NICE AS F*CK! : The Songs, 2016.

09/blood orange/chance

"Everybody wanna be a nigga but nobody wanna be a nigga." 

Everybody wants to be able to use the word without consequences and wonder what the big deal is. Everybody wants to dread their hair, rock braids, shout Thug Life, be surrounded by the culture, but not exist within it. Be free to maneuver in and out of Blackness, have the chance to do you, even if this "you" is not rooted in your ancestry or community.

Him too.

We too.

And then there are those others who are curious to know why so many of us Black folk are so hung up on being Black or talking about being Black. Why all we see is race and color (As if they don't). What is our problem? (As if none exist here involving them) Why are you so mad? ("It's 2016!")

They want to tell you how to grieve, how to dress, how to speak, where you are and aren't accepted, still, in 2016, but often don't want to ask why we see what we do, act how we act, do how we do, or how we got here. Nor do they seek to find out why.

Cause some are scared of the answer that awaits them following such a question. But there's no need for this fear cause the fact of the matter is, as Dev plainly & exquisitely says here without a trace of anger or disgust in his voice:

"All I ever wanted was a chance for myself..."

Even in 2016.

To exist. To be young, gifted, and black and not be challenged because of that. To do you doing Black which for us is just us being us. Point a finger or just ignore that which disturbs you or doesn't fit, fine, but Dev's gonna speak on it while he has your undivided attention. And he's not going to beat you over the head with that knowledge or lecture you. He will come at you as an adult, a human being; calm and steady; telling you why he's mad, and ask that you simply understand and let him do him; exist in this space and have a chance to just do him, as you do you. Help you understand why we fight, why this is complicated, and why for us, this is not a game, still, in 2016.

"All you ever wanted was a chance for yourself..."

Him too.

We too.



10/jessy lanza/never enough

11/kaytranada featuring syd/you're the one

12/dirty projectors/keep your name

13/britney spears/private show

14/devendra banhart/fancy man

15/angel olsen/shut up kiss me

16/parquet courts/i was just here

17/badbadnotgood feat. samuel t. herring/time moves slow

18/of montreal/it's different for girls

19/nice as f*#k/door

20/flume featuring beck/tiny cities

21/the weeknd/false alarm

22/amber coffman/all to myself

23/bruno mars/that's what i like

24/car seat headrest/destroyed by hippie powers

25/savages/adore

impatient.

a video.

starring sammie.

with me/do it well.

a video.

from dvsn.

not the actual events.

starring nine inch nails.

stream here. 

NICE AS F*CK! : The Albums, 2016.

10/car seat headrest/teens of denial

Early in this album's run our narrator Will Toledo finds himself out and about at a social gathering with his peers. Drugs are being popped and conversations are being had, but our narrator is bored and over it, feels nothing. This one guy keeps asking him "how does it feel?..." and he doesn't even know how to begin to answer that question, so he just replies "I don't wanna talk about it" and retreats to his place of solitude in a social setting, content with being a fly on the wall event though he rather be sleeping or just wants to go home. It's a theme and situation that repeats itself over and over again on Teens of Denial, where Mr. Toledo and company go through the motions of being young and participatory when in fact they rather not be faking the funk. With Teens of Denial, Car Seat Headrest are hilarious and astute social commentators moving through the ridiculousness of being young and on while consciously glossing over the fact that the "good times" are killing you. These entertaining day in the life vignettes come wrapped in the modern indie rock trappings and fanciful guitar wizardry that is reminiscent of pre-Odelay Beck or Pavement at the height of their popularity. Lying atop this is everything Mr. Toledo and company won't say or refuse to say out loud and choose to instead share with us in private. They may not be the most outgoing party goers or participants in the game of having a social life, but when left to their own devices in the studio, Car Set Headrest allow themselves to be present and talkative, with plenty to say and show off.

KEY TRACKS: Vincent/(Joe Gets Kicked Out of School for Using) Drugs with Friends (But Says This Isn't a Problem)/Drunk Drivers - Killer Whales

11/beyonce/lemonade

12/a tribe called quest/"we got it from here... thank you 4 your service"

13/nxworries/yes lawd!

14/nice as fuck/nice as fuck

15/childish gambino/"awaken, my love!"

16/rihanna/anti

17/parquet courts/human performance

18/kaytranada/99.9%

19/devendra banhart/ape in pink marble

20/david bowie/blackstar

21/the julie ruin/hit reset

22/jessy lanza/oh no

23/junior boys/big black coat

24/majid jordan/majid jordan

25/badbadnotgood/iv

to be without you.

starring ryan adams.



ROLLING STONE: Hear Ryan Adams' Lonesome New Folk-Rock Song 'To Be Without You'

NICE AS F*CK! : The Songs, 2016.

