Young Fathers are back with a terrific new single, "In My View", which builds and sort of remixes the sound they had going on White Men Are Black Men Too, it reminds me a bit of "Shame" from that album, but more polished and more sophisticated, maybe. Anyway, I'm digging it and looking forward to more from them.
RIYL: TV on The Radio, Wax Taylor, Mount Kimbie, Arca
Nothing but a barefaced lie
Is all you cunts can hold on to
I suggest you downgrade fast
Before it's a shame on you
Imma sing, "What a shame on you"
Where's your gall when it's a shame on you?
I've got no clue what they're going on about, but I dig the rhythm and vibe of "Shame" by Scottish Indie R&B trio Young Fathers. This one's been popping up here and there and I finally decided to give some of their back catalog a listen. It's good stuff and they cover a really wide variety of musical styles.
RIYL: Roots Manuva, Wax Tailor, Ghostpoet, TV on The Radio
I remember that night, I just might
Regret that night for the rest of my daysI remember those soldier boys
Tripping over themselves to win our praiseI remember that dreamlike candlelight
Like a dream that you can’t quite placeBut Alexander, I’ll never forget the first
Time I saw your faceI have never been the same
Intelligent eyes in a hunger-pang frame
And when you said “Hi,” I forgot my dang name
Set my heart aflame, ev’ry part aflame
Perhaps this is too little, too late (or, as a show-tune, doesn't belong?) but I'm honey-badgering a Hamilton hit for my Most Important Song today. Confession: I have not seen Hamilton and only listened to a few minutes of a few tracks from the Original Broadway Soundtrack. What I have heard only reinforces to me that Sia's voice does amazing things to the words Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote. This is fun with history, folks!
Click this for the official off (& on) Broadway shows of Hamilton.
If you do it my way
You get faded when life plummets
If you're going south
You're headed for Southern Comfort
Although it can push you to jumping or acting the dummy
Like spending all of your money cause you just got made redundant
But retail therapy's the only one for your budget
So Dr. denim is the only therapist you're funding
Besides
He lets you prescribe
Any drugs that you like
To get high as the rent you need to cover
Even though at home you've got a lady missing your loving
And you've got sons you need to lead like Marcus Mumford
And you've got bills to pay
But you need a real escape
So you hit the town harder as punches from Muhammad
1 bag, 2 pills, 3 shots before leaving yours
By 5 your face is in the gutter
But you'll be back next week
Throwing your hands up in the club
Like woo girls from 'How I Met your Mother' tryna cover the pain
Bounce
All my people feeling down
If you're loving the sound
Then let me see you get around me
You got sorrows you need to drown
Get around me
And lets try and pretend
That Shit is astounding huh
Everybody bounce
All my people feeling down
If you're loving the sound
Then let me see you get rowdy
By another round now
You should get rowdy
And lets try and pretend
That Shit is astounding uh huh
REMI created this song (with producer Sensible J) to reflect the cycle of depression when life's problems cause a dive into alcohol/drugs. Melodic and accessible, I'm enjoying catching up with this Melbourne-based hip-hop artist. This Most Important cut is a single from his recently released second album, Divas and Demons. For another vibe, check out this bonus track from REMI's debut LP with it's old school, upbeat chill (if that makes sense).
RIYL: Mos Def, Nas, Resin Dogs, A$AP Rocky
Everything I do, I do it with a passion
If I gotta be a bitch, I'mma be a bad one
I'm AI with the designs du-ragging
Bounce back game good, why we talkin' practice?
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Pull up score when I want to
Best thing, next to Heaven
They be tryna count me out though
I'm just countin', countin' blessings
A real woman bout her paper
Niggas don't know where I came from
Boy I really really came up
You never could say I'm lacking
All the shit that I've been through only made me more of an assassin
I kill 'em, I kill 'em, I kill 'em with compassion
And baby if they askin'
If you read some bios of Kehlani, you will think she was basically handed success: went to Oakland School for Arts where her singing talent was so obvious by 8th grade that she entered America's Got Talent (with a group) and was encouraged by the judges to go solo. She was signed to Atlantic, and her subsequent album was nominated for a Grammy.
The other story is that her dad was killed when she was too young to remember him and her mom was a drug addict. She went to live with an aunt, and her talent for ballet got her into the arts school, but then she had a major injury... It doesn't change what happened next (transferring to the music department, discovering her own voice and songwriting prowess, etc) but it gives her the cred such a young talent needs to be believed - to not be dismissed as manufactured by reality television.
