Saturday, December 31, 2011

DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Albums, 2011.


01/Metronomy/The English Riviera

Joseph Mount is exhausted. But he’s not quite ready to give up. He just needs to get away. A place where he can think clearly and evaluate what’s going on here, and find some peace of mind. And that destination is here, in The English Riviera, in which Joseph and company of Metronomy plead, argue, and tirelessly seek out clarity in the war of roses between a boy and a girl. The band finds that place in the music. From the opening sounds of birds chirping and waves hitting the sand, to the sonic echoes of the closing remix track, The English Rivieria is an expertly crafted, well produced LP from the English electro outfit. A more expansive, jaunty production that dips into new wave, world beats, and other tantalizing dance locales in search of a little peace of mind. A magnificently sweet escape. It feels so good.
KEY TRACKS: The Bay/Some Written/Love Underlined

02/Friendly Fires/PALA

03/Toro y Moi/Underneath the Pine

04/The Weeknd/House of Balloons 

05/Black Lips/Arabia Mountain 

06/Eleanor Friedberger/Last Summer 

07/CANT/Dreams Come True





DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Singles, 2011.


01/Tyler the Creator/Yonkers

Tyler the Creator is different. But this situation is nothing new. Young MC, new to the game, no longer waiting to be put on. This is it. And this is his intro to the big league. Ladies and gentlemen, Tyler the Creator. Wolf Haley. Yonkers. Goddamn Goblin. Nearly hookless, minimalist hip-hop on a hardcore tip in which Tyler does what he does best: Him. Brash, sinister, and giving no fucks, Yonkers: Certified banger, goddamn problem.

ALBUM VERSION:



03/The Rapture/How Deep is Your Love? AND Toro y Moi/Still Sound

04/Metronomy/The Bay 

05/Friendly Fires/Hawaiian Air




Friday, December 30, 2011

DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Albums, 2011.


02/Friendly Fires/PALA

Tonight, we dance. We give up the ghost, give it up turn it loose, and shake our bodies down to the ground. We get lost in the rhythms and the atmosphere, so seductive. We move forward. Pull a few more tricks up out of our sleeves; Expand upon the already enormous sound. We sing like tomorrow may never come. Attack & Release. Uptempo, midtempo, four on the floor, BASS. Succumb to the sounds. Let em bang out the booming system. We jam, we party, we "GET DOWN ON IT!" Let the music breathe when it needs to. Let it stand alone when it needs to. And set aside as much time is needed to catch a groove, and catch some beats. We up under it. We're immersed in it. Pulsating. Alive. Post punk funk... Beats of the world... Electronic dance music at its finest(!). All at our disposal. We turn it up and respect the architects. Tonight, and end every night. We live these days. In PALA.
KEY TRACKS: Blue Cassette/Show Me Lights/Pull Me Back to Earth

03/Toro y Moi/Underneath the Pine

04/The Weeknd/House of Balloons 

05/Black Lips/Arabia Mountain 

06/Eleanor Friedberger/Last Summer 

07/CANT/Dreams Come True





DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Singles, 2011.


02/Beyonce/Countdown

This is the sound of Fireworks. Explosions. Bombs bursting in air. The ecstatic cries of a heart intertwined in something so marvelous and magnificent. Love and affection externalized. On top, down below, and everywhere in between. Dipping in the verses, popping in the chorus, and present in each and every note. A ten, dressed up to the 9's, putting in work for a heart that won't be still. A heart hopelessly devoted to its boo, and crazy in love. A celebratory ode to love, and most importantly, HIM. Still the shit, still right here, still the one. The reason why both she and this song are "gone in the brain" and head over heels in love, eager to share. This is Countdown: A celebration and true triumph of the heart. 




03/The Rapture/How Deep is Your Love? AND Toro y Moi/Still Sound

04/Metronomy/The Bay 

05/Friendly Fires/Hawaiian Air



Thursday, December 29, 2011

DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Albums, 2011.


The Immaculate Collection.

