This is off the same DJ Eufonik mixtape, and is on the same over-sexed tip. This has got to make you smile. I almost miss the 90's.
Thursday 20 October 2011
The Islet Brothers & Mos Def - Beauty In The Dark
I've been bumping this for a while: it's on my favourite sex/slushy mixtape, DJ Eufonik's Things You Do To Me.
Close harmony, and Mos Def's lyrics, make for a tight little R'n'B number. This is such a good wind-down song.
Close harmony, and Mos Def's lyrics, make for a tight little R'n'B number. This is such a good wind-down song.
Tuesday 18 October 2011
Mos Def - Ms. Fat Booty
This is from the dying days of the Golden Age: 1999. It's built on an Aretha Franklin sample, which has been chopped up like sushi. It's good.
Mos Def is in full-on parable mode here, to good narrative effect. I want to play this in a convertible one day before I die.
Mos Def is in full-on parable mode here, to good narrative effect. I want to play this in a convertible one day before I die.
Monday 17 October 2011
Lil B - Motivation
I'm mainly on this for the instrumental, courtesy of Clams Casino. It's a big deal.
Lil B does his line in self-aggrandizing hyperbole on the top.
But that instrumental's a Gregorian chant for hip-hop.
Lil B does his line in self-aggrandizing hyperbole on the top.
But that instrumental's a Gregorian chant for hip-hop.
Monday 10 October 2011
Kendrick Lamar - A.D.H.D
The production on this track is glorious, layered and skippy, but the lyrics are the standout. Kendrick Lamar has written a song which is dark, and sinister, and true. The bombast of West Coast hip-hop is suited to epic songs, and this is like a manifesto for our lost generation.
And his flow is perfectly fluid as he flips seamlessly into double time and out again.
Above and beyond this song, you can see how fast he's developing. The stuff he was making last year has the same tidy rhymes but had a monotonous flow, with none of the cadence that makes A.D.H.D. seductive.
I'm jumping on his new mixtape - the West is back this autumn.
And his flow is perfectly fluid as he flips seamlessly into double time and out again.
Above and beyond this song, you can see how fast he's developing. The stuff he was making last year has the same tidy rhymes but had a monotonous flow, with none of the cadence that makes A.D.H.D. seductive.
I'm jumping on his new mixtape - the West is back this autumn.
Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
This is probably my favourite hip-hop album of the year so far: I love how the lyrics just weave in like another instrument. The synthesis of poem and music and rhythm is perfect.
Oh, and you can stream the whole album. Put this on and be swept away.
Shabazz Palaces - good enough to be shrouded in secrecy.
Oh, and you can stream the whole album. Put this on and be swept away.
Shabazz Palaces - good enough to be shrouded in secrecy.
Goapele - Play
Yeah, I went away again: Latin America called in the middle of the night, and like a lovelorn ex I went running back.
But I'm back, and I'm going to make it worth your while.
Remember when R'n'B was plausibly oversexed? Well, that's back. Goapele is my find of the week, and this song makes me weak. She has the most accurate voice, and this is precious.
Play by goapele
But I'm back, and I'm going to make it worth your while.
Remember when R'n'B was plausibly oversexed? Well, that's back. Goapele is my find of the week, and this song makes me weak. She has the most accurate voice, and this is precious.
Play by goapele
Tuesday 13 September 2011
Alejandro Sanz ft. Getto - No Es Lo Mismo (Chosen Few Remix)
Cut to the chase on this one - get straight to the good stuff at 0:47.
This is based on a fairly meditative love song by a Spanish singer-songwriter. Boy Wonder, a Puerto Rican producer sped it up and juiced it with a reggaeton beat. The result is a poetic party piece.
The lyrics are phenomenal: "no es lo mismo ser que estar". They're hard to translate because they take advantage of the fact that Spanish has two verbs meaning "to be" - ser means "to be, permanently", and estar means "to be, temporarily".
For example: soy [ser] inglesa y estoy [estar] en my casa means "I am [ser] English and I am [estar] in my house" - I am always English, and I am in my house right now, temporarily
The first line of the song is simply: "it's not the same to be [ser] as to be [estar]" - transient facts [described using estar] about where we are, how we feel, how we look do not define who we are as people [which is described using ser].
There you go, reggaeton and grammar: grammar-ton? I don't think it's going to catch on.
This is based on a fairly meditative love song by a Spanish singer-songwriter. Boy Wonder, a Puerto Rican producer sped it up and juiced it with a reggaeton beat. The result is a poetic party piece.
The lyrics are phenomenal: "no es lo mismo ser que estar". They're hard to translate because they take advantage of the fact that Spanish has two verbs meaning "to be" - ser means "to be, permanently", and estar means "to be, temporarily".
For example: soy [ser] inglesa y estoy [estar] en my casa means "I am [ser] English and I am [estar] in my house" - I am always English, and I am in my house right now, temporarily
The first line of the song is simply: "it's not the same to be [ser] as to be [estar]" - transient facts [described using estar] about where we are, how we feel, how we look do not define who we are as people [which is described using ser].
There you go, reggaeton and grammar: grammar-ton? I don't think it's going to catch on.
Thursday 8 September 2011
Queen Latifah - Just Another Day
If you listen to one song today, make this it. It's classic, gorgeous, hip-hop from one of the strongest role models you could pick. And it still sounds so so so good, nearly 20 years on.
There's the simplest boom-bap beat, and one of the best hooks you'll ever hear. And that second verse is simple beauty.
If you want to fall all in love with hip-hop all over again, start here.
There's the simplest boom-bap beat, and one of the best hooks you'll ever hear. And that second verse is simple beauty.
If you want to fall all in love with hip-hop all over again, start here.
Wednesday 7 September 2011
Tito El Bambino ft.Banda El Recodo - Te Pido Perdon
Q: What does a gorgeous girl have in common with a brass band?
A: Tito el Bambino loves them equally, and they share screentime in my new favourite cheesy pop song.
Tito (yet another Puerto Rican star) begs forgiveness for unspecified offenses, on top of an excellent slice of Banda-style brassy polka.
This is proper feel-good pop music, like the UK doesn't make anymore.
A: Tito el Bambino loves them equally, and they share screentime in my new favourite cheesy pop song.
Tito (yet another Puerto Rican star) begs forgiveness for unspecified offenses, on top of an excellent slice of Banda-style brassy polka.
This is proper feel-good pop music, like the UK doesn't make anymore.
The Staple Singers - Respect Yourself
My Mama (skinny, white, middle-aged, with a mullet and reading glasses) used to dance around the kitchen and sing this to me when I was a kid. True story. It's been covered a million times, but I like this version. I wonder how different the world would be if this was on MTV instead of this.
Incidentally, it was co-written by Luther Ingram, who also sang this classic, which is the opening number of yesterday's mix. All good stuff.
Incidentally, it was co-written by Luther Ingram, who also sang this classic, which is the opening number of yesterday's mix. All good stuff.
Tuesday 6 September 2011
DJ (Thee) Mike B - Native/Mad Decent Party Set I
We all live vicariously through music. From the suburban boy bumping Biggie in his Suburban, to the lonely migrant listening to music from home, to the dentist conducting Beethoven from his sofa. We all do it.
And here's a chance to dream you went to the party of the year.
Mad Decent, a more-than-decent record label, had a pre-party (they're absurdly cool), and DJ (Thee) Mike B played this astonishing set, and did us the favour of recording it and releasing it for free.
It's smoothly engineered from head-bops to body-pops, taking in every genre of music people have danced to on MTV. Trust me, this is probably my new favourite mix for dancing around my bedroom. pretending I don't have work tomorrow. And if you don't enjoy it, you can get your money back.
Native Mad Decent Block Pre-Party Thee Mike B DJ Set Part 1 by maddecent
And here's a chance to dream you went to the party of the year.
Mad Decent, a more-than-decent record label, had a pre-party (they're absurdly cool), and DJ (Thee) Mike B played this astonishing set, and did us the favour of recording it and releasing it for free.
It's smoothly engineered from head-bops to body-pops, taking in every genre of music people have danced to on MTV. Trust me, this is probably my new favourite mix for dancing around my bedroom. pretending I don't have work tomorrow. And if you don't enjoy it, you can get your money back.
Native Mad Decent Block Pre-Party Thee Mike B DJ Set Part 1 by maddecent
D Rakkas - Gangsta Revivial (JWLS remix)
I once went to a Moombahton night at The Camp. There were about eight people there and the DJs were atrocious.
The experience wasn't enough to put me off, which says more about the visceral appeal of moombahton than it does about my sticking power. This song is an example of why chopping and screwing can get you places in the world - I had never heard of D Rakkas or JWLS and I'm bumping this hard.
D Rakkas (South Rakkas Crew)-Gangsta Revival (JWLS Remix) by maddecent
The experience wasn't enough to put me off, which says more about the visceral appeal of moombahton than it does about my sticking power. This song is an example of why chopping and screwing can get you places in the world - I had never heard of D Rakkas or JWLS and I'm bumping this hard.
D Rakkas (South Rakkas Crew)-Gangsta Revival (JWLS Remix) by maddecent
Ghostpoet - Garden Path
Two reasons to like this straight up:
1. It sounds like the freshest garage beat of the year (battling it out with that Ooh Aah Eee remix). I've been loving the resurgence of garage, and one of the best aspects of the genre has always been the interplay between a coarse natural voice, and artificially pure-toned instrumentals. This has got that in spades, alongside one of the most effortlessly pretty instrumentals.
2. The lyrics aren't bad either. Nothing world-shattering in terms of wordplay but the sincerity's striking. Ghostpoet gets hyped for a reason. And this is it.
Ghostpoet - Garden Path by ghostpoet
1. It sounds like the freshest garage beat of the year (battling it out with that Ooh Aah Eee remix). I've been loving the resurgence of garage, and one of the best aspects of the genre has always been the interplay between a coarse natural voice, and artificially pure-toned instrumentals. This has got that in spades, alongside one of the most effortlessly pretty instrumentals.
2. The lyrics aren't bad either. Nothing world-shattering in terms of wordplay but the sincerity's striking. Ghostpoet gets hyped for a reason. And this is it.
