I'm back to drop a few tracks that I started listening to last month and have grown on me since. I'm going to skip mainstream radio tracks that are getting a bit ubiquitous like Pharrell's hat's "Happy" and stick with the lesser-known stuff. Many of these tracks came off of best-of-2013 lists so the true hipsters out there will likely already be familiar with all of these. I'll never be a true hipster and I'm OK with that.
Man this guy has been doing things for a while. The Northern Borders definitely has a Four Tet vibe to it, which means it's up my alley. The kind of stuff I would have put on my Discman in my dorm for an all-nighter many years ago. "Cirrus" is the big release from the album, but I thought I'd share this lesser-circulated track for your listening pleasure. Oh, and if you didn't know: a bonobo is a type of monkey.
My brain melted when I saw this. The artists behind probably my favourite album of 2013 remixing "F For You" (a decent song, but not one of the album's show-stoppers) with Mary J. Blige. YO!!!! I am embedding the video in case her 43-year old silhouette impresses you too. Mary J. better watch out - this may be opening the door to Patti Labelle territory (yes, that's a "Not Tonight (Remix)" reference…and oh yeah, that's Mary J. in that video).
Ed Sheeran, remixed. I suppose even that can happen. But then again, there's a Soundcloud clip out there of him and Passenger mashing up "Thrift Shop" and "No Diggity", so like Kevin Garnett said "Anything is possibllllllllllle!". "I See Fire" is his latest work and was composed for The Hobbit 2 and plays over the end credits. Kygo's remix adds a bit of bounce to it, making it a little less dirge-y. When I first heard this I thought there was no way that was Ed Sheeran, not being used to hearing his lower register. It's cool that he plays all of the instruments on the original aside from the cello. Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalists are amazing to me.
OK fine, here's the "No Diggity"/"Thrift Shop" mash-up:
After Sam Smith broke through with a big helping hand from Disclosure, many sites/bloggers/music types have projected greatness for him this coming year. "Nirvana" is the second track on the EP he released in the summer of 2013 and has received a fair amount of acclaim. Last week, he released "Money on My Mind" as the lead track from his first full-length album, but I'm a much bigger fan of "Nirvana".
Lastly, a little something from someone I know very little about. This song is the first track from Mikal Cronin's second full-length album MCII, an album which seems to have earned some fairly high praise. While I would never guess that someone into "garage punk" or "noise pop" would be my idea of a good time, this is a really good listen and I thought I'd pass it on to you.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Saturday, February 1, 2014
February 2014 Adds
After spending an awful lot of time poring over "2013 Best of" lists, i came to a depressing conclusion that these lists contained songs I had already fallen in love with or songs that I didn't really care for. At the end of 2011 and 2012, I found a pile of previously unknown gems in year-end lists. It seems I might have spent too much time actively seeking out new music last year as there was very little left at the end of the year to discover. Oh well. 2014 is now in full swing and it's time to turn my ears forward to some of my first new sounds of the year. I thought I'd share a few songs I'm adding to my February listening list.
Well, first off some full disclosure: she's Swedish. From the same producer who brought us Mapei's "Don't Wait", this is "Younger" by Seinabo Sey. I'm of two minds when it comes to this song: I find the opening very strong and that hyper-pregnant pause between the first chorus and the second verse is tremendous. However, while the vibe of the bridge that kicks in at about 2:04 meshes well wight he message in the lyrics, it takes the song in a very bizarre direction. Regardless, it's worth a listen…maybe even many, many listens.
OK, so this one isn't quite new. It's from Remix Artist Collective's (RAC's) Don't Talk to EP, released last September and has recently surfaced on the local alternative rock station. Not bad for an electronic group that has amassed a rather large online following remixing other artists' tunes. This is by far the standout track on the EP…the biggest letdown would definitely be the track featuring Tokyo Police Club. I had such high hopes.
