One of our Best Albums of 2011 was Adam & the Amethysts’ Flickering Flashlight. Adam Waito’s band’s album was a masterful mix of pop styles combining many influences (from Spector-echo-pop, to 60s’ farfisa organ, to R&B, to plucky folk). But after attaining our prestigious list, the Amethysts subsequently disappeared into the ether. Or so we thought.

From the interwebs we have finally learned that Waito is alive and well in various incarnations (Silverkeys, assisting Julie Doiron, and on solo projects–listen to all below the featured video).  The Waito project that’s particularly grabbed hold of our ears is the Montreal buzz-band, Nancy Pants, which also features singer-guitarist Ohara Hale. The band’s live sets are heralded as must-sees (see below). To get a feel for the band, check out their impossibly catchy fuzz-rocker, Happy, and its bizarre amateur video below capturing a Fairfax Ave. palm tree on fire after a bottle rocket was shot into it (for all you palm tree huggers, the picture above confirms that the palm tree was either nonplussed by the conflagration and roared back to life–or was replaced).

Afterwards, watch the recently-released video for I’ve Got A Crush On You and Everybody Knows It, evidently from their upcoming second album.  We look forward to hearing it and seeing the band live.

Photo: Geneviève Alary

It could have been worse. Bon Iver’s hiatus might have been permanent instead of just a pause. The good news is the band is back together preparing some new music and venturing out for a series of gigs. In the meantime, bandleader/songwriter Justin Vernon has thankfully collaborated again with James Blake (to go with other recent collabs by Vernon with Kanye, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z and The Roots). Blake’s new album, The Colour In Anything, has just been receiving universal accolades rivaling Radiohead’s new album’s devotionals.  Today Blake has released the official video for track I Need a Forest Fire, which supports the applause for the album. The song features Vernon and is beauty. As is the artful video, which was directed by Matt Clark with Chris Davenport.  Check it out below.  We will have more on the talented Blake’s new album later.

Where have we been??!! We were happily drowning deep, deep, and deeper in A Moon Shaped Pool when Janelle Monáe suddenly pulled us out and revived us.  “Mo” Monae completely resuscitated us with St. Beauty’s newly-released song Holographic Lover. And now, for reasons that will sound apparent below, we are completely smitten with this duo, which has signed with Monáe’s Atlanta-centric label/industry Wondaland, a consortium of talented musicians and artists that includes Jidenna (and which we first wrote about six years ago). After listening to Holographic Lover, our ears are just glistening! Word to the wise: Monáe’s got the Midas touch!

In all honesty, Nylon gets the assist here. Monáe blessed the song, which Nylon has disclosed comes from the annual mixtape entitled Love The Free released by fashionista-DJ Cachee Livingston (better known as Kitty Cash and as Baby Khaled).

St. Beauty released its EP The Eephus last August and you can pick it up HERE.  After getting Holographic, check out the official video for their great track Going Nowhere off of The Eephus. Dang. So good!! We can’t wait to hear more.

We have become huge fans of Chance The Rapper and most everything he touches (Chance contributed mightily to Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment’s album Surf, which you can download for free HERE and which remains at the top of a very short list of our Best Albums of 2015).  The world’s been awaiting his next release entitled Chance 3, his long-awaited third “mixtape” and last night he performed a new song off the release entitled Blessings on the Fallon Show.  Watch below as Chance, Jamila Woods (who sang with Chance on his outstanding Sunday Candy song off of Surf), gospel singer Byron Cage, Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment, and a gospel choir backed him up on great new gospel-rap song entitled Blessings.  Chance 3 will be released in a week.

“When the praises go up, the blessings go down.” Bless on, Chance.

After releasing new song/video Burn The Witch a few days ago, Radiohead have released news that their still-untitled LP will be released digitally this Sunday and hard copy on June 17th via XL Recordings.  To further whet the world’s appetite for the long-awaited album, the band has just released the official video for new song Daydreaming.  The video was directed by guitarist Jonny Greenwood’s oft-collaborationist Paul Thomas Anderson. Check it below.  The song continues the analog, orchestral-maneuvers motif, this time propelled predominantly by piano. The video features Thom Yorke walking about, ultimately opting for an ice-cave with fire. Naturally.

