January 2016 wrap-up

In case you didn't know by now, I'm pretty lazy.. but I like to do what I like to do all the same! Since I don't have the time to post every single song I listen to during the month, I figured I'd share my playlist for January here! Hope you like it.

Never Forget You (Alex Schulz Remix)

Ok, the lyrics on this one are a bit #dark in the sense that this person will obviously never get over his ex (come on, man, let it go) but it's got a pretty fabulous beat. At least he's being honest with himself I guess? Kudos to Alex Schulz for remixing this one and closing off the sometimes overwhelming month of January pretty darn well.

Zara Larsson, MNEK - Never Forget You (Alex Schulz Remix)

Evil Twin

Love at first listen with this one. There's such a great beat throughout the song with the brass synths, and the soft, vulnerable vocals counter the severity of the electronics fantastically. Such a solid track-- enjoy!

Krrum - Evil Twin

Ridin Round

Oh shit. This is real nice. One of those immediate love stories with a song where you know you're going to be obsessed for awhile and may or may not need to learn all the words and it'll probably be something that you will always appreciate. I always have a lot of respect for women who take on the hip hop industry and bring their own flair (can I say swag here?) into the game. Mind you, Kali Uchis is just 22 (my age, shit--what am I doing with my life again?) and she's absolutely slaying. First off all, with a title like "Ridin Round" you just can't go wrong.. then, when you get into the actual lyrics there's some fire in there that I just love... "I know I'm some shit and I'm cool with it" // "Fuck me over, I'll fuck you worse then take off to Japan".. uh, YES. Some people might call these kind of lyrics "aggressive" and I would have to disagree with them by countering that having confidence is just empowering.. try it. So, despite my post yesterday that denounced the original of songs after hearing a dope remix, I knew with this song that I needed to hear the original even though I heard the remix by oshi first. And, not surprisingly, the original was equally as good, just had some slower vibes. Some nice tracks right here.

Kali Uchis - Ridin Round ft. Tory Lanez (oshi redo)

Kali Uchis - Ridin Round

Also, FYI, Kali is a total babe of course:

To Have You Back

For those of you who didn't know, I love Tourist. It's really fun to follow an artist's work and see how it evolves. I still listen to one of his first releases, "Placid Acid," all the time. This most recent track of his just uses one phrase: "just to have you back." It's kind of crazy to see what can be built just around that, but it surely is a lot! The beat breakdown after the words around 2:40 is superb and it's awesome to hear it build back up after that.

Tourist - To Have You Back

Prisoner (Tomsize Remix)

Sometimes when I haven't heard the original of a song but a remix like this one first I'm like, nah I'll stick with this one. I love how Tomsize breaks down the beat here. It's the perfect amount of intensity throughout with some killer sad girl vibes sprinkled in thanks to my homie Lana.

The Weeknd - Prisoner (Tomsize Remix)

No Matter What

I'm not sure of Violet Sands' story, other than the fact that they're from New York. What I do know is that this track of theirs is pretty unique, mixing almost a soul/R&B voice with some really cool electronic beats. It's truly a good vibes only song and I just love it! I hope to hear more from them soon.

Violet Sands - No Matter What

Heading Home Ft. Josef Salvat

Woke up early this morning to discover this lovely and encouraging track, and then I danced to it at around 7am... no shame. Gryffin (also my high school mascot, so I love him even more) does a killer job with this one and the decision to pair up with Josef Salvat for some soft, yet powerful, vocals was a wonderful one. I love songs whose message roughly consists of "I don't give a fuck what people think, I'm going to do my own thing," amongst other good things. Preach.

Gryffin - Heading Home Ft. Josef Salvat

Gone (Instrum Remix) & More...

Oh, I found this song just in time to avoid responding to a pestilent text from someone who probably doesn't deserve a response.. aka I'm gone, BYE. Anyways Instrum, whose work I really admired this summer but never posted, does a fabulous job with this mix. It has a solid dance-worthy beat and I particularly love when it breaks down around the 2-minute mark. Really nice bass. I'll post my other favorite mixes by Instrum below as a lil' bonus!

Monogem - Gone (INSTRUM Remix)

***Bonus tracks***

You're a straight up liar if you tell me you don't like "Trap Queen" or any version of it, and in my opinion, this version takes the cake. Still not over this one, let's gooooo

Two Friends & INSTRUM - Trap King (Fetty Wap Ft. Adriana Gomez Cover)

Honestly I'm not sure if you're ready for this mix. It's so fire you just might get burned. Anyone who turns Whitney Houston tunes into something like this is a genius. This was a personal favorite of mine last summer.

Whitney Houston - Dance With Somebody (INSTRUM Remix)

Share My Dreams

Here's another one to help you wind down after a difficult Monday. The deep house duo Mynga takes this down a notch. The repetition is quite relaxing in this one and it just kind of puts me in a good mood! I don't know, maybe even light as a feather, ahem, album artwork. Ok that's a good sign it's time for bed (I won't share my dreams, ok rly bye)... enjoy!