10/jessy lanza/never enough

Jessy Lanza is anxious. She's anxious and hopelessly devoted. She anxious and hopelessly devoted and busy taking part in something that may very well prove itself to be a fool's errand: trying to sway the man in front of her who can't see that she's giving her all & has got these real intense feelings for you; that this could be an everlasting love. It's unrequited puppy love that is never too much or overbearing because Never Enough does what Jessy Lanza and the album that it's pulled from does best: takes an all encompassing feeling and elevates it by reducing it to a level of slow burning intimacy, drawing you into her space and easily forging a connection. Never Enough goes down like a fine wine, cascading on a glossy and shimmering melody that bounces like the beat of her heart, rock steady. The words may come from a place of overbearing anxiousness and excitement, but Ms. Lanza and her silky smooth composition keeps it calm so that her suitor can hear her loud and clear, and we can relate and never lose sight of the other important matter at hand here: catching the beat.

11/kaytranada featuring syd/you're the one

12/dirty projectors/keep your name

13/britney spears/private show

14/devendra banhart/fancy man

15/angel olsen/shut up kiss me

16/parquet courts/i was just here

17/badbadnotgood feat. samuel t. herring/time moves slow

18/of montreal/it's different for girls

19/nice as f*#k/door

20/flume featuring beck/tiny cities

21/the weeknd/false alarm

22/amber coffman/all to myself

23/bruno mars/that's what i like

24/car seat headrest/destroyed by hippie powers

25/savages/adore

-INTERLUDE-

with kendrick lamar.

faith.

a video.

starring stevie wonder & ariana grande.

NICE AS F*CK! : The Albums, 2016.

11/beyonce/lemonade

The Beyonce we're presented with in Lemonade is a woman scorned. She's been victimized, lied to, and is all up in her feelings. And for good reason. And yet, when you press play on Lemonade, what you encounter is not a pity party, nor do you ever feel sorry or sad for the woman wading through the trials and tribulations of dealing with a heart now broken. And while there are many things to take apart and champion on Beyonce's latest, this refusal to stand down and not be heard, and wallow in the deep waters of depressive solitude is Lemonade's greatest triumph. Lemonade is not the night of where you first found out about the betrayal. It is not the sweatpants and ice cream + netflix and chill while dancing on my own with tears running down my eyes period either. No, Lemonade is that moment where B hops up out the bed, turns her swag on, and decides "you know what? Fuck him, Fuck this, Fuck the drama!" It's an album long reminder and shout of "THAT'S RIGHT I'M DA BADDEST BITCH!" to herself and to he who shall not be named. She may not have asked for or wanted any of this pain and heartache, but she's prepared for it. Been groomed on how to spot trouble and how to deal with it. And deal with it she does. They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Lemonade is living proof of how on point this statement can be when applied correctly. With Lemonade, Beyonce takes her fury and anguish and channels it into her music and the "NOT TODAY!" (CAUSE I AM NOT THE ONE!) attitude she settles into throughout the album, even in the we gotta work this out/let's work through this/true love can't be denied/I forgive you moments that pop up near the album's end. Most importantly, Lemonade presents a fearless Beyonce that is hard to deny or ignore and not love. She can be your rock goddess or your trap queen; Adopt hip-hop b-boy stances; go soft, ride slow, or go high. Life handed our heroine lemons, and she responded with this: the sweetest of all teas for us to devour.

 

KEY TRACKS: Hold Up/Sorry/Formation

12/a tribe called quest/"we got it from here... thank you 4 your service"

13/nxworries/yes lawd!

14/nice as fuck/nice as fuck

15/childish gambino/"awaken, my love!"

16/rihanna/anti

17/parquet courts/human performance

18/kaytranada/99.9%

19/devendra banhart/ape in pink marble

20/david bowie/blackstar

21/the julie ruin/hit reset

22/jessy lanza/oh no

23/junior boys/big black coat

24/majid jordan/majid jordan
 
25/badbadnotgood/iv

burning bright (field on fire).

starring nine inch nails.



ROLLING STONE: Hear Nine Inch Nails' Explosive New Song 'Burning Bright (Field on Fire)'

NICE AS F*CK! : The Songs, 2016.

11/kaytranada featuring syd/you're the one



12/dirty projectors/keep your name

13/britney spears/private show

14/devendra banhart/fancy man

15/angel olsen/shut up kiss me

16/parquet courts/i was just here

17/badbadnotgood feat. samuel t. herring/time moves slow

18/of montreal/it's different for girls

19/nice as f*#k/door

20/flume featuring beck/tiny cities

21/the weeknd/false alarm

22/amber coffman/all to myself

23/bruno mars/that's what i like

24/car seat headrest/destroyed by hippie powers

25/savages/adore

for your consideration...

words.

"At the heart of many of the works released by major black creatives in 2016 is a clear-eyed vision of the future, unflinchingly honest yet ultimately hopeful. Forgoing the camp and fantasy associated with the aesthetics of Afrofuturism, the artists who shone brightest this year – even as the political climate attempted to dull their luster – released epic-scale commentaries on a painful past and ominous present. In a year when one of our lifetime's biggest elections was won by someone who cannot fathom or understand progress, these artists transformed harsh truth into hard-won optimism for the trying days ahead.

With this trio of powerful albums, Beyoncé, Rihanna and Solange infiltrated the mainstream, demonstrating that supposedly niche narratives of black femininity carry urgent messages for all of America. In the face of what looks to be a dismal four years for many communities, the songs on Lemonade, Anti and A Seat at the Table feel like rays of light, signifiers of a hopeful resistance and a uniquely personal revolution."

