The next incarnation of Seattle hip hop. Macklemore reps the 206 with a socially conscious, laid-back groove that fits right into a scene best known for the Blue Scholars and Common Market. There is everything to like about this this song, even a reference to the legendary Seattle venue, the "Sit & Spin," a brilliant hybrid laundromat/cafe/bar/live music venue that booked acts like Modest Mouse and Voyager One in the late 90's. This is the lead track off his late 2009 release The Unplanned Mixtape.
A low-quality demo, but nonetheless the first advance track from the upcoming M.I.A. album due out this summer. Leaked under the name "Theres Space For Ol Dat I See" this track has been confirmed by M.I.A. herself and hints that she'll be shifting back to a mix of rapping and singing (some of us may have forgotten that she sings after last year's beat extravaganza Kala). According to her Rolling Stone interview, you can expect lots of production from Baltimore's Blaqstarr and back-up vocals from Filipino Verizon tech support on one song ("I'm Down Like Your Internet Connection"). Give it a listen and hope for a better-quality version later.
The first single off the new Gorillaz album. Does anyone else notice that it doesn't instantly take over your brain like previous banner-carriers "Clint Eastwood" and "Feel Good, Inc."? Kind of a letdown. While Mos Def isn't heavily utilized on this quietly grooving track, he is a good choice to succeed Del Tha Funkee Homosapien as the Gorillaz rapper du jour on the forthcoming Plastic Beach LP, due out March 9, 2010.
Staygold - Backseat (f/Spank Rock and Damien Adore)
Dance-y groove from a pair of Swedish DJ's with fun guest appearances and surprising staying power. Repetitive, but not problematically so, it's definitely worthy popping on to any fun playlist. See the debut live performance with even more kooky guests at an INSANE Swedish awards show (Grammys, take notice) here. If you are wondering why they show an audience member early in the clip with her face melted off, that's Karin Dreijer Andersson from The Knife and Fever Ray, and she definitely wore the mask onstage to accept her award.
With a name that straddles boundaries (Rap & Jay go way back: See Jay-Z, J.D., Jay Dilla, J-Money, but then there's the name, well, Electronica) you wouldn't expect someone so well-grounded in pure hip hop. "Exhibit C" shows off a measured Southern flow that brings to mind a classic old-school jam, from an intro quoting Gil Scott-Heron and Notorious B.I.G. right through the hot verses he lays down over a timeless combo of soul & strings.
"Vibrationz" was self-released last summer but seems like a timely inclusion here, in light of the fact that we can expect their debut full-length album, No Mas, released by Luaka Bop on April 20th. Javelin built some buzz last year with a dance floor remix of "Julia" by The Very Best and a live show with Mos Def, and this track gives you the sense they're talented producers in the vein of Basement Jaxx.
Caribou crafts a fairly sophisticated, layered electro-pop piece as his first material since 2007's critically lauded Andorra. He seems to have stepped forward in time here, ignoring the 60's vibe of his last album and showing off his studio chops. Like "Hazel," the first single off last year's Junior Boys album, it's a nice song in the right vein, but not a killer jam - let's hope it's just a hint of what's to come on Swim, his new album due out April 20 on Merge Records.
Another track off the forthcoming Heligoland LP, due out February 9 on Virgin Records. A slow-burner much like another pre-release track, "Pray For Rain" with TV On The Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, here they grab Damon Albarn, of Blur and Gorillaz fame, and he gives us his best Thom Yorke impression. Again, there is no huge crescendo for all of the build-up, but I'm getting the sense this may be a very pretty and atmospheric (if not happy) album.
First track from the much-anticipated trio, releasing an album sometime in the first half of 2010 even though they aren't sure what they're calling themselves (the album is tentatively entitled Wu Massacre). The hook is cliche R&B, but the three emcees are ill and it shows. See also their collaboration on Raekwon's recent Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Pt. 2, "New Wu".
Grizzly Bear - And I Was A Boy From School (Hot Chip Cover)
Hot Chip's original is a favorite track of mine - I hope many of you know it as well. Grizzly Bear puts their own tempo and twist on it - not a life-changing musical event, but a fun intersection of two fantastic artists from very different genres.
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