Mynga - Share My Dreams

Midnight

In my case, it's already far past midnight, but I really like this track to help me relax and chill before I go to bed. There are no words to take in, just a good series of instrumentals that steadily build as the song goes on; hence, it's a pretty good thinking song. Nothing quite like an unexpected source of zen to make you feel at ease.

Lane 8 - Midnight

Cellophane (Loframes Remix)

I've always had a thing for Miami Horror ever since I heard their most well-known track "Sometimes" back in the day. Their 80s vibes came back and prospered in their latest album All Possible Futures. The original of "Cellophane" is a bit slower than this remix by Loframes, but I really like this version. It feels a good bit funkier and reminds me of Chromeo in a good way.

Miami Horror - Cellophane (Loframes Remix)

Say A Prayer For Me

It's Sunday night.. which means tomorrow is Monday. I'm luck I have Rüfüs to "Say A Prayer for Me" because it sure as hell is going to be rough. All cheesiness aside, I've really been enjoying his regularly released tracks. They consistently have a good rhythm and vocals. This latest one is certainly up to par, but I'd say it slows things down a bit from his other songs. Low-key chill vibes here, but if you'd want to boogie to it, you absolutely could.

RÜFÜS - Say A Prayer For Me

Blue Lights

This is one of those songs that I would classify under "hauntingly beautiful," with an overall minor key and a slow but hypnotic beat. Moreover, the voice of Jorja Smith is smooth as butter and it pairs perfectly, full of soul, with the light xylophone instrumentals. Awesome tune and I look forward to hearing more from Jorja Smith.

Jorja Smith - Blue Lights

Home

This easygoing tune makes me want to maintain my frequent traveling for the rest of forever. It specifically draws from summer ideals and its beachy vibes go over quite well. Keep your imagination roaming and transport yourselves from the chill this winter! This is the first track released by the Australians of Islandis and I'm curious to hear more from them!

Islandis - Home

Peace Of What

It's always wonderful to see musicians who want to make people really think about something, other than themselves and their own problems. I guess that's the job of being an artist. Upon releasing this latest track, RJD2 said,"When I hear people talk of peace in America, the discrepancy between our words and our actions can get fatiguing. I was trying to reflect the experience of people I know, which often feels like, ‘We're not ACTUALLY trying to do anything about this problem in our country.’" A interesting question that could lead to some serious thinking... and a good tune and the soulful voice of Jordan Brown to help us get there. RJD2's album Dame Fortune will be released March 25.. so keep an eye out and enjoy!

RJD2 - Peace Of What 

Reichpop

It can be confusing sometimes to have such varied interests in terms of music because Wild Nothing is perhaps the exact opposite of all the electronic stuff I've been posting recently, but I still love them. I've been listening to them since 2010 and it's been awesome to hear how their sound has changed (still love "Chinatown" and "Wait"). It's nice to embrace such a plethora of tunes and their distinct types or classifications, which I've found to be constantly dissolving or morphing into other things as time goes on. We're pretty much spoiled now by having such liberal access to jams! Moving on... this upbeat track is the latest from Wild Nothing and, as the title suggests, there is a bit of "pop" involved, which I really dig. Anything with xylophones, really, please sign me up. I also enjoy the little laser sounds throughout the song and I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of Wild Nothing's album Life of Pause (great title), due out February 19.

Wild Nothing - Reichpop

Runaway (U & I) (Speaker of the House Remix)

I love a good mix between trance and dance where you could just chill to the track but also it could make you groove like nobody's business. Writing like this is a science, y'all, and clearly so is making a mix as fantastic as this. A job well done by Speaker of the House and of course having the impeccable Galantis as the original doesn't hurt either. Check it:

Galantis - Runaway (U & I) (Speaker of the House Remix)

Better Off (Lash Remix)

Filed under: guilty pleasures, dance music with cheesy lyrics, still love shit like this. Anyways, Lash does a particularly fabulous job with this otherwise sensitive tune (re: breakup lyrics). Clearly it's the bass that brings this to life and keeps things going. Nice dance jam, and you won't be able to deny that.

Emily Vaughn - Better Off (Lash Remix)

Never Be Like You feat. Kai

Oh baby. It's been awhile since we've heard any original material from Flume but this surely meets expectations. The pairing with the Canadian singer Kai--who has also collaborated with the likes of Diplo, Skrillex, and Childish Gambino--is a smart one. Her sweetly flowing voice contrasts perfectly with the beats and bass that Flume has laid down on this one, which never cease to amaze. I'll be listening to this one for a long time to come... so good.