Following her critically-acclaimed, eponymous album of last year, Holly Miranda will next week release a covers EP entitled Party Trick via Dangerbird.  Miranda has now released her cover of Sufjan Stevens’ devastatingly sad and beautiful song No Shade In The Shadow Of The Cross from Carrie & Lowell.  While Miranda’s version isn’t a complete re-imagining of the song, her languid and sultry vocals bring appropriately world-weary elements to it. And make it better.

How’s that old song go again?  Oh yeah, “Take a sad song, and make it better.” Well done, Holly Miranda.

Radiohead had been curiously quiet for some time and then over the weekend disappeared completely (at least on social media).  Today the best-band-in-the-world released a new stop-action video for new/old song Burn the Witch, which may be the first track released off the band’s allegedly forthcoming, as-yet-untitled album. Burn the Witch first appeared in 2003 as a part of the artwork of Radiohead’s Hail to the Thief album. The song was later heard in snippets live, but not to our knowledge ever played in its entirety.

The song and video are ominously dystopian, including the opening lyrics “Stay in the shadows, cheer at the gallows, this is a low-flying panic attack.” Thom Yorke and the boys have never been afraid of the real politik and expressing Orwellian concerns, and this song proves it again. What is different is the music, where the band seems to have made good on its promise of something entirely different.  Gone (on this track at least) are the electronica sounds favored on their most recent recordings, replaced by decidedly analog orchestral strings. Yorke’s sonorous vocals thankfully remain the same.

The video was directed by Chris Hopewell of Jackknife, the same troop that directed Radiohead’s 2003 video for There There (watch at bottom for old times’ sake–a fantastic song still).

The band’s PR states that the song will be “available on all digital services” at midnight (GMT?) tonight.

Shows how wrong we can be. For some reason we had it in our heads that rising rapper Anderson .Paak came out of Compton. Nope. Must have been confused by .Paak’s signing with Dre’s Aftermath label. We got set straight while watching the official video for the combined Malibu tracks The Season/Carry Me and The Waters. Paak instead grew up in nearby Oxnard. Check out the video below with its references to Oxnard’s omnipresent strawberries, Santa Barbara County’s Chumash Casino and Saks.  .Paak had a tough upbringing with his dad going to prison and dying young and his mom also being imprisoned for tax evasion. You can hear the story told well in the songs’ lyrics (edited to match the video).  The video is co-directed by .Paak and Chris Le, and looks a bit like the Malibu album’s cover art as filmed and animated by Wes Anderson.

.Paak has said this about his hometown and the song The Season: “It’s a tribute to my surroundings and where I grew up in Oxnard. It’s only an hour away from L.A. but it’s very different. Small town—I was dead set on getting out. Growing up I wanted to get to the big city and do my thing. But when I look back at it now I’m really appreciative. All the things I went through in that city it made me who I am in the sense of my artistry, outlook and approach. I kinda was always an outsider, and had to learn a lot when I came to L.A. It took me a while—I had to go through a lot of development—and that’s a whole part of the come up. That’s what I’m getting at. If I didn’t have love for you growing up, I damn sure have it now. Reaping the benefits of the fruit of your labor, planting those seeds two to five years prior and then seeing them actually blossom into a tree—or into a strawberry, if you will—my mom did that. She invested in herself and started a produce company, and it didn’t crack off until later. When it did crack off, she reaped some heavy benefits and I wanted to put that into a song. I saw how that paralleled with my artistry and life. She was always adamant about hard work paying off.”

Check the video and songs out below.  We’ve become big fans of Oxnard’s .Paak.

