Last week marked the inaugural appearance of our newest feature, Top 10 mp3s of the Week. Despite invitations to countless exclusive VIP parties (read: playing Wii with your roommate’s buddy from work) we’ve decided to carve out some time to share a particularly abundant amount of jollies this week and, why the hell not, all weeks forthcoming. As long as there are mp3s tirelessly being showered down upon us all, we’ll be here to (gently) recommend which ones to embrace with all your heart and which ones to shun forthwith.
Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are our Top 10 mp3s of the Week.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – “Same Mistake”
Trust us, we’re as surprised as you that this made the list. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah were all well and good in their prime, but have barely been a blip on the radar in recent years. We thought they’d fallen by the wayside, like so many of their contemporaries did before them. “Same Mistake” proves us absolutely wrong.
Roc Nation’s J. Cole has yet to release a full-length debut, but if the rest of it sounds as good as the first single “Work Out” does, we’re in for a hell of a debut. J. Cole channels Kanye West in multiple ways on this one: first by sampling Ye’s College Dropout track“The New Workout Plan”, second by spitting with confidence and class. Expect big things from J. Cole in the coming year.
The Japanese Popstars (feat. Robert Smith) – “Take Forever”
I don’t know what The Cure’s Robert Smith’s obsession is with hip-happening electronic musicians, but it’s a match made in heaven. Now the only question remains: Is his track with Crystal Castles better, or does this one with Ireland-based Japanese Popstars take the cake? We’ll let you decide.
Bombé & Mr. Caribbean – “Wilhelm’s Fucking Best”
Mash-ups are a dime a dozen these days. Quality mash-ups, however, are a different story entirely. Quality mash-ups are a rare breed of seamless, not too crowded, best of both worlds productions that come along once in a blue moon. Such is the case with Bombé & Mr. Caribbean‘s “Wilhelm’s Fucking Best”, part of an entire mixtape that puts our post-dub poster boy James Blake and our formerly crippled bag of fun Drake. Best part? These clever fellas make Drake sound good! No easy feat. Next best part? You can download the entire mixtape for free here.
Quite possibly the best thing about Brighton’s Gross Magic is their unabashed love for the grunge scene of the 90s. It allows them to draw from that (endlessly deep) well, while simultaneously dipping into something new – a cleaner, more controlled sound that is ever so good. Check out the single, “Sweetest Touch”, from their forthcoming EP, Teen Jamz.
So trashy and oh so loud, this little firecracker from Australia’s Super Wild Horses appears on a split 7″ these two ladies put together with Boomgates, which they’re hocking on the road. We’re a couple weeks late on this, but it’s only two minutes and too good to be left off. (via Rose Quartz )
Bravado. Spitin’. Ohhhh! No hook. No beat. He goes on! How old is he? Salaam Remi on production. Perfect pair. “Sit back and roll a Swisher”. Nasty Nas.
Still working off that hazy en bloc blackout feeling, The Weeknd‘s Abel Tesfaye returns wholly charged with something a little more fierce. When he bellows, “Don’t make me make you fall in love with a nigga like me,” it just may be the peak of his salacious evening. But, in actuality, it’s only the beginning of the next series of releases from the new king of R&B. Can we talk about his vocals when the beat drops out? That loopy trill proves he’s having too much fun being foreboding. Gotta love it.
The Tallest Man On Earth – “In The Pockets”
So this is another oldie, originally recorded for Kristian Matsson’s soon to be re-released 2006 debut EP, and it serves as proof that The Tallest Man On Earth has ever been attacking his songwriting with the collective skill of so many folk arbiters before him. His name will be added to the canon soon enough. Proof:
Ford & Lopatin – “Too Much MIDI (Please Forgive Me)”
Closing out this week is a nice little nod to 2010: Ford & Lopatin‘s “Too Much MIDI (Please Forgive Me)”. The glow-fi, the chill, the Adult Swim Singles — hey it’s summer and last summer was pretty great, right? First, obviously, there’s no shortage of MIDI on this track. The swirling and lounging tune reveals itself to be more than a simple toke-out track with multi-sectioned parts, and just the right amount of funk to nod some heads before you’re magnetized to that couch.
