New Music Roundup, 1/15/13

Guess who's back?

I got keys

Comin' from overseas

Cost a - (This seems like an appropriate time to raise the question: am I allowed to use the n-word if quoting a rap song?  No?  Ok, then.  Moving on...)

Anyway, as that aborted rap verse indicates, after a several month-long hiatus, the new music roundup is making its - if not exactly triumphant, then at least enthusiastic - return.  Not all of this is technically new music, but it's all new to me, so you'll just have to indulge me.  I swear to god, fictional audience, sometimes you can be so picky.

Emile Sandé - Our Version of Events

This is one of those older albums I only discovered the past couple of days.  I'm a little unsure when the album was released in the US, but it was released in the UK almost a year ago.  If my Sirius Radio listening experience is any indication, Sandé is starting to get a lot more exposure over here in the past couple weeks, and with good reason: if I had to succinctly describe what Sandé sounds like, I'd go with "Alicia Keys on steroids."  This isn't meant to be a knock on Keys, who's perfectly acceptable, but I think Sandé has the more powerful voice of the two, and she is at least Keys's songwriting equal.  Like Keys she's comfortable working across a couple different genres, mainly R&B, hip hop, dance, and soul.  I'm honestly surprised this record hasn't gained much traction in the United States to date, listening to it I thought it could very easily be in the same vein as Adele's 21 and think it deserves something approaching that ubiquity.  If nothing else, if you haven't yet heard the song "Next to Me," I'm fairly certain that will be rectified in the coming months.  

Selections

Next to Me

Heaven

Read All About It (Part III)

My Kind of Love

Conor Maynard - Contrast

Another artist whose album was released a while ago in the UK, this 19 year-old singer has been called the "British Bieber" because of the similar way they both were discovered, but I have to say, having listened to his album, he sounds a heck of a lot more like Justin Timberlake than Bieber to me.  Considering the lukewarm reaction to Timberlake's new single (which I thought was ok but not mind-blowingly awesome), reaction to Maynard will be interesting.  Like most pop albums, the filler is eminently skippable (and the lyrical posing is lame), but the singles are reasonably catchy.  

Selection

Can't Say No

Glass Girl

Lift Off (w/Pharrell)

Solange - True

Beyonce's younger sister comes out with a reasonably catchy album of her own.  It's very throwback 80's R&B, but I am a very throwback 80's R&B kind of guy.  "Losing You" is unquestionably the standout and definitely a keeper, and there are other interesting moments as well.

Selections

Losing You

Some Things Never Seem to Fucking Work

Lovers in the Parking Lot

Singles Section

Here's a few songs I've been listening to a lot of late whose albums I haven't written about for various reasons.

Ke$ha - Die Young

Had Ke$ha's album come out any time other than when it had, I likely would have covered it in its entirety.  But I wasn't writing when it came out, and now it feels like it's already gotten a lot of exposure.  Anyway, it's a very strong album, and this song in particular is fantastic, and maybe the Platonic ideal of what a modern dance pop song should sound like.  I doubt anyone reading this hasn't already heard the song several dozen times, but any song that gets me as hopelessly addicted to it as this one has in the past week at least gets a mention in my blog.

Macklemore and Lewis - Thrift Shop

I can't explain this one.  I heard it months ago and didn't care too much for it, but it's been everywhere on Internet radio lately, and after hearing it a lot, now I can't stop singing the hook to myself.  Just a goofy white-guy rap song.  Great video too.

Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch - Sweet Nothing

Apparently Florence Welch (the Florence in Florence + the Machine) is something of a huge EDM fan.  This song showcases her powerful voice well, and I find myself enjoying the beat drops as well (it's kinda hard for me to write about EDM: even when I really like a song, as this one, I still don't know a better way to describe it other than sounding like lasers and robot farts).

Olly Murs - Troublemaker

I have really disliked most of Maroon 5's recent output after their second album.  Olly Murs sounds so much like Adam Levine he should have to pay royalties.  Yet I enjoy this song.  I'm weird sometimes.

Big Boi ft. Wavves and B.O.B. - Shoes for Running

This song has the offbeat hip hop vibe of something like a Gorillaz song.  I find it insanely catchy.

A$AP Rocky ft. 2 Chainz, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar - Fuckin' Problems

Just trying to throw as many artists with dollar signs in their name as possible.  This rap song is pretty goony (and believe it or not contains swear words, for the more impressionable reader), but it does feature quality work by 2 Chainz and Drake doing 2 Chainz and Drake-type things respectively, and then Kendrick comes in for the last verse and blows them all away.  He's the best