The lecherous persona the Weeknd's Abel Tesfaye wed in hell with noxious, churning samples couldn't be further removed from the committed, sugary-sweet R&B epics Justin Timberlake crafted on the double-sided 20/20 Experience. However, starting this Wednesday the Toronto-native will be joining Timberlake on his massive 20/20 Experience tour. Tesfaye will be playing opener in six cities before jetting over to Europe in the early Spring of 2014 to join Drake on his "Would You Like A Tour" run. Tickets for most of the shows have been snatched up, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the Weeknd's partnering with Drake on the anthemic "Live For" below.
Nicki Minaj responds to Kendrick Lamar's "Control"
"Kendrick, Jigga, and Nas, Eminem, Andre 3000, the rest of y'all". In the midst of his world-conquering "Control" verse, Kendrick Lamar seemed to have forgotten the "Monster" that is Nicki Minaj, discarding her into the unnamed "rest of y'all" category. Over the weekend, Minaj appeared on NYC's Power 105.1, where amidst a host of topics she discussed her noticeable absence from the list of hip-hop royalty.
"I'm probably in the top five mother f****rs he did mention, so go and
do your mother-f***in' research," Minaj asserted. "But I also feel like he's
maybe one of those respectful gentlemen that probably felt like, 'I
don't want to say a female's name." To stake a further claim for the throne, Minaj proclaimed her royal-status "I'm the queen of New York, I'm the king of New York. Let me tell you why. Platinum albums...number one in five mother-f***in countries," Minaj heralded. Go below for the amazing clip, and head here for Minaj's ferocious guest spot on Ciara's "I'm Out."
Yoko Ono debuts star-studded "Bad Dancer" video
If you thought it'd never be possible to merge the disparate worlds of the Roots, Deerhoof, Reggie Watts, "This American Life" host Ira Glass, and the Beastie Boys together you were completely sleeping on Yoko Ono's musical largesse.
Following her Letterman performance last month with psychedelic pranksters the Flaming Lips, Ono has released a video for the infectious electronic-bounce of "Bad Dancer" featuring the aforementioned stars and more. In it Ono creates a new painting, while two-stepping with a revolving door of celeb dancers. Highlights include ?uestlove's endearingly goofy turns, Mike D and Ad-Rock moving with the energy of their 80s selves, and Comedy Bang Bang's Reggie Watts appearing in a sequined cape to dance like the calculate madman CBB fans know him to be. Getting all of these people under one roof may have seemed like a Herculean task, but as Ono says in the song "never say never".
Check back in tomorrow for more of the newest in new(s).
Through a series of Instagram videos, Justin Timberlake has unveiled the tracklist for his sequel to this Spring's The 20/20 Experience. The album will include advanced single "Take Back The Night" and a song entitled "Murder". As of now no guests have been announced, so this may be a solo black-tie-affair. Scroll through the tracklist below and catch the video for "Take Back The Night".
20/20 Experience Part 2 is out September 30 through RCA.
1. Gimme What I Don't Know (I Want) 2. True Blood 3. Cabaret 4. T.K.O. 5. Take Back the Night 6. Murder 7. Drink You Away 8. You Got It On 9. Amnesia 10. Only When I Walk Away 11. Not a Bad Thing
Volcano Choir- "Comrade
Bon Iver's Justin Vernon has remained relatively busy in 2013, lending his folky falsetto to several tunes on Kanye West's Yeezus and recording the follow-up to 2009's Unmap, his collaborative effort with fellow Wisconsinites Collections of Colonies of Bees. First single "Byegone" was a logical extension of the understated grandeur Vernon perfected on the 2011 self-titled Bon Iver release. On "Comrade"tender piano lines and jittery guitar figures give way to a climbing chorus; continuing the trend.
Look for Repave on September 3 in the U.S. through Jagjaguwar.