ROLLING STONE: For Us, by Us: How Black Women Radicalized Pop in 2016

NICE AS F*CK! : The Albums, 2016.

12/a tribe called quest/"we got it from here... thank you 4 your service"

Time and time again in this Black American's life, I've been told or heard way too many times to count that all I have to do in this here life is "eat, sleep, stay black, and die." Sustenance, rest, self-care, PRIDE. Pride that'll help me stand tall. PRIDE that will keep me grounded. PRIDE present in you, me, and everyone we know with the melanin. But it's hard. Cause when you're Black in America the struggle is often indeed real, and you'll also often find that the task of staying Black can be, for some reason, much harder than it should or needs to be. Masters, it seems, ain't listening to the streets, and keep doubting our smarts. The Media appears untrustworthy and the President elect is installing fear in the heart of many (of us colored folk). It's all enough to make you shout THIS IS ENOUGH(!), WE THE PEOPLE want more, NEED more. Sure, "everybody running when they see the storm coming, but whatever will be will be". We all we got, THIS RIGHT HERE is all we got.  "There ain't a space program for niggas", so we gotta buck up, get together, make moves and make something happen, TOGETHER, in this space; in America. Be informed, get involved, and keep it together. But how do we do it, and what can we do to keep it together? Who do we turn to or look towards for guidance and hope outside of ourselves in this here game we call Black Life?

 

HERE. With them. With the tribe. They got you.The midnight marauders still on a mission to uplift and inspire; acknowledge that the struggle is real, but not let that keep them or us from standing tall, being prideful, and most importantly, staying black. It is not a place where fuckboys reside, touching mics with flows uncertain. It is not a place where forward momentum is stifled, but is, instead, highly encouraged, reminding you to "Don't be no backwards ass nigga."  "We Got it From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service" is not only Hip-Hop personified, but musical creativity and ingenuity personified, too. It's a welcomed soapbox in a sea of believers, doubters,  the mothers, the fathers, the sistahs, and the brothas looking for reassurance, a place of belonging, and a reminder to stay strong, and stay BLACK, no matter the strength of your struggle's hand. "We Got it From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service" is the Tribe we have always known, and the Tribe the people need: Sharp and correct, as if they never left, making something happen. Much obliged, A Tribe Called Quest. Many thanks.

KEY TRACKS: The Space Program/Mobius/Black Spasmodic

13/nxworries/yes lawd!

14/nice as fuck/nice as fuck

15/childish gambino/"awaken, my love!"

16/rihanna/anti

17/parquet courts/human performance

18/kaytranada/99.9%

19/devendra banhart/ape in pink marble

20/david bowie/blackstar

21/the julie ruin/hit reset

22/jessy lanza/oh no

23/junior boys/big black coat

24/majid jordan/majid jordan
 
25/badbadnotgood/iv

i know there's gonna be good times.

NICE AS F*CK! : The Songs, 2016.

12/dirty projectors/keep your name



13/britney spears/private show

14/devendra banhart/fancy man

15/angel olsen/shut up kiss me

16/parquet courts/i was just here

17/badbadnotgood feat. samuel t. herring/time moves slow

18/of montreal/it's different for girls

19/nice as f*#k/door

20/flume featuring beck/tiny cities

21/the weeknd/false alarm

22/amber coffman/all to myself

23/bruno mars/that's what i like

24/car seat headrest/destroyed by hippie powers

25/savages/adore

pipe dreams.

a video.

starring nelly furtado.

NICE AS F*CK! : The Albums, 2016.

13/nxworries/yes lawd!

This year, Anderson .Paak came through twice to ensure that the people had something good to latch onto if they were looking for a good time. This second time around he linked up with producer Knxwledge on the boards to give us this: his second great release of 2016, and their full length debut as nxworries titled YES LAWD! Now, one might wonder how or when Mr. Paak found the time to compose not one, but two strong 15 plus track albums within the span of a year while doling out guest features and promo appearances and the like, but after a few minutes with this smooth r&B gem of a collection you let such thoughts fall by the wayside, cause as is stated during the album's intro, why question or hate the flow, when the flow is this on point, and "proficuous, my n_gga"? And on point it is, as YES LAWD! resides in that sweet '92 to '98 R&B spot; a spot where artists in this lane were busy playing with classic soul samples and hellbent on crafting new entries in the rhythm & blues game that took us and them back to the classics that got our parents lifted and up for the down stroke. The album is also highly comedic and entertaining when it wants to be (we get to hear Diamond's The Player's Club dialogue where she calls her cousin Ebony a ho not once, but twice during the album's run time, each time well played and hilarious. SEE ALSO: All of  "Fkku" & "H.A.N." aka "HOE ASS N_GGAS(!)"). The ride is smooth from the WHAT IT DO FAM?! horn laced opening track on down. They livin' and it's lit with no worries, so let's get it (ladies, fellas, that dough, happiness, whatever). YES LAWD!

 

KEY TRACKS: Get Bigger - Do U Luv/H.A.N./Sidepiece

 

14/nice as fuck/nice as fuck

15/childish gambino/"awaken, my love!"

