CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE ALBUMS, 2019.

03/VAMPIRE WEEKEND/FATHER OF THE BRIDE

Father of the Bride is a splendid work of art that feels like returning to a good book whenever you press play. Each song here is a beautiful poetic statement. Each song here is a wonderfully written, vivid piece of prose set to music that is made all the more vibrant by the buoyancy of Ezra's narration and the band's flawless mixing of various musical sounds and influences. From the infinite grooves and shining Americana songbook feel to the funk like jam band flourishes. They come together like Keats & Yates to provide a pointed written statement on love, both its rise and its fall, with a stunning clarity and colorful mindset that leaps off the page and takes flight everytime.

KEY TRACKS: 

HARMONY HALL



UNBEARABLY WHITE



SYMPATHY 



04/ARIANA GRANDE/THANK U, NEXT 

05/CATE LE BON/REWARD

06/TORO Y MOI/OUTER PEACE

07/TYLER THE CREATOR/IGOR

08/HELADO NEGRO/THIS IS HOW YOU SMILE 

09/JUAN WAUTERS/LA ONDA DE JUAN PABLO

10/LANA DEL REY/NORMAN FUCKING ROCKWELL!

11/JENNY LEWIS/ON THE LINE

12/DANNY BROWN/UNKOWHATIMSAYIN?

13/CHARLI XCX/CHARLI

14/BILLIE EILISH/WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

15/SHARON VAN ETTEN/REMIND ME TOMORROW 

16/BIG THIEF/TWO HANDS

17/JAIMIE BRANCH/FLY OR DIE II: BIRD DOGS OF PARADISE

18/FKA TWIGS/MAGDALENE

19/BRITTANY HOWARD/JAIME

20/JESSICA PRATT/QUIET SIGNS 

21/BAT FOR LASHES/LOST GIRLS

22/DEERHUNTER/WHY HASN'T EVERYTHING ALREADY DISAPPEARED?

23/ANGEL OLSEN/ALL MIRRORS

24/ADA LEA/WHAT WE SAY IN PRIVATE

25/BECK/HYPERSPACE

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE SONGS, 2019.

03/LANA DEL REY/NORMAN FUCKING ROCKWELL

In her amazing review of Lana Del Rey's latest album, Ann Powers notes how "the most straightforward songs on NFR! have that morning-light quality: a woman sitting at a keyboard, singing what she needs to say." And this is made evident immediately with the album's razor sharp yet warm opener and title track, Norman Fucking Rockwell. Like the album it leads, Norman Fucking Rockwell is a glorious piano ballad that is menacing and seductive, providing yet another straightforward portrait of life with them, the manchild. It's a funny conversation filled with hilarious observations sung beautifully, bringing to mind the calm, riveting fury of Fiona Apple or Tori Amos ("Goddamn it, manchild. You fucked me so good I almost said 'I love you...'" "Your poetry's bad and you blame the news." "Why wait for the best when I could have you?..."). Norman Fucking Rockwell is Lana at her best, sitting in that morning light, singing what needs to be said.



04/WEYES BLOOD/SOMETHING TO BELIEVE

05/JUAN WAUTERS/A VOLAR 

06/JENNY LEWIS/DOGWOOD 

07/ARIANA GRANDE/IMAGINE 

08/TAYLOR SWIFT/LOVER 

09/BEYONCE, WIZKID, SAINT JHN, & BLUE IVY CARTER/BROWN SKIN GIRL

10/TYLER THE CREATOR, SANTIGOLD, A$AP ROCKY, & JERROD CARMICHAEL/NEW MAGIC WAND

11/BILLIE EILISH/BAD GUY

12/ROSALIA, J BALVIN, & EL GUINCHO/CON ALTURA

13/STELLA DONNELLY/TRICKS

14/SHARON VAN ETTEN/SEVENTEEN

15/HELADO NEGRO/SEEN MY AURA

16/BRITTANY HOWARD/STAY HIGH

17/J BALVIN, BAD BUNNY, & MR. EAZI/COMO UN BEBE

18/BAT FOR LASHES/KIDS IN THE DARK 

19/JAIMIE BRANCH/SIMPLE SILVER SURFER

20/ESTHER ROSE/SEX AND MAGIC

21/DEERHUNTER/GREENPOINT GOTHIC

22/CATE LE BON/SAD NUDES

23/BECK/CHEMICAL

24/FKA TWIGS/HOME WITH YOU

25/BATTLES/FORT GREENE PARK
 

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE ALBUMS, 2019.