Toro y Moi covers David Brent
If you ever found yourself wanting the worlds of chillwave and the British "Office" to collide, Chaz Bundick of Toro y Moi has made that want a reality. In character as the insufferable David Brent, Gervais recently debuted the song "Slough", dedicated to all the locales of the hardworking town the denizens of "The Office" live and breathe in. Brent goes the acoustic route (in the name of teaching guitar of course), while Bundick goes the downbeat dance route. Now if we could just get him to cover "Freelove Freeway".
Back with the final batch of the top songs of 2013 (so far), counting down from 10-1. Like the first crop of songs, the ones you'll find below are all over the map from somber-dance tracks to posse-rap cuts and even a cover making an appearance. before we press play on the countdown, a quick rewind is in order.
20. "Young & Beautiful"- Lana Del Rey (The Great Gatsby OST) 19. "Living Room"- Grouper (The Man Who Died in His Boat) 18. "Domo 23"- Tyler, the Creator (Wolf) 17. "Power Trip"- J. Cole (Born Sinner) 16. "Where Are We Now?"- David Bowie (The Next Day) 15. "Blood on the Leaves"- Kanye West (Yeezus) 14. "Perfect Form"- Cyril Hahn (Single) 13. "Good Ass Intro"- Chance the Rapper (Acid Rap) 12. "The King"- Tree (Sunday School II: When Church Lets Out) 11. "I Miss You"- the xx (Live Cover)
#10. "Whoa"- Earl Sweatshirt (Doris)
Rare is the moment that Tyler, the Creator's guttural yells offer any semblance of shelter, but Earl's all-out verbal onslaught on "Whoa" makes Tyler's protestations of "nah nah f**k" strangely comforting. To refer to Earl's rapping here as "spitting" is a gross disservice, implying some sort of general spray as opposed to the targeted barbs tossed off, "grab mittens who have to spit blizzardous, actually flick cigarette ash at b***h n***as." If Earl's spitting anything here, its poison dart's like some sort of rap assassin, "spraying then hide away in the shade of his maimed innocence." The B-grade synths that back Earl up only manage to make his calm demeanor on the track more menacing. He goes the whole track without raising his voice once and yet every turn feels like he could snap and start swinging at everything in his sight. He's raiding rubbish bins "at your local loony clinic," and tossing back bars like a "vodka fifth." File it away as another chapter in the "misadventures of a s**t-talker."
#9. "#Beautiful" ft. Miguel- Mariah Carey (The Art of Letting Go)
Excepting Frank Ocean, Miguel had the best year of any R&B singer in 2012. His bold, successful Kaleidoscope Dream was a dense, taut blend of classic R&B tropes and more modern indie trends. Few songs towed this line as well as "Adorn" an infectious bubbling number that's impossible not to crack a smile at. Every yelp and hiccup carries the message of Miguel's love as far as his words, and his sliding wordless vocals seal the deal. Mariah Carey's "#Beautiful" provides a similar lesson in restraint. A guitar riff straight out of the 60s Stax catalog sets the stage for a feathery Miguel. His voice here is as soft as the "kiss of moonlight on your skin." For Carey's part she still slips in a trademark vocal burst or two, though she's plays it cool for the most part. She's feeling giddy here and professes a feeling of invincibility. No nervousness or confusion here, just two people turning in an effortless performance.