03/Toro y Moi/Underneath the Pine

Underneath the Pine is a superbly polished, fully realized long player from Chaz Bundick, known more commonly to you and yours as Toro y Moi. 11 tracks of dreamy pop confections that together form a wonderfully lush and coherent whole. Songs bleed into each other from the album's opening right on up to its finale, reveling in an atmosphere not too far removed from the soft musical palette of 60s French pop. And on a few select tracks the hushed murmurs of R&B's softer side -as well as a few New-Disco flourishes- are thrown into the mix, giving the album a soft groove to attach yourself to when needed. All gorgeously executed and sequenced, and incredibly inviting. Warmth and good vibrations. All present in spades, underneath the pine.
KEY TRACKS: New Beat/Still Sound/Elise

04/The Weeknd/House of Balloons 

05/Black Lips/Arabia Mountain 

06/Eleanor Friedberger/Last Summer 

07/CANT/Dreams Come True


DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Singles, 2011.


AND


03/The Rapture/How Deep is Your Love? AND Toro y Moi/Still Sound

These two songs right here are about love. Two songs from two different artists, but cut from the same cloth, talking bout love. Love songs whose sentiments are cloaked in dancefloor ready accessories, and asking a lot of the person on the other end. Mostly us. How Deep is Your Love? Is it still sound? Prove it, these songs seem to say. Your presence is a blessing, so bring it on to me. Give me what I need to live. Let me hear that song, and let us rejoice. Get up on the good foot, together, cause I don't want to be alone. Sentiments in lockstep with the rhythms, echoed on repeat. These are euphoric, everything but the kitchen sink disco stylings with a hint of funk and R&B thrown in for good measure. Love songs custom made for the floor, whose grooves seem to go on forever. Hallelujah. Let me hear that song.



AND



04/Metronomy/The Bay 

05/Friendly Fires/Hawaiian Air

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Ride to Freedom.

A "New flava in ya ear!" production starring SBTRKT. 
 

DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Albums, 2011.



 Urban Hang Suite.

 04/The Weeknd/House of Balloons

Abel Tefaye paints pictures so vivid. And his brushstrokes are heavy, and his brushstrokes are thick. They're codeine laced and unflinching; Existing in a realm where excitement is sought, and more often than not found, after dark. Where complaints from neighboring tenants is expected, the drinking of Alize with your cereal is common, and girls call cabs at dawn, quarter to seven. Welcome to the "glamorous life", played out in real time, courtesy of The Weeknd. A hazy yet seductive compilation starring Glass Table Girls, pre marital hook ups, a cornocopia of drugs, and the schoolin' of life, the party, and the after party. Brooding, living vignettes in which no detail is sparred, and no rush is too debauched. The entire scene is narrated and buttressed handsomely by Mr. Tefaye himself, protaganist and bit player in the middle of it all, operating smoothly like Sade while harvesting a Dirty Mind a la Prince, "all the way turnt up".Painting pictures so vivid. A rhapsody in dark blue.
KEY TRACKS: High For This/What You Need/The Morning

05/Black Lips/Arabia Mountain 

06/Eleanor Friedberger/Last Summer 

07/CANT/Dreams Come True


DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Singles, 2011.


04/Metronomy/The Bay

Metronomy's The Bay is all about escape. An escape from the moment, and an escape to good times past. A limb shaking get away where clouds of both the mental and literal varieties are non-existent, and the sun filled seasons are endless, just like the beaches. On the shores of this disco funk excursion, the bass line is heavy, and the underlying groove is THICK, and together they take you some place special, some place higher. Not Paris, not London, not Tokyo, The Bay. Pure magic, sheer bliss.



ALBUM VERSION:



05/Friendly Fires/Hawaiian Air










Night Work.


PITCHFORK: Johnny Jewel, Glass Candy, Chromatics Release "Imaginary Film" Score

YMCMB MMG.

A video.

Starring Cory Gunz & Meek Mill.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Albums, 2011.


05/Black Lips/Arabia Mountain

Arabia Mountain is another playful and rip-roaring set from Atlanta's favorite retro-rock enthusiasts, the Black Lips. Joining the festivities this time around is Producer Mark Ronson, who helps bottle this disc's forays into rockabilly and garage punk into tight two to four minute hook heavy soundbites. Whether revisiting trips to Museums of Modern Art with a little help from some friends, or waxing poetic on the taxing life and times of Peter "Spiderman" Parker , the buzz and energy remains constant and never fades. Just another riotous and infectious long player from the rollicking Southern quartet that knows how to (and wants you to) have a good time.
KEY TRACKS: Modern Art/Mr. Driver/Bone Marrow

06/Eleanor Friedberger/Last Summer 

07/CANT/Dreams Come True


"You say you want a Revolution?..."