16/rihanna/anti

17/parquet courts/human performance

18/kaytranada/99.9%

19/devendra banhart/ape in pink marble

20/david bowie/blackstar

21/the julie ruin/hit reset

22/jessy lanza/oh no

23/junior boys/big black coat

24/majid jordan/majid jordan
 
25/badbadnotgood/iv

NICE AS F*CK! : The Songs, 2016.

13/britney spears/private show



14/devendra banhart/fancy man

15/angel olsen/shut up kiss me

16/parquet courts/i was just here

17/badbadnotgood feat. samuel t. herring/time moves slow

18/of montreal/it's different for girls

19/nice as f*#k/door

20/flume featuring beck/tiny cities

21/the weeknd/false alarm

22/amber coffman/all to myself

23/bruno mars/that's what i like

24/car seat headrest/destroyed by hippie powers

25/savages/adore

NICE AS F*CK! : The Albums, 2016.

14/nice as fuck/nice as fuck

Ladies & gentlemen I present to you on lead vocals (and occasional keys), Jenny Lewis. On the bass we have Au Revoir Simone's Erika Forster. And on drums, Tennessee Thomas of The Like. Together they are Nice As Fuck. And on their self-titled debut, these girls just wanna (and most definitely) have fun. For album number one, the ladies that make up NAF present us with a twenty five minute, no fuss, hook laden affair in which they come together to talk smack, harmonize, and revel in the breezy So-Cal stained new wave, doo wop, and girl group aesthetics that they hold near & dear to their hearts. With Nice as Fuck, Jenny, Erika, & Tennessee "get high, get low, & get weird" in their own tight & synchronized fashion, producing the same amount of pure joy & pop satisfaction that can be found in many a great new wave & classic doo wop soul track. This energy never falters, and your toe taps, finger snaps, and handclaps will present themselves without asking. "I'm so lit up I could cry!" Jenny shouts at one point during the album's joyous festivities, and by this album's end, you'll find yourself feeling the same way too. 

KEY TRACKS: Runaway/Higher/Door

15/childish gambino/"awaken, my love!"

16/rihanna/anti

17/parquet courts/human performance

18/kaytranada/99.9%

19/devendra banhart/ape in pink marble

20/david bowie/blackstar

21/the julie ruin/hit reset

22/jessy lanza/oh no

23/junior boys/big black coat

24/majid jordan/majid jordan
 
25/badbadnotgood/iv

NICE AS F*CK! : The Songs, 2016.

14/devendra banhart/fancy man



15/angel olsen/shut up kiss me

16/parquet courts/i was just here

17/badbadnotgood feat. samuel t. herring/time moves slow

18/of montreal/it's different for girls

19/nice as f*#k/door

20/flume featuring beck/tiny cities

21/the weeknd/false alarm

22/amber coffman/all to myself

23/bruno mars/that's what i like

24/car seat headrest/destroyed by hippie powers

25/savages/adore

jingle barack.

FILE UNDER: a moment of clarity.

NICE AS F*CK! : The Albums, 2016.

15/childish gambino/"awaken, my love!"

In '92 his father told him "Keep all your dreams, keep standing tall. If you are strong you can not fall. There is a voice inside us all, so smile.

When you can."

So when it came time to produce a new record at this stage, at this moment in his life, as a young Black man not too far removed from those whose lives he sees get shut down on the internet or TV, he went back to what his father said.

Stand tall. Stay strong. Speak Up. Do You.

And most importantly, smile.

Do those things that make you smile. Revel in those things that keep you going & motivate you. The culture, your history, and the unlimited possibilities that await you and your culture, your people, if you just power up and believe in yourself, and stand tall. Just like your ancestors and those that came before you did.

Be ambitious like they were in the 60s & 70s. So proud and uplifting, free. Channel your inner Hendrix. Go back and nod to Parliament. Tap into the inner reaches of your carnal urges a la Prince.

Be inspired and do you.

Cause it makes you happy.

Cause it makes you smile.

Cause it's a feeling like no other when you speak up and stand tall.

"This. This is how we do it", I imagine Donald saying as it all came together.

And he did that.

For the people. For his own sanity. And for the culture.

KEY TRACKS: Me and Your Mama/Boogieman/Zombies

16/rihanna/anti

17/parquet courts/human performance

18/kaytranada/99.9%

19/devendra banhart/ape in pink marble

20/david bowie/blackstar

21/the julie ruin/hit reset

22/jessy lanza/oh no

23/junior boys/big black coat

24/majid jordan/majid jordan
 
25/badbadnotgood/iv

NICE AS F*CK! : The Songs, 2016.

15/angel olsen/shut up kiss me



16/parquet courts/i was just here

17/badbadnotgood feat. samuel t. herring/time moves slow

18/of montreal/it's different for girls

19/nice as f*#k/door

20/flume featuring beck/tiny cities

21/the weeknd/false alarm

22/amber coffman/all to myself

23/bruno mars/that's what i like

24/car seat headrest/destroyed by hippie powers

25/savages/adore

a moment of clarity.

heart.

FILE UNDER: a moment of clarity.