04/ARIANA GRANDE/THANK U, NEXT

So the last album just dropped in August 2018, and it was monumental. Huge singles with the tight deep cuts and everything. And she could have stewed with that for a year or two, gone on a tour and disappeared for a while. But why do that when you are sitting on the tracks that are housed within this album right here? So she didn't, and the following February we were given this, a tight 12 song collection to match the phenomenon that is the title track. On thank u, next, Ariana stunts like rappers and glides effortlessly between pop and breezy, often trap infused R&B tracks, going hard after providing us with a little sweetener late last year. She kept creating and kept it 100, and wound up with one of the year's smoothest (and best) pop records.

KEY TRACKS:

NASA



FAKE SMILE



BAD IDEA




05/CATE LE BON/REWARD

06/TORO Y MOI/OUTER PEACE

07/TYLER THE CREATOR/IGOR

08/HELADO NEGRO/THIS IS HOW YOU SMILE 

09/JUAN WAUTERS/LA ONDA DE JUAN PABLO

10/LANA DEL REY/NORMAN FUCKING ROCKWELL!

11/JENNY LEWIS/ON THE LINE

12/DANNY BROWN/UNKOWHATIMSAYIN?

13/CHARLI XCX/CHARLI

14/BILLIE EILISH/WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

15/SHARON VAN ETTEN/REMIND ME TOMORROW 

16/BIG THIEF/TWO HANDS

17/JAIMIE BRANCH/FLY OR DIE II: BIRD DOGS OF PARADISE

18/FKA TWIGS/MAGDALENE

19/BRITTANY HOWARD/JAIME

20/JESSICA PRATT/QUIET SIGNS 

21/BAT FOR LASHES/LOST GIRLS

22/DEERHUNTER/WHY HASN'T EVERYTHING ALREADY DISAPPEARED?

23/ANGEL OLSEN/ALL MIRRORS

24/ADA LEA/WHAT WE SAY IN PRIVATE

25/BECK/HYPERSPACE

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE SONGS, 2019.

 04/WEYES BLOOD/SOMETHING TO BELIEVE

At some point in this year you too might have caught a case of the empties, and the light inside you was suddenly extinguished as exhaustion reigned supreme. Maybe on more than one occasion. Know that you are not alone. She understands and stands there with you, looking into the great unknown with this majestic gift of a song. Something to Believe is a tremendous baroque pop highlight from Weyes Blood's equally stunning LP Titanic Rising that moves like Joni Mitchell and soars, resting beautifully among the stars. The immaculate vocal, her thrilling conviction, that slide guitar, and the riveting production are all sublime, working in perfect harmony to keep us away from the quicksand.



05/JUAN WAUTERS/A VOLAR 

06/JENNY LEWIS/DOGWOOD 

07/ARIANA GRANDE/IMAGINE 

08/TAYLOR SWIFT/LOVER 

09/BEYONCE, WIZKID, SAINT JHN, & BLUE IVY CARTER/BROWN SKIN GIRL

10/TYLER THE CREATOR, SANTIGOLD, A$AP ROCKY, & JERROD CARMICHAEL/NEW MAGIC WAND

11/BILLIE EILISH/BAD GUY

12/ROSALIA, J BALVIN, & EL GUINCHO/CON ALTURA

13/STELLA DONNELLY/TRICKS

14/SHARON VAN ETTEN/SEVENTEEN

15/HELADO NEGRO/SEEN MY AURA

16/BRITTANY HOWARD/STAY HIGH

17/J BALVIN, BAD BUNNY, & MR. EAZI/COMO UN BEBE

18/BAT FOR LASHES/KIDS IN THE DARK 

19/JAIMIE BRANCH/SIMPLE SILVER SURFER

20/ESTHER ROSE/SEX AND MAGIC

21/DEERHUNTER/GREENPOINT GOTHIC

22/CATE LE BON/SAD NUDES

23/BECK/CHEMICAL

24/FKA TWIGS/HOME WITH YOU

25/BATTLES/FORT GREENE PARK
 

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE ALBUMS, 2019.

05/CATE LE BON/REWARD

When we last spoke with Cate Le Bon, she and Tim Presley were busy taking us away to intimate art rock wonderlands where jaunty, and often times chaotic and ramshackle ditties bumped up against sparse and gorgeous bare bones instrumental compositions magnificently. Skip ahead to today and she's done it again with an imaginative art-rock album that reaches once again into the inner depths of her creative and whimsical abilities musically to create something stellar. Whether she's singing atop keys and arrangements that sound as if it they are coming from a room lit only by fire (the excellent Sad Nudes and the captivating album closer Meet the Man), or dabbling in triumphant art-punk and new wave excursions (see Mother's Mother's Magazines and Magnificent Gestures), Cate's music box remains colorful and vibrant, giving us a rewarding listening experience in return.