This Oscar-nominated Pharrell track has quickly become my kids' favourite car tune. Historically, this has not boded well for the longevity of a song in my personal playlists. For now, though, this funky ray of sunshine is getting a lot of play around here. I'm looking forward to hearing the new album. Pharrell's last album didn't fare so well to many people's surprise. Perhaps "Happy" will serve as a strong launching pad for this one.
I do love me some instrumental electronic music. Some songs are definitely better than others and my current favourite is "The Finishing" by Stavroz. However, this one is definitely an up-and-comer. Again, not a new release as this came out on Bonobo's The North Borders album, released last March. However, the more Four Tet-ty you can sound the better and this song definitely hearkens back to some of Four Tet's finer works from There is Love in You. My one beef is that 2:10 is a touch too long to wait for the beat to drop, but I suppose making you want it more makes it sweeter when it materializes.
This has a little bit of Josef Salvat to it (a good thing). It is also the first song I have latched onto performed by a member of the cast of Game of Thrones (to the best of my knowledge). Raleigh Ritchie is otherwise known as Jacob Anderson, a 24 year-old British actor/singer who has been landing acting gigs for over five years already. His EP Black and Blue just got released and this is definitely a promising track.
Another song from a March 2013 release. This is exactly the type of song that my wife would have loved 15 years ago and I would have mocked her for it. I suppose I've softened my stance on folk music as I've branched into listening to more indie stuff. I love the removal of the drums right after the 2:00 mark without essentially changing the guitar chords or the vocal melody. Nice addition through subtraction. Waxahatchee, you have my attention.
Well, first off some full disclosure: she's Swedish. From the same producer who brought us Mapei's "Don't Wait", this is "Younger" by Seinabo Sey. I'm of two minds when it comes to this song: I find the opening very strong and that hyper-pregnant pause between the first chorus and the second verse is tremendous. However, while the vibe of the bridge that kicks in at about 2:04 meshes well wight he message in the lyrics, it takes the song in a very bizarre direction. Regardless, it's worth a listen…maybe even many, many listens.
OK, so this one isn't quite new. It's from Remix Artist Collective's (RAC's) Don't Talk to EP, released last September and has recently surfaced on the local alternative rock station. Not bad for an electronic group that has amassed a rather large online following remixing other artists' tunes. This is by far the standout track on the EP…the biggest letdown would definitely be the track featuring Tokyo Police Club. I had such high hopes.
This Oscar-nominated Pharrell track has quickly become my kids' favourite car tune. Historically, this has not boded well for the longevity of a song in my personal playlists. For now, though, this funky ray of sunshine is getting a lot of play around here. I'm looking forward to hearing the new album. Pharrell's last album didn't fare so well to many people's surprise. Perhaps "Happy" will serve as a strong launching pad for this one.
I do love me some instrumental electronic music. Some songs are definitely better than others and my current favourite is "The Finishing" by Stavroz. However, this one is definitely an up-and-comer. Again, not a new release as this came out on Bonobo's The North Borders album, released last March. However, the more Four Tet-ty you can sound the better and this song definitely hearkens back to some of Four Tet's finer works from There is Love in You. My one beef is that 2:10 is a touch too long to wait for the beat to drop, but I suppose making you want it more makes it sweeter when it materializes.
This has a little bit of Josef Salvat to it (a good thing). It is also the first song I have latched onto performed by a member of the cast of Game of Thrones (to the best of my knowledge). Raleigh Ritchie is otherwise known as Jacob Anderson, a 24 year-old British actor/singer who has been landing acting gigs for over five years already. His EP Black and Blue just got released and this is definitely a promising track.
Another song from a March 2013 release. This is exactly the type of song that my wife would have loved 15 years ago and I would have mocked her for it. I suppose I've softened my stance on folk music as I've branched into listening to more indie stuff. I love the removal of the drums right after the 2:00 mark without essentially changing the guitar chords or the vocal melody. Nice addition through subtraction. Waxahatchee, you have my attention.
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