NICE AS F*CK! : The Albums, 2016.

16/rihanna/anti

Anti is a master class in being confident/upfront/doing you and giving no fucks at all while somehow remaining accessible (which of course makes her & the album all the more alluring).

She "can't get enough."

"Man, fuck yo' pride!"

"Don't get it twisted."

"I was good on my own."

"I rather be smoking weed..."

"Fuck your white horse and a carriage."

"Just take it on back boy, take it on back boy."

"Yeah I said it."

"Didn't they tell you I was a savage?..."

Yes. And her soundtrack is in beast mode, too. Whether she's taking us home (and bringing along Drake) with "Work"; going dark or touching trap with songs like "Woo" & "Desperado"; Or  being blissful and lifted, nodding towards Stevie with "James Joint" and being motivated by Prince on the the provocative album highlight "Kiss it Better".  Anti and at this point, Rihanna, is not asking you what you think or how you feel about who she is or the decisions she chooses to make, and this confidence extends itself to her track selection and the performances she gives here.

Or maybe performance is the wrong word.

Cause Anti is just too real.

KEY TRACKS: James Joint/Kiss it Better/Needed Me

17/parquet courts/human performance

18/kaytranada/99.9%

19/devendra banhart/ape in pink marble

20/david bowie/blackstar

21/the julie ruin/hit reset

22/jessy lanza/oh no

23/junior boys/big black coat

24/majid jordan/majid jordan
 
25/badbadnotgood/iv

NICE AS F*CK! : The Songs, 2016.

16/parquet courts/i was just here



17/badbadnotgood feat. samuel t. herring/time moves slow

18/of montreal/it's different for girls

19/nice as f*#k/door

20/flume featuring beck/tiny cities

21/the weeknd/false alarm

22/amber coffman/all to myself

23/bruno mars/that's what i like

24/car seat headrest/destroyed by hippie powers

25/savages/adore

NICE AS F*CK! : The Albums, 2016.

17/parquet courts/human performance

Human Performance begins with an urgent call to arms. "Dust is everywhere, sweep!" And from that moment forward Parquet Courts take heed to these words, as Human Performance is a crisp exercise in keeping your head above water as you wade through the waters of keeping it together and of course, put up with bullshit. "You gotta keep it even" we hear, with a steady mind. Even when you're happy, and even when you're uptight. With this in mind, Parquet Courts seeks comfort and clarity in the one thing they can truly control: these human performances presented here. And HP, like each and every Parquet Courts release before it, is a tight and locked in coming together of this band's cerebral & sun burnt indie rock inclinations. With Human Performance the fellas once again attack their songs with a surgical like precision, clearing away clutter and sweeping away the dust to keep things steady, highlighting why they are currently one of the smartest and most exciting bands around once more, with feeling.
KEY TRACKS: Dust/I Was Just Here/One Man, No City

18/kaytranada/99.9%

19/devendra banhart/ape in pink marble

20/david bowie/blackstar

21/the julie ruin/hit reset

22/jessy lanza/oh no

23/junior boys/big black coat

24/majid jordan/majid jordan
 
25/badbadnotgood/iv

NICE AS F*CK! : The Songs, 2016.

17/badbadnotgood feat. samuel t. herring/time moves slow



18/of montreal/it's different for girls

19/nice as f*#k/door

20/flume featuring beck/tiny cities

21/the weeknd/false alarm

22/amber coffman/all to myself

23/bruno mars/that's what i like

24/car seat headrest/destroyed by hippie powers

25/savages/adore

NICE AS F*CK! : The Albums, 2016.

18/kaytranada/99.9%

Got a few minutes and need to get away? Press play and come away with me. Our destination? A place reminiscent of sweat inducing warehouse floors. Or ya homie's backyard function. Or that breezy summer afternoon pool party with all the gorgeous P.Y.T's and fine young playas chilling outside and relaxing all cool. Here. Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to Kaytranada's 99.9%. A place where you'll always see the sun, day or night. A place where the bourgeoisie and the rebels can cut a rug to these crisp and pristine rhythm & blues infused dance tracks as one nation, under a groove. A place where having one too many is encouraged, as long as it serves the shared purpose here of giving it up to get down and glow up. A place where you can let yourself go and swim in the boogie that be; crash into it, falling; Refusing to deny the feeling in your bones, and these grooves being provided by the 24 year old Haitian by way of Montreal beat and taste maker Kaytranada. He who sits behind the boards, pulling out these sensations as if his beats, sounds, and ideas are some sort of magic wand with emotional rescue capabilities. This is 99.9%. The warehouse party and the basement floor. A place were we can get together, give it up, and turn it loose from sun up to sundown. What a feeling. 

KEY TRACKS: One Too Many/You're the One/Lite Spots

19/devendra banhart/ape in pink marble

20/david bowie/blackstar

21/the julie ruin/hit reset

22/jessy lanza/oh no

23/junior boys/big black coat

24/majid jordan/majid jordan
 
25/badbadnotgood/iv

NICE AS F*CK! : The Songs, 2016.

