound urgency with their languid, dreamy roots, pairing Denise Nouvion’s confident vocals with layers of gauzy guitar and a buoyant bassline. It’s an exciting step forward for a group with a rock-solid back catalog, and I’ll look forward to hearing the rest of Soft Hate.

Hot Jam of the Day: Negative Gemini, “You Never Knew”

Posted on October 15, 2015 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Negative Gemini
“You Never Knew”
Body Work (out in 2016 on 100% Electronica)

Fresh off her slept-on Real Virtual Unison EP, Queens-based producer/vocalist Lindsey French is back at it, prepping a new full-length due out in early 2016. Its lead single is one of the most streamlined, direct tracks of her career, pitting her mellifluous vocal against delicious, aqueous keys and an earworm of a pitch-shifted vocal sample. Though French’s voice rarely rises above something just north of a whisper, her words are weighty and powerful, eulogizing a past love affair with gut punches like “now you’re pretending I’m someone you never knew.” Nothing that hurts that bad should feel this good.

Hot Jam of the Day: Canblaster, “Encore DX”

Posted on October 13, 2015 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Canblaster
“Encore DX”
Continue? (out 10.23 on Pelican Fly)

Saying that DJ/producer Cédric “Canblaster” Steffens is on a roll is an understatement. This year alone, he’s already dropped an Internet famous EP with Lido and a pair of real-life, crossover famous singles with his Club Cheval supergroup, along with a string of excellent one-off remixes. And he’s just getting started. The fittingly titled, “Encore DX” is our first taste of his forthcoming solo EP, and it’s an example of his impressive song-craft and composition. He expertly matches undulating keys with light vocals that builds to a tasty climax. Like much of his best work, it i meticulously crafted without being overly brainy, never forgetting that dance music’s core purpose is to, you know….make people dance.

Images & Words: Majical Cloudz, “Downtown”

Posted on October 10, 2015 by TP1.COM in Featured, Images & Words | Comments Off

Majical Cloudz
“Downtown”
Are You Alone? (out 10.16 on Matador)

Though he’s still very much a rising artist, Majical Cloudz frontman Devon Welsh is quickly becoming one of the most powerful lyricists in music today. Blissfully free of wordplay and $10 adjectives, the Montreal native excels at direct, plainly poetic prose aimed at the common experiences we share: love, fear, loss, and the like. The gorgeous devotional, “Downtown,” has a few stunners that deal with the former. Lyrics like “There’s one thing I’ll do If it ever goes wrong. I’ll write you into my all of my songs. / And if suddenly I die. I hope they will say that he was obsessed and it was OK” speak for themselves and beautifully define what love feels like and what it can mean. A truly special statement from what should be one of the albums of the year.

Images & Words: Tory Lanez, “Say It”

Posted on October 8, 2015 by TP1.COM in Images & Words | Comments Off

Tory Lanez
“Say It”
Digital Single

If we’re being all the way real, the Ontario native should be exponentially percent more poppin’ than he currently is. Maybe he doesn’t have an Internet ready look like Post Malone or the co-sign of someone like PartyNextDoor, but the artist born Daystar Peterson has been cranking out a steady stream of some of the sharpest, strongest R&B out right now. On his recent heater, “Say It,” the 23 year-old gets extra sentimental, smearing his graceful tenor over a delicious flip of Brownstone’s classic “If You Love Me.” It’s basically the musical equivalent of the heart eyes emoji, and if there’s any fairness in the music world (hint: there isn’t), it should turn into a massive hit.

Hot Jam of the Day: Jesu / Sun Kil Moon, “America’s Most Wanted Mark Kozelek and John Dillinger”

Posted on October 7, 2015 by TP1.COM in Hot Jam of the Day | Comments Off

Jesu / Sun Kil Moon
“America’s Most Wanted Mark Kozelek and John Dillinger”
Jesu/Sun Kil Moon (out 01.21.16)

“That’s an account of my last few days,” sings Mark Kozelek on the first single off his new collaborative LP with Godflesh/Jesu frontman, Justin Broadrick. The refrain (along with the song title) is a cheeky, thinly-veiled allusion to the Internet backlash to the rambling lyrics of his recent work. While Kozelek’s combative nature has been a constant of his long, rich career, it’s hard not to feel like his interminable squabbling with the press, other bands, and even his own fans is starting to overwhelm his work. The incidents have ranged from mostly harmless to downright pathetic, and it really seemed to infect his most recent LP, June’s Universal Themes, one of the weakest of his career.

And though there’s not a ton of buzz surrounding Jesu / Sun Kil Moon, I’m betting that Broadrick’s laidback persona will bring balance to proceedings and inspire more restraint in Kozelek. Hopefully, it will follow the blueprint of his recent collaborative successes with Jimmy LaValle on 2013’s sterling Perils from the Sea and his excellent LP with Desertshore. While this single doesn’t really allay those fears — dude reads a piece of actual fan mail at the end — it’s far from the shambling mess that much of Universal Themes was, and the warm electric guitar-lead and synths encouragingly hint at the scope of Broadrick’s influence.

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