#8. "1Train" ft. Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson, & Big K.R.I.T.- A$AP Rocky (Long.Live.A$AP)
"Don't be scared n***a is you ready?" A$AP Rocky cryptically asks over the haunted strings and boom-bap drums of 1Train, already a serious contender for the all-time great posse-cuts list. How could you be ready? Rap features have always been about one-upsmanship and a competitive spirit, but everyone here though sounds absolutely possessed. Rocky's clinging to "bags made of Goyard, cheffin' like I'm Boyar-Dee," and taking us back to the days of riding the titular train. Kendrick continues his lyrical gymnastics here, riding up on a skateboard, and gunning down everyone in sight, while still finding time to eat them all like "cooked beef." Joey Bada$$ can be caught "barely even conscious, talking to my conscious," and meeting with Jigga. For his part, Alabama-bred rapper Yelawolf is huddling with "Nubians," and assuring us there's never been "a rapper this cold, since 2Pac was froze, and thawed out for a spot-date at a Coachella show." To the surprise of no one, Danny Brown is thoroughly unhinged, spinning through his verse like the Tasmanian Devil hopped up on "molly." Brown supplies one of the most nauseating, gut-busting lines of the year rapping, "b***h p***y smell like the Penguin, wouldn't hit that s*** with my worst enemy's penis." Action Bronson (he who shall forever be compared to Ghostface Killah) drives by swiftly, "shifting the Bimmer 860," "confetti torching," and somehow finding the time to fix a game between Georgia Southern & Grambling. Then there's Mississippi-native Big K.R.I.T. bearing his "Muddy Water flow, Dixie rebel past." Rocky and Bada$$ both swear by K.R.I.T.'s verse, and it understandable. K.R.I.T.'s verse is filled with flash, packaged inside a classic frame, much like the candy-painted Caddies he can be found in. When the song ends, it's hard to imagine what could conceivably be better than that "1Train."
#7. "Retrograde"- James Blake (Overgrown)
Few people can make loneliness sound as lovely as James Blake. On his "post-dubstep" debut LP, 2011's James Blake, he made abject isolation a commodity, the solitary life the only sort worth living. On the frigid summits of closer "Measurements," he was wandering through "forests cold," and putting all his doubts on trial in a courtroom of the elements. "Retrograde" maintains the spirit of that lone traveler mentality, but this time out a companion's come along. The isolation has shifted from the first to third person in the course of one winter; "we're alone now." The small ember of the track that Blake's voice clings to in the cold becomes a burning fire in the pit of his stomach by the time his loverman chorus hits. Blake begs, "show me why you're strong, ignore everybody else, we're alone now," wallowing the first time he runs through the line. The clattering drums and keyboards only fan the flames in the dark of night, as Blake is hit by the "starkness of the dawn." If it truly is "darkest before the dawn," Blake's found someone to peer out into the darkness with.
#6. "Started from the Bottom"- Drake (Nothing Was The Same)
Wherever you think Drake came up or started from is irrelevant right around the time that minor-key piano figure is pushed out of frame by the sturm und drang trap-rap drums stitched up by producer Mike Zombie. Any possible chuckle or headshake at the notion of Drake "keeping it real from the start" disappears. Drizzy doesn't sound assured here, but authoritative. Through his sharp eyes we see arguments at his "momma's house" and late-night joyrides unwittingly sponsored by his uncle asking "where you at." The familiar themes of friends and family are in abundance here. Drake's proven more skilled than most artists at delineating the lines between the friends that'll die for you and those that would prefer to just sit in the car. Here Drake celebrates the success with the "whole team" drafted from the get-go and throws up deuces to any bandwagoneers, "f**k a fake friend." On "Over" he let us know "I'm doing me." "Started from the Bottom" is the ultimate reminder that in spite of everything, the story's stayed the same.
#5. "Climax"- The Dirty Projectors (Cover)
The original "Climax" released off of Usher's wildly inconsistent (but ultimately enjoyable) 2012 record Looking4 Myself was one of the greatest thrills in pop last year. Usher and producer Diplo gave us a masterclass in restraint. Usher could've howled his way through the thing, racing for those high notes like a rocket blasting off into space, but he didn't. He stayed grounded in hushed falsettos and dubstep burbles, until the relationship plateaued, and then Usher's voice was right there at the summit, howling in pained agony. On their "Like a Version" cover, the Dirty Projectors forgo any plateauing altogether. Leader Dave Longstreth immediately goes for the gut, if Usher sounded like he could survive another round of love in limbo, Longstreth's already called it quits. Longstreth clings to every note like there was nothing else left in this world. For her part, Amber Coffman (eyes closed) ethereally floats through the notes, feet firmly "off the ground." When Longstreth steps back up his questions of "why do I care at all?" are just as vital as Usher's original interrogations. The grand finale where Usher threw all caution to the wind is more reckless now, Longstreth and Coffman splitting the difference to pull the relationship apart. Transcending source material and making it your own is never easy, even if the Dirty Projectors make it seem that way.
