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
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
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
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"
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
Future
“March Madness” 56 Nights (out now on Freebandz)
After 2014’s uneven Honest, Future has been on fire, dropping three incredible tapes in the last six months. The lead single from his most recent, 56 Nights, gets visuals from Vincent Lou, the same man behind the headtrip heartbreak of “Codeine Crazy” and iLOVEMAKONNEN’s original “Tuesday” clip. Like so much of his recent output, Future is both reeling and energized on “March Madness,” as if he knows the roller coaster is going too fast but still doesn’t want to get off. It sounds like a harrowing ride from the outside, and all we can do as listeners is strap ourselves in and hope he doesn’t crash.
Chromatics
“In Films” Dear Tommy (out soon on Italians Do It Better)
Welp, looks like Dear Tommy is officially 3 for 3. The third single from Johnny Jewel & friends’ upcoming LP is another direct hit. Evocative and slinky, “In Films” pairs vocalist Ruth Radelet’s icy vocals with rolling toms, driving bass, and an adhesive synth line. Knowing Jewel, there’s no telling how many tracks will be on Dear Tommy, but if they are as good as the first three (Exhibit A, Exhibit B), we’re in for a classic.
Hot Chip
“Need You Now” Why Make Sense? (out 05.19 on Domino)
Though a good portion of their recent dance floor focused material leaves me a little cold, I am — and will always be — a sucker for a Hot Chip ballad. From Alexis Taylor’s beautiful, 2014 solo cut “Without a Crutch (2)” to 2012’s devotional, “Let Me Be Him,” to one of my all-time favorites, 2010’s “Alley Cats,” the Londoners’ last few records have been littered with heartfelt, transportive ballads that deliver just the right amount of cheez. They get the balance right again here, matching Taylor’s gorgeous tenor with a slinky, deep house-influenced arrangement. In classic HC style, the song is matched by an excellent video, highlighting the way we tend to beat ourselves up in the wake of a failed relationship.
Jamie XX
“Loud Places” (f/ Romy Madley-Croft) In Colour (out 06.02 on Young Turks)
Like so much of their work as the XX, “Loud Places” snared me quickly. 18 seconds to be exact. The XX’s brokenhearted first two albums have a number of lyrical gems, but the first stanza of this single is one of Croft’s best yet. “I go to loud places. / To search for someone to be quiet with, who will take me home. / You go to loud places. / To find someone who will take you higher than I took you.” Once I heard that, I was in for the ride, but unlike so much of their previous work, I was legitimately surprised where it took me.
After the downcast, decidedly XX-ian start, “Loud Places” blasts out of her lonely bedroom and on to a buoyant, ecstatic dance-floor. It’s a welcome display of power from an oft-forlorn, vulnerable voice. And when Madley-Croft gets to her last line (“You’re in ecstasy without me. / When you come down I won’t be around.”), you can’t help but want to cheer for her — like she’s your recently-single friend who’s finally moving on from her ex and making out with a random at the bar.
T-Pain
“Let Your Hair Down” (f/ The-Dream, Vantrease)
The Iron Way (out now)
Fresh off a mammoth 42-song set at The FADER Fort, T-Pain continues his renaissance with a new mixtape, The Iron Way. A glittering return to form, The Iron Way picks up where his 2014 singles left off, most notably on this exquisite collaboration with the Patron Saint of Thunder Penguin, The-Dream. Any superlatives I lob at “Let Your Hair Down” would underplay how much I’m feeling the languid shuffle of this neon slow jam. But, I guess that’s what happens when you get two of the best songwriters of their generation in the same room…
It’s been a busy three months for me, and while I’ve still had time to listen, I haven’t been able to keep up with what has turned into a blinding first quarter. Here are a handful of my favorite songs that I haven’t been able to write about.
Stormzy
“Know Me From”
Digital Single Like a lot of American teenagers, I was enamored by the exciting world of grime thanks to early efforts from The Streets and Dizzee Rascal. Unlike a lot of American teenagers, it stuck, and it’s still sticking as tightly as ever. Original Pirate Material remains one of my three favorite albums, and it has led me to discover heavyweights like Wiley, Skinnyman, Kano, and Roots Manuva, as well as less celebrated folks like the Mitchell Brothers, Sway, Tempa T, and Devlin.
