As fun as it is to complain about “music these days,” and how it’s all been downhill since The Chronic came out, it’s even MORE fun to listen to — wait for it — good music. Every Tuesday, a.k.a. Music Release Day, we’ll highlight five albums worth (legally) downloading or driving to the local Best Buy (lolz) for. (Banner via)
Today, we’ve got selections from Ne-Yo, Mike Doughty, Dirty Projectors, and more.
The Flip Is Another Honey by Mike Doughty
A passionate, engaging all-covers album from the former-Soul Coughing singer, with songs from John Denver, Cheap Trick, Thin Lizzy, and most bizarrely, the Guys & Dolls soundtrack. Even when he's not performing his own tracks, Doughty, with a voice that sounds like a warm frown, remains unmistakable.
Just to Feel Anything by Emeralds
A glossy, color-coated love letter to 1980s synth-pop, with ambient tangents mixed in to keep things current.
About to Die EP by Dirty Projectors
A humble four-song followup to the excellent Swing Lo Magellan, the must-hear track is "While You're Here," singer Dave Longstreth's sparse ode to TV on the Radio's Gerard Smith, who tragically and unexpectedly passed away in 2011. It's arguably Dirty Projectors' most honest, less fussy release yet.
"Skyfall" by Adele
For some reason, the official Skyfall soundtrack doesn't include Adele's theme, only Thomas Newman's instrumental scores, but nertz to that — "Skyfall" is everything a Bond theme should be, in all its stirring glory, and we're going to link to it anyways. TAKE THAT, NEWMAN.
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Mr. Muthafucking Exquire’s Power & Passion EP dropped today too. Only 5 songs, but good stuff.
Also, just wrapping up my first listen of Guilty Simpson & Apollo Brown’s “Dice Game”. Very solid so far.
I was just gonna play out that Kendrick album till next week (when Action Bronson & Alchemist take over), but it looks like that’ll change.
I am seeing Doughty at MountainStage in Morgantown, WV very soon and right after I read his new album was all covers and right before I clicked play all I could hope was that “Country Roads” was the song he chose. Doughty comes through again.
And yes, we know “Country Roads” is about western VA and not WV, but we’ve pretty much taken ownership of it from Virginia. Pretty sure it was cleverly written in to the contract by some hillbilly Nostradamus from when we seceded.