A revolving cast of contributors from the Music 101 and Wireless teams showcase some of the best new music releases from the past week.
Photo: Hot Chip Photo: Unknown
Hot Chip - 'Huarache Lights'
When this one popped up on the blogs I very nearly skipped it. I mean, these guys have gotten a bit dusty haven't they? The last time Hot Chip surprised me was when they announced they would "break your legs, snap off your head" on The Warning, and that was nearly 10 years ago.
But luckily I dipped in because ‘Huarache Lights’ is super charming, thanks largely to an insistent synth throb and enough melodic left turns to keep things interesting. Alexis Taylor's reedy voice still endears, and while Hot Chip may have entered their elder statesmen phase, there's a lot to be said for competent musicians crafting a polite little pop song. Throw in an unexpected vocoder churp and this will do just fine. - Tony Stamp
LIDS - ‘Sarsfest’
‘Sarsfest’ is the debut single from Toronto's LIDS. While the lineup combo of members from Holy Fuck, The Constantines and Metz is what got me here, it was the drums that made me stay. They drive harder than GG's 'Rock N Roll Part 2', while the the guitar lines and ambient cooing chill over stabbing distorted bass. I would be very keen to see this live and I feel like ‘Sarsfest’ has the building blocks for what could be a track that is stretched out far longer than the 5.48 duration.
And what are they singing about? I hope it's got something to do with a crowd of angry Rolling Stones fans and a melancholic Neil Pert pelting Justin Timberlake with water bottles and toilet paper. - Zac Arnold
Odesza - 'All We Need' (Autograf remix)
Now that summer has crested and the festival season is coming to an end, I’m clinging on to every last morsel of sunshine. Autograf’s remix of Odesza’s 'All We Need' (featuring Shy Child) has come at just the right time, prolonging the summer heat with this energising calypso tune. With 'All We Need', Autograf (who also did a stellar, marimba’d remix of Lorde’s 'Team' last year) decorates the original version with a bubbly synth line and looped melodies, bringing those infectious tropical vibes to the fore.
After reaching the top spot on MP3 blog aggregator Hype Machine this week, the Chicago DJs decided to give their remix away for free to anyone who sent them a DM on Facebook. Shortly after I emailed them, the download link appeared in my inbox with the message: “be sure to share the vibes with your friends”. Consider it done. - Ellen Falconer
Drake – If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
Without warning, here we are with a new 17-song Drake mixtape, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, a project with plenty to take in, with most of it being pretty alright based off of a five-day first impression. There’s guest appearances from Travi$ Scott, Lil’ Wayne and PARTYNEXTDOOR and some subtle yet memorable tracks including ‘Know Yourself’, ‘No Tellin’’ and ‘Legend’.
And then there’s ‘You & The 6’ (bless his heart), a song for and about his mum and the most amazingly Drakey-type song he’s possibly ever written. It turns out his mum has Google alerts set up on her phone to get some insight on her naughty son and she’s also trying to hook him up with her good-girl personal trainer who works at her gym!
He’s at his best when being either confrontational Drake or the pillow-talking, vulnerable Mr Sensitive Drake, and thankfully the earnestness this track falls back on doesn’t obscure what’s good about the rest of his output here. Stream the mixtape above or chuck some dollars at it via iTunes. – Hussein Moses
Honourable mentions
GZA - 'The Mexican'
Lightning Bolt - 'The Metal East'
Florence & The Machine - 'How Big How Blue How Beautiful'
Slutever - Almost Famous EP
Pikachunes - 'Writer's Block'
Popstrangers - Live Sessions
Did we miss something? Tell us about it in the comments section.