A Moment of Clarity.
 
 
Words.

"This is a moment when policymakers should be thinking big, not small. History will little note nor long remember that the payroll tax holiday was extended for two months rather than 12. The complex and difficult questions we’re avoiding, however, may haunt us through the century.

...The central issue is the prospect of decline. For much of the 20th century, the United States boasted the biggest, most vibrant economy in the world and its citizens enjoyed the best quality of life. The former is still obviously true; the latter, arguably still the case. But there is a sense that we’re fading — that tomorrow might not be as bright as today.

...Understanding the challenge we face is one thing; meeting that challenge is another. When Obama insisted on a set of moderate reforms to begin to address just one facet — health-care access and costs — he faced such fierce opposition that the momentum for reform that carried him into the White House quickly dissipated.

...Is the political system broken? Yes, but this can’t be an excuse. The system didn’t break itself. Our elected officials put in place the rules that create dysfunction — campaign finance regulations that allow money to corrupt the political process, redistricting procedures that ensconce our representatives in districts where they couldn’t lose if they tried. The rules can be changed.

But our leaders, beginning with Obama, can’t settle for playing small ball. As he campaigns for reelection, the president’s task is to explain why this is a time to think big — and why we have no choice."

 THE WASHINGTON POST: A brainpower revolution

DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Singles, 2011.



05/Friendly Fires/Hawaiian Air

If life were indeed a Disney movie, Hawaiian Air would be the musical number/montage highlighting a trip to someplace magical and far, far, away. "Up in the Sky, Honolulu bound(!)", Ed MacFarlane and the gang are giddy with anticipation, full of adrenaline, and "leaving the world beneath the clouds". The music is just as excited, as the soundtrack here is tropicalia inspired and bursting at the seams with pure joy, rising in solidarity with Ed as the sheer thrill of excitement and euphoria washes over him (and us) throughout the track (and especially in the choruses). It's a wonderfully buoyant and joyous trip to cloud nine that you'll enjoy from take off til landing. Join them, and escape. 










4 Tears.

A "New flava in ya ear!" production starring Frank Ocean.
 

Stream here.

I'ma Boss.

A Freestyle.

Starring Childish Gambino.

Good Girl.

A video.

Starring Ryan Leslie.

Copuntry Azz Nigga.

A video.

Starring Nelly, T.I., & 2 Chainz.

Monday, December 26, 2011

DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Albums, 2011.


06/Eleanor Friedberger/Last Summer

Last Summer. Brooklyn, New York. Snapshots from a time well spent getting sick from the Cyclone, waiting to pick up in the park without cell phones, and so on, and so on, starring Eleanor Friedberger. Postcards from a Glitter Gold Year in the city that never sleeps; A giddy, effervescent affair whose joy in reminiscing translates itself to the music as well. Crisp, 70’s FM rock at its finest that lives and dies by the woman looking back and sharing her tales. Full of wit (or sorrow when the time calls for it), Eleanor is clear, charming, and engaging, making Last Summer a look back you won’t mind revisiting again, and again, and again.
KEY TRACKS: My Mistakes/Scenes from Bensonhurst/Roosevelt Island

DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Singles, 2011.


06/Drake/Marvin's Room

Drake should just go home. Drake should just call it a night and wrap it up. But he won’t. And he doesn’t. And so we’re here. On one. Alone. “Bitches on the old phone”, liquid courage and whip appeal flowing thru the veins. Marvin’s Room is Drake at his most fearless, fully committed and just as proud as we’re used to him being. Eventhough he’s inebriated. And begging. The whole adventure is nearly overshadowed by Noah “40” Shebib’s exquisite musical accompaniment. Low, throbbing and just as woozy as the man making that phone call all over it. It’s a strong union that helps Marvin’s Room pull you in while evading embarrassment. 


 ALBUM VERSION:






Sunday, December 25, 2011

DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Albums, 2011.


