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Track Reviews

Tin Types – Torcchio

tin types final

Tin Types, a newish band out of one of our adopted home hoods San Francisco, release beautifully atmospheric and pleasantly non-dense track “Torcchio”. Sort of loose in arrangement like a great 2013 indie version of an extended late 70’s R&B track (totally thinking of Latimore here lol), one “Torcchio”s really rewarding points (and there’s many) is that the track is set up in a way (ballasted nicely by some simple but very effective pulses of rhythm) where the guitar on the track and the vocals are able to actually breathe within the song’s broader context creating a hypnotic (powerful, refreshing) overall sense to the track. We love it.

Tin Types (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.1

brown8

reviewed by
07-12-13

Justin Timberlake – Take Back the Night

Justin Timberlake - Take Back the Night

Timberlake is back (again) w/ the lead single from his upcoming 20/20 Experience sequel and this time he’s brought along Michael Jackson. “Take Back the Night” is an Off the Wall-era Michael pastiche for sure but it is a very good pastiche and if it means it’ll grab away any playlist slots from that awful new Bruno Mars “Treasure” song, all the better.

Justin Timberlake (Official)

Rating 8.4

brown8

reviewed by
07-12-13

Banks – Warm Water (Snakehips Remix)

snakehips edit

The mighty Snakehips outfits Banks’ “Warm Water” in an appropriately “jacuzzi temperatures” bath of fresh melodic beats and drenched in that glittering light you see on the ocean at twilight synth that has become the UK DJ’s trademark. Ace and a half.

Snakehips (Facebook)

Rating 8.2123

brown8

reviewed by
07-12-13

Cocovan – Mascara

cocovan

“Mascara” is the expertly layeyed, perfectly constructed and conceived latest bit of pop chanteuse-ry from Parisian singer Cococvan. Revealing cool and interesting (& genre-crossing) new bits and attributes with each repeat listen (like that neat demon dude voice at the close of each chorus or the killer, totally out of nowhere, momentum-pushing new chord progression in the bridge (whoa!)), “Mascara”, in addition to being great, has a rather large bit of replayability in its tank too. Give “Mascara” your ears with the appropriate buttons below.

Cocovan (Facebook)

Rating 8.2

brown8

reviewed by
07-11-13

Dan Croll – In/Out

Dan Croll

Recalling now the heady days of August, 2012 when a cool blog called blahblahblahscience.com premiered the debut track from a then unknown artist out of Liverpool called Dan Croll. Nearly a year & a couple of hit singles later (I’ll never forget losing my mind in the car when I heard “From Nowhere” on the radio here in SF), the Croll man is back with a new deal on a Universal imprint, mentions in The Guardian, etc etc. Mr. Croll’s first major release is the once-again-very-strong wide net casted wordly synth pop of “In/Out”.

Dan Croll (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

reviewed by
07-11-13

Dominic Smith – No Pretend (Preview/Edit)

Dominic Smith

Ah yes, lush exotic vibed down house. Give us a hushed four on the floor, some subtle female vocals & a few syncopated acoustic guitar strums and it’s pretty much b3 house paradise. So we’re gonna get on to that while you spin the track and read the following; “No Pretend” is previewed here from Dublin-based producer Dominic Smith’s upcoming “What It Is What” EP out July 15th on Vision Collective.

Dominic Smith ireland (Facebook)

Rating 8.2

brown8

reviewed by
07-11-13

Ta-ku & Raashan Ahmad – Lean Left

Ta-ku & Raashan Ahmad

Ta-Ku & Rashaan Ahmad’s 2011-recorded (!) album gets its proper release this week thanks to the cool brahs at Jakarta Records. The gloomy soul-flavoring (always a b3 fave!) of “Lean Left” is our pick from the record’s sixteen strong tracks. You check out a full sample of the LP on soundcloud.

Raashan Ahmad (Facebook)

Rating 8.2

brown8

reviewed by
07-11-13

FKJ – Lying Together (Swish & Chris Kyte Edit)

Swish Chris Kyte

Swish & Chris Kyte, yessir. The pair spin FKJ’s already fly “Lying Together” beat from late last year and spin something 100% smooth & summery with a selection of very fine verses. Get with us and get this one on repeat.

Swish & Chris Kyte maryland pennsylvania (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.5

brown8

reviewed by
07-11-13

ProbCause – LSD (Feat. Chance The Rapper)

ProbCause - LSD ft. Chance The Rapper

Guessing when Chi MC ProbCause was looking for brahs to feature on his “LSD” track, Mr. Acid Rap Chance the Rapper was #1 on that list. He’d have been #1 on our list. Prob’s The Recipe Vol. 2 is out July 16th.

AngeProbCause (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.1

reviewed by
07-10-13

Sundara Karma – Freshbloom

sundra karma

Sundara Karma absolutely. These Reading youngsters display an bright knack for the best sort of anthemic UK rock w/ the infinitely sing-along-able “Freshbloom”. Seemingly able to recall every great British guitar band of the last 20 years in each and every note (a true talent indeed!), you’ll be instantly at home and comfy w/ the tune’s exemplary repository of conservation.

Sundara Karma england (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.3
brown8

reviewed by
07-10-13

Phoenix – Trying to Be Cool (A-Trak Remix)

phoenixft3

“I’m just tryna be cool w/ A-Trak.” as the superstar DJ takes a shot at French supermen Phoenix (shouts to anybody who was there with us at their 2002 show for 75 people at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland!) and as you can imagine (Phoenix + A-Trak = $$$$??) the mix is off the damn chain. So spin that shit below and have a Phoenix party in your headphones pronto.

A-Trak canada (Official) (Twitter)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
07-10-13