Ghostpoet - Garden Path by ghostpoet
Monday 5 September 2011
La Vida Vale La Pena - Petrona Martinez (Uproot Andy Remix)
How could I not like this? The recipe is perfect: take a bonafide hit from a phenomenal Afro-Colombian folk singer, and put Uproot Andy to work.
Señor Andy is one of the prophets of tropical bass, breathing new life into traditional music. The video (made by Ghostleg) brings out the politics... it's dark and uneasy, just like the music.
It's relentlessly sinister and grating music: not the happy tune of the original. The original is a straightforward anthem: "la vida vale la pena" literally means "life's worth the struggle", and it details how the campesinos make their living from the land. But the remix shows how unfair the burdens placed on poor rural people are. They are ruthlessly exploited by their governments and by industry - their lives do not need to be so full of struggle.
If you want something gentler and more beautiful, watch the original: the video's also a beautiful lo-fi depiction of rural Colombia.
Señor Andy is one of the prophets of tropical bass, breathing new life into traditional music. The video (made by Ghostleg) brings out the politics... it's dark and uneasy, just like the music.
It's relentlessly sinister and grating music: not the happy tune of the original. The original is a straightforward anthem: "la vida vale la pena" literally means "life's worth the struggle", and it details how the campesinos make their living from the land. But the remix shows how unfair the burdens placed on poor rural people are. They are ruthlessly exploited by their governments and by industry - their lives do not need to be so full of struggle.
If you want something gentler and more beautiful, watch the original: the video's also a beautiful lo-fi depiction of rural Colombia.
Los Rakas - 'Ta Lista
OK, first off, I love Los Rakas: they're one of the most exciting Spanglish things coming out of California. And I love the sound of this single - that instrumental is like hyphy that's been chopped and screwed with the treble up, and their voices have the most amazing quality.
But what's with the girls at the beginning of the video?! They look about 14. If the lyric of your chorus is "ella 'ta lista" ("she's ready"), it doesn't look good to have pre-teens in your video. Just saying.
I'm not blaming Los Rakas - their lyrics are faultlessly non-specific, and they have a great track record of not presenting women as objects. But whoever cast those girls needs a reality check.
Anyway, ignore the video, listen to the song, and love that instrumental. Los Rakas are amazing.
But what's with the girls at the beginning of the video?! They look about 14. If the lyric of your chorus is "ella 'ta lista" ("she's ready"), it doesn't look good to have pre-teens in your video. Just saying.
I'm not blaming Los Rakas - their lyrics are faultlessly non-specific, and they have a great track record of not presenting women as objects. But whoever cast those girls needs a reality check.
Anyway, ignore the video, listen to the song, and love that instrumental. Los Rakas are amazing.
Tuesday 30 August 2011
Paul White ft Guilty Simpson - Trust
I apologise for the scanty communications. Other exciting things have been happening, including me getting a job reviewing for the astonishing Potholes In My Blog.
One awesome album that I got to review was Rapping With Paul White. It's an intense album - stream it free from the label if you want a preview. This single embodies such an aura of menace, the instrumental creeps you out even without the paranoid vocal. I love music that moves me.
It's always exciting to find a new favourite producer. I like the fact he put rappers on the album (even if their verses aren't the most exciting thing I've ever heard) - it's a rebuttal of anyone who says that hip-hop beats need to be simple for a rapper to shine on top. Complexity is the new king.
Hip-hop is one of the most innovative genres we have - it doesn't have to be simple, as long as it's this good.
One awesome album that I got to review was Rapping With Paul White. It's an intense album - stream it free from the label if you want a preview. This single embodies such an aura of menace, the instrumental creeps you out even without the paranoid vocal. I love music that moves me.
It's always exciting to find a new favourite producer. I like the fact he put rappers on the album (even if their verses aren't the most exciting thing I've ever heard) - it's a rebuttal of anyone who says that hip-hop beats need to be simple for a rapper to shine on top. Complexity is the new king.
Hip-hop is one of the most innovative genres we have - it doesn't have to be simple, as long as it's this good.
Wednesday 17 August 2011
Julieta Venegas - Primer Dia
I love it when artists genre-bend. Especially when it comes out sounding better than the classics. Here, the ever-talented Julieta Venegas turns her hand to reggaeton, and utterly kills it.
There's the classic Dem Bow riddim at the bottom, and then an accordion on top, and Julieta belting out some post-feminist lyrics in her faultlessly rich voice. It sounds like a river of melted chocolate flowing through a dancehall, with Mexican accordion players floating in boats on the river, serenading passing dancers. Seriously.
Also, the video is a masterpiece. Calle 13 might have been the first artists to make interesting reggaeton videos, but Juli has upped the ante here.
There's the classic Dem Bow riddim at the bottom, and then an accordion on top, and Julieta belting out some post-feminist lyrics in her faultlessly rich voice. It sounds like a river of melted chocolate flowing through a dancehall, with Mexican accordion players floating in boats on the river, serenading passing dancers. Seriously.
Also, the video is a masterpiece. Calle 13 might have been the first artists to make interesting reggaeton videos, but Juli has upped the ante here.
Tuesday 16 August 2011
Trim (prod TRC) - I Am
Everything Shabazz Palaces are doing in the USA, is happening in grime here. This is a series of fresh instrumentals for Trim's seminal track. Give it 6 minutes and be blown away - the Mr Mitch remix at the end is a killer.
Shabazz Palaces - Recollections of The Wraith
Wow. This demands your full attention. The beats are complex enough to stand alone, but the lyrics are fast and smart. This is a new direction for hip-hop, and a statement against all the crowd-pleasers that have dominated since the 90's.
It also sounds like a nuanced response to the nostalgia for 80's hip-hop - there's soul in here but it sounds fresh, beats are squiffy. In short, they just reinvented hip-hop. Get excited.
It also sounds like a nuanced response to the nostalgia for 80's hip-hop - there's soul in here but it sounds fresh, beats are squiffy. In short, they just reinvented hip-hop. Get excited.
Thursday 11 August 2011
9ice - Gbamu Gbamu
Really skittish instrumental and a catchy chorus? Sign me up. I'm also going to be bussing those dance moves.
9ice is kind of a big deal in Nigeria, apparently.
9ice is kind of a big deal in Nigeria, apparently.
Wednesday 10 August 2011
Show Dem Camp - Farabale
This is absolutely one of my guilty pleasures. It's a slice of old-school RnB, Nigerian-style: the chorus and the instrumental are just classic, and so well put-together - it's not too heavy on the production, there's just a minimalist instrumental and some tidy harmonies.
It's by Show Dem Camp, who are making some of the best classic commercial RnB/hip-hop I've heard this year. America's not got a monopoly on this stuff anymore. The videos are really polished too.
It's by Show Dem Camp, who are making some of the best classic commercial RnB/hip-hop I've heard this year. America's not got a monopoly on this stuff anymore. The videos are really polished too.
Sunday 7 August 2011
Maluca - El Tigeraso
This definitely has something. The video's mezmerising, and the instrumental's some gorgeously over-sexed merengue. It's like M.I.A. - only more fun.
Maluca was spotted and signed by Diplo - the electronica tastemaker par excellence -, put out a deliciously odd free mixtape, and then went all hush-hush. Potentially someone to watch
Maluca was spotted and signed by Diplo - the electronica tastemaker par excellence -, put out a deliciously odd free mixtape, and then went all hush-hush. Potentially someone to watch
Tuesday 2 August 2011
Lloyd feat Andre 3000 & Nas - I Want You
This is a refix of Lloyd's big track. The original has Lil Wayne on it, bragging about smoking weed in the morning. The refix has Andre 3000 trying to pick up a cashier at Wholefoods Market (complete with a series of tongue-in-cheek metaphors - there's tofu, beef and mozzarella).
The refixed lyrics are funny and sweet and sort of charming... which is probably a closer approximation of what most women want than Weezy's promise to give you cognac for breakfast. I'm just saying...
And that hook is one of the best in hip-hop - wait for it to come in, and you'll remember it perfectly, trust me.
The refixed lyrics are funny and sweet and sort of charming... which is probably a closer approximation of what most women want than Weezy's promise to give you cognac for breakfast. I'm just saying...
And that hook is one of the best in hip-hop - wait for it to come in, and you'll remember it perfectly, trust me.
Monday 1 August 2011
Bridget Kelly - Thinking About Forever
Written by Frank Ocean, sung by an angel, this is something to swoon to. That voice is special. This is the commercial end of the new rhythm and blues.
Sash! - La Primavera
My only excuse is that it came out when I was 11, and it (almost) samples the riff from Chariots of Fire. For me, this song held so much promise in its synths - it hinted at a glamorous world where women whispered in Italian and people knew how to dance. Which means it somehow subliminally encapsulated Balearic Beat.
That bleepy melody and the big drum break are still sensational: this is one of my cheesiest anthems, but I stand by it - that tune is phenomenal. And I still have no freaking clue what she's saying.
That bleepy melody and the big drum break are still sensational: this is one of my cheesiest anthems, but I stand by it - that tune is phenomenal. And I still have no freaking clue what she's saying.
Sunday 31 July 2011
Calle 13 - Muerte En Hawaii
Avoid this if you're feeling lovelorn - it's Calle 13 rapping over a ukelele, to make the soppiest love song ever. The verses of the lyrics are this brilliant bizarre fantasy ("for you, I'll cross any border with no visa//And I'll get a proper smile from the Mona Lisa...") and the chorus is a brutally simple declaration of love.
The sound of it reminds me of my favourite ukelele mash-up too.
The video is spectacularly bizarre - it wouldn't be Calle 13 if it wasn't political. Their latest album, which Muerte In Hawaii is off, also has their most beautiful political song to date.
The sound of it reminds me of my favourite ukelele mash-up too.
The video is spectacularly bizarre - it wouldn't be Calle 13 if it wasn't political. Their latest album, which Muerte In Hawaii is off, also has their most beautiful political song to date.
