Krewella: “We Go Down” [Columbia Records]
Summer’s almost over, but vocal-fronted electronica
trio Krewella sound like they’re ready to close the sticky season with a
bang. Or with a banger, courtesy of their new single “We Go Down.”
Sisters Jahan and Yasmine Youhaf sing over producer Rain Man’s beats,
meshing reggae-inspired rhythms with high-frequency drum and bass. The
end result hits hard, with the sort of pop-inflected song structure and
heavier drop that have gleaned such sudden success for the group over
the last year. The Chicago three-piece are about to tour extensively
around North America, kicking off proceedings at Electric Zoo in New
York this weekend, and wrapping up in November in their hometown. If
you’re bummed about the long days and balmy nights winding down, just
turn this up a little louder.
-Tshepo Mokoena@NeuThings
-Tshepo Mokoena@NeuThings
Macklemore + Ryan Lewis - Can't Hold Us (Big Gigantic Remix) [free download]
I admittedly don't listen to much non-dance music, but
this summer it has been impossible to ignore the massiveness of
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' anthem "Can't Hold Us." Until Big Gigantic
uploaded its take to SoundCloud earlier this week, I couldn't find a
dancefloor-friendly version of the track that fit my tastes. But I'm
glad they gave us their take: this remix preserves the original
qualities of the song while amplifying the percussion and drums to make
it more of a banger. Oh, it's also a free download. And you know a
thrift shop-lover can't ever argue with free.
-Jacob Schulman @JacobSchulman
-Jacob Schulman @JacobSchulman
Vice feat. Mike Taylor: "World Is Our Playground"
L.A. native DJ Vice is one of the best open-format DJs
in the world. The 20-year veteran started playing hip-hop records on
LA’s Power 106 in the late 90s before securing DJ residencies at Las
Vegas nightclubs like Lavo, TAO and Marquee. Over the last few years,
Vice has been working on his production chops -- remixing tracks for
Dev, Yuna, Rita Ora, Tegan & Sara and Capital Cities. His latest
original track, "World Is Our Playground" looks to be a breakthrough
hit. The progressive house track features Mike Taylor's catchy vocal
paired with Vice's beautiful piano riff and a high-energy buildup. As a
DJ who's played some of the most prestigious parties around the world,
the song is a perfect fit for Vice.
-Eric Coomes @EricCoomes
-Eric Coomes @EricCoomes
Sir Sly: “Miracle” [Cherrytree/Interscope]
“I just want what can’t have,” Sir Sly’s Landon Jacobs
croons over a guitartronica beat. But we can have what we want as the
Los Angeles-based trio has made this track available as a free download.
And you’ll want to cop it if for no other reason than the waning days
of summer should be soundtracked by exactly this kind of chillwave.
Touches of sadness throughout never veer towards despondent and the
gentle synth strumming will induce some swaying if not verified
toe-tapping.
-Zel McCarthy @ZelMcCarthy
-Zel McCarthy @ZelMcCarthy