KEY TRACKS:

DAYLIGHT MATTERS



HOME TO YOU



MOTHER'S MOTHER'S MAGAZINES



06/TORO Y MOI/OUTER PEACE

07/TYLER THE CREATOR/IGOR

08/HELADO NEGRO/THIS IS HOW YOU SMILE 

09/JUAN WAUTERS/LA ONDA DE JUAN PABLO

10/LANA DEL REY/NORMAN FUCKING ROCKWELL!

11/JENNY LEWIS/ON THE LINE

12/DANNY BROWN/UNKOWHATIMSAYIN?

13/CHARLI XCX/CHARLI

14/BILLIE EILISH/WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

15/SHARON VAN ETTEN/REMIND ME TOMORROW 

16/BIG THIEF/TWO HANDS

17/JAIMIE BRANCH/FLY OR DIE II: BIRD DOGS OF PARADISE

18/FKA TWIGS/MAGDALENE

19/BRITTANY HOWARD/JAIME

20/JESSICA PRATT/QUIET SIGNS 

21/BAT FOR LASHES/LOST GIRLS

22/DEERHUNTER/WHY HASN'T EVERYTHING ALREADY DISAPPEARED?

23/ANGEL OLSEN/ALL MIRRORS

24/ADA LEA/WHAT WE SAY IN PRIVATE

25/BECK/HYPERSPACE

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE SONGS, 2019.

05/JUAN WAUTERS/A VOLAR

Juan's La Onda de Juan Pablo has been in heavy rotation from the jump. And each and every track is a winner, but my favorite song is second to last, number nine out of ten. Sometimes I returned to the album just to hear it specifically. The idyllic arrangement, his calming vocal, and the lovely instrumentation that all comes together to create some kind of wonderful. And A Volar is here for all of those reasons, of course. But A Volar is here mainly because A Volar is home. It's a city and memories, comfort and warmth. I was told by Spotify that this was one of my top 5 most played songs this year and yes, it's true. From the idyllic arrangement to his calming vocal, A Volar is love and a delightful comfort that warms the heart, and will forever hold a place in mine.



06/JENNY LEWIS/DOGWOOD 

07/ARIANA GRANDE/IMAGINE 

08/TAYLOR SWIFT/LOVER 

09/BEYONCE, WIZKID, SAINT JHN, & BLUE IVY CARTER/BROWN SKIN GIRL

10/TYLER THE CREATOR, SANTIGOLD, A$AP ROCKY, & JERROD CARMICHAEL/NEW MAGIC WAND

11/BILLIE EILISH/BAD GUY

12/ROSALIA, J BALVIN, & EL GUINCHO/CON ALTURA

13/STELLA DONNELLY/TRICKS

14/SHARON VAN ETTEN/SEVENTEEN

15/HELADO NEGRO/SEEN MY AURA

16/BRITTANY HOWARD/STAY HIGH

17/J BALVIN, BAD BUNNY, & MR. EAZI/COMO UN BEBE

18/BAT FOR LASHES/KIDS IN THE DARK 

19/JAIMIE BRANCH/SIMPLE SILVER SURFER

20/ESTHER ROSE/SEX AND MAGIC

21/DEERHUNTER/GREENPOINT GOTHIC

22/CATE LE BON/SAD NUDES

23/BECK/CHEMICAL

24/FKA TWIGS/HOME WITH YOU

25/BATTLES/FORT GREENE PARK

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE ALBUMS, 2019.

06/TORO Y MOI/OUTER PEACE


"Maximize all this pleasure, even with all this weather. Nothing can make it better. Maximize all the pleasure." A hook, repeated early on. And as the music plays and the records spin you realize that on Outer Peace, it's a lifestyle as well. Outer Peace is a highly refined thirty minute set from Chaz that aims to bring peace by helping you get down. It mixes Latin & African rhythms, R&B slow jams, some House and a little bit of Funk elements together seamlessly in order to keep you moving. And if ever you need to get a party started, return to him and this set of ready for the floor club joints. They will come to your rescue, with pleasure. 

KEY TRACKS:

ORDINARY PLEASURE



LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE



BABY DRIVE IT DOWN



07/TYLER THE CREATOR/IGOR

08/HELADO NEGRO/THIS IS HOW YOU SMILE 

09/JUAN WAUTERS/LA ONDA DE JUAN PABLO

10/LANA DEL REY/NORMAN FUCKING ROCKWELL!

11/JENNY LEWIS/ON THE LINE

12/DANNY BROWN/UNKOWHATIMSAYIN?