For that reason, I’ve loved the recent American interest in grime. A wicked new wave of producers, as well as artists like Skepta, JME, Novelist, AJ Tracey, and Stormzy guarantee the genre’s bright future. The breakthrough banger from the 21 year-old Londoner is probably my favorite song of the year so far, and hopefully, it will continue to grow the genre enough to finally kick off the US grime takeover that I predicted in the late 90s… or at least, a couple of long-awaited American tours.
Kanye West
“Only One” / “All Day” / “Wolves” So Help Me God (out ??? on GOOD Music) I somehow missed writing about all three of these gems, and when considered together, they’re indicative of Kanye’s incredible versatility and duality as an artist. A heartfelt, disarmingly direct piano ballad to his wife and child; a delirious, maximalist turn-up anthem; a spare, claustrophobic rumination. They illuminate the many facets of Mr. West. And though he’s on fire, in love, and surrounded by all the cool kids, there is still lingering loneliness, isolation, and self-doubt all over these tracks. Those are the contradictions that make him the greatest artist of his generation.
It’s been a miserable winter for most of the country, even by the Windy City’s high (er, low) standards. However, Chicago’s Crown Princes of Bop don’t seem to be suffering any signs of seasonal affective disorder. Their anthemic new single is more fit to soundtrack weekend barbecues than a frigid trudge to the ‘L’. Unlike much of their frenetic back catalog, “Kool-Aid” is a mid-paced glider that is made for the gentle breeze of the slow lane. It boasts one of the strongest hooks of a young career packed with sturdy melodies. If the upcoming summer feels half as good as this sounds, it will have been worth the chill.
Though Claire Boucher penned this single back in 2013, “REALiTi” sounds much more congruous with last year’s ever divisive, “Go,” than her 2013 debut, Visions. As someone who is staunchly pro Pop Grimes, this track is great news, and it’s another example of her razor-sharp songwriting and vocal hooks. There’s a lovely directness to her most recent work, which is well-tempered by her naturally experimental tendencies. When that balance is right (as it is here), there are few stronger forces in modern music than the 26 year-old.
Courtney Barnett
“Depreston” Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (out 03.24 on Mom + Pop)
Since the dawn of modern civilization, procreation and land ownership have been the principle goals of humanity. While much has been written about the personal collateral damage brought about by the former, substantially less has been written about the latter, especially in the world of pop music. The 26 year-old Australian’s rumination on a trip to look at suburban homes with her partner is a beautiful dive into the realities of leaving the city for some land of your own. The large garden, the parking space, the peace, the comforting permanence. The isolation, the realization of the family you’re replacing, the boredom, the crushing permanence.
The story is left unresolved with the resolution to Barnett’s future replaced by a languid slide guitar, explaining that there is no answer to this question. It’s the sound of two people looking at each other uneasily on the ride home, hoping that the other knows what to do. It’s a masterful example of non-verbal storytelling that caps off an extremely well told verbal story; in other words, the perfect ending to a song that’s just about the same.
Skepta
“Shutdown” Konnichiwa (out soon on Boy Better Know)
Even though he’s been a force in grime for the better part of ten years, it feels like the 32 year-old Tottenham native is just getting started. Following what was probably the best year of his career — watermarked by my third favorite song of 2014, “That’s Not Me” — “Shutdown” is the first taste of Konnichiwa, the most anticipated album of his career. Based on this, the pressure hasn’t gotten to Skep, as he sounds like he’s having just as much fun as ever. While he’s a multifaceted artist and a fierce lyricist, much of his best work is his most joyful, which is the case here. Built on an earworm hook and three ravenous verses, “Shutdown” is the sound of a mature, developed artist rounding into his prime and razor focused on fulfilling his unlimited potential. I may have only heard one track, but Konnichiwa already feels like a classic.
Future
