Back again after a brief hiatus. Didja miss me?
I had already typed up this entire post, and then my browser crashed (which only happens once every 3 months or so, and always when I’m typing up these posts, it seems.) So, I’m going to try to remember all of the links (since I deleted them already….SMART).
Gnarls Barkley is a fictional singer. The project is a collaboration between DJ Danger Mouse (the guy responsible for the brilliant Beatles/Jay-Z “Grey Album” mash-ups) and Atlanta-area rapper Cee-Lo. Given the presense of a skilled DJ and a rapper, you’d expect some smokin’ hip-hop tracks, right? WRONG. They have combined to produce perfect retro/neo soul….sounding for all the world as if Al Green or Bill Withers had gotten into a studio with 21st century producers. This stuff is amazing: Gnarls Barkley – “Crazy.”
Neo-soul puts me in the mood for classic soul, so here’s one of my favorite tracks from the early 70s: The Spinners – “I’ll Be Around.”
While I’m on the topic of great production– The producer behind Roisin Murphy’s solo album (which I posted several tracks from last year) has an album of his own out (with Roisin providing additional vocals), and it’s the same jazzy/funky mix of electronics and orchestration. Herbert – “The Movers & The Shakers.”
I was looking for some more French hip-hop for
I don’t know anything about Mellowdrone, aside from the fact that they are a brand-new band, and I really, really like their music. I’ll be trying to find out more over the next week or so: Mellowdrone – “Oh My.”
The Roger Sisters are a NYC band that sound like early B-52s (“Rock Lobster/Private Idaho” period, rather than “Love Shack/Channel Z” period). Here’s a lovely little ditty about climate change and the end of the world: The Roger Sisters – “Zero Point.”
There you go. Only six tracks this week. More next week, I promise.