#4. "Ya Hey"- Vampire Weekend (Modern Vampires of the City)
On the highest of the highest, Vampire Weekend's rousing "Ya Hey" amounts to finger-wagging at the highest on high, the big man himself, the imperturbable Yahweh. "The faithless they don't love you, the zealous hearts don't love you," Ezra Koenig sings, his warm tone hardly masking the frantic finger-wagging he's committed too. Koenig nurtures all his guilt and inner turmoil for a time, but "lets it go," shedding his own crown of thorns and moving on with his life. "Ya Hey" is one of several tracks on the album to question religion's role in our lives when the trouble finds us, against frenetic guitar strumming on "Worship You" the group asks "who will guide us through the end," and "Unbelievers" resigns to the warmth that awaits all its titular characters. But the true beauty of "Ya Hey" is its ability to descend from the clouds and operate on a less celestial level. Trade an all-seeing God for an overly invested lover searching for the last ounce of love in a deflated relationship, and the metaphor comes into focus. Koenig cops to his mistakes in the cathartic chorus and swelters in the heat of the fire and flames. His lover meanwhile just sits in silence, out of sight and out of reach. Lacking faith in a higher power, Koenig is still burdened by an overwhelming faith in humanity.
#3. "Cherry"- Chromatics (After Dark 2)
Yes, in the most narrow-minded and myopic view of list-making this one breaks the rules. It originally made its appearance back in November 2012, but merits inclusion because a. it didn't see official release until After Dark 2, a compilation of moody dance acts from label Italians Do It Better dropped, and b. it's one of the best songs of this (and frankly) any year from the still young decade. I've easily heard the song some 60 plus times now and the crying synths and chugging bass find new ways to surprise me. There are still nights where I press repeat and let the spirit of the song haunt my room as I nod off into the ether. I originally wrote that "Cherry" is a marvelous encapsulation of what Rodney Dangerfield once referred to as the "heaviness" where the weight of the world casts a shadow over every kiss, every relationship, and every regret. Months later, singer Ruth Radelet wearisome "I can't keep crying all of the time," hasn't gotten any easier to lift. "Cherry" isn't an incredible song just for the hypnotic backbeat soundtracking the most sullen dancefloor in the world, but for the tragically pointed and relatable lyrics. Cherry's true nature is revealed in the final verse when Radelet discovers "Cherry can be very sweet when she needs a
friend, but it's only a mask she wears so she can pretend." I feel perfectly comfortable admitting I've had the same paranoia creep over me; concerned that all my rushing to someone's side will be for naught when the roles are reversed. Some do it out of selfishness, but others are merely shortsighted, unable to see anything worth sharing with another human being. Hearing the song now, I'm reminded of a quote from a Kafka short-story about a man and woman engaging in a high-stakes game of "judgment." Near the finale, the man remarks "yet you smile-- inviting mortal danger-- from time to time." We've all been put in that danger before and like Radelet we can grow to hate the power it has over us. A way out from underneath the heaviness is possible; if you can summon the strength.
