New Music Tuesday
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A collaboration between Vampire Weekend producer/keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij and Ra Ra Riot singer Wes Miles, Discovery is this summer's answer to 10 years of pop music. The 808s boom and the AutoTune croons, and guest spots from Ezra Koenig (Vampire Weekend) and Angel Deradoorian (Dirty Projectors) only sweeten the affair. For each album sold, Amie Street and XL Recordings are donating $2 to Oxfam America, an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice.
For fans of: Passion Pit + Empire of the Sun + Dirty Projectors
Brooklyn's Motel Motel calls their music "shwag rock," which means it's a rough-edged hybrid of indie rock and howling folk. When the band self-released New Denver last summer, NY Press called it "NYC's best debut of 2008... every single [track] is essential listening." With the official release one week away, we're excited to bring you the album today; get it for $5, with a free download of "Coffee"!
For fans of: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah + Harlem Shakes + Cold War Kids
Thought you'd never find yourself singing along to post-hardcore? Cardiff band Future of the Left and their fantastic new album could be the straw to break that stubbornly conventional back of yours. Ex-Mclusky frontman Andy Falkous schizophrenically jumps from sing-song storytelling to vein-popping screams, and it's really a ton of fun. Drowned In Sound calls it "obscenely catchy... a 33-minute monster without a slither of excess fat."
For fans of: Mclusky + Les Savy Fav + Shooting At Unarmed Men
In anticipation of his upcoming debut album, Chicago rapper Naledge got together with Mick Boogie and DJ Timbuck2 to bring us his new mixtape Chicago Picasso. Beats from Double O (the other half of Kidz in the Hall) and soulful producer Black Spade lay a cool, calm foundation for Naledge's sharp rhymes, and guests like Rhymefest, Jay Electronica, Mickey Factz, and GLC keep it consistently varied and interesting. Choice cuts: "Standing On Sofas," "Cool Relax," and the Bun B-assisted "Look At Them Hips (Remix)."
For fans of: Kidz in the Hall + Lupe Fiasco + Little Brother
Having turned down a huge major label deal years ago, British acoustic musician Merz has preferred to float along in semi-anonymity, making beautifully contemplative music with little fanfare. His third album, named after the moving company that he and his wife used after being evicted, has gained one notable fan though: Coldplay's Chris Martin said "Merz sounds like nobody else in the world and the world would be alright if it listened to nobody else... We absolutely love him."
For fans of: Fink + José González + Art Garfunkel
The lead MC of alternative hip hop group Brand Nubian, Grand Puba is back with his fourth solo album. With warm soul samples, jazz drums, and Puba's easygoing flow, RetroActive is one to throw on at the end of a long day. Q-Tip lights up a guest verse on "Good To Go," and, in spite of their previous differences, the rest of Brand Nubian (Lord Jamar and Sadat X) show up for the last track. RapReviews says "[Puba's] all brand new again, the figurative and literal hip-hop throwback that's still in fashion."
For fans of: Brand Nubian + A Tribe Called Quest + De La Soul
Stylish, poppy Stockholm rockers Kamera inherited more than eyeliner and black boots from The Cure and Duran Duran; Swedish music magazine It's A Trap says that Kamera has a "damned fine grasp of what made the songwriting of the 1980s so compelling." Their newest album, Blank Expressions, is a slick, tightly assembled collection of synthy new wave, ready for the darkest nightclub you know.
For fans of: Franz Ferdinand + The Bravery + Duran Duran
Does it matter that you've never heard of DJ JS-1? Dude has a Rolodex that many would kill for, and assembled some of the biggest names in hip hop for this mixtape: KRS-One, Masta Ace, Ill Bill, Rahzel, Common, Aesop Rock, and way too many more to list. It took over three years to complete this mix (coordinating 40 emcees isn't as easy as it sounds), and the end result is a loving labor of one of the most connected DJs out there.
For fans of: DJ Premier + Def Jux + The '90s
Memphis rapper Kia Shine first charted in '07 with his smash single "Krispy," and now he's back with an EP to preview his upcoming album. Featured on MTV Jams and BET's New Joint of the Day, "Checkin My Fresh" samples a memorable Jay-Z line from "Swagga Like Us" for the hook and features verses from Young Dro and Maino. The EP also includes four new tracks from Kia Shine; Respect Due coming soon!
For fans of: Mike Jones + Three 6 Mafia + David Banner