Tuesday 26 July 2011
NickNack - Life In The Speaker
I first heard this on Ernest Gonzales' amazing Texas Compilation (which you can download for free)
For me this is one of the standout tracks on a phenomenally diverse mixtape. It's dreamy and propulsive all at once, and (for once) I actually like the old-school wicky-wick scratches.
NickNack explains his good intentions in this interview, and also talks about the crossover between jazz and hip-hop. He's a melody-driven producer, so if you like your electro to sound like robots singing gospel, this is the stuff.
You can hear more NickNack on his Myspace and his Soundcloud, and you should definitely also get that mixtape. It's free - what harm can it do?
NickNack - Life In The Speaker by nicknack
For me this is one of the standout tracks on a phenomenally diverse mixtape. It's dreamy and propulsive all at once, and (for once) I actually like the old-school wicky-wick scratches.
NickNack explains his good intentions in this interview, and also talks about the crossover between jazz and hip-hop. He's a melody-driven producer, so if you like your electro to sound like robots singing gospel, this is the stuff.
You can hear more NickNack on his Myspace and his Soundcloud, and you should definitely also get that mixtape. It's free - what harm can it do?
NickNack - Life In The Speaker by nicknack
Creezy Hype - Gnarls Barkley/Rubi Dan/T.O.K/Beenie Man
Oooh sugar this one's sweet. I love mashups, and I love dancehall, and I love Cee-Lo. So it's obvious that I'd love this, and anyone who showed it to me.
It's got a smart opening verse by a little known London MC, on top of The Heatwave's refix of that ubiquitous, incredible Gnarls Barkley track.
T.O.K. and Beenie Man are both famous in the UK primarily for their rampant homophobia, but these particular verses are unoffensive, and incredibly catchy (especially the hooks). Oh, and it's up for free download.
It's got a smart opening verse by a little known London MC, on top of The Heatwave's refix of that ubiquitous, incredible Gnarls Barkley track.
T.O.K. and Beenie Man are both famous in the UK primarily for their rampant homophobia, but these particular verses are unoffensive, and incredibly catchy (especially the hooks). Oh, and it's up for free download.
Wednesday 20 July 2011
Clams Casino - All I Need
You might never have heard of Clams Casino, but you've heard his music.
This song is none other than the beat he made for Soulja Boy. Here it's been retrofitted (minus the dire lyrics) with scenes of Penelope Cruz in Volver.
It's dreamy, transcendent, and produced by an oh-so-modern stochastic sampling process (which is less pretentious than it sounds). You can get the whole mixtape full of goodies on free download. It's a good thing.
This song is none other than the beat he made for Soulja Boy. Here it's been retrofitted (minus the dire lyrics) with scenes of Penelope Cruz in Volver.
It's dreamy, transcendent, and produced by an oh-so-modern stochastic sampling process (which is less pretentious than it sounds). You can get the whole mixtape full of goodies on free download. It's a good thing.
Tuesday 19 July 2011
Jean Grae - Blame Game
You might not have heard of Jean Grae, but she's officially better than Kanye. Proof? This song.
It's off her latest free mixtape, built off of a Kanye instrumental and chorus, which in turn sampled Aphex Twin's piano loop.
The lyrics are exceptional - metaphor-laden, intricate, by turns obscure and straightforward (my favourite line: I'm facing this February with less morals//Less normal, more Nellie Olesen, less Laura//Had it with explorations, less Dora. Yes, she just name dropped Little House On The Prarie, and Dora The Explorer. Kaboom!)
I'd expect nothing less from her. She's one of my most favourite artists. Even her tweets are clever.
It's off her latest free mixtape, built off of a Kanye instrumental and chorus, which in turn sampled Aphex Twin's piano loop.
The lyrics are exceptional - metaphor-laden, intricate, by turns obscure and straightforward (my favourite line: I'm facing this February with less morals//Less normal, more Nellie Olesen, less Laura//Had it with explorations, less Dora. Yes, she just name dropped Little House On The Prarie, and Dora The Explorer. Kaboom!)
I'd expect nothing less from her. She's one of my most favourite artists. Even her tweets are clever.
Saturday 16 July 2011
Jamie Woon - Spirits
More loop pedal business. Ed Sheeran may have made them famous, but Jamie murks this one.
It's this intricate soulful song, which builds itself into a treasure.
It's this intricate soulful song, which builds itself into a treasure.
Jamie Woon - Wayfaring Stranger
A Eurasian boy sings an old English spiritual, to great effect.
This is Jamie Woon's original small-label debut. After it was released, he went garage (in a really really good way), but you can still hear that searching voice.
If you like this, don't forget James Blake.
This is Jamie Woon's original small-label debut. After it was released, he went garage (in a really really good way), but you can still hear that searching voice.
If you like this, don't forget James Blake.
Wednesday 13 July 2011
Boya D ft Its Nate - Pazaz
This is the brightest summeriest grime I've ever heard. There's a bouncy bloopy bassline, and Boya D drawls along like a Southern rapper.
I wouldn't expect anything less from the boy who brought us Gash By The Hour - he takes overblown to the max in the most appealing way. It's probably a little bit tounge-in-cheek.
Really nice production on the video too.
I wouldn't expect anything less from the boy who brought us Gash By The Hour - he takes overblown to the max in the most appealing way. It's probably a little bit tounge-in-cheek.
Really nice production on the video too.
Monday 11 July 2011
Andi - Taylor Webber
The last thing our Bolivian friends did was filmed on a mountain that looks like Mars, and they over-analysed a romcom in the previous video. So this minimalist video is a bit of a departure for them.
It's a sweet song - somehow it reminds me of The Moldy Peaches. If you want to see his more savage side, check out the videos of the expedition he did with his brothers into the Bolivian jungle to look for an undiscovered plane wreck. It's like the Blair Witch Project of exploration.
It's a sweet song - somehow it reminds me of The Moldy Peaches. If you want to see his more savage side, check out the videos of the expedition he did with his brothers into the Bolivian jungle to look for an undiscovered plane wreck. It's like the Blair Witch Project of exploration.
Shabazz Palaces - Belhaven Meridian
I know next to nothing about this.
They've got this snazzy (shabazz-y?) website, they've been hyped by Pitchfork, and I still know nothing.
Apparently the mystery is deliberate - an attempt to make the work stand alone and speak for itself. Which it does with style.
I'd never even heard of the film the video references, but it's still stunning. The beats are gorgeous pure-tone tightness, and the lyrics are poetry and prose.
They've got this snazzy (shabazz-y?) website, they've been hyped by Pitchfork, and I still know nothing.
Apparently the mystery is deliberate - an attempt to make the work stand alone and speak for itself. Which it does with style.
I'd never even heard of the film the video references, but it's still stunning. The beats are gorgeous pure-tone tightness, and the lyrics are poetry and prose.
Saturday 9 July 2011
The Weeknd - Wicked Games
I know I've been all over The Weeknd, but I'm not going to stop until everyone owns this mixtape. It's that good.
The more I listen to it, the more it sounds like What's Going On for an apolitical, crunked-out, self-centred, oversexed and underloved generation (that's us).
The lyrics to this are a tidy case in point, especially that last verse - it's an existential solipsistic booty call.
The more I listen to it, the more it sounds like What's Going On for an apolitical, crunked-out, self-centred, oversexed and underloved generation (that's us).
The lyrics to this are a tidy case in point, especially that last verse - it's an existential solipsistic booty call.
Tuesday 5 July 2011
Moufy - Miss Newton
It's an old-school rap ballad, in the thoughtful tradition of Immortal Technique. Moufy is unsigned, 19 years old, and absurdly talented (he also wrote one of the sexiest songs this side of Christmas). Download the free mixtape here.
Monday 4 July 2011
Frank Ocean - Taste
This is so good it hurts. It's off the new Frank Ocean mixtape, which is a whopping 64 tracks long. And free. Download it sharpish, because it's going to blow up.
This is a killer little RnB number, with lyrics to spare, including the best hook I've heard in a while. I love it when singers get all cynical - it cuts straight through the sugar.
This is a killer little RnB number, with lyrics to spare, including the best hook I've heard in a while. I love it when singers get all cynical - it cuts straight through the sugar.
Thursday 30 June 2011
Jean Grae - Billy Killer
This is what I love about hip-hop - it tells the eternal stories, reinventing itself, feeding on itself like a mythical beast.
So this is the source material. It's The Marvelettes rejoicing in community and love.
And 9th Wonder sampled it, and Jean Grae gives it a ferocious twist, focussing on the flip-side of the story - not the happiness of love, but the bitterness of the struggle.
Now tell me that isn't clever?
So this is the source material. It's The Marvelettes rejoicing in community and love.
And 9th Wonder sampled it, and Jean Grae gives it a ferocious twist, focussing on the flip-side of the story - not the happiness of love, but the bitterness of the struggle.
Now tell me that isn't clever?
Nice & Smooth - Sometimes I Rhyme Slow
Early backpack rap, from 1991, from Nice & Smooth.
I think what makes it is the sample, straight out of Tracy Chapman's superhit.
I think what makes it is the sample, straight out of Tracy Chapman's superhit.
Moroka - Kwaito Duppy Mix
This is dense. It's an hour of non-stop kwaito. Replete with heavily layered rhythms, eclectic instruments and all the usual bells and whistles, all smoothly mixed by Moroka.
This is probably not your cup of tea. It's not emotive, or catchy. But if you like music that sneakily takes you on a journey, without pulling at your heartstrings, this is the stuff. For something a little easier to get your teeth into, try Lady May's Kuminina.
Kwaito Duppy mix by Moroka
This is probably not your cup of tea. It's not emotive, or catchy. But if you like music that sneakily takes you on a journey, without pulling at your heartstrings, this is the stuff. For something a little easier to get your teeth into, try Lady May's Kuminina.
Kwaito Duppy mix by Moroka
The Weeknd - The Morning
This is the standout track from that mixtape I was hyping. It's got synths in place of the strings you'd expect, and that voice - half falsetto, half swagger.
The lyrics are right on the cusp of hip-hop - it's almost a rap ballad, but his voice is all sugary sustenuto.
Commercial RnB has been stuck for a while now, and this is what the future sounds like.
