28: It Was Winter, Now and Forever
Hey friends,
Here’s the back half of the music I listened to for #MWE, or the Music Writer’s Exercise, in February. My DJ mix is at the top, followed by the reviews I tweeted out each day. When possible, I included Bandcamp links to albums if you’re curious to listen to more/buy the dang thing. Thanks for the kind feedback on the first installment!
”SILVER THAW” // SIDE TWO
link to download // link to stream
SIDE TWO
Pink Sweat$ // “Heaven”
Tori Amos // “Past the Mission”
Dawn Richard // “new breed”
Carl Thomas // “I Wish”
Jansport J // “Told You”
Vinnie DeWayne // “Miyumi’s Interlude (All the Signs)” ft. Miyumi
Low Profile // “That’s Y They Do It”
Mavi // “TIME TRAVEL”
Cloud One // “Atmosphere Strut”
Tarika Blue // “Sun Thru Winter”
Old Grape God // “U DO THE MATH”
Curren$y // “Arrival” prod. by Harry Fraud
Leon Haywood // “Believe Half of What You See (And None of What You Hear)”
Grover Washington, Jr. // “Sausalito”
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SINGLE TWEET LENGTH REVIEWS
Pink Sweat$ // PINK PLANET
Maximal modern R&B with dense production, big leaps & growth from his early spare singles. Impressed by how well he does different things (singing, songwriting, and production), but mostly it's that lovely voice. Would love to see him in concert.
Tori Amos // Under the Pink
From our collection. Did not anticipate the response this record gave me today. Got me in my feelings about the evil that men (myself included) do. An ocean of empathy and defiance, the sound of a woman taking control. Glad I reconsidered.
Dawn Richard // New Breed
Confident, vulnerable, and raw. An ode to NOLA and her 9th Ward + Washitaw Nation heritage with second line drum programming, dope synths, dance jams, funk-infused basslines and nice use of samples. This may finally dislodge "Show Stopper" from my brain.
Carl Thomas // Emotional
I finally understand why producers I love rave about this record. Had to buy the "I Wish" 12" as soon as I was done listening. I aspire to learn to scratch as smooth as its done on "My Valentine." Sophisticated layered harmonies, impeccable beats.
Jansport J // SAVE MY SOUL II
Birthday cake from the king of west coast producers! J has a keen ear for soul chops, and he's the master of EQ tweaks and subtle variation with repetition, always telling a profound story in his beats. The Orel Hershiser of the Hip-Hop game, a blessed consistency with streaks where he is untouchable.
Vinne Dewayne // Curbside Pickup
The St. John's Scholar returns with his first full-length project since 2016; WORTH THE WAIT! A true lyricist, he shines in collaboration. The back and forth with Myumi is a highlight, as is "Collision" with Mic Capes. Sounds like a PNW classic.
Low Profile // We’re In This Together
The turntablism on this record from DJ Aladdin is otherworldly, unbelievable. Emcee W.C. is no slouch lyrically, and "That's Y They Do It" sounds every bit as urgent now as it must have in '90. The more shit changes, the more it don't.
Mavi // End of the Earth EP
Young man came out of the gate hot with Let The Sun Talk, and the follow up is good as hell. His approach is unhurried yet urgent, unwinding mesmeric verses over soul & jazz loops. This music stops time for me, makes the world drop out of focus.
Cloud One // Atmosphere Strut
Approaching the 1st anniversary of the final pre-COVID Hellfish DJ gig, a magic night at Hey Love. Painful to listen to this crate classic, which would fit right in with the disco garden vibe. Blissful, floating synth work from Patrick Adams.
Tarika Blue // Tarika Blue
Listened this morning on my dog walk, contemplated why I love horn arrangements & synth solos in my fusion/soul jazz, yet I have a negative reaction to guitar solos. Then I saw a hummingbird, and it all clicked into place. "Downtown Sound" is THUMBS UP/top notch.
Old Grape God // 4TH WALL BROKE ME
Tron is undoubtedly the most singular/unique artist I've ever gotten down to. His music is deeply psychedelic & always fucking hilarious. Influenced by Sun Ra, free improv, mushroom tea, visual art, puns and wordplay. His best yet.
Curren$y // Collection Agency
I think my favorite things about Spitta are his prolificacy and the way he uses stereo space for echo // backing vocals. Every project is interesting, and he's always on-point when teamed up with frequent collaborators Harry Fraud & Purps.
Leon Haywood // Come and Get Yourself Some
Among life's greatest blessings for me occur when flipping through a stack of new arrivals at a record shop and landing on something I've been waiting for. This 1975 sexy funk/soul bomb will be exploding in my brain all weekend.
Grover Washington, Jr. // Live at the Bijou
Listened to over the course of a beautiful day where I spent time with the fam & by myself, in the sunshine. Saw nice people! Always kept that beat, the drums in the pocket, someone going nuts somewhere. Fucking cool as hell.
DJ Mr. Mom
North Portland, OR
March 9, 2021