It’s been a while since I’ve posted one of these. Everyone’s Monday needs a little boost, so listen to these songs from my tape-deck, and maybe your Monday will suck a little less. It’s worth a shot, at least. And coffee – you’re gonna want some coffee, too.
Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment – Sunday Candy
I’ve been told that I include Chance the Rapper too much in my Monday Mixers. This one goes out to the haters.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Crew Cuts
Here’s a little pre-The Heist Macklemore. You know, from back when the hipsters still liked him. No, this track doesn’t have a defined ‘message’ like much of the Seattle-based emcee’s recent work, but that’s where it shines.
Vic Mensa – Down On My Luck
It was crazy when I was out at a club in London last semester and I heard this song coming from the next room. Usually a rapper, Vic has taken his career solo from now-defunct band Kids These Days, and while his artistic vision has definitely taken a shift to the more unique side of things, I won’t complain about it. This visual is ridiculous, too.
Spoon – The Rent I Pay
Arguably the best album of the year, Austin-based Spoon’s They Want My Soul starts out with “The Rent I Pay,” a track that’s as emphatic as it is nostalgic. Whenever I hear this powerful riff, I’m reminded that “oh yeah, Spoon came back this year and we’re all better off because of it.”
Saba – Scum
Given the events of the past week, I don’t know that there’s a better track to play to illustrate benign urban neglect than Saba’s “Scum.” Let the words from the young rapsmith from Chicago’s west side wash over your ears. Maybe you’ll learn something like I did.
Kaytranada – All We Do (feat. JMSN)
I’m not usually one for instrumental electronic music, which is probably why I chose one of the few Kaytranada tracks with a featured vocalist, but this artist is truly something exceptional. Perfect for studying through the inevitable barrage of finals anxiety, I think I’m going to lean on Kaytranada fairly heavily over the next couple of weeks.
Raury – God’s Whisper
No one’s really sure what genre Raury occupies, but it’s a pretty widely-accepted notion that whatever it is, it’s awesome. Couple the explosion of his debut project Indigo Child with massive cosigns from SBTRKT and The Neighbourhood, and one starts to realize that the young Atlanta-native is here to stay. Plus, that’s a sweet hat, right?
King Krule – Neptune Estate (Remix)” (feat. Wiki and Lucki Eck$)
This track dropped back in the spring, but it’s still as timeless as ever. London indie-favorite King Krule enlisted Wiki of Ratking and Chicago’s Lucki Eck$ for a remix of his 6 Feet Beneath The Moon cut “Neptune Estate.” I’m not usually crazy about Lucki’s flow, but this is some undeniably smooth rapping.
Bombay Bicycle Club – Shuffle (Jack Steadman Remix)
Yeah, this song has a huge build-up, but as an already massive Bombay Bicycle Club fan, that’s something I can deal with. If you can’t take it, just skip to about 47 seconds into the video and try not to dance.
Mick Jenkins and Supa BWE – Treat Me
For obvious reasons, this week.