The last time unmitigated devotion and unyielding fidelity sounded this good on record, Rihanna was taking an oath to "stick it out to the end" on "Umbrella." For whatever reason, even in the world of Top 40 radio, martial stability annoys us. Rumours, one of the most successful albums of all time painfully traces the dissolution of relationships. The runaway success of Adele's 21 was fueled by a similar source. Justin Timberlake himself began his solo career with the bitter pill of "Cry Me A River." Despite our best intentions, bliss bores us. Which makes "Mirrors" dominance of the Billboard charts all the more impressive. Holding steady in the top 10, the arena ready track shows everyone how commitment can be done right. Sporting Timbaland's trademark handclap beats and smothered in synths, Timberlake is looking at his other half with emotional honesty, "I don't wanna lose you know," he sings in a buttery falsetto on the hook. The imagery here of two becoming one is simplistic, but powerful aided by Timbaland's hefty bass and soaring synths. Soon Timberlake loses all control, the music's grand scale is re-sized, and JT's devolved into a chorus of "you are the love of my life." There's no mystery in tomorrow, Timberlake's figured it out.
#1. "Get Lucky" ft. Pharrell- Daft Punk (Random Access Memories)
Unless some Earth-shattering, world-conquering song comes along in the next 5 months, "Get Lucky"'s disco-strut won't be stopped. What is already an earworm, has its DNA drastically mutated by Pharrell's silky croon, Niles Rogers' (of Chic fame) choppy guitar playing, and Daft Punk's funky vocoder breakdown. The song's an aural plague; reeking "havoc" on your whole body 'til your up on feet, head bouncing to-and-fro to Pharrell's hook, and voice joining the fight to "get lucky." Seeing Pharrell play this song back-to-back-to-back live makes perfect sense, who isn't pressing repeat as soon as the song heads off into the sunset? As I write this I'm struggling to finish, the smallest ripples in the song distracting me. Another keystroke is halted by the tiny piano figure or the muted bass thud. I can't imagine getting anything do listening to this, let alone a complicated task that commands your full concentration. Daft Punk demand that here, luring you into their all-night funhouse, and never letting you leave. The band's prior pop savvy with highlights "Da Funk," "One More Time," "Harder Better Faster Stronger," and "Make Love" can't hold a candle to what Daft Punk crafted here. "Get Lucky" doesn't just raise the bar, so much as it obliterates it.
Got a problem with any of the selections here or on part 1? Then let your voice be heard! Drop a comment, hit up the twitter account @allfreshsounds, give a stern talking to on Facebook, whatever you've gotta do. And look for a list of the top 10 albums so far this year to drop next week.
For anyone that's cared to
listen, my only problem with the otherwise excellent Netflix exclusive House
of Cards series is that the Kevin Spacey portrayed Francis J. Underwood’s quest
for, and consolidation of power is far too easy. Dominoes tend to topple over,
but Underwood's opponents step-aside like well-trained matadors. It's easy to
root for the underdog and even the boss (if they’re amiable enough). But the
one who breezes through everything (without ever hinting at all the work put
in) could never be confused for the "everyman." We cheer for Michael
Jordan, but sympathize for the player riding the bench. I feel the same way
when I listen to Magna Carta...Holy Grail.
Not to say that Jay-Z should go
back to rapping from the perspective of the scrappy hustler, "back to the
wall ashy knuckles," that spun golden yards of the crack game on Reasonable
Doubt. It's a ridiculous request and were Jay to readopt that persona it
would be as roundly dismissed as Rick Ross following the
outing of his false "gangsterism." That's not where Jay-Z is in
his career; he's signing Kevin Durant to his new sports agency, going all in on
what Bomani Jones pointedly
called "the greatest cell phone promotion ever," and vacationing
in Cuba. He's got infinite album budgets and a Rolodex of five-star producers
that would make entire labels blush. Wealth talk in hip-hop has never been
what's driven people away, Big Bank Hank on "Rapper's Delight"
bragged of having a "Lincoln Continental and a sunroof Cadillac" (oh
how the times have changed). Jay-Z's longing for a "Picasso in his
casa," on the booming "Picasso Baby" is an extension of a
material longing that only years of struggle could create. But the hunger was
satiated somewhere between the turkey bacon for breakfast and the bottles of champagne
for a nightcap.
