7. Nite Jewel
One Second of Love
Secretly Canadian
Definitely my surprise of the year. After feeling ambivalent about their early work, I was bowled over by this record. Eschewing the flaccid, lo-fi arraignments of her early EPs, Ramona Gonzalez opts to embrace her inner diva and finally really goes for it. Teeming with a palpable new confidence and swagger, Gonzalez spends much of the consistently excellent One Second of Love fearlessly gliding over her lush, keyboard-heavy melodies. The LA-native always seemed like a true talent, but much of her previous work always struck me as inoffensive but unassertive — caught between a number of styles that never really seemed to go anywhere — and it’s wonderful to hear her find her groove.
Hottest Jams: “She’s Always Watching You” / “Clive”
“She’s Always Watching You”
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/24802304″ iframe=”true” /]
“Clive”
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/38145024″ iframe=”true” /]
8. Evian Christ
Kings and Them
Self-Released
Sometimes the internet is pretty cool. Early this year, college student Joshua Leary uploaded some tracks he’d made to YouTube for his friends to listen to. Somehow they made it to someone at Dummy, and within a few weeks, they were blowing up the blogosphere. And for good reason. Kings and Them is a fascinating amalgam of ambient electronica, radio rap, and neo-dubstep. Anybody can fuck with some Tyga records on a laptop, but Leary’s ability to layer moods that are simultaneously alluring and unsettling over the top of hip-hop tracks (mostly Tyga) that still bang is no mean feat. What we need now is a Dead Presidents-esque diss track, where Evian Christ tells Tyga that he made “Snapbacks Back” a hot song, but EC made it a hot album.
Hottest Jams: “MYD” / “Go Girl”
“MYD”
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/35180075″ iframe=”true” /]
“Go Girl”
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/35242424″ iframe=”true” /]
9. Joey Bada$$
1999
Gadsen
Whether it was officially being to old to audition for real world or realizing that kids who were born in the nineties are now legally able to drink, strange things make me feel old. While the fact that this Flatbush, Brooklyn-MC is a whole TEN years younger than me definitely made me feel ancient, his debut LP is right in my wheelhouse, a throwback to the boom-bap beats and soul samples of my teens. Heavily influenced by the golden age of Big Apple rap— Biggie, AZ, Nas, Big L — the 17 year-old spits with perspective and insight that belies his years. 1999 is also one of those rare mixtapes that maintains a cohesive sound without getting boring or resorting to myriad features. He has an ear for a melodic hook but never relies on one, thanks to his dexterous, ravenous flow. While he hasn’t grabbed the plaudits of A$AP Rocky, Schoolboy Q, and the Odd Future kids (all dope rappers in their own right), his future is just as bright as any of theirs.
Hottest Jams: “Waves” / “Hardknock”
“Waves”
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/38257093″ iframe=”true” /]
“Hardknock”
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/49479122″ iframe=”true” /]
10. d’Eon
LP
Hippos In Tanks
Esoteric Montreal producer d’Eon is the ultimate marmite musician. His debut full-length is one of the densest I’ve heard this year, lying somewhere between radio R&B, Eastern devotional chants, and the nerdliest of prog rock. Topping out at just about 78 minutes, LP is a twisted, challenging journey exploring spirituality and ancient love through the lens of some seriously demented, undulating, 90’s boner jams. As fascinating as the ideology behind this album is, what really makes it’s special is the latter part of the previous sentence. While this is theoretically quite a cerebral effort, it never loses its playful, experimental, human spirit, making it as fun to think about as it is to dance to. For something this ambitious, that is no mean feat. It’s never going to be something you’ll fall in love with right away, but give it some time, and it just might surprise you.
Hottest Jams: “Now You Do” / “Al-Qiyamah”
“Now You Do”
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/48080226″ iframe=”true” /]
“Al-Qiyamah”
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/48586105″ iframe=”true” /]
11. The Tallest Man on Earth
There’s No Leaving Now
Dead Oceans
I wanted to toss this on the end here, because I haven’t had a hell of a lot of time to listen to it but am loving what I’m hearing so far. The third full-length from the Swedish folk singer (né Kristian Matsson) sees him moving further away from the pesky, off-base “he’s just ripping off Bob Dylan” criticisms that dogged the early part of his career. Picking up where the triumphant The Wild Hunt left off, there’s everything we love about his previous work: intricate fingerpicked guitarwork, raspy and passionate vocals, and reflective lyrics. There’s No Leaving Now is proof positive that he will remain one of the most unique voices in modern folk music for as long as he wants to. One of the most consistently excellent artists in music today.
Hottest Jams: “1904” / “To Just Grow Away”
“1904”
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/46454451″ iframe=”true” /]
“To Just Grow Away”
Honorable Mention:
Le1f: Dark York
Hot Chip: In Our Heads
Sharon Van Etten: Tramp
Julia Holter: Ekstasis
Frankie Rose: Interstellar
Schoolboy Q: Habits & Contradictions