13/CHARLI XCX/CHARLI

14/BILLIE EILISH/WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

15/SHARON VAN ETTEN/REMIND ME TOMORROW 

16/BIG THIEF/TWO HANDS

17/JAIMIE BRANCH/FLY OR DIE II: BIRD DOGS OF PARADISE

18/FKA TWIGS/MAGDALENE

19/BRITTANY HOWARD/JAIME

20/JESSICA PRATT/QUIET SIGNS 

21/BAT FOR LASHES/LOST GIRLS

22/DEERHUNTER/WHY HASN'T EVERYTHING ALREADY DISAPPEARED?

23/ANGEL OLSEN/ALL MIRRORS

24/ADA LEA/WHAT WE SAY IN PRIVATE

25/BECK/HYPERSPACE





 

 

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE SONGS, 2019.

06/JENNY LEWIS/DOGWOOD

In the Springtime, in a little house, she was determined to work it out. She dimmed the lights and hit the piano as the dogwood bloomed around her. And then, this. On Dogwood Jenny slows things down and sings clearly, determined to work it out and through this retelling of a love once strong now lost. Dogwood airs things out patiently in time with a steady heart and comforting production. Melancholy guitar and bass lines weep for Jenny as drums beat soundly like her heart on the mend. With Dogwood Jenny Lewis stops the show by being wonderfully earnest and centered, crafting a ballad as beautiful as the dogwood in bloom.



07/ARIANA GRANDE/IMAGINE 

08/TAYLOR SWIFT/LOVER 

09/BEYONCE, WIZKID, SAINT JHN, & BLUE IVY CARTER/BROWN SKIN GIRL

10/TYLER THE CREATOR, SANTIGOLD, A$AP ROCKY, & JERROD CARMICHAEL/NEW MAGIC WAND

11/BILLIE EILISH/BAD GUY

12/ROSALIA, J BALVIN, & EL GUINCHO/CON ALTURA

13/STELLA DONNELLY/TRICKS

14/SHARON VAN ETTEN/SEVENTEEN

15/HELADO NEGRO/SEEN MY AURA

16/BRITTANY HOWARD/STAY HIGH

17/J BALVIN, BAD BUNNY, & MR. EAZI/COMO UN BEBE

18/BAT FOR LASHES/KIDS IN THE DARK 

19/JAIMIE BRANCH/SIMPLE SILVER SURFER

20/ESTHER ROSE/SEX AND MAGIC

21/DEERHUNTER/GREENPOINT GOTHIC

22/CATE LE BON/SAD NUDES

23/BECK/CHEMICAL

24/FKA TWIGS/HOME WITH YOU

25/BATTLES/FORT GREENE PARK

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE ALBUMS, 2019.

07/TYLER THE CREATOR/IGOR

A boy broke his heart. Played too many games, fucked with his emotions, and gave little fucks when a little more was needed. So he, as one does when being a stellar artist is what one does, poured his heart out by putting it all out there in a few little love songs. And man oh man, oh man, oh man, oh man. IGOR is a sonic masterpiece that sparkles and electrifies; An earfquake of madcap energy that aims to groove you like Stevie while bringing that earth, wind, and fire, and outstanding GAP BAND like swag. It's the sound of a heart on fire and shedding many tears. All dazzling keys and synthesizers and booming 808s. And swag. And creativity for days. IGOR is Hip-Hop on that next level. Written, Produced and arranged by Tyler Okonma. 

KEY TRACKS:

EARFQUAKE



I THINK



WHAT'S GOOD



08/HELADO NEGRO/THIS IS HOW YOU SMILE 

09/JUAN WAUTERS/LA ONDA DE JUAN PABLO

10/LANA DEL REY/NORMAN FUCKING ROCKWELL!

11/JENNY LEWIS/ON THE LINE

12/DANNY BROWN/UNKOWHATIMSAYIN?

13/CHARLI XCX/CHARLI

14/BILLIE EILISH/WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

15/SHARON VAN ETTEN/REMIND ME TOMORROW 

16/BIG THIEF/TWO HANDS

17/JAIMIE BRANCH/FLY OR DIE II: BIRD DOGS OF PARADISE

18/FKA TWIGS/MAGDALENE

19/BRITTANY HOWARD/JAIME

20/JESSICA PRATT/QUIET SIGNS 

21/BAT FOR LASHES/LOST GIRLS

22/DEERHUNTER/WHY HASN'T EVERYTHING ALREADY DISAPPEARED?

23/ANGEL OLSEN/ALL MIRRORS

24/ADA LEA/WHAT WE SAY IN PRIVATE

25/BECK/HYPERSPACE

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE SONGS, 2019.

