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Track Reviews

CVIRO & GXNXVS – Benjamins

cvirogxnnvs

Australian singer CVIRO (Cairo) & producer GXNXVS (Genius) debut “Benjamins”. The 90’s heavy track (don’t cringe just yet, as “Benjamins” makes up for any played-out-ness in style with turns of melody and production that are truly special) finds the Aussie twosome channeling the tunefulness of Joe or Craig David through a lens of still “old school” but modernized backbeats.

CVIRO & GXNXVS australia (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.3

reviewed by
11-17-14

Recycle Culture – AYA

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The prodigious Recycle Culture (our man has already released an album and an EP this year) streams title track from newest EP “AYA”. Truly vast in its palette, running wall to wall from obtuse shoegaze to immediate indie pop, “AYA” is remarkable in just how accomplished it is. Listen.

Recycle Culture (Bandcamp)

reviewed by
11-17-14

Ty Dolla $ign – Stand For (Prod. Diplo & DJ Dahi)

tydollasign

Diplo dials up the “Climax drums” for hitmaker Ty Dolla $ign’s anthemic new one “Stand For”. As big a track as Hip Hop #1 “Paranoid” was for Ty Dolla’s career, “Stand For” is decidedly not the monochromatic club-ready “Paranoid”; it’s ambitious and it’s outside current rap radio’s comfortable DJ Mustard zone. We love it.

Mazzy Star california (Soundcloud)

reviewed by
11-17-14

FLAMINGO – Drip Away (Feat. Hunt)

flamingo

“Drip Away” is the latest sample of sooth pop from Adelaide, AU trio FLAMINGO. Buoyed by featured singer Madeleine Hunt’s emotive counterpoint vocal, “Drip Away” exists in a low touch nexus between R&B, house, and current indie pop. Stream “Drip Away” below.

FLAMINGO australia (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.3

reviewed by
11-14-14

OOFJ – You’re Always Good

oofj

OOFJ is the duo of Danish musician Jenno Bjørnkjær and South African singer Katherine Mills-Rymer. Track “You’re Always Good” is cinematic percussion-heavy bit of current wave boy-girl pop done as its highest and most forward thinking level.

reviewed by
11-14-14

RÉN – Time

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The Luca Buccellati-produced (Tei Shi, Yellerkin) “Time” is the debut track from New York popstress Renee Orshan a/k/a RÉN. Ms. Orshan’s neatly melodic melodic vocal is “Time”‘s central mover around the track’s not one note of place instrumental. “Time” is one of Fall 2014’s best debuts.

RÉN newyork (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.4

brown8

reviewed by
11-13-14

Meleka – You Don’t Know (702)

meleka

Basement Jaxx and Snakehips collaborator Meleka further explores the alternative sound of those artists with just announced “The Funkin’ 90’s” EP and single “You Don’t Know”. A cover of girl band 702’s late 90’s track, “The Funkin’ 90’s” EP will feature seven covers of 1990’s songs.

Meleka england (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.4

reviewed by
11-13-14

Day Wave – Nothing At All

daywave

Day Wave is the project 25 year old Oakland native Jackson Phillips. The pristine lo-fi pop songwriting of “Nothing At All” is the debut track from Day Wave and will feature on upcoming EP out early next year.

Day Wave (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.5

brown8

reviewed by
11-12-14

AZEKEL – Chronophobia

azekel

AZEKEL’s trajectory continues to point decidedly upward on the visceral and forward thinking R&B of the just melodically out of this universe “Chronophobia”.

Azekel england (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.1

brown8

reviewed by
11-11-14

Oh Wonder – Body Gold (Louis The Child Remix)

bodygold

Two of the blogworld’s hottest commodities intersect on Chicago duo Louis The Child’s hit-in-the-making remix for Oh Wonder’s “Body Gold”

Louis The Child (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
11-11-14

Ghostface Killah – Love Don’t Live Here No More

ghostface

Welcome back Ghostface. “Love Don’t Live Here No More” features a doo-wop-y soul instrumental that Ghost could body in his sleep/while he was dinning/doing his taxes, etc. 36 Seasons is the new LP from Ghostface Killah, out December 9th on Tommy Boy Records.

Ghostface Killah (Twitter)

Rating 8.5

brown8

reviewed by
11-11-14

The Stuyvesants – Shakers & Movers

stuyvesants

Sample the vibe-perfect soul tones of instrumental “Shakers & Movers” from the New York duo of Algorythm and Flwrpt The Stuyvesants new Fine project.

The Stuyvesants newyork (Soundcloud) (Twitter)

Rating 8.5

brown8

reviewed by
11-11-14