18/of montreal/it's different for girls



19/nice as f*#k/door

20/flume featuring beck/tiny cities

21/the weeknd/false alarm

22/amber coffman/all to myself

23/bruno mars/that's what i like

24/car seat headrest/destroyed by hippie powers

25/savages/adore

million reasons.

a video.

starring lady gaga.

versace on the floor.

with bruno mars & james corden.



ROLLING STONE: Watch Bruno Mars Sing Elvis, Talk Spanx on 'Carpool Karaoke'

NICE AS F*CK! : The Albums, 2016.

19/devendra banhart/ape in pink marble

In which the self-proclaimed Fancy Man becomes Mr. Saturday Night, inviting us all over for an enchanting evening of slow moving leisure and intimacy. Ape in Pink Marble is Devendra Banhart's very own fancy get together that is less CoachellaHipsterRunoff thumping House Party, and more of a night out at the Playboy Mansion during its heyday. With album number nine, Mr. Banhart throws us a wonderfully casual affair where he, as host and master of ceremonies, eases into his role as the life of this lo-fi cocktail hour swimmingly. "Hello. Is that you? Come right in? Have a seat. Remove your shoes and have some fruit. Did I mention, have a seat?..." His words, not mine. And though they don't arrive until midway through the album's run time -on a cheeky, 70s-esque disco lite song titled "Fig & Leather", of course- the sentiment is felt from minute one and remains with you over the course of the album's running time, as Ape in Pink Marble is another low tide set of acoustic and baroque chamber pop with light 70s AM/FM radio flourishes courtesy of Mr. Banhart. It's his very own La La Land where guitars weep gently, melodies simmer lightly, and not an utterance or expression of a feeling is off limits or out of reach. And it all goes down like a glass of cognac, neat, residing in those sweet spots where intimacy can flow freely & undisturbed, and love makes you sing. The vibes are infectious, and the mood is right from arrival time to the album's close. "Come right in and have a seat?" Don't mind me if I do.
KEY TRACKS: Jon Lends a Hand/Fancy Man/Theme for a Taiwanese Woman in Lime Green

20/david bowie/blackstar

21/the julie ruin/hit reset

22/jessy lanza/oh no

23/junior boys/big black coat

24/majid jordan/majid jordan
 
25/badbadnotgood/iv

NICE AS F*CK! : The Songs, 2016.

19/nice as f*#k/door



20/flume featuring beck/tiny cities

21/the weeknd/false alarm

22/amber coffman/all to myself

23/bruno mars/that's what i like

24/car seat headrest/destroyed by hippie powers

25/savages/adore

NICE AS F*CK! : The Albums, 2016.

20/david bowie/blackstar

At the center of Blackstar lies a solitary candle whose light has gone out. But on Friday, January 8th, 2016, the fire was still burning. The fire burned to illuminate the words and sounds of a final chapter that had been written and read in advance by no one but its author.

But on January 8th, 2016 we did not know this; would not have wanted to know this.

On January 8th, 2016, all that we knew for sure was that it was a Friday and David Bowie had blessed us with a new album, his 25th, on his 69th birthday. We did not read between any lines, take note of the calls already being placed from above, or the pleads that there was nothing left to give.

We did not know of the Kendrick Lamar influence, but would go on to hear it heavily in every spastic & prominent To Pimp a Butterfly like saxophone spaz, or throughout the composition of "Girl Loves Me".

On Friday, January 8th all we knew and all we had was this, David Bowie's now final, masterful opus. A new album from a fave that can stand next to the greats that are already perched on his catalog's mantle.

We had this, a brief, but by no means lean batch of songs featuring a full-throated and present David Bowie, still knowing and completely aware of what he wants to say and what he wants to present.

On Friday, January 8th, 2016 one of my all time faves released a new album three years after releasing a stellar collection of songs in the form of The Next Day LP and had me, had US convinced that he was not down for the count yet; still has it in him and will for some time, age notwithstanding.

Such is the power of David Bowie and this collection of contemplative masterstrokes. 

And such was the strength of his genius and tireless work ethic, still on full display here.

"I can't give everything away", he says before the lights fade to black, and this is fine, as he has given us more than enough of himself, and more than enough peerless entries into the modern & contemporary rock cannon, including here with his Blackstar. 
KEY TRACKS: Blackstar/Lazarus/Dollar Days

21/the julie ruin/hit reset

22/jessy lanza/oh no

23/junior boys/big black coat

24/majid jordan/majid jordan
 
25/badbadnotgood/iv

no church in the wild.

a moment of clarity.

NICE AS F*CK! : The Songs, 2016.

20/flume featuring beck/tiny cities



21/the weeknd/false alarm

22/amber coffman/all to myself

23/bruno mars/that's what i like

24/car seat headrest/destroyed by hippie powers

25/savages/adore

NICE AS F*CK! : The Albums, 2016.

