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Crush (Jennifer Paige cover)
Jai Paul |
Jai Paul - Crush (Jennifer Paige cover)
Holy guacamole Batman!
Jai Paul, one of my most highly anticipated artists has just released his debut album unannounced, six years after premiering his first track BTSTU.
The unconventional approach in which he’s released it is nothing short of what I have come to expect from the mysterious England-based artist. The untitled tracks have been uploaded onto Bandcamp without any warning from Jai Paul’s record label XL. Blogs are speculating on the authenticity of the album, but people familiar with the Everlasting demo leaks will recognise many of the mastered versions of material that has previously surfaced on the internet (such as his hit Jasmine).
The album is spliced full of obscure film dialogue and skits but there are still plenty of gems to be found on the album. One highlight on the album is Track 7, thought to be a cover of Jennifer Paige’s 1998 pop single, Crush. You can check out the rest of the album here.
Download - Crush
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All Summer Long
Horrorshow |
Horrorshow - All Summer Long (Live)
And i still think of your face everytime it rains and I wonder
In a different time and place could we find our way to one another?
Solo MC from Horrorshow really crystalised the sentimental feeling of chance encounters and forlorn teenage infatuation when he penned All Summer Long from the group’s 2008 debut album The Grey Space.
On an album that features some heavy topics, such as depression, losing loved ones and finding hope, All Summer Long brightens the corners of The Grey Space and makes the listener feel what it’s like to be 16 and in love again.
To reward their fans on the four year gap since their last studio full-length, Horrorshow have decided to release a free live album, Live At the Spiegeltent. The generous act is also a calculated move to excite old fans and win over casual listeners before the group release their third album later this year.
Enjoy.
Download - Live At the Spiegeltent (album)
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Chix
Jai Paul |
Jai Paul - Chix
One of the most promising r&b acts from the 00s and the 10s is Jai Paul. He has such a revolutionary approach to production, fusing symphonic synthesizers, an etherial voice and a mysterious persona that would make the most reclusive hermit seem like a showpony.
Like the limelight Jai Paul has recieved so far, Chix is short-lived. The 50 something second track is over before it can really morph into a fully recognised song but there is more than enough presence and feeling behind the song than 94% of music on the radio at the moment.
If you aren’t up to speed with Jai Paul’s criminally short catalogue of demos and leaks, I suggest you get acquainted with the recently released (or leaked?) mixtape Everlasting which features all of the music he has made that has surfaced to date.
You can download all 10 tracks for free from here and finish off the mix in 20 minutes flat. Much more efficient than the speed it has taken Jai Paul to actually make the music. Listen to this in the meantime, as we can only hope against hope that an album does eventually does materialise from the incognito British icon.
Enjoy.
Jessie Ware - 110%
In the spirit of the garage revival, Jessie Ware’s new track plays with a bouncy bassline and fast percussion. The British songwriter is no stranger the UK electronic scene, having collaborated with SBTRKT and Joker.
Her other work has been compared with Adele in terms of her diva delivery, but I think I’d prefer hearing Jessie Ware continue to broaden her fanbase by exploring garage/dub/trip hop accompaniments, rather than following the all too familiar path of femme pop stardom. No disrespect intended.
Enjoy!
Frank Ocean - Pink Matter Remix (Featuring OutKast)
Okay, okay, okay. This feature spot on Frank Ocean’s Pink Matter probably isn’t the type of collaboration most OutKast fans are looking for. It’s not upbeat, it’s not radio friendly or crunk and it is emotionally heavy. But that won’t stop me getting excited.
Frank Ocean’s signature melancholic crooning is dark. At times it is detached, at times it is despairing and vacant and all of these textures are observations made without really trying to decipher the ambiguous intelligent lyrics. Big Boi’s verse is straightforward, vividly depicting voyeuristic perversion and André 3000’s is somewhere in between the other two artists.
For the moment, this track is still available for free download by following the link below and navigating the (downward arrow) link.
Download - Pink Matter Remix
The Revelations - I Forgot To Be Your Lover (feat. Tre Williams)
The Revelations and Tre Williams have done an amazing job covering William Bell’s timeless track I Forgot To Be Your Lover. The song features on The Man With The Iron Fists soundtrack alongside an all star cast of artists and many Wu Tang Clan affiliates.
The album is surprisingly soulful for a kung-fu film. This is thanks to RZA’s executive production which shines through on this track alongside producer Bob Perry. Hip hop fans will recognise the opening guitar riff which has been tastefully sampled by the likes Dialated Peoples, People Under The Stairs, Ludacris and Pete Philly & Perquisite to name a few.
Toro y Moi - So Many Details
Rather than plague you with so many details, I’m going to let this smooth electronic, neo-soul track do the talking.
This music is recommended for fans of Jai Paul, J. Dilla and all other things laid back and funky.
So Many Details will appear on Toro y Moi’s upcoming album Anything in Return due out in January 2013.
Enjoy.
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The Dude
Chords |
Chords - The Dude
Back in May, the Swedish artist Chords released a new single that eluded me at the time. The Dude is the first single from Chords’ third album that is scheduled for release later this year.
I heard of Chords from listening to fellow Swedish group Looptroop Rockers’ back catalogue. He can sing as well as he raps and he does the former to great effect on the single The Dude. I initially thought the track would be lighthearted with a name like The Dude, but it is actually a soulful, heart-on-sleeve track with a slow beat that bops along at a mellow reggae pace.
The accordians, guitar, trumpets and slick production ensures that the listener does not bore with the pace. In fact, the song has more variation than the majority of hip hop music being released lately - though I can hardly call this track ‘a hip hop song’ since it clearly draws influences from a range of different genres.
Have a listen for yourself and hear some music you might not have otherwise discovered.
Enjoy.
