Diplo's Dr. Pepper, Quickie Mart's Werk, Icona Pop's Emergency and AF the Naysayer's Status
This week's "Freshly Spilt Milk" soundcloud playlist includes jangle pop from The Cairo Gang, soul from Willis Earl Beal, glitchy techno from Oslo, and a sunny instrumental from Joey Bada$$'s producer.
This week's "Freshly Spilt Milk" soundcloud playlist includes jangle pop from The Cairo Gang, soul from Willis Earl Beal, glitchy techno from Oslo, and a sunny instrumental from Joey Bada$$'s producer.
1. “Status” - AF the Naysayer: I’ve been a fan of the dreamy, luxurious sound of AF the Naysayer’s The Autodidact Instrumentals Vol. 1 since I first heard them. The album’s out now on Step Pepper Records.
2. “VI -Waiting for You” - Svoy: Russian producer Svoy combines classical music elements with skittering, light-footed beats to create something that’s ultimately a little unsettling as a breathy voice repeats, “I’ve been waiting for you,” finding different meanings in different articulations of the line.
3. “D. Edge” - Database: There’s something intriguing in this Brazilian DJ duo’s nu disco, which is hardly the soundtrack for partying like you just don’t care. Their new album, Cool Kids, is due out Tuesday.
4. “Emergency” - Icona Pop: “Emergency” won’t blow up like “I Love It” did, but the songs share an appealingly shameless commitment to the good times to be had in the next five minutes with no concern for what comes next.
5. “Doctor Pepper” - Diplo with CL, Riff Raff, and OG Maco: This may be the same thing as “Emergency”—all fun with no concern about anything beyond groove and attitude.
6. “Werk” - Quickie Mart ft. DJ Godfather and Katey Red (Smookie Illson Remix): Quickie Mart recently released a collection of remixes of his work including this one, which is finding its way into other DJs mixes.
7. “The Legend” (Busy Tempo Original) - Albin Myers and Carli: The Swedish duo recall the ‘90s when British producers created their own high speed, high energy takes on house, infusing it with enough techno elements to keep it from fitting neatly into any old school slot.
8. “Flying So Low” - Willis Earl Beal: Bassist and producer Scott Bomar (The Bo-Keys) recorded this contemporary take on classic soul, with icy synths creating a patient backdrop for the warm, uncertain humanity in Beal’s performance.
9. “Disney Girls” - Lee Bannon: Joey Bada$$’s producer recently released this track from his upcoming album, Pattern of Excel, due out July 10. It’s not a lift from the Bruce Johnston-penned Beach Boys song by the same name, but they fell in the same orchard if not from the same tree.
10. “Cherry Picking” - Girlpool: Cleo Tucker and Harmony Divided make beautifully spare music that focuses on their harmonies and vulnerable lyrics. Despite the simple parts, “Cherry Picking” grows as it goes on. Girlpool’s debut album Before the World Was Big is due out June 2.
11. “Sugar Coated” - Jessie Jones: Jessie Jones’ PR presents her as an acid-damaged visionary who sings songs from her personal world. I’m suspicious of rock ’n’ roll nut jobs but not this song. Her self-titled debut album is due out July 24.
12. “Ice Fishing” - The Cairo Gang: On this track from The Cairo Gang’s upcoming album Goes Missing (due out June 23), Emmett Kelly delivers a jangling, relentlessly upbeat bit of jangle pop.
13. “Jet in Jungle” - Damaged Bug: John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees has recorded more synth-oriented psychedelia for his upcoming album, Cold Hot Plumbs, which he’ll release under the name Damaged Bug.
14. “Face Melting” - Choir of Young Believers: This lovely track by the Danish group swells and ebbs unpredictably, so even when you know what’s coming next, you don’t know exactly.
15. “Persuasion” - AM & Shawn Lee: So far, the collaboration between AM and producer Shawn Lee have generally traded heavily on Lee’s affection for retro musical technology, but this track from their upcoming album Outlines (due out June 16) borders on sounding current.
16. “On My Way” - Axwell /\ Ingrosso (Mercer Remix): Two former members of Swedish House Mafia return with a new song that doesn’t stray too far from familiar territory.
17. “Yours Sincerely, André Bratten: Oslo producer André Bratten’s techno can be a little austere, so I gravitate toward this glitchy track from his new EP, Math Ilium Ion.
18. “Rx” - MXMS: Ariel Levitan and Jeremy Dawson refer to their music as “funeral pop,” and and it’s a gray day whenever “Rx,” the b-side to the single “OMG,” plays. The single is out now digitally and will be available physically June 24.