21/the julie ruin/hit reset

I am happy to report that in 2016 Kathleen Hanna is still in possession of that megaphone. And that megaphone, like the frontwoman herself today, yesterday, and I am sure from here til eternity, is fired up, and ready to go. She is still, in 2016, the same woman shouting from the roof tops and making it known that she is not the one. The same woman that "can play electric guitar while shaving her legs in a moving car". She's still unconcerned with your self-absorbed feelings or making you feel comfortable by adhering to whatever it is that makes you feel comfortable. Go "START A KICKSTARTER FOR YOUR HEART!" cause she is done; Would rather not; Has had it up to here with the Mr. So. and So's. And best of all, she and her cohorts here still sound like they are having the time of their lives while doing so. Hit Reset is a spirited thirteen song set of pointed directives and threats to the opposition in whatever form they may take (smart asses, the ignorant, "male feminists"), rife with the high energy ra-ra-sis-boom-bah punk rock aesthetics & classic girl group sensibilities found in most of Ms. Hanna's projects. Clocking in at just over 30 minutes, Hit Reset states it case forcefully, ensuring that it is never missed or misunderstood each and every time you press play.  
KEY TRACKS: Planet You/Mr. So and So/Hello Trust No One

22/jessy lanza/oh no

23/junior boys/big black coat

24/majid jordan/majid jordan
 
25/badbadnotgood/iv

NICE AS F*CK! : The Songs, 2016.

21/the weeknd/false alarm



22/amber coffman/all to myself

23/bruno mars/that's what i like

24/car seat headrest/destroyed by hippie powers

25/savages/adore

mood.

a moment of clarity.

words.

"Right now, Mr. Trump has his story, and he’s sticking to it — and he’s increasingly carrying the Republican party along with him. It’s bad enough when a truth-defying president-elect uses his megaphone to shout the lie that millions of illegal votes were responsible for Mrs. Clinton’s large popular-vote win. It’s even more ominous when the vice president-elect, the speaker of the House and the chairman of the Republican National Committee — all people who should know better — repeat that fiction, or refuse to disavow it.

Without a Walter Cronkite to guide them, how can Americans find the path back to a culture of commonly accepted facts, the building blocks of democracy? A president and other politicians who care about the truth could certainly help them along. In the absence of leaders like that, media organizations that report fact without regard for partisanship, and citizens who think for themselves, will need to light the way."

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Truth and Lies in the Age of Trump

NICE AS F*CK! : The Albums, 2016.

22/jessy lanza/oh no

Tonight's opening DJ set the tone for the evening early on. And if you arrived at any point during this set, you would have felt as if you walked into one of the night's best house parties; A vibe that would be extended even further when the night's second opening act, Jessy Lanza, took the stage. Upon her arrival, and despite having kept the party and momentum moving forward with her one or two opening songs, the vibes, for Jessy, weren't chill enough, and she loudly proclaimed to the technicians in the back that the already dimmed lights be dimmed even further and the levels be turned up on the booming system. By doing so, Jessy brought the party to her; shaped it on her own terms and led you to a space where she can be heard more clearly. Took you to the basement where the real movement is being had and she is steering the ship. Placed you firmly in the Kitchen where all the major conversations are being had. In other words, the intimacy was unlocked, & Jessy had you. Pulled you in with her own luxurious snap, crackle, & pop. It's a card she plays often and well on her sophomore album Oh No. Like the best pop music that speaks on affairs of the heart, there's an incredible playful energy that runs fluid through this album, never butting heads with the true, serious intents of her heart shaped sentiments. The slow churning and often bubbling electro-pop/rhythm and blues tones, along with the things being expressed, are all wonderfully universal and all encompassing, as the most delectable slices of pop music are. But they also come wrapped in a warmth and intimacy that is not lost when the words drop or the beat goes high or long. Like the Madonnas and the Kylies and the Aaliyahs and numerous hit single having pop singers of the 80s before her, Jessy comes to the party on her own terms and makes it work soothingly, in small and large doses. It's her party and she just wants to dim the lights, turn the speakers/levels up and impress you. And impress you she does, by keeping it intimate, and keeping it fun.
KEY TRACKS: VV Violence/Never Enough/It Means I Love You

23/junior boys/big black coat

24/majid jordan/majid jordan
 
25/badbadnotgood/iv

NICE AS F*CK! : The Songs, 2016.

22/amber coffman/all to myself



23/bruno mars/that's what i like

24/car seat headrest/destroyed by hippie powers

25/savages/adore

goverened by contagions.

starring at the drive-in.




PITCHFORK: Listen to At the Drive-In’s First New Song in 16 Years, “Governed by Contagions”

in the meantime.

a video.

from KING.

false prophets.

a video.

starring j.cole.

everybody dies.

a video.

starring j.cole.

d.r.u.g.s.

a video. 

starring ab-soul.

everglow.

a video.

starring coldplay.

a moment of clarity.

words. 

"Many have wondered recently why conservative leaders such as Ryan haven’t been more critical of Trump’s conduct since the election, and, in particular, his barrage of controversial tweets, including one in which he suggested that millions of people voted illegally on November 8th. But the answer is clear enough. So far, Ryan and his colleagues have had every reason to believe that Trump will allow them to pass large parts of a conservative agenda that they have been putting forward for years but that they have never been able to persuade a majority of Americans to support. As long as Trump goes along with this agenda, orthodox Republicans have every reason to downplay his outbursts on social media, as Ryan did earlier this week, and even to put up with some of his more heretical antics, such as his criticism of free trade and his browbeating of corporations that move jobs abroad or irritate him in some other way.