 07/ARIANA GRANDE/IMAGINE

Welcome to the Comfort Inn. She with no makeup, he in the bathtub, and three and a half minutes of pure pop and R&B bliss. Imagine is like bubbles and bubbly and sleeping til noon. It's the comedown, and it's a vibe, where she and the melodies fit so good like her face in his neck during a moment of rest. This is a pleasure that reaches for the stars and rests there, coasting and crazy in love. It's an album opener that pulls you in and never lets go as she rests among the stars with him acting regular, and a gorgeously smooth sign of more great things to come.



08/TAYLOR SWIFT/LOVER 

09/BEYONCE, WIZKID, SAINT JHN, & BLUE IVY CARTER/BROWN SKIN GIRL

10/TYLER THE CREATOR, SANTIGOLD, A$AP ROCKY, & JERROD CARMICHAEL/NEW MAGIC WAND

11/BILLIE EILISH/BAD GUY

12/ROSALIA, J BALVIN, & EL GUINCHO/CON ALTURA

13/STELLA DONNELLY/TRICKS

14/SHARON VAN ETTEN/SEVENTEEN

15/HELADO NEGRO/SEEN MY AURA

16/BRITTANY HOWARD/STAY HIGH

17/J BALVIN, BAD BUNNY, & MR. EAZI/COMO UN BEBE

18/BAT FOR LASHES/KIDS IN THE DARK 

19/JAIMIE BRANCH/SIMPLE SILVER SURFER

20/ESTHER ROSE/SEX AND MAGIC

21/DEERHUNTER/GREENPOINT GOTHIC

22/CATE LE BON/SAD NUDES

23/BECK/CHEMICAL

24/FKA TWIGS/HOME WITH YOU

25/BATTLES/FORT GREENE PARK

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE ALBUMS, 2019.

08/HELADO NEGRO/THIS IS HOW YOU SMILE

Before you even press play he shows you, this is how you smile. And you gaze and you do, instantly comforted by the imagery up above presented before you. And then you press play, and it happens again. You're comforted, immediately. You get caught up in the rapture. Reminded that it's okay to cry. You glow again. With him and his shiny, shimmering arrangements that simmer softly and never boil over. His brown glows and you bask in it. The light calypso, breezy acoustic touches, and light flamenco arrangements. So beautiful it damn near overwhelms you with its calmness, moving you and grooving you, always reminding you, this is how you smile...

KEY TRACKS:

IMAGINING WHAT TO DO



RUNNING



TODO LO QUE ME FALTA





09/JUAN WAUTERS/LA ONDA DE JUAN PABLO

10/LANA DEL REY/NORMAN FUCKING ROCKWELL!

11/JENNY LEWIS/ON THE LINE

12/DANNY BROWN/UNKOWHATIMSAYIN?

13/CHARLI XCX/CHARLI

14/BILLIE EILISH/WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

15/SHARON VAN ETTEN/REMIND ME TOMORROW 

16/BIG THIEF/TWO HANDS

17/JAIMIE BRANCH/FLY OR DIE II: BIRD DOGS OF PARADISE

18/FKA TWIGS/MAGDALENE

19/BRITTANY HOWARD/JAIME

20/JESSICA PRATT/QUIET SIGNS 

21/BAT FOR LASHES/LOST GIRLS

22/DEERHUNTER/WHY HASN'T EVERYTHING ALREADY DISAPPEARED?

23/ANGEL OLSEN/ALL MIRRORS

24/ADA LEA/WHAT WE SAY IN PRIVATE

25/BECK/HYPERSPACE

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE SONGS, 2019.

08/TAYLOR SWIFT/LOVER

Can I go where you go?
Can we always be this close?
(forever and ever)

Cause it's you at your best.

Lovestruck and present, observant as all get out.

With every guitar string scar on your hand, 

You that take that magnetic force of a man to be yours.
(forever and ever)

And with every guitar string and singing at hand, I take this magnetic force of a song to by mine.

Forever and ever.

This magnetic force of a gem.

The dazzling and mysterious ways about you.

Your majestic simplicity and this gorgeously baroque, acoustic arrangement. 

Take me out, and take me home.
(forever and ever)
You're my, my, my, my....

Lover.

09/BEYONCE, WIZKID, SAINT JHN, & BLUE IVY CARTER/BROWN SKIN GIRL

10/TYLER THE CREATOR, SANTIGOLD, A$AP ROCKY, & JERROD CARMICHAEL/NEW MAGIC WAND

11/BILLIE EILISH/BAD GUY

12/ROSALIA, J BALVIN, & EL GUINCHO/CON ALTURA

13/STELLA DONNELLY/TRICKS

14/SHARON VAN ETTEN/SEVENTEEN

15/HELADO NEGRO/SEEN MY AURA

16/BRITTANY HOWARD/STAY HIGH

17/J BALVIN, BAD BUNNY, & MR. EAZI/COMO UN BEBE

18/BAT FOR LASHES/KIDS IN THE DARK 

19/JAIMIE BRANCH/SIMPLE SILVER SURFER

20/ESTHER ROSE/SEX AND MAGIC

21/DEERHUNTER/GREENPOINT GOTHIC

22/CATE LE BON/SAD NUDES

23/BECK/CHEMICAL

24/FKA TWIGS/HOME WITH YOU

25/BATTLES/FORT GREENE PARK

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE ALBUMS, 2019.