The lyrics are right on the cusp of hip-hop - it's almost a rap ballad, but his voice is all sugary sustenuto.
Commercial RnB has been stuck for a while now, and this is what the future sounds like.
Wednesday 29 June 2011
Drake - Trust Issues (The Weeknd Remix)
This is like a gourmet meal made of cat food. It's a really tidy remix of this boring Drake track, with added vocals by The Weeknd himself. He's also released a free mixtape, which you can preview here and download here.
The lyrics are phenomenal - this is like another Frank Ocean for me to get excited about. This is the RnB sound of our decade - potty-mouthed and honey-voiced, with skippy beats and layered samples. I'm definitely not complaining.
The lyrics are phenomenal - this is like another Frank Ocean for me to get excited about. This is the RnB sound of our decade - potty-mouthed and honey-voiced, with skippy beats and layered samples. I'm definitely not complaining.
Friday 24 June 2011
Open Mike Eagle - Bright Green Light
If you heard this on the radio, you might not know it was hip-hop. That falsetto sounds more indie than urban, and it's only the big stuttering bass that makes it sound street. Well, and the intricate lyrical bravado.
In other news, Open Mike Eagle has managed to make crack dens seem fun.
Many thanks to Potholes In My Blog for pointing me in the direction of this.
In other news, Open Mike Eagle has managed to make crack dens seem fun.
Many thanks to Potholes In My Blog for pointing me in the direction of this.
Felt - Woman Tonight
Could this be the best hookup song ever? It's probably too brutally honest... the lyrics are just so on point.
Felt is made up of Slug and Murs, and Slug is half of Atmosphere, who I hyped earlier.
The sample that the instrumental is based on is pretty phenomenal. It's from Tommy Butler's Prison Song, which was part of a funk musical released in 1976, celebrating the life of Dr Martin Luther King.
Felt is made up of Slug and Murs, and Slug is half of Atmosphere, who I hyped earlier.
The sample that the instrumental is based on is pretty phenomenal. It's from Tommy Butler's Prison Song, which was part of a funk musical released in 1976, celebrating the life of Dr Martin Luther King.
Wednesday 22 June 2011
Andi - Tales That Are True
I'm biased: Joey and his brother Philip are probably the nicest people in La Paz. And so everything they make is music to my ears. Literally.
But they have good form - they made Excuse To Stay, which found its way onto nearly every mixtape I made last year (or at least, the ones I made for people I like)
They also go on amazing explore-ventures where they travel across Bolivia, being nice. They went to find a plane wreck in the Amazon. Joey has videos on his YouTube. I live vicariously through them.
This is Joey's side project - a country-flavoured epic sung in tight harmony, shot in the hills around La Paz (which incidentally look like one of the more inhospitable parts of Mars). It sounds like a country-and-western hymn, in a really good way.
You can show them some love by joining their facebook group. Only good things can some of it.
But they have good form - they made Excuse To Stay, which found its way onto nearly every mixtape I made last year (or at least, the ones I made for people I like)
They also go on amazing explore-ventures where they travel across Bolivia, being nice. They went to find a plane wreck in the Amazon. Joey has videos on his YouTube. I live vicariously through them.
This is Joey's side project - a country-flavoured epic sung in tight harmony, shot in the hills around La Paz (which incidentally look like one of the more inhospitable parts of Mars). It sounds like a country-and-western hymn, in a really good way.
You can show them some love by joining their facebook group. Only good things can some of it.
Little Brother - Whatever You Say
Rap serenades - probably the 21st century's answer to the balcony speech.
Little Brother are consistently called the most under-rated hip-hop group of the decade. I dunno about that, but these lyrics are the best chatup line I've ever heard
Also, the instrumental is sweet as.
Little Brother are consistently called the most under-rated hip-hop group of the decade. I dunno about that, but these lyrics are the best chatup line I've ever heard
Also, the instrumental is sweet as.
Womack & Womack - Teardrops
Sulky little groove, this one's a massive tune. The Womacks in question are the daughter of Sam Cooke, and her husband.
Monday 20 June 2011
Ski Beats ft. Mos Def - Cream Of The Planet
I think rap and brass make a nicely strident counterpoint, and this track proves it. The lyrics are everything you'd expect from Mos Def - chains of nouns, motifs and cosmic imagery, building into something beautiful.
Ski Beatz has a patchy discography, but this instrumental is phenomenal - all complex melodies winding around one another, like an anthem for ghetto angels.
Ski Beatz has a patchy discography, but this instrumental is phenomenal - all complex melodies winding around one another, like an anthem for ghetto angels.
Ella Fitzgerald - Cry Me A River
When I'm broken hearted, I cry until my face goes puffy and my eyes are red and I look like a skinned piglet. Ella makes it sound gorgeous, and makes the flipside sound fine too. If I didn't love her so much, I'd hate her.
Saturday 18 June 2011
Wiley - It's Wiley (Showa Eski)
Took us 3 and a half hours to get home from Fabric last night. Totally worth it for hearing Butterz drop this in room 3 - my ears are still ringing. Royal T's set was ace as well, and he's done a really tidy garage-y remix of this very tune.
Friday 17 June 2011
Nicki Minaj ft Drake - Moment 4 Life
Never thought I'd say this, but Nicki's got skills. Her lyrics on the first verse are tidy and fresh, and I love her growl. Good-looking video too (once you get past the excruciating pseudo-British accent in the intro... skip to 1:33)
Thursday 16 June 2011
Aloe Blacc - Get Down (prod. Kero One)
Aloe Blacc is one of the most unique voices to get hyped in 2010, and Kero One is my second-favourite Korean American.
Put the two on a party track together, and you get something busily funky. It's a bit more rhythmically complex than most lounge funk, and all the better for it.
Put the two on a party track together, and you get something busily funky. It's a bit more rhythmically complex than most lounge funk, and all the better for it.
SDC - Take Flight
Show Dem Camp are coming straight outta Lagos, in the old-school style.
This is a nice looped-up instrumental, with violins and boom-bap, with some casually clever lyrics on top. It's not poetry, it's didactic, and none the worse for it.
This is a nice looped-up instrumental, with violins and boom-bap, with some casually clever lyrics on top. It's not poetry, it's didactic, and none the worse for it.
Wednesday 15 June 2011
Aventura - Por Un Segundo
I'm on a schmaltzy tip tonight. This is a stunner though. It's a bachata from Aventura, the undisputed champions of the genre, who have spearheaded the bachata invasion in the USA. Bachata is a Dominican folk dance which is now danced wherever people speak Spanish.
A nice boy in Cuba explained its appeal. Merengue, he said, is so easy that you can do it while you talk to a girl, and get to know her. Salsa is tricky, lots of footwork, and is pretty much like flirting with her. And bachata, well, that's just sex. It's danced pegao, there are 3 steps and a swivel, and the hips are pretty much all that move.
This is one of my favourite videos because of the Spanglish intro, and the tune. I hummed this for about a month before I finally got it on CD. The premise is that he's singing to his beloved ex, who's about to marry, and the lyrics are beautifully bitter: "And now for a second, I drown in the sea of reality. For a second I accept my defeat, I truly lost you"
A nice boy in Cuba explained its appeal. Merengue, he said, is so easy that you can do it while you talk to a girl, and get to know her. Salsa is tricky, lots of footwork, and is pretty much like flirting with her. And bachata, well, that's just sex. It's danced pegao, there are 3 steps and a swivel, and the hips are pretty much all that move.
This is one of my favourite videos because of the Spanglish intro, and the tune. I hummed this for about a month before I finally got it on CD. The premise is that he's singing to his beloved ex, who's about to marry, and the lyrics are beautifully bitter: "And now for a second, I drown in the sea of reality. For a second I accept my defeat, I truly lost you"
Frank Ocean - Hardest Thing
This is schmaltzier than what I normally go for, but I'd make a million exceptions for Frank Ocean.
This is the future of RnB, and his new mixtape is up for free download.
This has got it all - stuttering drums, a glitchy instrumental and post-modern lyrics (that balance between bravado and hopelessness is pretty on-point).
EDIT: The YouTube upload has been disabled by the record label... But you can download the whole album (the Lonny Breaux Collection) for free and legally. You'll have to sift through 64 tracks to get it, but it's worth it!
This is the future of RnB, and his new mixtape is up for free download.
This has got it all - stuttering drums, a glitchy instrumental and post-modern lyrics (that balance between bravado and hopelessness is pretty on-point).
EDIT: The YouTube upload has been disabled by the record label... But you can download the whole album (the Lonny Breaux Collection) for free and legally. You'll have to sift through 64 tracks to get it, but it's worth it!
Tuesday 14 June 2011
Grupo 5 - Hoy Te Vas
Bear with me here... it's 80's, it's Peruvian, and it's amazing. The tune is phenomenal. It's probably a good example of why cumbia is taking over the world: put it on late at night, get drunk, sing along and you'll see what I mean.
The lyrics are along the lines of "today you're leaving, you're leaving, you're leaving, you're leaving, but I know you'll remember something about me. Perhaps you'll compare me with him. I don't think I was better, I was just different, nothing else". It, erm, sounds better in Spanish? Their website is also pretty funny: they look like an Andean barbershop group.
The lyrics are along the lines of "today you're leaving, you're leaving, you're leaving, you're leaving, but I know you'll remember something about me. Perhaps you'll compare me with him. I don't think I was better, I was just different, nothing else". It, erm, sounds better in Spanish? Their website is also pretty funny: they look like an Andean barbershop group.
Kid Frost - La Familia
Oh yes. It's obvious how much I like raps in Spanglish.
More to the point, Kid Frost was light-years ahead of his time here, sampling the funk out of 70's soul way before Kanye ever did.
At its worst, the American melting pot gives you boring cultural homogeneity. At its best it gives you this: Chicano re-interpretations of African-American music, set to a video themed around the Italian-American mob. Tasty shizzle.
More to the point, Kid Frost was light-years ahead of his time here, sampling the funk out of 70's soul way before Kanye ever did.
