No One's Gonna Love You...

No One's Gonna Love You-Cee-Lo Green

I've loved Cee-Lo pre-"Fuck You" and even pre-Gnarls Barkley. He had me at his first single "Closet Freak." Last fall I downloaded The Lady Killer LP and to be honest was not super enthused with it upon first (or second listen). But as time goes on and songs have played on my shuffle, more and more I fall in love with the artistry behind the songs (even if the lyrics aren't as tastey as his prior two solo LPs or Gnarls Barkley LPs). And "No One's Gonna Love You" becomes more of a standout. On a summer afternoon drive, the crispy feel of the production, the faded melodic vocals, the strength of his longer notes grouped with his already rich voice create this audibly tangible feel of the fragility of him singing this song. If I were a song, I'd hope to be this, cracked and beautiful. The antithesis on the emphasis of production being slickly polished.

Robot Koch

Sexy( ) Stinky( )

New Santigold

"People want my power and they want my station"

Go-Santigold ft. Karen O



Words couldn't even describe how excited I was to discover that Santigold was putting out new music later this year.

Her eponymous solo debut that dropped 3 summers ago was like audible magical gold. It really shook me because it combined dancehall and 80s new wave with a splendidly well-executed experimental power and at the same time acknowledging her punk past. Such songs like "Unstoppable" placed this LP in constant rotation for a good 18 months for me-




"Go" seems to accomplish the impossible feat of topping this previous LP with a more electric, melodic, polished and afro-punk feeling and it is very exciting that at least this first glimpse suggests that there is no sophomore slump for this amazing (L.E.S.) artiste(s).

I am also GEEKED that one of my other female vocalists, Karen O., is featured. Doesn't her voice in the bridge sound absolutely electric?
I have feeling that her piece was inspired by such songs like "Dragon Queen", which like most of her oeuvre with Yeah Yeah Yeahs (especially in "It's Blitz") sounds like a powerful current channeled from an iridescent vocal diamond.

Anomie Bell

If you want to massage your ears with some grumbling bass under the soothing husky voice of a sexy woman, this is a decent place to begin.

Washed Out NPR Full Album Stream

John Mayer, and most people listening to music post 1975, predicted that in the future most of the music we would listen to would predominately come from machines.

Well the future is here.

Washed Out is an artist near and dear to my heart, for introducing Chillwave, but also for doing an excellently skillful and futuristic job of intergrating voice and beat and machine. It didn't even occur to me,  though, that he had yet to release a full length album; his EPs being satisfying onto themselves.

But not only has SubPop snatched him up (score), but NPR (the prior target practice of Republican deficit reduction) has graciously provided a full album stream of the album that officially drops next Tuesday July 12th.

You can listen here:
http://www.npr.org/2011/06/22/137340922/first-listen-washed-out-within-and-without


But here are some notables:

Echoes-



Before-


You and I (the effects and ending to this is just angelic)-




Upon listening to this stream I got a markedly more polished feel to this LP than the endearingly bombastic previous songs. But as I listened further along, I did not feel less joy. Instead (as the cover art may suggest), the previous works were the awesome first few getting-to-know-you dates. The LP is when he puts the moves on us and makes passionate love to our ears.

Digging in the mines of my memory

"And I got a little money where the safe is. For my babies's babies's babies. Babies, babies, babies. Babies, babies, baby!"

There was a prolific period of my career as a music fan when I had to listen to every song Lil Wayne rap recorded post Tha Carter I

This was one of them-




"He's Fred, I'm Barney, welcome to bedrock. Rock? Rock. Yep, rock. Then I get's to rollin'"

Around hearing "Gettin It" I became a little obsessed with the Cool Kids, and had to hear everything they did (a quest that was well worth it).

Among the memorable discoveries-

Sometimes Certain Songs Come To Save You From the Doldrums of Banal Living

Have you heard the new Lykke Li album? You probably have, because you probably know some member of the Lykke Li cult strong arming you into listening into everything she does (i.e. me). This song, "I Follow Rivers" is among my favorite songs on this charming album (only probably beat by "Youth Knows No Pain"). But when I heard this remix of it, I was floored that Lykke Li could even sound better. (Sure, I've heard remixes of her songs, but usually the original beats them. This one, however, took the cake). I've played this several times and can now attest that it has lifted me from my depression of still not being able to become a ghost writer for Weezy. It's songs like these that remind me of the lovely things in life, like awesome songs being turned into more awesome remixes.




p.s., speaking of awesome new music, have you heard the new stuff from Toro Y Moi? Not to sound like a blind Pitchfork follower, by listing two of the 3 recent picks for best new music, but Toro y Moi's transition from chillwave (which he did beautifully) to electro-funk (which he does brilliantly) is wonderful in a world where consistency leads to boringness and experimentation can fall flat. I also can't stop playing these two tracks.






Hugs, Lattes, Long Islands and Kisses,
Ashley