The Roots are prepping the release of what’s probably their 15th or 20th album, Undun. The latest preview of the project is “Stomp” which features fellow Philadelphian P.O.R.N. and knocks really really hard. An electric guitar lead frames P.O.R.N.’s rhymes as the 1-2 pushes underneath what can only be described as a modern take on the blues. Be ready.
The Roots – StompThe Roots 
(Official) (Myspace)
Rating 8.4
MOTM return with “Desert Island”, the first track off their hotly tipped upcoming Pharrell(!) exec-produced EP “Light Years”. “Desert Island” is a definite step forward for the LA band, the melodies are sharper, the hooks tighter, the arrangements are more …arrangier. We can’t wait to hear more from the EP. MOTM. Skateboard P. 2011 to Infinity.
Mansions on the Moon – Desert IslandMansions on the Moon 
(Official) (Facebook)
Rating 8.2
Tedsmooth puts Bey on some straight Marvin Gaye shit on this new remix for “Party”. In addition to the new mix, the NYC DJ grabs Styles P for a couple fresh verses. Sweet.
Beyonce – Party (DJ Tedsmooth Remix) (Feat. Styles P)DJ Tedsmooth 
(Official) (Twitter)
Rating 8.1
“Fuck Friday” lives on for Dan Sartain’s forthcoming Too Tough to Live LP. With 13 tracks delivered in less than 19 minutes don’t blink or you might miss a feature by Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go’s. Go!
Dan Sartain – Fuck FridayDan Sartain 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.4
Our girl Birdy turns in this torched up cover of “People Help the People” by the awesome Manchester band Cherry Ghost. If you’re familiar with Birdy’s covers series, “People Help the People” is cut from a similar cloth; spare piano, forlorn pining vocal, stretched-out somber melody. Get bummed out below.
Birdy – People Help the People (Cherry Ghost)Birdy 
(Facebook) (Soundcloud)
Rating 8.0
Big look from OnCue & Mike Posner on “Kinda Late”. The track, excerpted from Wednesday-dropping Can’t Wait mixtape, features some sharp production by 88 Keys (a super neat urgent 1-2 laced on top jazz-inflected guitars and soulful vocal samples). Listen.
OnCue – Kinda Late (Feat. Mike Posner) (Prod. 88 Keys)Rating: 8.3
By Trevor Meyer
Awesome music continues to pour out of New Zealand. If you’re new to this Wellington-based band, consider this your chance to get funky with the high-acclaimed Kiwi band, The Black Seeds. The soulful “Cool me Down” comes to us off the band’s third album, Into the Dojo. If you see an angry bro in a social situation who is taking that “defensive lion position” (you know what I’m talking about) cool him down with this throwback. He may not dance, but he’ll be unfolding his arms and loosening up his polo shirt in no time. I’m hoping these guys come at it with a new album soon.
The Black Seeds – Cool Me DownThe Black Seeds 
(Official) (Facebook)
Rating 8.5
The brand new “Home Again” is yet another example of what UK singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka does so well. It’s just his soul, a guitar, and some minimal instrumentation all tuned into that special MK frequency. Get (re)familiar below.
Michael Kiwanuka 
(Facebook) (Official)
Rating 8.2
As if “Titanium” could get any bigger, Alesso has done it. The 20-year old producer last night let loose this preview of a brand new mix for the Sia-featuring hit track. (DoML)
David Guetta – Titanium (Feat. Sia) (Alesso Remix)Alesso 
(Facebook) (Soundcloud)
Rating 8.1
NO CEREMONY/// bring us their latest with “DELIVERUS”. The track tries on a singer-songwriter feel proving that underneath all of those washy layers and groove based arrangements, and of course hype, there must be an internal consensus for quality writing. Pick up the track below and be on the lookout for more to come from NO CEREMONY///.
NO CEREMONY/// – DELIVERUSNO CEREMONY/// ? (Official)
Rating 8.6
We caught a snippet of Rihanna’s Jamie XX-produced “Drunk on Love” a few days ago. Now the full length CDQ surfaces. One the of the most anticipated Talk That Talk tracks, “Drunk On Love” continues the trend of indie R&B merging into the mainstream pop. Like we alluded to in a recent post about Lady Gaga (and what went wrong with Born This Way), successful pop stars stay relevant by embracing what’s not quite yet mainstream, what’s still sort just under the surface, and making it mainstream. Like Drake and his collaborations with The Weeknd and Jamie XX, Rihanna is trying (and on “Drunk on Love” succeeding) to maintain relevance by hoping on a sound, that while maybe all too familiar to most blogoverse denizens, is only just surfacing into the mainstream.
Rihanna – Drunk On Love (Prod. Jamie XX)Rating 8.4
Rest in Peace Heavy D.
Heavy D & The Boyz – Nuttin’ But Love (Cookin’ Soul Remix)Cookin’ Soul 
(Official) (Twitter)
Rating 8.2
