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Track Reviews

Birdman – More Milli (Feat. Drake)

drakebaby

hmmmm….. what have we here??? accord. to wikipedia (aww yeah pour one out for, wikipedia!) “more milli” producer boi-1da is “currently one of the most sought-after producers in Canada”. can you say r.e.s.p.o.n.s.i.b.i.l.i.t.y.? we can! on “more milli” the toronto beatmaker laces up ym on a pretty buttery beat. but a beat well enough to hold baby’s SICK FLOW??? (jokes!) don’t ask us to decide! drake, as usual, is pretty on point dropping sharp turns of choice phrase… (“about to reach my dreams, i ain’t even got my arms stretched”) shouts to ELHH.

Birdman – More Milli (Feat. Drake)

order birdman’s “pricele$$” LP
drake myspace

rating: 7.7

brown7

reviewed by
10-18-09

Tweet – Call Me (TOKiMONSTA Remix)

tweet

tweet, we take it back! BANGER!

Tweet – Call Me (TOKiMONSTA Remix)

find tokimonsta on brainfeeder
buy tweet music

rating: 8.1

brown8

reviewed by
10-17-09

The 39Steps – Ghost Writing

laura-fowles7

the heavy new single from ‘dark soul’ duo The 39Steps is HMMM.. YES. the collaboration between Leeds UK producer Kato and the sultry as hell Laura Fowles fuses jazz, hip hop, psychedelia and filmscore. off their debut Coming Clean, “Ghost Writing” just gets better with each listen. and that ain’t all! the vid for the track is by far one of our favorite of the year! hazy pianos, scratchy horns, BEEEAAATS.. SIR alfred!! get familliar.

The 39Steps – Ghost Writing

buy it
myspace

rating: 8.2
brown82

reviewed by
10-16-09

Cibelle – Green Grass

cibelle2

an arresting cover of an arresting song. this version of “green grass”, from brazillian singer cibelle’s 2006 record “the shine of dried electric leaves”, is both sublime and stunning. the tinge of bossa used in the song’s spare instrumentation creates a color and atmosphere that evokes an at some times diffuse and at others blended notion/dynamic of romantic idea and stark isolation. cibelle’s breathy float-on-top-of-the-mix vocal feels as an intermediary between that polarity. cibelle’s voice through tom waits’ penetrating words evoke those spaces between moments, the spaces devoid of the capacity even potential to feel something….anything.

Cibelle – Green Grass

buy “green grass”
cibelle on myspace

rating: 9.0

brown9

reviewed by
10-15-09

Basement Jaxx – A Possibility (Feat. Amp Fiddler)

jaxx

the jaxx are baxx with their new “scars” LP. the album, out now on XL, features, among others; cool babe kelis, cool dude sam sparro, and the patently ice cold jose james. “a possibility”, our choice track from the record, has too what is easily our favorite feature on the record, detroit soul vet amp fiddler. fiddler’s buttery vox well compliment the track’s syrupy smooth beat and feel. love it!

Basement Jaxx – A Possibility (Feat. Amp Fiddler)

buy “a possibility”
on myspace

rating: 9.0

brown9

reviewed by
10-14-09

Ghostface Killah – Do Over (Feat. Raheem DeVaughn)

ghost

it’s that radio raheem and ghostface killah! yeah!

Ghostface Killah – Do Over (Feat. Raheem DeVaughn)

amazon / myspace

rating: 8.4

brown8

reviewed by
10-13-09

Fenech-Soler – Lies

fenech-soler

new from Fenech-Soler, “lies” drops official this November 2. catch’em on tour with Groove Aramada if you can.. but if you’re like us and you can’t because you don’t live in the UK… then we’re TOTALLY FEELIN YOU! this track comes with an absolutely KILLER melody! can we say that enough? well, we’ll repeat (while we get down!) KILLER MELODY! KILLER MELODY! yeah! blahblahindie-electro with a tune that clearly sets these guys in the company of rising talent. The Phantom Revenge, Alex Metric and Tom Staar also lend their paws in remixes on the upcoming release. dig it dec..

rating: 8.4
brown81

reviewed by
10-13-09

Emiliana Torrini – Me and Armini (Simone Lombardi Remix)

emiliana-torrini7

Simone Lombardi remixes the sultry Emiliana Torrini track for her new Me and Armini EP. it’s kinda like Lombardi “Could You Be Loved ’09’d” the song’s initial mix, melding the groove of the classic Bob Marley tune with the addition of subtle electro flourishes and overdubed rhythmic syncopations. The EP, out now on Rough Trade, also features KCRW performances of “Ha Ha” and “Beggar’s Prayer” as well as an additional take on “Me and Armini” by producer Dan Carey.

Emiliana Torrini – Me and Armini (Simone Lombardi Remix)

buy it
myspace

rating: 8.4
brown81

reviewed by
10-12-09

People Under the Stairs – Hit the Top

peopleunderthestairs

“first rule in beat sales, put the most attractive beats on top. the ones that make you pull the car over and go, wow, i need this beat right now.” MONEY BEAT! YEAH!!!

People Under the Stairs – Hit the Top

buy “hit the top”
puts on myspace

rating: 9.0

brown9

reviewed by
10-10-09

The Raveonettes – Gone Forever and D.R.U.G.S.

raveonettes

awwwww no we didn’t! awwww yeah we did! we’re totally on about this new raveonettes record, “in and out of control”. the LP, from which “gone forever” and “d.r.u.g.s.” are both excerpted, is one of our fav records of 2009. “in and out of control” sees the danish duo on, if not the best material of their career, the band’s best in several years. we like the raveonettes best at their more darker moments (ie. lust from 2007’s “lust lust lust” record). both “gone forever” and “d.r.u.g.s.” realize that darker, minor key, rhythmically driven, melodically syncopated sound; a sound that’s not only infinitely listenable but cool as fuck too. get into it.

The Raveonettes – Gone Forever
The Raveonettes – D.R.U.G.S.

buy “in and out of control” LP
the raveonettes on myspace

rating: 9.1/9.0

brown9

reviewed by
10-08-09

Air – You Can Tell It To Everybody

air

“You Can Tell It To Everybody”, new from Air’s Love 2 LP released yesterday, sounds eerily (or coincidentally? or monotonously?) similar to the duo’s previous releases; ie: ethereal atmospheres , whimsical arrangements and a “delicate” vocal delivery. it does what Air do best, dig it dec

Air – You Can Tell It To Everybody

buyit
myspace

rating: 7
brown71

reviewed by
10-07-09

IN THE MIX: A Place to Bury Strangers! Rappers! Mayer Hawthorne!

pizzahi

what up, world? it’s new music tuesday! pass the pizza! “deadbeat” is new from ny guitar combo a place to bury strangers. the song RIPS and is our favorite from the just released “exploding head” LP. the title of “the best”, a new collaboration between lil’ wayne, kanye west, t.i. and jhey-z, is likely a bit of an overstatement; as we’re sort of “lukewarm” about the song. and despite his verse being what 6 bars?, tip (and it ain’t even close) is still on top form and again EASILY wins this collab. our man in the d, mayer hawthorne, released his debut LP “a strange arrangement” last month. the silky smooth “shiny and new” shines as one of many highlights on the record.

A Place to Bury Strangers – Deadbeat
Lil’ Wayne, Kanye West, T.I. & Jay-Z – The Best

A Place to Bury Strangers: buy “exploding head” lp / myspace / rating 8.8
Lil’ Wayne: buy lil wayne music / myspace / rating 6.8
Mayer Hawthorne: buy “shiny and new” mp3 / myspace / rating 7.7

reviewed by
10-06-09