09/JUAN WAUTERS/LA ONDA DE JUAN PABLO

On his first album sung entirely in Spanish, Uruguayan-American recording artist Juan Wauters finds beauty in the little things of everyday life and the joy that musical collaboration brings. La Onda De Juan Pablo is a dazzling collection of mini islands comprised of Mexican and Latin American compositions crafted with locals he met along the way during travels through Latin America. The result is a joyous reverie and collection of Mexican and Latin American music and culture that vibrates harmoniously with Juan's full-throated velveteen vocals. With La Onda De Juan Pablo, a sweet escapade is provided that raises your spirit and warms the heart.

KEY TRACKS:

BLUES CHILANGO




GUAPA



CANDOMBE INSTRUMENTAL 





10/LANA DEL REY/NORMAN FUCKING ROCKWELL!

11/JENNY LEWIS/ON THE LINE

12/DANNY BROWN/UNKOWHATIMSAYIN?

13/CHARLI XCX/CHARLI

14/BILLIE EILISH/WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

15/SHARON VAN ETTEN/REMIND ME TOMORROW 

16/BIG THIEF/TWO HANDS

17/JAIMIE BRANCH/FLY OR DIE II: BIRD DOGS OF PARADISE

18/FKA TWIGS/MAGDALENE

19/BRITTANY HOWARD/JAIME

20/JESSICA PRATT/QUIET SIGNS 

21/BAT FOR LASHES/LOST GIRLS

22/DEERHUNTER/WHY HASN'T EVERYTHING ALREADY DISAPPEARED?

23/ANGEL OLSEN/ALL MIRRORS

24/ADA LEA/WHAT WE SAY IN PRIVATE

25/BECK/HYPERSPACE

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE SONGS, 2019.

09/BEYONCE, WIZKID, SAINT JHN, & BLUE IVY CARTER/BROWN SKIN GIRL

Brown Skin Girl. Skin just like pearls. The best thing in the world. I'll never trade you for anybody else. Cause you're beautiful. Gold like 24K. And if ever you are in doubt, remember what Beyonce told we: Your skin is not only dark, it shines and it tells your story. As does she. As does this breezy celebratory ode to the glory that is you and the skin you are in. Like the women this song champions, Brown Skin Girl is a breezy, afrobeats laced ray of sunshine that glows like diamonds. Pretty like Lupita when the beat rolls in, Brown Skin Girl is beautifully human, with a warmth that washes over you and stays with you long after the music ends.




10/TYLER THE CREATOR, SANTIGOLD, A$AP ROCKY, & JERROD CARMICHAEL/NEW MAGIC WAND

11/BILLIE EILISH/BAD GUY

12/ROSALIA, J BALVIN, & EL GUINCHO/CON ALTURA

13/STELLA DONNELLY/TRICKS

14/SHARON VAN ETTEN/SEVENTEEN

15/HELADO NEGRO/SEEN MY AURA

16/BRITTANY HOWARD/STAY HIGH

17/J BALVIN, BAD BUNNY, & MR. EAZI/COMO UN BEBE

18/BAT FOR LASHES/KIDS IN THE DARK 

19/JAIMIE BRANCH/SIMPLE SILVER SURFER

20/ESTHER ROSE/SEX AND MAGIC

21/DEERHUNTER/GREENPOINT GOTHIC

22/CATE LE BON/SAD NUDES

23/BECK/CHEMICAL

24/FKA TWIGS/HOME WITH YOU

25/BATTLES/FORT GREENE PARK

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE ALBUMS, 2019.

10/LANA DEL REY/NORMAN FUCKING ROCKWELL!

Lana Del Rey's Norman Fucking Rockwell! is a gorgeous portrait of today, those fuck boys (always), and the state of a nation. On Norman Fucking Rockwell!, Lana's a spirited balladeer, a hypnotic torch singer, and a biting social critic. And her ballads stretch and breathe as needed as she luxuriates in the pocket, calm and collected; nodding to great American songwriters like Dylan and Joni while taking us on a ride through California’s canyons with a little camp and a touch of sass. All while delivering some of her strongest songs to date and the finished product that is this, her great American record.