Part 1: The Season

My faith is buried somewhere underneath the town
(Until it’s paid for)
Strawberry season, my sweetheart is coming ‘round
(I hear it rain and pour)
How did you find me here? It must be perfect timing
(Forever grateful)
If I didn’t love you then I damn sure love you now
(Fruit of your labor)

Say ain’t shit change but the bank statements
Spent the summer in the wave with the beach babies
Threw your chula in the buggie
With the top down up the PCH
I’m heading north, I hope it doesn’t rain
Went from playing community ball to balling with the majors
(Oh, what you major?)
Yeah nigga I ran bases, pitch flame
I call plays, remove labels
And f@#k fame, that killed all my favorite entertainers
(Nothing short of amazing, ooh yeah)
But I’m short on my patience
See, I don’t play that s$%t, I don’t ever forget
And don’t forget that dot, nigga you paid for it
I spent years being called out my name
Living under my greatness
But what don’t kill me is motivation

My faith is buried somewhere underneath the town
(Until it’s paid for)
Strawberry season, my sweetheart is coming ‘round
(I hear it rain and pour)
How did you find me here? It must be perfect timing
(Forever grateful)
If I didn’t love you then I damn sure love you now
(Fruit of your labor)

Part 2: Carry Me

Six years old I tried my first pair of Jordans on
(Momma can you carry me?)
It was late in the fall I caught a glimpse of my first love, my god
(Momma can you carry me?)
Knees hit the floor, screams to the Lord
Why they had to take my ma?
(Momma carry me?)
To the early morn
(Momma can you carry me?)
To the early morning
(Momma can you carry me?)

Hey, hey, hey, gather ‘round hustlers
That is if you’re still living
And get on down before the judge give the sentence
A few more rounds before the feds come and get you
Is you gonna smile when your date gets issued?
You know them feds taking pictures
Your mom’s in prison, your father need a new kidney
You family’s splitting, rivalries between siblings
If cash ain’t king it’s damn sure the incentive
And good riddance

Q: Is the element of danger an important factor for the members of your peer group?
A: Yes, you might say that. Why don’t you give it a try and find out for yourself?

Six years old I tried my first pair of Jordans on
(Momma can you carry me?)
It was late in the fall I caught a glimpse of my first love, my god
(Momma can you carry me?)
Knees hit the floor, screams to the Lord

Part 3: The Waters

Yes lord, yeah

Tried to tell niggas, in 2012, nigga
Working hand to hand and no avail
Volume one was too heavy for you frail niggas
So I got leaned like codeine and pills
It’s the visionary, in the vintage Chevy
It’s been a while but wow you still care
Free Nash ’til they pass out obituaries
In bold caps, “your bitch-ass was not there”
And I can do anything but move backwards
The hardest thing is to keep from being distracted
My big sister still claiming me on them taxes
Tell Uncle Sam I just need a second to add this
Gave my momma ten racks
And she packed and went to Chumash with it
Quadruple the worth and give me half of it
Half of it I took in the back of the air mattress
A quarter stash was stashed in a box with the Air Maxes
The rest got lost in Saks with my wifey, no BM
Whack niggas dropping links in my DM
Bad bitches up and down a nigga TL
I’m glad that you finally made it to the future but you’re late
And the price is through the muthaf@#kin’ roof
If you want you could wait outside the building
I ain’t takin’ no more meetings

Stepped in the waters
The water was cold
Chilled my body
But not in my soul

I bring you greetings from the first church of Boom Baptists
United Fellowship of Free Nationals”

Our dials have been set on full-wallow for a while now. But setbacks and back-tracks seem destined for clap-trap. So we’re bound to move forward. And sometimes you’ve got go backwards to move forward. Musician Kevin Morby (Woods) took us back (via his therapeutic Talkhouse playlist found HERE) to Little Wings’ wondrously evocative song Around This World. The song is from Little Wings’ fantastic 2015 album Explains (we briefly reviewed and also interviewed leader Kyle Fields HERE). Morby (seen above) explained that the song’s inclusion is due to its (and Explains’) healing powers, which helped Morby following the passing of a friend. We concur completely.  Check out the very fitting, unofficial video for Around This World below. The song’s lyrics are at bottom. May you wallow no more.

Kevin Morby’s brand new album, Singing Saw, is receiving rave reviews and you can pick it up at Dead Oceans

AROUND THIS WORLD

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