07/CANT/Dreams Come True

Dreams Come True is the debut solo album from Grizzly Bear member Chris Taylor. A smoldering, intimate collection whose lo-fi intensity dazzles. On his own, and away from the pack, Chris stunts like a present day Phil Collins, crafting a hushed stunner of a headphone masterpiece. From the Gothic R&B stomp of the opener of Too Late, Too Far, to the light 70’s funk of The Edge, and the psychedelic squalor of She Found a Way Out. Dreams Come True lets Chris Taylor reach into the inner recesses of his mind to paint these sprawling and evocative musical portraits in the sound. Trust, and believe.
KEY TRACKS: Too Late, Too Far/Bang/She Found A Way Out

Stuck On Fuckin' You.

A "New flava in ya ear!" Production starring Lady Gaga. 
 

DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Singles, 2011.


07/James Blake/The Wilhem Scream

The Wilhelm Scream is a powerful opening statement from a conflicted young man being torn up inside. James is getting older and nothing is for certain, and nothing seems clear. “I don't know about my dreams I don't know about my dreamin' anymore All that I know is I'm fallin', fallin', fallin', fallin' Might as well fall in.” And he does, in song. Minute by minute, beat by beat, the booming yet spare production heightens the repetitious turmoil present in the lyrics. And Blake? Ever present, never too forceful, and clear. A beautifully human silent shout. 

Friday, December 23, 2011

Off to the Races.

A video.

From Lana Del Rey.

DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Albums, 2011.



08/Feist/Metals

We all try. And when we find that someone worth fighting for, we give it all we got til there's nothing more to give or the thrill is gone. And once that thrill is gone, it's gone. No one wants to admit this, but that's just the way it is. You tried. He/She/Them tried. We all try. Feist tried, and Metals is her morning after. The look back, and the emotional aftermath. An intimate and beautifully subdued work that places Feist's unfaltering wants, desires, and misgivings front and center as she searches for clarity and that horizon line. A clear and contemplative examination of the who, what, when, and why of "What Happened?" from a woman looking to once again place herself  beneath the light of the sun. Back at start and back at one, Metals is an emotionally stirring set that gives Feist the space and time needed to make sense of (as well as make peace with) all that's occurred so that she can once again allow herself to know what love is and simply trust a try.
KEY TRACKS: The Bad in Each Other/The Circle Married the Line/Undiscovered First

09/Jay-Z & Kanye West/Watch the Throne

10/A$AP Rocky/LiveLoveA$AP

11/Tyler the Creator/GOBLIN

12/Drake/Take Care 

13/SBTRKT/SBTRKT

14/Junior Boys/It's All True

15/Danny Brown/XXX

16/JUSTICE/Audio, Video, Disco 

17/Jill Scott/The Light of the Sun 

18/CULTS/CULTS

19/James Blake/James Blake 

20/PJ Harvey/Let England Shake 

21/Lady Gaga/Born This Way

22/The Rapture/In the Grace of Your Love

23/Holy Ghost!/Holy Ghost!

24/Patrick Stump/Soul Punk

25/Beyonce/4 

DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Singles, 2011.


08/Kelly Rowland & Lil Wayne/Motivation

We all know that Ms. Kelly is an independent woman who can do bad by her own damn self, but tonight it takes two to tango. And in this Boudoir, Kelly's gonna show you how to rock the boat and work the middle. Ms. Rowland's Motivation is a sultry and seductive synth heavy slow jam that cuts to the chase; Upfront and demanding, but never out of pocket, Motivation turns you on without turning you off.



09/LMFAO, Lauren Bennett, & GoonRock/Party Rock Anthem

10/Big Sean & Nicki Minaj/Dance (A$$) [REMIX]

11/The Black Keys/Lonely Boy

12/Theophilus London & Sara Quinn/Why Even Try

13/Cee-Lo Green/Bodies & Erykah Badu/Gone Baby, Don't Be Long

14/CANT/Too Late, Too Far 

15/Terius Nash & Big Sean/Ghetto

16/Radiohead/Lotus Flower 

17/Rihanna & Calvin Harris/We Found Love

18/Drake/Headlines

19/Wavves/King of the Beach

20/Ye, Shawn, & Otis/OTIS 

21/Lady Gaga/Born This Way AND The Edge of Glory

22/Chris Brown & Benny Benassi/Beauitful People AND Chris Brown, Busta Rhymes, & Lil Wayne/Look At Me Now

23/Lil Wayne/How To Love 

24/Holy Ghost! featuring Michael McDonald/Some Children AND Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera/Moves Like Jagger 

25/Florence + the Machine/Shake It Out




You Da One.

