The Playlist – February 2016

Music is a little like food and clothes. These are areas where it’s probably worthwhile for one to explore & expand their tastes. The Playlist is assembled each month by Dappered’s very own music correspondent, Tim Johnstone. Tim is a former Virgin Records Label Rep & current award winning Program Director at KRVB, which was awarded the FMQB AAA station of the year markets 50+. You can also catch his work on Fridays when he assembles the Weekend Dossier. Got a Spotify account? You’ll find a link to this month’s playlist at the end of the post.

 

Ray Lamontagne – “No Pressure”

Whoa. Initial response: that’s some heavy fuzz operating there. Then Ray comes in and it comes crashing together dazed and woozy and altogether mesmerizing. Ray is heading out this summer with My Morning Jacket (minus Jim James) as his band. In other words, this tour is going to be amazing.

 

Kanye West – “Real Friends” (NSFW lyrics)

No fireworks here. Just Kanye dropping rhymes with the occasional auto-tune flourishes and a hypnotic synth loop. It’s a mostly subtle track, one that relies almost entirely on Kanye’s vocals to move the song along and give it a place to go. Not available for purchase yet.

 

The Lumineers – “Ophelia”

This is pretty much what this band is all about. A relaxed, irony free net-folk which feels genuine. Piano, revival tent percussion and reverb accentuated backing vocals propel Wesley Schultz’s malleable vocals. It’s catchy. It’s old timey. But that’s their thing. I can’t hate on that.

 

Mayer Hawthorne – “Cosmic Love”

Supremely slick white guy soul from a kid who has been perfecting it over the course of several releases. Sexy time music going on right there.

 

Massive Attack – “Take It There”

Woozy beats, piano bass-notes and Tricky’s narcotic vocals drape themselves upon a fragile framework in this new track from one of the most important trip hop bands of the past thirty years. All the late night feels develop with the song’s gradual assimilation of layers and energy. The perfect soundtrack for a solitary evening spent with whiskey and thoughts unbound.

 

Iggy Pop – “Gardenia”

It seems fitting that Iggy Pop, one of David Bowie’s long time musical cohorts, is back with new music in the wake of Bowie’s passing. Like Bowie, Iggy has always been something of a musical chameleon, bounding along a path that stretched back to proto-punk rock with stops at new wave, metal and honest to goodness pop. On this new album, Iggy has teamed up with Josh Homme (who makes a regular habit of teaming up with rock and roll heroes), along with Dead Weather guitarist Dean Fertita, and Arctic Monkeys drummer, Matt Helders.

 

Future – “Maybach” (NSFW lyrics)

Big beats and fake strings, paired rhymes and syncopated synths, headphones and bleeps, atmospheric and claustrophobic. Strangely cathartic. Also, unthinkable without Massive Attack. Currently digging this a lot.

 

The Heavy – “Since You Been Gone”

These guys just never disappoint. High energy, horned-up R&B that gallops along a insistent rhythm highlighted by terrific percussion and layered backing vocals. Wah-wah pedals and a nifty breakdown mid way through are just a few of the things that shine here. “All these things in my head/Broken by the things that you said.” Welcome back fellas.

 

Beyonce – “Formation” (NSFW lyrics)

Holy shit. Senses. Working. Overtime. Coldplay might have started the Super Bowl Halftime Show, but Beyonce is all anyone is discussing now. Available only on Tidal at this time.

 

David Bowie – “Lazarus”

Chances are you have seen this. But I have to include it. He released this video a few days before he died. It was his way of telling us he was leaving. He scripted his exit, shared it with the world, and moved on. It still kills me.

 

A Fine Frenzy – “Almost Lover”

Allison Sudol is an under appreciated singer songwriter who uses the moniker A Fine Frenzy. She is unbearably beautiful. And her voice is exquisite. This is a song for all those guys who were never pursued by the women they longed for. A song for those girls who think nobody cares. (You can also catch Allison in the upcoming Potter world movie “Fantastic Beasts.”)

 

Lucius – “Born Again Teen”

This first taste of this Brooklyn band’s second album is a statement of sorts: we have evolved. Their impressive debut release proved them to be adept at crafting super catchy indie rock with a decidedly girl-group vibe. With “Born Again Teen” their sound has exploded with new wave overtones and early 90’s electonica flavors. The harmonies remain electric. The energy is undeniable. And the bridge takes the song over the top. And you can run to it.

 

Radiohead – “Spectre”

Word has it that Oxford’s finest will be releasing a new album any day now. In the meantime, the band shared their rejected theme to the most recent Bond movie. No disrespect to Sam Smith but I might like this better. And that is saying something for a guy who lost touch with the band over their past couple of albums. This is big and sad and sweeping. Oh, and it’s free. 

 

Panic! At The Disco – “The Impossible Year”

Someone saw this coming. Maybe several someones. I admit I wasn’t paying attention. As Panic! At The Disco celebrates the 10th Anniversary of their debut album, their lone remaining original member Brendon Urie serves up honest to goodness crooning worthy of any recent Seth MacFarlane album. This is as straightforward as it comes. There is no overt emo context here. Just, big music. It’s nerdworthy in an extravagant way and therein lies the connection. Panic! At The Disco have always been about extravagance.

 

Disturbed – “The Sound of Silence”

This has become a thing. It was brought to my attention by my father’s old administrative assistant who posted it on Facebook. Then it was shared and shared and shared. And then the non-little-oldish-ladies picked up on it. Never once was a person who posted this aware of the band previously. It seems so random to me but the song is legit. It has good bones. So, uh, huh.

 

THE CLASSIC: Earth Wind & Fire – “September”

R.I.P. Maurice Starr. This band was a huge deal once upon a time and for good reason. You will never go wrong playing Earth Wind & Fire at a party. Just saying.

For previous editions of The Playlist, see the growing archive here.

Click here for the Spotify playlist.