At its worst, the American melting pot gives you boring cultural homogeneity. At its best it gives you this: Chicano re-interpretations of African-American music, set to a video themed around the Italian-American mob. Tasty shizzle.
Quindon Tarver - When Doves Cry
I think whenever anyone our age broke their curfew, or dated someone unsuitable, or wore a Hawaiian shirt, Romeo + Juliet was at the back of their mind.
This song was incredible when Prince did it, but Quindon Tarver's version is the definitive one for me. Its something about that unbroken voice and the manic drums.
This song was incredible when Prince did it, but Quindon Tarver's version is the definitive one for me. Its something about that unbroken voice and the manic drums.
Monday 13 June 2011
Mexicans With Guns - Viva Radio Podcast
Mexicans With Guns always deliver the goods. This is a gorgeously sleazy, upbeat hour of tropical bass.
Tropical bass is a catch-all term for all of the deliciously filthy bass-heavy music coming out near the equator. This podcast is a really nice sampler - and it's annotated so you know what you're listening to. Which means you can chase up genres like tribal guarachero, if that floats your boat.
It makes sense that if white people aren't the world's best dancers, they're not going to be the best at making dance music either. (Please take the casual racism lightly - I'm pretty white myself, and an atrocious dancer).
So get global: pop this on next time you need some backing music. Am I wrong?
Viva Radio & Impose Magazine Podcast by mexicanswithguns
Tropical bass is a catch-all term for all of the deliciously filthy bass-heavy music coming out near the equator. This podcast is a really nice sampler - and it's annotated so you know what you're listening to. Which means you can chase up genres like tribal guarachero, if that floats your boat.
It makes sense that if white people aren't the world's best dancers, they're not going to be the best at making dance music either. (Please take the casual racism lightly - I'm pretty white myself, and an atrocious dancer).
So get global: pop this on next time you need some backing music. Am I wrong?
Viva Radio & Impose Magazine Podcast by mexicanswithguns
Cee-Lo - I'll Be Around (prod. Timbaland)
I swear I don't have a fetish for fat guys. The appeal of Timbaland and Cee-Lo is more acoustic than physical. Honestly.
Cee-Lo is the larger half of Gnarls Barkley, and Timbaland was the 90's super-producer who made an emo song top the charts, and made the best instrumental of 2007.
This song is dirty, in a way that Ms Aguilera could never manage. Cee-Lo has a knack for making everything intense, and this song is scandalous.
Cee-Lo is the larger half of Gnarls Barkley, and Timbaland was the 90's super-producer who made an emo song top the charts, and made the best instrumental of 2007.
This song is dirty, in a way that Ms Aguilera could never manage. Cee-Lo has a knack for making everything intense, and this song is scandalous.
Sunday 12 June 2011
Quadron - Far Cry
Quadron are the most unlikely band: soulful old-school soul, fresh outta Denmark.
I really liked their last video, but its taken me a while to wake up to how exquisite this whole album is. Try it out - it's softly clever.
I really liked their last video, but its taken me a while to wake up to how exquisite this whole album is. Try it out - it's softly clever.
Red Hot Chilli Peppers/Harry Belafonte - Snow/Day-O
News flash! The Chili's stole their hook off the banana boat! OK, the similarity isn't overpowering, but it's definitely there.
See, here's RHCP singing about snow. The verses are fairly staccato and monotone, and the chorus is all based around "hey-oh".
And here's Harry Belafonte singing about bananas. The "day-o" bits (especially on the intro) sound a lot like the "hey-oh". Seriously.
OK, even if it doesn't, Harry Belafonte is a pretty amazing person, and that song is so good that Lil Wayne jumped in and sampled it 55 years after its release date.
See, here's RHCP singing about snow. The verses are fairly staccato and monotone, and the chorus is all based around "hey-oh".
And here's Harry Belafonte singing about bananas. The "day-o" bits (especially on the intro) sound a lot like the "hey-oh". Seriously.
OK, even if it doesn't, Harry Belafonte is a pretty amazing person, and that song is so good that Lil Wayne jumped in and sampled it 55 years after its release date.
Tayyib Ali - California Love
It's June, and it's raining. It's been raining for three straight days. But this song is the cure - it's honestly pure sunshine. And some of the lines are really tidy: "cold days seem like nice with the N out"... not bad for a kid who dropped out of school.
This is also one of the least awkward rap videos I've ever seen - he looks like he was born to do this. You can get his whole mixtape for free from his website.
This is also one of the least awkward rap videos I've ever seen - he looks like he was born to do this. You can get his whole mixtape for free from his website.
Vagabanda - Vou Le Dar
Kuduro is exciting. It's sweeping across Latin America, just like reggaeton did in the 90's, and heavyweights like Don Omar are jumping on the bandwagon.
Kuduro is for Angola what baile funk (funk carioca) is for Brazil: music made in the poorest suburbs, and played everywhere. It's incredibly energetic, the rhythms are a shade more complex than anything you're used to, and as for the dances... let's just say they're going to have to be simplified if they're ever going to catch on in the UK...
The other barrier to world domination is that most of the Angolan groups don't have worldwide distribution deals. Fader magazine has an amazing podcast of some kuduro live from Angola, and an update on current releases.
Kuduro is for Angola what baile funk (funk carioca) is for Brazil: music made in the poorest suburbs, and played everywhere. It's incredibly energetic, the rhythms are a shade more complex than anything you're used to, and as for the dances... let's just say they're going to have to be simplified if they're ever going to catch on in the UK...
The other barrier to world domination is that most of the Angolan groups don't have worldwide distribution deals. Fader magazine has an amazing podcast of some kuduro live from Angola, and an update on current releases.
Choc Quib Town - Pescao Envenenao
Bet you've never heard a song about poisoned fish before. This is so good it makes me wonder why no-one else bases their lyrics on metaphors about food poisoning. To be fair, everything does sound better in Spanish, but this is live, shot in one take, and they're perfect.
Choc Quib Town are pretty much the Colombian equivalent of The Roots. Being Colombian, their influences are very Latin - there's a lot of cumbia thrown into the mix. This is a less bass-based take on tropical bass.
Choc Quib Town are pretty much the Colombian equivalent of The Roots. Being Colombian, their influences are very Latin - there's a lot of cumbia thrown into the mix. This is a less bass-based take on tropical bass.
Saturday 11 June 2011
Orishas - 537 Cuba
Cuba has this amazing mix of Afro-Caribbean and Latino cultures, relatively devoid of US influence, which makes for the most amazing music. This is Cuban hip-hop, but there are conga drums, Spanish guitar, and a folk song for the chorus.
A lot of Cubans have had to emigrate because of political and economic pressures, and the lyrics are about what it means to be in exile - 537 is the international dialing code for Cuba.
A lot of Cubans have had to emigrate because of political and economic pressures, and the lyrics are about what it means to be in exile - 537 is the international dialing code for Cuba.
Calle 13 - Chulin Chulin Chunfly
It's a love song, I swear. It's just got a lot of brass on it, and - like all reggaeton - it's based on the driving Dem Bow riddim.
Calle 13 are pretty post-modern with all of this though. Their lyrics are always cynical, often political, and normally have a couple of bizarre sexual metaphors (this one asks whether she likes it when his "elephant coughs", and that he wants to drink "water from this well... even if it's salty or bitter").
I'm not sure whether it's an audacious attempt to get round Puerto Rico's strict censorship of songs or whether they're just reveling in the ridiculousness of it all. Either way, you have to love the fact that they've rewritten seduction with trumpets and metaphors.
Calle 13 are pretty post-modern with all of this though. Their lyrics are always cynical, often political, and normally have a couple of bizarre sexual metaphors (this one asks whether she likes it when his "elephant coughs", and that he wants to drink "water from this well... even if it's salty or bitter").
I'm not sure whether it's an audacious attempt to get round Puerto Rico's strict censorship of songs or whether they're just reveling in the ridiculousness of it all. Either way, you have to love the fact that they've rewritten seduction with trumpets and metaphors.
Friday 10 June 2011
Wick-It - Diversify Yo' Bonds
Wick-It is probably the most entertaining DJ I've listened to this year. He's invented lol-step and made some proper bounce tunes. Everything he makes has that gorgeous commercial sheen - it's so easy to get into. And this is on free download.
Diversify Yo' Bonds (A Hater's Guide To Trollstep) by Wick-it the Instigator
His website has loads more available for download, including an amazing unauthorised mash-up album, featuring Big Boi (of Outkast) and indie rockers The Black Keys. The album's so good that Big Boi decided not to sue for copyright infringement, and instead is taking Wick-It on tour to DJ for him. Props.
Diversify Yo' Bonds (A Hater's Guide To Trollstep) by Wick-it the Instigator
His website has loads more available for download, including an amazing unauthorised mash-up album, featuring Big Boi (of Outkast) and indie rockers The Black Keys. The album's so good that Big Boi decided not to sue for copyright infringement, and instead is taking Wick-It on tour to DJ for him. Props.
Thursday 9 June 2011
Dwele - Working On It
Flamenco-style handclaps are my ketchup - put them on, and everything tastes alright. They transform this song from lethargic neo-soul to something with frantic energy.
It's really sample-heavy: this amazing index lists all of them, but suffice to say it's fairly Dilla-heavy. Cutting so fast through such intricate samples makes for an intense instrumental. Sometimes small things are more powerful.
It's really sample-heavy: this amazing index lists all of them, but suffice to say it's fairly Dilla-heavy. Cutting so fast through such intricate samples makes for an intense instrumental. Sometimes small things are more powerful.
Wednesday 8 June 2011
Jay-Z & R. Kelly - Take You Home With Me (Body)
Put aside R Kelly's dubious reputation, and you're left with a a voice that was built to sing hooks. In this case, he manages to make "body-ody-ody" sound catchy. Really.
And Hova does what he's best at - sarcastic metaphors, brand-drops and the occasional whoop. I'm not sure why I've been bumping this for 2 days non-stop, but I have, and you seem to trust my taste - try this for size.
And Hova does what he's best at - sarcastic metaphors, brand-drops and the occasional whoop. I'm not sure why I've been bumping this for 2 days non-stop, but I have, and you seem to trust my taste - try this for size.