 KEY TRACKS:

VENICE B***H



F**K IT I LOVE YOU 



THE GREATEST



11/JENNY LEWIS/ON THE LINE

12/DANNY BROWN/UNKOWHATIMSAYIN?

13/CHARLI XCX/CHARLI

14/BILLIE EILISH/WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

15/SHARON VAN ETTEN/REMIND ME TOMORROW 

16/BIG THIEF/TWO HANDS

17/JAIMIE BRANCH/FLY OR DIE II: BIRD DOGS OF PARADISE

18/FKA TWIGS/MAGDALENE

19/BRITTANY HOWARD/JAIME

20/JESSICA PRATT/QUIET SIGNS 

21/BAT FOR LASHES/LOST GIRLS

22/DEERHUNTER/WHY HASN'T EVERYTHING ALREADY DISAPPEARED?

23/ANGEL OLSEN/ALL MIRRORS

24/ADA LEA/WHAT WE SAY IN PRIVATE

25/BECK/HYPERSPACE

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE SONGS, 2019.

10/TYLER THE CREATOR, SANTIGOLD, A$AP ROCKY, & JERROD CARMICHAEL/NEW MAGIC WAND

In the center of Tyler’s latest opus sits this brash ear splitting track right here, a few blocks down from its more popular and emotionally available cousin Earfquake. With that song many came away astonished, not knowing the dude with that YONKERS energy could do that. "Is he gone now?" "Did he disappear?" Nope. Still here. Right here. Applying that trash talk and some slinky window shattering trapacalia to this here tale of romantic woe (He know the real you -WHY IS SHE HERE?- "I can make her leaaavvveeeeee..."). Guests Santigold and A$AP Rocky are woven in like instrumentation too, adding to the dizzying and exhilarating rush that is this song and an infatuation he just can't seem to quit. Shit is bonkers.



11/BILLIE EILISH/BAD GUY

12/ROSALIA, J BALVIN, & EL GUINCHO/CON ALTURA

13/STELLA DONNELLY/TRICKS

14/SHARON VAN ETTEN/SEVENTEEN

15/HELADO NEGRO/SEEN MY AURA

16/BRITTANY HOWARD/STAY HIGH

17/J BALVIN, BAD BUNNY, & MR. EAZI/COMO UN BEBE

18/BAT FOR LASHES/KIDS IN THE DARK 

19/JAIMIE BRANCH/SIMPLE SILVER SURFER

20/ESTHER ROSE/SEX AND MAGIC

21/DEERHUNTER/GREENPOINT GOTHIC

22/CATE LE BON/SAD NUDES

23/BECK/CHEMICAL

24/FKA TWIGS/HOME WITH YOU

25/BATTLES/FORT GREENE PARK

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE ALBUMS, 2019.

11/JENNY LEWIS/ON THE LINE

“Your demons got reasons to fight!” we hear a few tracks in, on the album highlight Hollywood Lawn. “So you keep dreaming.” And her demons got reasons to fight, so she kept dreaming, and singing, and creating through the break-ups and the shake ups. On album number four eureka moments come Jenny’s way and are presented vividly, in stereo. On the Line is a mature and musically robust album from a woman no longer on the verge of a nervous breakdown trying to remember to keep dreaming. It’s the sound of getting over and the attempts to do so that finds solace in melodies and sounds that are reminiscent of those that were found on 70s AM radio. Peace of mind. All she and the music wants is peace of mind. And with On the Line, we all get it.

KEY TRACKS:

RED BULL & HENNESSY




TAFFY






RABBIT HOLE 



12/DANNY BROWN/UNKOWHATIMSAYIN?

13/CHARLI XCX/CHARLI

14/BILLIE EILISH/WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

15/SHARON VAN ETTEN/REMIND ME TOMORROW 

16/BIG THIEF/TWO HANDS

17/JAIMIE BRANCH/FLY OR DIE II: BIRD DOGS OF PARADISE

18/FKA TWIGS/MAGDALENE

19/BRITTANY HOWARD/JAIME

20/JESSICA PRATT/QUIET SIGNS 

21/BAT FOR LASHES/LOST GIRLS

22/DEERHUNTER/WHY HASN'T EVERYTHING ALREADY DISAPPEARED?

23/ANGEL OLSEN/ALL MIRRORS

24/ADA LEA/WHAT WE SAY IN PRIVATE

25/BECK/HYPERSPACE

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE SONGS, 2019.