A video.

Starring Rihanna.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Albums, 2011.


09/Jay -Z & Kanye West/Watch the Throne

A Toast.

To Black EXCELLENCE, Opulence, DECADENCE.  To living on to see another day and indulging in things that weren't promised. To graduating to the MOMA, and finally getting what's due. To putting in work and making it out alive. To reaping the fruits of our labor: Black ties... Black Maybachs.... Tuxes next to the President... Going "Gorillas" in Paris... For us, to us. To our camaraderie, bonds, and these things we share together. To this music. To respect, hard-earned, and a life well lived that's still in progress. Black EXCELLENCE, opulence, DECADENCE.... A Toast. To it. To Success. To us. We've made it in America. Who gon stop we now?
KEY TRACKS: Niggas in Paris/Gotta Have It/Murder to Excellence

10/A$AP Rocky/LiveLoveA$AP

11/Tyler the Creator/GOBLIN

12/Drake/Take Care 

13/SBTRKT/SBTRKT

14/Junior Boys/It's All True

15/Danny Brown/XXX

16/JUSTICE/Audio, Video, Disco 

17/Jill Scott/The Light of the Sun 

18/CULTS/CULTS

19/James Blake/James Blake 

20/PJ Harvey/Let England Shake 

21/Lady Gaga/Born This Way

22/The Rapture/In the Grace of Your Love

23/Holy Ghost!/Holy Ghost!

24/Patrick Stump/Soul Punk

25/Beyonce/4 

Echoes of Silence.


Here.

DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS: The Singles, 2011.


09/LMFAO, Lauren Bennett, and GoonRock/Party Rock Anthem

I didn't always like this song. If I could, I would avoid it. But slowly, with each passing day (it did officially drop in JANUARY after all), I began to let myself tolerate it. When the video started on AMTV, I'd let it play. When it came on again on FUSE, I'd let it play. The song was just inescapable for a minute there. It was Party Rock Anthem's world, and I decided to just live in it. And when I did, I realized something: this song is not as bad as I think I'm supposed to think it is. The "generic" of the moment trance in the beat; The "Fergie but Not Fergie" part; Pretty much the whole Black Eyed Peas sheen, all suddenly worked for me. This is because Party Rock Anthem doesn't try to be something it's not. It's just here to have a good time the old fashioned way. It even says so. And for those four and half minutes that's it on, that's all you care about. No wonder it was so beloved. I get it.



10/Big Sean & Nicki Minaj/Dance (A$$) [REMIX]

11/The Black Keys/Lonely Boy

12/Theophilus London & Sara Quinn/Why Even Try

13/Cee-Lo Green/Bodies & Erykah Badu/Gone Baby, Don't Be Long

14/CANT/Too Late, Too Far 

15/Terius Nash & Big Sean/Ghetto

16/Radiohead/Lotus Flower 

17/Rihanna & Calvin Harris/We Found Love

18/Drake/Headlines

19/Wavves/King of the Beach

20/Ye, Shawn, & Otis/OTIS 

21/Lady Gaga/Born This Way AND The Edge of Glory

22/Chris Brown & Benny Benassi/Beauitful People AND Chris Brown, Busta Rhymes, & Lil Wayne/Look At Me Now

23/Lil Wayne/How To Love 

24/Holy Ghost! featuring Michael McDonald/Some Children AND Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera/Moves Like Jagger 

25/Florence + the Machine/Shake It Out


I Care.

A video.

Starring Beyonce.

The Motto.

A video.

Starring Drake, Lil Wayne, & Tyga.

Jokes.


FLAVORWIRE: Stereotyping You By Your Favorite Album of 2011

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Off to the Races.

A "New flava in ya ear!" production starring Lana Del Rey.

Stream here.