Tuesday 7 June 2011
Jazmine Sullivan - Bust Your Windows
Handclaps, clicks, a voice from heaven and an attitude from Philly: this is perfect RnB.
It's also got the immortal line "you broke my heart, so I broke your car"... I know a certain boy who would be devastated if anyone other than him wrote off his car. Although in his case she could just take off the duct tape that's holding the bumper on, and run off with that. I name no names...
It's also got the immortal line "you broke my heart, so I broke your car"... I know a certain boy who would be devastated if anyone other than him wrote off his car. Although in his case she could just take off the duct tape that's holding the bumper on, and run off with that. I name no names...
KgPM - Mmiribi Be Beba
I have a massive weak spot for bilingual rappers (I've already drooled all over Kid Frost). And this little number from 2000 hits the spot: KgMP rap in Twi and English over a semi-orchestral instrumental, with a string section and that infamous thumb piano.
I can't get over the instrumentation in this: there's a vocal chorus singing the bassline! I don't think I've ever heard that anywhere else, apart from maybe the Beach Boys, and they didn't make it sound so beautifully sinister, or so low... they're practically singing sub-bass on this.
It's Ghanaian hiplife, which is a fusion of hip-hop and highlife. And the video's stunning (I have a theory that boxing-themed videos are either amazing or atrocious)
I can't get over the instrumentation in this: there's a vocal chorus singing the bassline! I don't think I've ever heard that anywhere else, apart from maybe the Beach Boys, and they didn't make it sound so beautifully sinister, or so low... they're practically singing sub-bass on this.
It's Ghanaian hiplife, which is a fusion of hip-hop and highlife. And the video's stunning (I have a theory that boxing-themed videos are either amazing or atrocious)
Sunday 5 June 2011
Imagination - Changes
This song is gorgeous, and the video is... hilarious. It's got it all: a bored audience, terrible lip-synching and a dance routine that involves an imaginary Stairmaster.
But there's no denying that this is a fabulous slice of camp disco, with gorgeous soulful vocals and twangy bass.
But there's no denying that this is a fabulous slice of camp disco, with gorgeous soulful vocals and twangy bass.
Saturday 4 June 2011
Brick & Lace - Wicked
Unabashed ragga, with flamenco handclaps. This is the stuff summer holidays are made of - right down to the regrettable holiday wardrobe decisions.
I don't think they ever matched this.
I don't think they ever matched this.
Los Abandoned - Van Nuys (Is Very Nice)
You know it would take something spectacular for me to feature rock guitars here. And here it is: Los Abandoned with their take on the second-generation immigrant experience.
It also features a shout-out to La Raza, for which I will love them forever.
The lyrics are about the peculiar experience of immigration: you drop a social class, and miss everything you took for granted. But it's not a sob story - it's ebullient, irrepressible and beautiful. And their dual heritage (check that Spanglish) and freedom to be rock stars is part of the American Dream that their parents sought so earnestly.
It also features a shout-out to La Raza, for which I will love them forever.
The lyrics are about the peculiar experience of immigration: you drop a social class, and miss everything you took for granted. But it's not a sob story - it's ebullient, irrepressible and beautiful. And their dual heritage (check that Spanglish) and freedom to be rock stars is part of the American Dream that their parents sought so earnestly.
Talib Kweli - Keep It In The Pockets (Kero One Remix)
Imagine that the funkiest funk from the West Coast shared a night of passion with the sharpest lyrics from the East Coast. Imagine that nine months later a little musical baby was born, wailing saxophones and farting a kick-snare beat. Got that? This is what it would sound like.
Here, East Coast veteran Talib goes to work on a beat which is nothing short of genius. The way it ebbs and flows, the complexity building into near chaos in the intro, before slimming down to something minimal for the verse, is sublime. Kero One is one of the most exciting funk producers I've heard: his work is consistently musical (but verges into porno-music sometimes, which I guess is appropriate for a Californian)
Best of all, you can download this for free from the incredibly generous patrons of Potholes In My Blog
Here, East Coast veteran Talib goes to work on a beat which is nothing short of genius. The way it ebbs and flows, the complexity building into near chaos in the intro, before slimming down to something minimal for the verse, is sublime. Kero One is one of the most exciting funk producers I've heard: his work is consistently musical (but verges into porno-music sometimes, which I guess is appropriate for a Californian)
Best of all, you can download this for free from the incredibly generous patrons of Potholes In My Blog
Friday 3 June 2011
MC Lyte - I Cram To Understand U
This was released the year I was born, and written when MC Lyte was 13. It's a hip-hop ballad: a story worthy of Shakespeare, delivered with a voice that's somewhere between honey and tarmac.
Classic New York hip-hop: it's got a boom-bap instrumental and an extended metaphor for the subject. It's fluid, insightful, illustrative, and not preachy. I also love the fact that she didn't feel obliged to get naked in her videos.
Classic New York hip-hop: it's got a boom-bap instrumental and an extended metaphor for the subject. It's fluid, insightful, illustrative, and not preachy. I also love the fact that she didn't feel obliged to get naked in her videos.
Wednesday 1 June 2011
B15 Project - Girls Like This
This one's for the vintage kitsch. It was released in the summer of 2000, and people used to tape it off the radio, and play it back on Walkmans and we'd shut our eyes and sing along and pretend we were in Aiya Napa, not a park with soggy grass and broken swings.
Growing up was definitely a good thing. This will give you deja vu though.
Growing up was definitely a good thing. This will give you deja vu though.
Monday 30 May 2011
Rebound X - Rhythm 'n' Gash
I figure instrumentals are the best way to ease yourself into grime. This is a stunning catchy, skippy little number. I don't think Mr X made anything else to follow it up, but this makes for a decent magnum opus.
JME and Skepta then vocalled it - this is vintage, it must have come out in maybe 2006 on Logan Sama's show. It's so anthemic and I played it so much that summer that I can still finish half the lines.
President T also did a phenomenal job on it about the same time - his voice is like a hammer wrapped in velvet.
JME and Skepta then vocalled it - this is vintage, it must have come out in maybe 2006 on Logan Sama's show. It's so anthemic and I played it so much that summer that I can still finish half the lines.
President T also did a phenomenal job on it about the same time - his voice is like a hammer wrapped in velvet.
Zara McFarlane - Chiaroscuro
I'm serving this up as a musical palate cleanser. I'll leave it to you to work out what food it sounds like.
It's understated and perfectly delivered. This is the kind of song that is always appropriate. As well as having one of the best names in the business, Zara McFarlane has a voice to reckon with: it's simultaneously visceral, emotional and poised.
Zara McFarlane - Chiaroscuro by Brownswood
She also shines, remixed and cut almost into scat, on this funked-up house number - it's sounding almost like garage with those sultry vocals and heavy bass. But her live version is even better - it's on her myspace.
It's understated and perfectly delivered. This is the kind of song that is always appropriate. As well as having one of the best names in the business, Zara McFarlane has a voice to reckon with: it's simultaneously visceral, emotional and poised.
Zara McFarlane - Chiaroscuro by Brownswood
She also shines, remixed and cut almost into scat, on this funked-up house number - it's sounding almost like garage with those sultry vocals and heavy bass. But her live version is even better - it's on her myspace.
Freddy Sky - El Farsante
If I was ever on Mastermind, my specialist subject would have to be Latin American pop music 2008-2009. Tragic.
But the upside is songs like this. This is one of the lesser-known bangers, which you're going to love - it makes you want to dance like a slut, and sing along: it's straight-up reggaeton romantico, from one of Panama's local stars.
But the upside is songs like this. This is one of the lesser-known bangers, which you're going to love - it makes you want to dance like a slut, and sing along: it's straight-up reggaeton romantico, from one of Panama's local stars.
Cheb Khaled - Aicha
This song is one of those songs which renews your faith in music. There might only be 36 stories in all of literature according to Goethe, but there are a near-infinite number of catchy tunes. And if you listen to this one twice you will know it forever - it's like musical herpes.
This is some more Rai, coming straight out of Algeria in the 1980's, and you can only imagine the effect this would have blaring out of a cassette player into a desert.
The lyrics are phenomenally feminist - Khaled tries to seduce Aicha, promising her all the treasures of the world, and she says that a prison is still a prison if the bars are made of gold, and that she only wants equality. Amazing.
The video is also spectacularly odd, and her makeup is foul. I do rate his bling though.
This is some more Rai, coming straight out of Algeria in the 1980's, and you can only imagine the effect this would have blaring out of a cassette player into a desert.
The lyrics are phenomenally feminist - Khaled tries to seduce Aicha, promising her all the treasures of the world, and she says that a prison is still a prison if the bars are made of gold, and that she only wants equality. Amazing.
The video is also spectacularly odd, and her makeup is foul. I do rate his bling though.
Sunday 29 May 2011
Cheb Mami & Susheela Raman - Live Duet
This is Rai, a highly-evolved version of Algerian shepherds' music. It's played all over north Africa and the Arabic-speaking world, and with performances like this you can understand why.
Cheb Mami is a massive star, whose recent conviction for a horrific crime overshadows his tremendous talent. This song is undeniably beautiful though.
Cheb Mami is a massive star, whose recent conviction for a horrific crime overshadows his tremendous talent. This song is undeniably beautiful though.
Friday 27 May 2011
Digital Dubs ft. Earl Sixteen - Pirate's Game
Anything filmed in the favelas is visually arresting - that juxtaposition of forest and impoverished urban sprawl. And the dusk-time shots and languid kids in this video remind me so much of my home near the equator.
The song's in the fine tradition of conscious reggae, and sounds gorgeous. Not my usual dancefloor fodder, but it's dreamy.
The song's in the fine tradition of conscious reggae, and sounds gorgeous. Not my usual dancefloor fodder, but it's dreamy.
5Five - Move Back (Muje Baya)
Oh my days, this is a banger. And I have my illustrious friends at GhettoBassquake to thank for it... They have impeccable taste in choons, and they hit the nail on the head with their summary of this one: "this is like UK funky, but with better hooks". It's also got a bit of a kwaito flavour.
