[new] Gracey feat. Alexander 23 – “Like That” (114bpm Cmin)
Nothing too ground breaking here, but a solid, melodic pop dance tune from British born Gracey who hails from Brighton.
[new] Gashi – “Lies” (118bpm Fmin) & “Paranoid” (110bpm C#min)
Gashi seems to be taking a page from The Weeknd’s playbook. Or perhaps it’s vice versa. I really like this track a lot. I’m a little more fond of the instrumental production on this record than I am the vocals. I know it may seem like a requirement to auto-tune these days, but I think this record would have been much more powerful without it.
Another enjoyable track from Gashi called “Paranoid.” Gashi… yes… we know you smoke. We’re very proud of you. The look and image he’s cultivated for himself is douchey, but I do like this track and video as well. It was shot in Indian Alley which is near Skid Row in Los Angeles.
[fav] London Grammar – “Hey Now,” (60bpm Gmin) “If You Wait” (63bpm Cmin Fmaj)
London Grammar is an English indie pop band formed in Nottingham in 2009. The band consists of Hannah Reid, Dan Rothman and Dominic ‘Dot’ Major. If you’re looking for an entire album full of outstanding songs and top shelf production, I would give it a listen. It sounds just as good today as it did when it came out in 2013.
[fav] The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights” (170bpm Cmin)
This is Max Martin’s 23rd number 1 record and with good reason. You can tell top shelf producers by what they decide not to do. Max Martin’s records are usually stripped down to their most basic parts. He takes those basics and perfects them. No gimmicks, no ProTools plug-in du jour, no adding unnecessary layers. He’s laser focused on just those elements that make a song great, catchy, and memorable. When in doubt, leave it out. 30 years from now, this will still be a great sounding record. Congratulations, Max. You make it look easy.
[new] Kirby – “We Don’t Funk” (85bpm Cmin)
We need a 12″ version of this one with a nice long funky break so we can really get all the way down. Sadly, this is only two minutes long. Are you up to the challege? Put this record on, grab your honey, and see how funky you can get before it’s over.
[new] Tiny Meat Gang – “Broke Bitch” (87bpm Cmin)
Kind of a stupid novelty record but that didn’t stop me from bumping it on the subwoofer. Vacuous pseudo-urban pablum to be sure, but reasonably entertaining a few times. Kudos to the producer. That’s a nice bumpin’ beat. You can stop watching at the 2:37 mark; the rest is a commercial.
[new] Tame Impala – “Lost In Yesterday,” (122bpm D♯min) “Borderline,” (98bpm Cmin) and “It Might Be Time” (115bpm Dmaj)
Tame Impala is Australian producer Kevin Parker. His stuff is top shelf in production and sound design. His last album was released in 2015. Over the last couple months, he’s been releasing singles that will be on his next album The Slow Rush which is to be released on February 14, 2020. I love this stuff.