Jay's hunger has always been at its
greatest when he's had something to play off of. Watch the Throne was
cut from the same fine cloth he’s now stitched in every time he leaves the crib,
but he had Kanye West around to light the proverbial fire under his ass.
Excepting the Murder's Row production list, The Black Album succeeded so
wildly because Jay was rapping on the door of retirement. Jay only crafted the
all-time diss track "Takeover"
for The Blueprint because vocal critics like Nas, Prodigy, and Jadakiss
were closing in on all sides. The higher the flames under Jay-Z's feet get, the
higher he ascends. MCHG then is unmistakably frigid at points.
By all accounts Mr. & Mrs.
Carter have a perfectly happy and healthy marriage, but you'd never know it
from the lack of chemistry displayed on the tepid "Part II (On the
Run)." The song, which rides a quasi-late-80s/early 90s R&B groove and
hasn't been officially confirmed as a sequel to the explosive "03 Bonnie
& Clyde," is a further down trending of what began on the cloying
"Lift Off," where the two last me. Surrounded by "No Church in
the Wild," and "N****s in Paris," that track felt entirely
unnecessary and coming in at nearly 6 minutes, so does "Part II (On the
Run).
Even with all the namechecking
of Basquiat paintings, Tom Ford clothing tags, and surprise trips to Marrakesh
to smoke hashish, the most opulent thing about the album is its length. The run
time of 59 minutes is deceptive; with late-album tracks like the Timbaland
beach-house groove "La Familia," contributing to the feeling that MCHG
is much longer. Despite putting a Gonjasufi sample to provoking use on closer
"Nickels & Dimes," Hov flatly ignores the Neil Young advice that
"it's better to burn out than fade away." Likewise, the suit and tie
s*** of "Holy Grail" could've been hemmed to get it under 5 minutes.
That being said, there are clear
highlights to be found on MCHG. Like an eyeball grabbing
summer-blockbuster, "Holy
Grail" is decadent and overblown in the best way. Justin Timberlake creates
a grand scale from the get-go, howling over a piano "I still don't know
why I love you so much." Jay continues the "papa paranoia" of Watch
the Throne's "New
Day," surrounded by "haters in the papers, photo shoots with
paparazzi," to the point where a walk with his daughter becomes next to
impossible. And despite what's
been said of the reworking of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" the
moment flies by so fast over the sprightly beat it's hard to take stock of.
"Oceans" is another moment of pure brilliance, returning to the
imbalances between wealth and race that WTT delivered a treatise on.
OF-crooner Frank Ocean conveys the mood, "this water drowned my family,
this water mixed my blood, this water tells my story, this water knows it
all," making the confined quarters of a yacht sound like paradise when
considering the slave ships that came before.
Elsewhere, the brash Timbaland
beat of "Heaven"
is one-step from launching into "Dream On," and again employs
Timberlake, this time to soulfully question just who makes it into heaven. Jay
rips through round 1 on the song, effortlessly rolling off the 12 jewels of
Islam (knowledge, wisdom, understanding, freedom, justice, equality, food,
shelter, love, peace, and happiness) giving credence to the line "can't
believe this much skill in the human body."
For any overabundance that "Nickels &
Dimes" has, Jay-Z's lyrical dexterity is on full-display here. He
moves from talk of Mac-11's to soft-drinks and Johnny Cash without batting an
eye and later evokes Kubrick's nightmarish Eyes Wide Shut. Kubrick the
dictionary definition of "perfectionist"
is an idle auteur for Jay to compare himself to at this point in his career.
Jay-Z albums now are meticulously crafted things, not a note out of place, everything
from the guest-list to the packaging and promotion obsessively micromanaged.
But the curtains are never pulled back for us to see all the sweat and
sacrifice that goes into the finished product. The house of cards is set up,
but never in danger of falling down.