Fresh outta Ghana's party scene, 5Five are no relation to the similarly-named bathetic British boyband (apparently it's pronounced "double five" anyway.)
They're repping a burb of Accra called Adabraka, which sounds suspiciously like abracadabra. Bring on the magic.
Fresh outta Ghana's party scene, 5Five are no relation to the similarly-named bathetic British boyband (apparently it's pronounced "double five" anyway.)
They're repping a burb of Accra called Adabraka, which sounds suspiciously like abracadabra. Bring on the magic.
Kamikaze - Ghetto Kyote
Don't run scared, but this is grime. It's also a fairly complex and subtle instrumental, with a tune and some tidy little ticking drums. There's a cello instead of the bass, and the whole effect is like 23rd-century chamber music.
Grime is pretty culturally close to dancehall, where multiple artists will vocal any popular riddim, so it's no surprise that more than one vocalist jumped on this track. I love how the addition of lyrics completely changes the feel of the track
There's Kano in an unusually aggro mood, making it sound like murder music:
Contrast that with Devlin's reflective, serious vocal. This was probably one of the first tracks of his that got major pirate airplay - it's not his most vocally inventive work, but it's so fluent and conversational:
Tinie Tempah recorded a verse or two before he was famous, and evidently before he could afford sound tech - the levels are so high you can practically hear the saliva hitting the mic.
And the silky-voiced Katie Pearl made it sound like a garage classic (the radio rip is really bad quality - you have to use your imagination, or listen to how good her voice is here)
Grime is pretty culturally close to dancehall, where multiple artists will vocal any popular riddim, so it's no surprise that more than one vocalist jumped on this track. I love how the addition of lyrics completely changes the feel of the track
There's Kano in an unusually aggro mood, making it sound like murder music:
Contrast that with Devlin's reflective, serious vocal. This was probably one of the first tracks of his that got major pirate airplay - it's not his most vocally inventive work, but it's so fluent and conversational:
Tinie Tempah recorded a verse or two before he was famous, and evidently before he could afford sound tech - the levels are so high you can practically hear the saliva hitting the mic.
And the silky-voiced Katie Pearl made it sound like a garage classic (the radio rip is really bad quality - you have to use your imagination, or listen to how good her voice is here)
Thursday 26 May 2011
Atmosphere - Guarantees
I'm on some sort of brutal tip tonight... this is another song which sort of eviscerates you. In a good way. It's like the blues: a song so sad it makes you glad you're alive.
I'm just starting to work my way through Atmosphere's extensive back catalogue - they've been rhyming since '89. They're from Minnesota, which makes them my second-favourite thing to come from the Snowboot State.
I'm just starting to work my way through Atmosphere's extensive back catalogue - they've been rhyming since '89. They're from Minnesota, which makes them my second-favourite thing to come from the Snowboot State.
Riz MC - All Of You
Once again, props to my unnervingly cheerful friend Sanjay (seriously - he's like a Cheshire Cat in chinos) for pointing me in the direction of this.
This sounds a bit like Ghostpoet, but it's definitely darker - it's got that creepy drooling psycho touch. And it sounds so good - understated bass and skipped beats.
It does make me worry a little about what my friend is hiding behind that grin. He's got damn good taste in music though.
This sounds a bit like Ghostpoet, but it's definitely darker - it's got that creepy drooling psycho touch. And it sounds so good - understated bass and skipped beats.
It does make me worry a little about what my friend is hiding behind that grin. He's got damn good taste in music though.
Sunday 22 May 2011
Documentary: hip-hop in Senegal
For once, this isn't music. But I think it's so interesting. This is the sort of thing that makes me excited about hip-hop all over again.
Also, isn't French such a beautiful language to rap in?
Also, isn't French such a beautiful language to rap in?
Thursday 19 May 2011
P Money & Blacks - Boo You
For once, I'm hyping something within a year of its release date. But this is grime superstars P Money and Black The Ripper vocalling what can only be described as garage's answer to that Cee-Lo song.
It's grime lyrics (read: London braggadocio) on a garage beat that would have sounded fresh in about 2001. And it's aged so well - turns out garage is the urban Chateauneuf-Du-Pape. There's so much to like about this - especially the shout-out to Ipswich. One of my friends once had sex in Ipswich.
In all seriousness, this is a perfect summer song - especially if 2001 was your perfect summer. And ethnomusicologists can jizz over it as a beautiful example of music renewing its roots.
I just can't wait until the instrumental version comes out so that I can bump this in my mum's car without her saying, "What did he say???" (and not in a P Money way)
It's a rip, so skip to 0:30 if you don't want to hear The Actual Love Of My Life introducing it.
It's grime lyrics (read: London braggadocio) on a garage beat that would have sounded fresh in about 2001. And it's aged so well - turns out garage is the urban Chateauneuf-Du-Pape. There's so much to like about this - especially the shout-out to Ipswich. One of my friends once had sex in Ipswich.
In all seriousness, this is a perfect summer song - especially if 2001 was your perfect summer. And ethnomusicologists can jizz over it as a beautiful example of music renewing its roots.
I just can't wait until the instrumental version comes out so that I can bump this in my mum's car without her saying, "What did he say???" (and not in a P Money way)
It's a rip, so skip to 0:30 if you don't want to hear The Actual Love Of My Life introducing it.
Wednesday 18 May 2011
Kes The Band - Wotless
Musical crack - I don't think it is possible to listen to this without smiling and twitching. It's so good.
For those of you whose patois is as bad as mine - UrbanDictionary does a nice little definition of wotless. Yes, I love this music so much I actually read the lyrics. Seriously, soca is my favourite export from Trinidad (apart from my friend Tesha who is perfect. And who told me about this song... thus proving her perfection.)
I defy you not to dance to this.
For those of you whose patois is as bad as mine - UrbanDictionary does a nice little definition of wotless. Yes, I love this music so much I actually read the lyrics. Seriously, soca is my favourite export from Trinidad (apart from my friend Tesha who is perfect. And who told me about this song... thus proving her perfection.)
I defy you not to dance to this.
Antony Santos - Vete (Uproot Andy Remix)
Just when I thought I couldn't love bachata any more than I already do, along comes Andy.
This is bachata on some next-level shizzle - the bass is plumped up and the rhythm's incessant. And it's still got all its lugubrious charm (although this one is focused on asking a girl to leave...)
Vete (Uproot Andy rmx) - Antony Santos by Uproot Andy
For comparison, here's the original - a little more sacharrine-sounding and mid-tempo. (I do love that style of singing though.)
This is bachata on some next-level shizzle - the bass is plumped up and the rhythm's incessant. And it's still got all its lugubrious charm (although this one is focused on asking a girl to leave...)
Vete (Uproot Andy rmx) - Antony Santos by Uproot Andy
For comparison, here's the original - a little more sacharrine-sounding and mid-tempo. (I do love that style of singing though.)
Sunday 15 May 2011
Santana - Maria Maria
Most songs sound terrible after 12 years: they're not new enough to sound fresh or old enough to sound classic. Not so for this.
This is probably the song which, in 1999, as I danced around the living room, kick-started my love affair with a continent on the other side of the world, and sparked my interest in a language that my family forgot how to speak two generations ago. It's an ode to women and to hope, and features one of the most talented guitarists of our time.
What more could you want for a Sunday night? The video's hot stuff too, and the song's success has inspired the launch of a chain of restaurants called - you guessed it - Maria Maria. I honestly couldn't make this shiz up.
The blokes on vocals are the Product G&B, who had an abortive career, despite releasing this slutty little banger - I love the stuttering chorus, but it's pretty unremarkable. Stick with Santana.
This is probably the song which, in 1999, as I danced around the living room, kick-started my love affair with a continent on the other side of the world, and sparked my interest in a language that my family forgot how to speak two generations ago. It's an ode to women and to hope, and features one of the most talented guitarists of our time.
What more could you want for a Sunday night? The video's hot stuff too, and the song's success has inspired the launch of a chain of restaurants called - you guessed it - Maria Maria. I honestly couldn't make this shiz up.
The blokes on vocals are the Product G&B, who had an abortive career, despite releasing this slutty little banger - I love the stuttering chorus, but it's pretty unremarkable. Stick with Santana.
Wednesday 11 May 2011
??? - Alemão Vs Comando Vermelho
In Brazil, distributing this song is illegal, because it glamorizes violence and extols gang warfare. It's insidious, beautiful, contagious, singable poison, sung by anonymous MC's in a suburban studio in 1995, and subsequently played all over the favelas ringing Rio.
There's a lot to be said against baile funk. But the criticisms are usually leveled at the lyrics, and what I love is the amazing rhythmic chant-based structure, which is so infectious and catchy.
There's no denying that societies feel an acute need to document themselves and communicate. And that includes criminal underworlds: Mexico has its own version - the narcocorridos, which sound completely different but serve the same purpose.
If you're as poor, functionally illiterate and disenfranchised as people in the favelas, music is probably the best medium available. What's stunning is how rawly gorgeous it is.
There's a lot to be said against baile funk. But the criticisms are usually leveled at the lyrics, and what I love is the amazing rhythmic chant-based structure, which is so infectious and catchy.
There's no denying that societies feel an acute need to document themselves and communicate. And that includes criminal underworlds: Mexico has its own version - the narcocorridos, which sound completely different but serve the same purpose.
If you're as poor, functionally illiterate and disenfranchised as people in the favelas, music is probably the best medium available. What's stunning is how rawly gorgeous it is.
Tuesday 10 May 2011
O.C. - Born 2 Live
I should have remembered that 90's hip-hop will always sound good to me: it's like freewheeling down memory lane. (Oasis also have a house thereabouts, as do the Spice Girls. Nostalgia is not a matter of taste.)
This is a meditative track from the Brooklyn underground (and yes, it sounds like Nas circa Illmatic. How could that be a bad thing?).
I like to think that Talib and Jay grew up listening to O.C.
The delicious sample is off this lush little funky number by Keni Burke, called Rising to the Top. Love it.
