Monday Mixtape, Vol. 113

Lots of upbeat jams for ya this week from some tried and true winners.

If you can’t notice that the first track is live by Natalie Prass, that’s because her silky voice and great band behind her defy expectations. I’ve seen her play live to a group of about eight people, and she’s a talent, one I wish got a bit more recognition.

Speaking of great live acts, the cherubic lead singer of St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Paul Janeway, gives everything he has when you see him live, and these guys just released a new album, which I’m a bit disappointed in but still looking forward to seeing them live in October to perform a bunch of their great jams, including the catchy “LivWithoutU.”

“Moonlight” might be the best Disclosure song I’ve heard, this song in a very loud car just crushes.

All this upbeat music is recipe for a little downturn in vibes which AlunaGeorge and Bas provide. The Bas album is one of the better rap albums of the year, not amazing but solid. “Tribe” with J. Cole might be my favorite track on the album, I just love when the drums come in a 0:45.

Wale has gotten better with age. It’s somewhat surprising he’s still around, but his last three EPs have been great.

Finally, we end the mixtape with BRONCHO, a no frills rock band that bring a little bit more swagger and reverb to this track than their usual. Pump it!

Have a good week all.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 61

It's time for a mixtape dedicated to all the hip-hoppers out there! I'm not gonna blow your mind with too many new names (though Caleborate counts), but there are some great remixes (see: Black Hippy's rendition of "THat Part" and Ab-Soul jumping on a remix with the super underrated Bas to his great original "Housewives"), a new track from Danny Brown, and some oldies but goodies, namely Ab-Soul's haunting "Illuminate" and my favorite rapper of the moment, Isaiah Rashad, head-bobbing classic from his first album, "Heavenly Father." For goodness sakes, just inhale this guy's discography and don't stop until next week.

Word is Ab-Soul may be coming out with a new album. Needless to say I'm excited to hear what the extraterrestrial professor has to say.  

Not a whole lot from me other than the tracks. Enjoy!

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 41

The first track - a remix by Kris Bowers - is fittingly futuristic as our world becomes enveloped in different realities like the virtual and augmented. You can’t watch a series of commercials without seeing something about Samsung’s VR set, and the Oculus Rift is apparently going to be a world changer. Although the lyrics aren’t futuristic, the sounds take me somewhere else. 

Bear Hands continually make catchy songs with their own bend to it. I immediately liked this track, while most of their earlier stuff took me a little bit longer to appreciate, but please check out their Distraction album from 2014 if you’re digging them. 

I can’t even remember how I found the next two tracks. Was it radio? Was it someone’s playlist? Either way, you may like one of the two.

Holy Ghost! is one of the more under appreciated bands in the Electro-Pop genre. I still swear by their first album and their second, Dynamics, was a great sophomore effort. “Crime Cutz” continues to slam synths and elaborate buildups while the track gains steam. 

Bas! My favorite new rapper. If you remember me going on an on about Cousin Stizz, I have very similar feelings with Bas (save for the fact that Bas is clearly getting some help from J. Cole as the album is on Cole’s Dreamville record label, and Stizz didn’t seem to get help from any established artist). Anyways, “Dopamine” is only one example of why this guy has got some serious talent. Although he doesn’t have a trademark voice, his rhythm and production exhibit his abilities. 

Had to put another track from Ray on here. His new album is out there, I’m really enjoying it. 

Have a good week!