...What’s the best way to keep today’s Republican Party in line? By setting before it the prospect of repealing Obamacare, defunding Planned Parenthood, gutting environmental regulations, upending the Paris climate-change agreement, greatly expanding school vouchers and charter schools, crippling the labor movement, further undermining the Voting Rights Act, and, possibly, even privatizing Medicare and Social Security. The deal doesn’t need to be explicit to be clear. The G.O.P. gets its legislative “revolution.” Trump gets to keep his businesses and further enrich himself."

THE NEW YORKER: The Political Bargain Behind Trump’s Cabinet of Lamentables

-INTERLUDE-

NICE AS F*CK! : The Albums, 2016.

23/junior boys/big black coat

Junior Boys. A concert. Downtown Los Angeles, March 2016. A happening where, at some point, what we all came for and expected, happened. A release. Transcendence. I can't quite remember the exact note or tipping off point for said release, but once I was gone I knew that I had been transported someplace else. Lifted up. Had let go. At some point during a bridge. Wordless. To a song that breathlessly pleaded and is titled "C'Mon Baby". No flash and no bombast. Just two grown men, lights & music, synths & expressions of love. A concert, and a formula for release. A formula that has worked and continues to work for Junior Boys, including here on Big Black Coat. Big Black Coat is another Junior Boys release that is awash in the steamy & chilling vibes of the best sytnh-pop & house songs (quick s/o to Chicago & Detroit) that aim their grooves straight for your heart. Five albums in and Junior Boys are still offering up what the best dance songs and albums do: lift you up and offer release. Transcendence. Right here. Reminding you with a whisper: "this is what you came for."
KEY TRACKS: C'Mon Baby/M & P/Love is a Fire

24/majid jordan/majid jordan
 
25/badbadnotgood/iv

NICE AS F*CK! : The Songs, 2016.

23/bruno mars/that's what i like



24/car seat headrest/destroyed by hippie powers

25/savages/adore

W E L C O M E B A C K ! ! !

with Terius Nash (aka "THE DREAM")

NICE AS F*CK! : The Albums, 2016.

24/majid jordan/majid jordan

A few years back when Aubrey Graham wanted to cut the bullshit & play it straight, he put it in a love song. With that song, Hold On, We're Going Home, Aubrey convincingly baked served and assembled a fine slice of humble pie, presenting himself as a charming, romantic young suitor with a heart of gold. A role he often works overtime to convince you and his momma that he is. Now, at this point in time we are well aware that A. Graham needs little to no help wooing the ladies, but with HOWGH he had an assist. A very strong assist in the form of the OVO Sound affiliated duo Majid Jordan who co-produced and appeared on the track. And on their self-titled debut, Majid Al Maskati & Jordan Ullman take those plaintive rhythm & soul ethos they brought to HOWGH and stretch them out over the course of twelve songs. With that being said, a collection of Drake B-Sides or cast offs this ain't. Majid & Jordan are smooth operators in their own right, finding comfort in keeping things lowkey. Like HOWGH, Majid Jordan paints itself in the slow burning brush strokes of R&B of the 80s and early 90s, with flickering specs of skeletal house, drum, and bass thrown in the mix throughout. These sentiments have been heard before and come straight from the heart, but never are they trite, and never for a second do you doubt the emotions or conviction that comes across in every lyric or expression of longing. Home is where the heart is, they say. And if you do as Majid Jordan say midway thru this album and give them your heart, and give them your hands, they will show you that love exists and is always there should you choose to accept it. And accept it you should. Accept it, hold on, and find solace in these conversations and low end grooves.
KEY TRACKS: Learn From Each Other/Love Is Always There/Every Step Every Way

 25/badbadnotgood/iv

NICE AS F*CK! : The Songs, 2016.

24/car seat headrest/destroyed by hippie powers



25/savages/adore

NICE AS F*CK! : The Albums, 2016.

25/badbadnotgood/iv

On Badbadnotgood's IV, time moves slow. And though we hear these words sung earnestly and reflected upon by Samuel Herring early in the album's run, you are made fully aware of this from the jump before it is explicitly said. And as the minutes go on and the lightly spasmatic contemporary (and largely instrumental) jazz numbers here envelop and consume you, you realize that on IV "time moves slow" are not just words thrown together off the cuff to get a point across quickly. On IV "time moves slow" are words to live by, and live by them they do (I mean, just look at that album cover). But don't get it twisted, the fellas in the band that make up badbadnotgood are not sloths. The time moves slow and accommodates them and these expertly crafted compositions. The time moves slow like the sounds and melodies presented here, exhaling loudly and taking up space comfortably without a care in the world. Days go by and the world keeps on spinning, but on IV, time moves slow. And the music and LP is better because of this.

KEY TRACKS: Time Moves Slow/Chompy's Paradise/Structure No. 3

slight work.

with madonna & james corden.

NICE AS F*CK! : The Songs, 2016.

25/savages/adore

heart.

dust my shoulders off.

a video.

starring jane zhang.

mood.

a moment of clarity.

-INTERLUDE-

mood.