Broke (of whom I am a massive fan), did a tidy little remix of this on his downloadable mixtape The Murder Tape - it's called "I was 3 in 1994". I was eight personally, but I like to think that means that Mr Broke would have looked up to me. At least height-wise.
This is a meditative track from the Brooklyn underground (and yes, it sounds like Nas circa Illmatic. How could that be a bad thing?).
I like to think that Talib and Jay grew up listening to O.C.
The delicious sample is off this lush little funky number by Keni Burke, called Rising to the Top. Love it.
Broke (of whom I am a massive fan), did a tidy little remix of this on his downloadable mixtape The Murder Tape - it's called "I was 3 in 1994". I was eight personally, but I like to think that means that Mr Broke would have looked up to me. At least height-wise.
Jason Burns - Back 2 You
I'm sorry my sound has been dulled to silence lately - I've been lacking words and, more crucially, music. I don't know why sometimes nothing sounds good. All I can say is that when I have a cold, nothing tastes good. And I can only suggest that it's something similarly organic. Probably got my head stuck up my arse or something.
Anyway, I've been sulking under my duvet. And this is what's penetrated the fuzz - it's not clever, but it is big: a classic garage sound, a girl warbling a grunt ("ooh-uh-uh-aah-ugh"), and all my favourite bleeps and clicks.
It's garage right down to the homophone-text-speak in the title, making me miss my misspent youth. You too can find a time machine at Monsieur Burn's SoundCloud
Jason Burns-back 2 you by Jason Burns
Anyway, I've been sulking under my duvet. And this is what's penetrated the fuzz - it's not clever, but it is big: a classic garage sound, a girl warbling a grunt ("ooh-uh-uh-aah-ugh"), and all my favourite bleeps and clicks.
It's garage right down to the homophone-text-speak in the title, making me miss my misspent youth. You too can find a time machine at Monsieur Burn's SoundCloud
Jason Burns-back 2 you by Jason Burns
Thursday 5 May 2011
Lykke Li - Sadness Is A Blessing
Allow the OTT arty visuals - this is a storming classic. I forsee a million covers.
I know about Lykke Li chiefly through her interesting choice of collaborations - Tyler the Creator remixed her, and she guested on a Tabi Bonney track.
I'm getting excited about her, although I don't instinctively love her voice - too thin. But her songs are dense, in a good way.
I know about Lykke Li chiefly through her interesting choice of collaborations - Tyler the Creator remixed her, and she guested on a Tabi Bonney track.
I'm getting excited about her, although I don't instinctively love her voice - too thin. But her songs are dense, in a good way.
Tuesday 3 May 2011
Carly Gaza - Sweet Lies (Demo)
This is an uncut demo, complete with throat-clearing. If you can't deal with phlegm in the intro, don't listen. But you're missing out: it's exquisite. The vocals have this gorgeous richness to them. And Ms Garza's voice is phenomenally well-controlled: every change in pitch and amplitude sounds well-meant.
The song itself is fairly stunning. I don't go in for heartbreak and angst, unless it sounds this good.
I found it by happy chance - she guests on the phenomenal new Mexicans with Guns album, Ceremony. Her vocals on that were so good that I hunted her down on the interwebs, like some sort of acoustic poacher. And what a kill - this is phenomenally good for a demo.
If you want more of her than is available on her website, check out the band she sings and plays drums (!) for. It's more soft-rock than her solo song (which starred a ukulele), but that voice is worth overcoming my aversions for. And her lyrics are juicy. I'm genuinely excited about this.
Sweet Lies scratch demo by carlyagarza
The song itself is fairly stunning. I don't go in for heartbreak and angst, unless it sounds this good.
I found it by happy chance - she guests on the phenomenal new Mexicans with Guns album, Ceremony. Her vocals on that were so good that I hunted her down on the interwebs, like some sort of acoustic poacher. And what a kill - this is phenomenally good for a demo.
If you want more of her than is available on her website, check out the band she sings and plays drums (!) for. It's more soft-rock than her solo song (which starred a ukulele), but that voice is worth overcoming my aversions for. And her lyrics are juicy. I'm genuinely excited about this.
Sweet Lies scratch demo by carlyagarza
Sunday 1 May 2011
Vybz Kartel - Stamma
This is a total pop tart - sticky, kinda gross, way too hot and really good in the worst way. The lyrics are filthy, but that little vocal trick of stammering the stammer sounds like scat singing or something. It's good.
Vybz Kartel is really good at making stuff that you like against your better judgement.
Vybz Kartel is really good at making stuff that you like against your better judgement.
Thursday 28 April 2011
Tyler the Creator - French
To be fair, most of y'all won't like this. It's growly-voiced and foul-mouthed, from the new young contender: Tyler the Creator. He's kinda a big deal on the internet.
Best things about this? Unexpected rhymes, fluid flow, and an incredible vocal quality. Also I'm in a terrible mood, and this is some proper aggy music.
Best things about this? Unexpected rhymes, fluid flow, and an incredible vocal quality. Also I'm in a terrible mood, and this is some proper aggy music.
Tuesday 26 April 2011
Juanes - Tengo La Camisa Negra
This is hardly fresh to anyone who's ever been to South America, but I'd never seen the video. And the video is good, in a sleazy, anorexic sort of way.
Juanes is a Colombian superstar - the male Shakira, basically. The lyrics to this jazzy slice of cheese are all about being ditched and going into mourning.
Trust Juanes to make even being dumped sound sexy. The melody and rhythm are incredible - he manages to make 4-4 sound sensual, when it has all the subtlety of a polka.
Juanes is a Colombian superstar - the male Shakira, basically. The lyrics to this jazzy slice of cheese are all about being ditched and going into mourning.
Trust Juanes to make even being dumped sound sexy. The melody and rhythm are incredible - he manages to make 4-4 sound sensual, when it has all the subtlety of a polka.
Monday 25 April 2011
Broke - Coulda Said Goodbye (Not So Young)
Wow. This is the kind of instrumental that makes me excited about instrumentals.
It's got a sound like dusty velvet: the depth of the timbre on this is amazing, and it's gentle and careful and beautiful. That vintage feel is amped up by the inclusion of what I think is Madlib's movie-star-style vocal tag.
You're not going to warm to it right away. But when it finishes, you'll play it a couple of times over, and each time when it finishes, you'll miss it. Clever tricks from Mr Broke.
Coulda Said Goodbye (Not So Young) by Broke/
It's got a sound like dusty velvet: the depth of the timbre on this is amazing, and it's gentle and careful and beautiful. That vintage feel is amped up by the inclusion of what I think is Madlib's movie-star-style vocal tag.
You're not going to warm to it right away. But when it finishes, you'll play it a couple of times over, and each time when it finishes, you'll miss it. Clever tricks from Mr Broke.
Coulda Said Goodbye (Not So Young) by Broke/
Friday 22 April 2011
PNC - Murderer
Some of my most favourite reggae songs have hooks based on the word "murder". There's the instantly-recognisable Damian Marley track, Barrington Levy's classic, and Buju Banton's reinvention in song.
And to that illustrious list (I love my lists) I can now add PNC's track. It's boom-bap hip-hop with a piano playing what sounds like reggae. And the vocal sample is that old-school reggae hollering. The lyrics on this are really tight: he ends an eight-rhyme verse as - "the flow's noodles, nuts, fucking Pad Thai"
And to that illustrious list (I love my lists) I can now add PNC's track. It's boom-bap hip-hop with a piano playing what sounds like reggae. And the vocal sample is that old-school reggae hollering. The lyrics on this are really tight: he ends an eight-rhyme verse as - "the flow's noodles, nuts, fucking Pad Thai"
Thursday 21 April 2011
Tabi Bonney - Love Leaves
This is the most over-sexed video I've seen in a while. And you'll love it.
The single's off Tabi's album (downloadable for free), which is one of my favourites of 2011. He's got some unique production, and really effortless vocals. Check out his single Sudan Groove for some intricate politi-rap.
The single's off Tabi's album (downloadable for free), which is one of my favourites of 2011. He's got some unique production, and really effortless vocals. Check out his single Sudan Groove for some intricate politi-rap.
Destra - Cool It Down
When my friends go away, I don't want any souvenirs, just music. The lovely Tesha just spent some time in Trinidad for carnival, and we spent all of last night swapping soca tracks. I even got a little lesson in chipping.
I'm giving this one a shout out because it's Tesh's favourite - but check out Benjai, Machel Montano and Kes The Band, or just put "Soca 2011" into YouTube. This is perfect summer music, it practically moves your feet for you. All I need now is a costume.
I'm giving this one a shout out because it's Tesh's favourite - but check out Benjai, Machel Montano and Kes The Band, or just put "Soca 2011" into YouTube. This is perfect summer music, it practically moves your feet for you. All I need now is a costume.
Monday 18 April 2011
Assassin - Nothing At All
When we were kids, if you were the first to get to the top of the climbing frame, you'd hang off it precariously and shout "I'm the king of the castle, and you're the dirty rascal".
I guess that never really grows old, because this song is a grown-up Caribbean version: it consists of Assassin telling everyone who'll listen how he's superior to the other personages in the vicinity. Play this in a car park near a tropical beach after dark.
I guess that never really grows old, because this song is a grown-up Caribbean version: it consists of Assassin telling everyone who'll listen how he's superior to the other personages in the vicinity. Play this in a car park near a tropical beach after dark.
Diego Bernal - Bring It On Home
Once again, I've been away. Since my home wasn't besieged by music-craving zombies, I'm guessing y'all got on fine without me.
But here's some tropical goodness to assuage your yen for bass. This little number is by Diego Bernal, a civil rights lawyer from San Antonio, who's written a very listenable homage to his culture, which you can download here for free.
In the meantime, take in this lounge-tastic groove, which also features a woman dancing on a hat. You heard it here first.
But here's some tropical goodness to assuage your yen for bass. This little number is by Diego Bernal, a civil rights lawyer from San Antonio, who's written a very listenable homage to his culture, which you can download here for free.
In the meantime, take in this lounge-tastic groove, which also features a woman dancing on a hat. You heard it here first.
Bring It On Home - Diego Bernal from Exponential Records on Vimeo.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)