Flume - Never Be Like You feat. Kai

Come Down

California Native Brandon Paak Anderson has been in the music world for quite sometime, but I have just found him with his recently released album Malibu. He fuses elements of hip-hop, r&b, and jazz together and it's absolutely fascinating--creating a unique and memorable sound along the way. My favorite track of the album is without a doubt "Come Down," and I don't know much about music technically speaking, but I know this sounds good. Enjoy!

Anderson  .Paak - Come Down

Proud (Autograf Remix)

I love the original of this song for many reasons, and that being said, it can be difficult to pull off a remix of a song so classic and so well known, but Autograf does it with ease. I really like the direction of the remix as well, it doesn't go to heavy but stays at a good level where you could just chill to it all the while maintaining a good beat.

The Temptations - Proud (Autograf Remix)

Secrets & Lies

I love when you realize how obsessed you are with a song and that you can listen to it over and over again without it losing its impact. This one is just that, even though it clocks in at about 10 minutes long. Fort Romeau, aka Robert Johnson, recently released his EP titled Secrets and Lies, the eponym (had to look up that word) for one of its tracks that is truly mesmerizing. Ten minutes allows for quite the development of beats, and that they do--involving a wide range of mostly 80s synth, the song immediately took me back to some of my favorite old movies and Miami Vice episodes. Then the voice of Baby from Dirty Dancing from the speech to her dad comes in and it only gets better from there. A good reminder that if someone loves you, they should love all the things about you. Check it out for yourself:

Fort Romeau - Secrets & Lies

Baby's monologue.. love it.

London Thunder (Lakechild Edit)

I loved hearing from Foals again late this summer with their album, What Went Down. Of course, I still love to go back and listen to one of my favorites by them, "Spanish Sahara," but it's really nice to hear their style progressing all the while staying with their pleasing and familiar sound. This subdued and understated edit by Lakechild adds a nice touch to "London Thunder" and keeps a good beat without overdoing it.

Foals - London Thunder (Lakechild Edit)

Love Myself (Fareoh Remix)

Gosh I just love the cheesy pump up song sometimes. "Love Myself" is exactly that and Fareoh just takes it to another level but, in a way, by excellently toning it down as it builds. Another danceable remix to add to the books!

Hailee Steinfeld - Love Myself (Fareoh Remix)

Reach feat. Rozzi Crane

I don't know too much about liminl, aside from the fact that they can produce quite a good track. I love the vocals in their latest, "Reach," and the beat breakdown is quite nice--nothing too complicated about this one! Have a listen for yourself:

liminl - Reach ft. Rozzi Crane

Wonderlove

I first heard LarryKoek's track Premiere Fois (meaning "first time") last year and I loved the little funky vibes of guitar blends that it brought. Listening to it now takes me back to metro rides on ligne 4 between Denfert-Rochereau and Saint Sulpice to and from work. I love that power of nostalgia with a song, but also the ability to create new memories with it. Anyways, LarryKoek's latest is another upbeat and funky little track. "Wonderlove" continues the lighthearted vibes with the guitar blends and the vocals really add something nice here. I can't help but smile to this one!

LarryKoek - Wonderlove

***Bonus***

Matadora

The Brazil-inspired Brown graduate duo of Soffi Tukker is back with another upbeat and satisfying tune that makes you want to get up and dance, despite not understanding the lyrics. Side note, if you haven't heard their debut track "Drinkee" yet, get on it. It's quite refreshing to not fully understand the words, because it makes you appreciate other aspects of the song. Living in another country, I don't totally understand every little thing that goes on around me in terms of language and culture but I can still appreciate it and smile. It's pretty cool to experience this in a song as well-blended as this. Check it:

Sofi Tukker - Matadora

Me, Myself & I (Lost Kings Remix)

Nothing says "you do you" quite like a little me time. As a strong advocate for finding happiness in oneself I vibe with this song extremely well and when a dancing beat is thrown on top of it by Lost Kings, I can really appreciate it. What a turnaround for Bebe Rexha from "Drinking About You" to this... YGG. But for me, new year same bitch: Me, Myself & I.

G-Eazy & Bebe Rexha - Me, Myself & I (Lost Kings Remix)

Walk Walk (20syl Remix)

You can always count on 20syl for a well-balanced and soft electronic touch to a song. I don't think I've heard a track by him that's overworked, but instead he adds just enough of his own funky flair to make the song that much better. This latest one leaves me feeling extremely hopeful for the year to come, to walk forward, and keep going with a lightness in spirit and open mind! Enjoy the good vibes and keep them coming in 2016.

Yael Naim - Walk Walk (20syl Remix)

Smoke Filled Room (Truth & Lies Remix)

Not gonna lie, 2016 is coming in hot. I'm loving this recent remix of this sexy lil jam. Getting fired up for a good year to come... don't let it go up in smoke! Sorry, I'm tired, so of course I had to throw in some nuanced wordplay. Enjoy this gem!

Mako - Smoke Filled Room (Truth & Lies Remix)