11/BILLIE EILISH/BAD GUY



12/ROSALIA, J BALVIN, & EL GUINCHO/CON ALTURA

13/STELLA DONNELLY/TRICKS

14/SHARON VAN ETTEN/SEVENTEEN

15/HELADO NEGRO/SEEN MY AURA

16/BRITTANY HOWARD/STAY HIGH

17/J BALVIN, BAD BUNNY, & MR. EAZI/COMO UN BEBE

18/BAT FOR LASHES/KIDS IN THE DARK 

19/JAIMIE BRANCH/SIMPLE SILVER SURFER

20/ESTHER ROSE/SEX AND MAGIC

21/DEERHUNTER/GREENPOINT GOTHIC

22/CATE LE BON/SAD NUDES

23/BECK/CHEMICAL

24/FKA TWIGS/HOME WITH YOU

25/BATTLES/FORT GREENE PARK

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE ALBUMS, 2019.

12/DANNY BROWN/UNKOWHATIMSAYIN?

He’s come a long way from that dope house and not having a pot to piss in. And ain’t no next life, so now he out here living his best life. And on his executive produced by Q-Tip fifth album, you feel it. Danny’s in the pocket giving no fucks with nothing to prove, living his best life indeed. Coasting he ain’t though. He still got the mind of a Master and the heart of a King. He will still put you in your place and tell you about yourself while peeping you on some game. He’s still a masterful storyteller and hilarious Jokester, “anemic with the ink” with a great ear for beats. The beats, rhymes, and life on unkowhatimsaying? comes at you like Bernie Mac talking to America: no bullshit, all realness, plenty laughs. It's that good good and that real, and Hip-Hop at its finest.

KEY TRACKS:

THEME SONG






DIRTY LAUNDRY 




COMBAT 



13/CHARLI XCX/CHARLI

14/BILLIE EILISH/WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

15/SHARON VAN ETTEN/REMIND ME TOMORROW 

16/BIG THIEF/TWO HANDS

17/JAIMIE BRANCH/FLY OR DIE II: BIRD DOGS OF PARADISE

18/FKA TWIGS/MAGDALENE

19/BRITTANY HOWARD/JAIME

20/JESSICA PRATT/QUIET SIGNS 

21/BAT FOR LASHES/LOST GIRLS

22/DEERHUNTER/WHY HASN'T EVERYTHING ALREADY DISAPPEARED?

23/ANGEL OLSEN/ALL MIRRORS

24/ADA LEA/WHAT WE SAY IN PRIVATE

25/BECK/HYPERSPACE

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE SONGS, 2019.

12/ROSALIA, J BALVIN, & EL GUINCHO/CON ALTURA



13/STELLA DONNELLY/TRICKS

14/SHARON VAN ETTEN/SEVENTEEN

15/HELADO NEGRO/SEEN MY AURA

16/BRITTANY HOWARD/STAY HIGH

17/J BALVIN, BAD BUNNY, & MR. EAZI/COMO UN BEBE

18/BAT FOR LASHES/KIDS IN THE DARK 

19/JAIMIE BRANCH/SIMPLE SILVER SURFER

20/ESTHER ROSE/SEX AND MAGIC

21/DEERHUNTER/GREENPOINT GOTHIC

22/CATE LE BON/SAD NUDES

23/BECK/CHEMICAL

24/FKA TWIGS/HOME WITH YOU

25/BATTLES/FORT GREENE PARK

CUZ I LOVE YOU (!) ... : THE ALBUMS, 2019.

13/CHARLI XCX/CHARLI

She pull up, roll up, go hard, go fast, burn rubber, no crash, please hush. Got visions, levels, they don’t get she, one of the best out here doing it, quiet no discussions,  please hush. “It’s Charli.”
An avant-garde pop wizard and pop music connoisseur who, once again with her third album here, bends and screws pop music to her whims, taking the genre and her songs to euphoric and dizzying heights. Charli is another batch of brash, out of this world bangers (Gone, Click, 2099) and stunning  downtempo moments of head knocking vulnerability (album highlights I Don't Wanna Know, White Mercedes, & Official) from Charli XCX that feel zapped in from the year 2099. She Pluto, Neptune, future, future. Do yourself a favor and roll up.

KEY TRACKS: 

WHITE MERCEDES




SILVER CROSS



 
FEBRUARY 2017 



14/BILLIE EILISH/WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

15/SHARON VAN ETTEN/REMIND ME TOMORROW 

16/BIG THIEF/TWO HANDS

17/JAIMIE BRANCH/FLY OR DIE II: BIRD DOGS OF PARADISE

18/FKA TWIGS/MAGDALENE

19/BRITTANY HOWARD/JAIME

20/JESSICA PRATT/QUIET SIGNS 

21/BAT FOR LASHES/LOST GIRLS

22/DEERHUNTER/WHY HASN'T EVERYTHING ALREADY DISAPPEARED?

23/ANGEL OLSEN/ALL MIRRORS

24/ADA LEA/WHAT WE SAY IN PRIVATE

25/BECK/HYPERSPACE